Chalfont St Giles
| Chalfont St Giles | |
| Buckinghamshire | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Chalfont St Giles village green | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SU9893 |
| Location: | 51°37’55"N, -0°34’34"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 5,925 (2011) |
| Post town: | Chalfont St Giles |
| Postcode: | HP8 |
| Dialling code: | 01494 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Buckinghamshire |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Chesham and Amersham |
| Website: | Chalfont St Giles village |
Chalfont St Giles is a village in south-eastern Buckinghamshire, on the edge of the Chilterns, near the little villages of Seer Green, Jordans. Its sister villages, Chalfont St Peter and Little Chalfont are to the north and northeast
Chalfont means 'chalk spring', in reference to the water carrying capacities of the local terrain. The village has a duck pond that is fed by the River Misbourne.
Parish church
The parish church is St Giles, a Norman-styled church dating from the 12th century.[1] It has a fine example of a lychgate. The Bishop Francis Hare is buried there.
History
In the Domesday Book in 1086 Chalfont St Giles and Chalfont St Peter are listed as separate Manors with different owners. They were separate holding before the Norman Conquest.
During the Great Plague of London in 1665, John Milton retired to Chalfont St Giles, which is where he completed his epic poem Paradise Lost.[2] Milton's Cottage still stands in the village, and is open to the public. The inspiration for Paradise Regained is said to have been found in this parish from a conversation with a former pupil, Thomas Ellwood.
The village has given its name to Chalfont, Pennsylvania, which is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. William Penn himself named the county, having received hundreds of Quaker settlers from the villages around Chalfont.
Sport
- Football: Chalfont Wasps FC
- Tennis: Chalfont St Giles Tennis Club
- Golf: Harewood Downs Golf Club
Film and television
Chalfont St Giles has been the location of several film and television programmes:
- Dad's Army, the 1971 film version: the village doubled for Walmingtojn-upon-Sea (John Laurie, one of the main actors, lived in Chalfont St Peter)
- The Miller's Tale episode of the BBC Television drama The Canterbury Tales was filmed in and around Chalfont St Giles[3]
- As Time Goes By (BBC series)
- The Peep Show, Episode 6 of Series 3
Hamlets
Hamlets about Chalfont St Giles parish include:
- Bottrells Close, along Bottrells Lane to the west of the village. Bottrells Close Cottage is the location of the ancient hamlet.
- Chalfont Grove, south of the village along Narcot Lane. It is the location of the British Forces Broadcasting Service.
- Jordans, southwest of the main village, near Seer Green.
- Stratton Chase, to the north of Mill Lane.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about St Giles Chalfont St Giles) |
References
- ↑ 'Parishes: Chalfont St. Giles' - A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 3}}
- ↑ "A piece of Paradise in Bucks!". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties/content/articles/2008/05/20/miltons_cottage_feature.shtml. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
- ↑ IMDB listing