Chalfont St Peter is a large village and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

in southeastern

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

, England. It is in a group of villages called The Chalfonts which also includes

Chalfont St Giles Chalfont St Giles is a village and civil parish in southeast Buckinghamshire, England. It is in a group of villages called The Chalfonts, which also includes Chalfont St Peter and Little Chalfont. It lies on the edge of the Chiltern Hills, we ...

and

Little Chalfont Little Chalfont is a village and civil parish in south-east Buckinghamshire, England. It is one of a group of villages known collectively as "The Chalfonts", which also comprises Chalfont St Giles and Chalfont St Peter. Little Chalfont is locate ...

. The villages lie between

High Wycombe High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe ( ), is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye, Buckinghamshire, River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, ...

and

Rickmansworth Rickmansworth () is a town in south-west Hertfordshire, England, located approximately north-west of central London, south-west of Watford and inside the perimeter of the M25 motorway. The town is mainly to the north of the Grand Union Canal ( ...

. Chalfont St Peter is one of the largest villages, with nearly 13,000 residents. The urban population for Chalfont St Peter and

Gerrards Cross Gerrards Cross is a town and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. It lies immediately south of Chalfont St Peter and a short distance west of the London Borough of Hillingdon, from which it is separated by the parish of Denham, Buckinghams ...

is 19,622, the two places being considered a single area by the

Office for National Statistics The Office for National Statistics (ONS; ) is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, UK Parliament. Overview The ONS is responsible fo ...

. Gerrards Cross was once a

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

in the parish of Chalfont St Peter, but became a village and civil parish in its own right and is now a town. Chalfont St Peter is west-north-west of

Charing Cross Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Since the early 19th century, Charing Cross has been the notional "centre of London" and became the point from which distances from London are measured. ...

, central

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and is also in close proximity to

Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport , also colloquially known as London Heathrow Airport and named ''London Airport'' until 1966, is the primary and largest international airport serving London, the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdo ...

, Pinewood and Elstree

film studios A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company that makes films. Today, studios are mostly financing and distribution entities. In addition, they may have their own studio facility or facilities; howev ...

, and the motorway network ( M25, and M40).

History

Early history

At the time of the ''

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' is a collection of annals in Old English, chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the ''Chronicle'' was created late in the ninth century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of ...

'' in 949 there was no distinction made between the three separate villages: the whole area was known as ''Ceadeles funtan'', meaning ''chalk springs''. The villages were however separated by 1237 when in

manorial Manorialism, also known as seigneurialism, the manor system or manorial system, was the method of land ownership (or "tenure") in parts of Europe, notably France and later England, during the Middle Ages. Its defining features included a large, ...

rolls Chalfont St Peter was referred to as ''Chalfund Sancti Petri''. The suffix St Peter is taken from the dedication of the church in the village. Chalfont St Peter was described in 1806 in ''

Magna Britannia ''Magna Britannia, being a concise topographical account of the several counties of Great Britain'' was a topographical and historical survey published by the antiquarians Daniel Lysons and his brother Samuel Lysons in several volumes between 180 ...

'' as follows: :"Chalfont St Peter, in the hundred and

deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of ...

of Burnham, lies about five miles from

Amersham Amersham ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, in the Chiltern Hills, northwest of central London, south-east of Aylesbury and north-east of High Wycombe. Amersham is part of the London commuter belt. There ar ...

, on the road to London, and nearly six miles from

Uxbridge Uxbridge () is a suburban town in west London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon, northwest of Charing Cross. Uxbridge formed part of the parish of Hillingdon in the county of Middlesex. As part ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

. The manor, which belonged to Missenden Abbey, was granted in 1536 to Robert Drury, esquire, whose descendants sold it in 1626 to the Bulstrodes: in 1646 it was conveyed to Thomas Gower esq. of whom, in 1650, it was purchased by Mr. Richard Whitchurch, ancestor of Mrs. Anne Whitchurch, the present proprietor. :"An ancient manor in this parish takes its name from the family of Brudenell, (collateral ancestors of the

Earl of Cardigan Earl of Cardigan is a title in the Peerage of England that was created by Charles II in 1661 for Thomas Brudenell, 1st Baron Brudenell, and the title has been held since 1868 by the Marquesses of Ailesbury. Since that time, it has been used ...

), who formerly possessed it; from them it descended by female heirs to the Drurys and Osbornes. It afterwards came into the Duke of Portland's family, of whom it was purchased by Charles Churchill esq. the late proprietor; it is now the property of Thomas Hibbert esq. Mr. Hibbert's seat, which is called Chalfont-house, was a distinct property; and before it came into Mr. Churchill's hands, was in the families of Wilkins and Selman. :"Newlands, in this parish, the seat of Sir Henry Thomas Gott, was purchased by its present possessor about the year 1770, of Mr. Croke of Beaconsfield: it had been formerly in the family of Saunders, and was sold by Sir John Saunders to Mr. Hopkins, of whom it was purchased by Mr. Croke. :"In the church are memorials for the family of Whitchurch. The advowson and impropriation which belonged formerly to Missenden abbey, and afterwards to the Drurys, was given by Sir Thomas Allen to the president and scholars of St. John's college in Oxford, who present the vicar and grant him a lease of the great tithes. :"The

Earl of Portland Earl of Portland is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England, firstly in 1633 and secondly in 1689. What proved to be a long co-held title, Duke of Portland, was created in 1716 and became extinct in 1990 upon the death of t ...

built a school at Gerrard's Cross, in this parish, adjoining the road from London to High Wycombe. It has no endowment, but has always been supported by the Portland family: the duke appoints the master, and allows him a salary for teaching a number of boys of this and some of the neighbouring parishes. :"William Courtnay, who died in 1770, gave a loaf of bread weekly to each of eleven unmarried poor women of this parish, and one to the clerk."

Modern history

Today, Chalfont St Peter is one of the largest villages in the United Kingdom partly due to the proximity to

Gerrards Cross railway station Gerrards Cross railway station is a railway station in the town of Gerrards Cross in Buckinghamshire, England. It is on the Chiltern Main Line between and . History The station was built as part of the Great Western and Great Central Joint Ra ...

which lies between

London Marylebone Marylebone station ( ) is a London station group, Central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in the Marylebone area of the City of Westminster. On the National Rail network, it is also known as London Marylebone a ...

and Birmingham Snow Hill on the

Chiltern Main Line The Chiltern Main Line is a railway line which links London () and Birmingham (Birmingham Moor Street railway station, Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill railway station, Snow Hill) on a route via High Wycombe, Bicester, Banbury, Leamington ...

. Modern buildings and urbanisation now dominate the village centre and very little historic architecture remains. The first major development of the village were rows of Georgian shops (some of which still remain). Much larger developments came in the late 1920s and these shops that run up the main street towards Gold Hill common now comprise most of the village centre. Modernisation and urbanisation continued up until the 1960s when most of the Georgian shops were demolished in favour of a concrete development of flats, offices and shops fronts surrounding a central car park.

Population

Since the building of Gerrards Cross railway station in the late 19th century, the population of Chalfont St Peter has risen dramatically. From 1801 to 1901, the populations of the village only saw a 700-person rise – giving a population of 1700. But from 1901 to the present, it has become one of the largest villages in the United Kingdom, with nearly 13,000 inhabitants.

Tourist attractions

Chalfont St Peter is often described as the Gateway to the Chiltern Hills. It is not a major tourist centre but has many places to stay, the most notable being The Greyhound (former local court house where hangings took place), which is situated at the foot of the village on the banks of the River Misbourne. Nearby there are several manor houses of note, as well as many museums, cottages and parks. Milton's Cottage in Chalfont St Giles, the Colne Valley regional park, Bekonscot Model Village, Chenies Manor House, the

Chiltern Open Air Museum Chiltern Open Air Museum (COAM) is an independent open-air museum of vernacular buildings and a tourist attraction located near Chalfont St Peter and Chalfont St. Giles in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England. Its collection consists ...

, Odds Farm Park,

Cliveden Cliveden (pronounced ) is an English country house and estate in the care of the National Trust in Buckinghamshire, on the border with Berkshire. The Italianate mansion, also known as Cliveden House, crowns an outlying ridge of the Chiltern Hi ...

Dorney Court Dorney Court is a listed building, Grade I listed early Tudor style architecture, Tudor manor house, dating from around 1440, located in the village of Dorney, Buckinghamshire, England. It is owned and lived in by the Palmer family. Early hist ...

, Harrow Museum & Heritage Centre, Royal Windsor Racecourse and

Hughenden Manor Hughenden Manor, Hughenden Valley, Hughenden, Buckinghamshire, England, is a Victorian architecture, Victorian mansion, with earlier origins, that served as the country house of the Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield. I ...

are the nearest attractions to the village itself. The Chiltern Open Air Museum is situated mainly within the village.

Education

*Robertswood School - a co-educational

State School A state school, public school, or government school is a primary school, primary or secondary school that educates all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in part by taxation and operated by the government of the state. State-f ...

for boys and girls 3-11. *Maltman's Green School - Independent school for girls aged 3-11. *Chalfont St Peter Infant School and Nursery- a co-educational infant school for children aged 3-7 years old. *Chalfont St. Peter Church of England Academy- a co-educational junior school for ages 7-11. *Gayhurst - A Co-educational Independent School for children age 3-11. *Thorpe House - A Independent boys school for ages 4-11 and a sixth form called Thorpe Sixth which opened in 2024 which takes girls and boys from 16-18. *St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School- a co-educational

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

school for ages 3-11. * Chalfonts Community College - a co-educational secondary academy school for ages 11-18. *Holy Cross Convent – Private Girls (Closed summer 2006)

Churches

Chalfont St Peter Parish ChurchGold Hill Baptist ChurchThe Gospel HallSt. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, Austenwood

Hamlets

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

s in Chalfont St Peter include: *Austenwood * Chalfont Common *Gravel Hill *Layters Green *Horn Hill

Featuring in the media

Chalfont St Peter occasionally appears in media, the most recent being in

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

's '' Derren Brown: Apocalypse'' on 26 October 2012. Several local landmarks featured in the programme including The Village Hall pub, since returned to its former name, the Jolly Farmer, on Goldhill Common and Mr. Crusty on the high street. Chalfont St Peter also appeared in the media after

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...

's near fatal quad bike accident on his property in 2003.

Sport and leisure

Chalfont St Peter has a

Non-League football Non-League football describes association football, football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is ...

team Chalfont St Peter A.F.C. who play at Mill Meadow.

Transport

Bus routes 104, 106 and 107 run through the main village and the more suburban areas. These bus routes include connections with Slough, Amersham, High Wycombe and Uxbridge. It is served by

, south, which has links to

and High Wycombe,

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

and

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

. The village lies north west of London's

. Chalfont St Peter is just under four miles to the west of the

Grand Union Canal The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the Canals of the United Kingdom, British canal system. It is the principal navigable waterway between London and the Midlands. Starting in London, one arm runs to Leicester and another to Birmi ...

Chalfont Centre

The Chalfont Centre, on Chesham Lane, is a 100-acre site established in 1894. It exists as both the headquarters for the Epilepsy Society and exists to provide residential care for 100 patients with high-level

epilepsy Epilepsy is a group of Non-communicable disease, non-communicable Neurological disorder, neurological disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent, unprovoked Seizure, seizures. A seizure is a sudden burst of abnormal electrical activit ...

. In 1972 the NHS established the Special Assessment Unit, specially designed to treat patients with severe and complicated epilepsy.Chalfont Centre
Duncan, JS & G Faulkner. ''Seizure''. 2003. Retrieved 13/04/18

Other institutions

The

British Forces Broadcasting Service The British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides radio and television programmes for His Majesty's Armed Forces, and their dependents worldwide. Editorial control is independent of the Ministry of Defence and the armed forces themsel ...

is based at

Arqiva Arqiva () is a British telecommunications company which provides infrastructure, broadcast transmission and smart meter facilities in the United Kingdom. The company is headquartered at the former Independent Broadcasting Authority headquart ...

's Chalfont Grove Teleport in the west of the village on the border with Chalfont St Giles. The National Lottery Draws were filmed at Arqiva's facilities between 2006 and 2012. The headquarters of

Bradt Travel Guides Bradt Travel Guides is a publisher of travel guides founded in 1974 by Hilary Bradt and her husband George, who co-wrote the first Bradt Guide on a river barge on a tributary of the Amazon. Since then Bradt has grown into a leading independent ...

, founded by Hilary Bradt in 1974, was also located in Chalfont St Peter, until the company moved to Chesham in 2019. RWS Group, one of the world's largest language service providers is headquartered at Chiltern Park, in the village centre.

Notable residents

Lewis Collins Lewis Collins (27 May 1946 – 27 November 2013)"Happy Birthday Richard Hastilow, 65", ''The Times'', 26 May 2010 was an English actor, best known for his career-defining role playing 'Bodie' in the late 1970s – early 1980s British television ...

(1946–2013) – actor, best known for his role as Bodie in the LWT action series '' The Professionals''. He lived at Mopes Farmhouse from the early 1980s until he moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

in the early 1990s. *

Ben Gill Benjamin David Gill (born 4 October 1987) is an English Association football, footballer. He plays either as a central midfielder or central defender and most recently played for Chalfont St Peter A.F.C., Chalfont St Peter. Career Born in Harr ...

– former professional footballer for

Watford F.C. Watford Football Club is a professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire, England. The club competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The team played at several grounds in their early history, includ ...

and Cambridge United F.C. and current Chalfont St Peter A.F.C. player lives in Chalfont St Peter. *

John Laurie John Paton Laurie (25 March 1897 – 23 June 1980) was a Scottish stage, film, and television actor. He appeared in scores of feature films with directors including Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean, Michael Powell and Laurence Olivier, generally p ...

(1897–1980) – actor, best known for his role as Private James Frazer, in the BBC sitcom ''

Dad's Army ''Dad's Army'' is a British television British sitcom, sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard (United Kingdom), Home Guard during the World War II, Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft (TV producer), David Crof ...

'' * Alan Nunn May (1911–2003) – physicist and spy *

Patrick O'Brian Patrick O'Brian (12 December 1914 – 2 January 2000), born Richard Patrick Russ, was an English novelist and translator, best known for his Aubrey–Maturin series. These sea novels are set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and ...

(1914–2000) – author of the

Aubrey–Maturin series The Aubrey–Maturin series is a sequence of nautical historical novels—20 completed and one unfinished—by English author Patrick O'Brian, set during the Napoleonic Wars and centring on the friendship between Captain Jack Aubrey of the R ...

of novels was born here * Dame Margaret Rutherford (1892–1972) – actress, best known for her role as

Miss Marple Miss Jane Marple is a fictional character in Agatha Christie's crime novels and short stories. Miss Marple lives in the village of St Mary Mead and acts as an amateur consulting detective. Often characterised as an elderly spinster, she is one ...

in several films loosely based on

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English people, English author known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving ...

's novels * Thalissa Teixeira - Actress lived here from the age of 8 until leaving school * Len Worley – amateur footballerHugman, BJ (Ed) ''The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–2005'' (2005) p675. Retrieved 28 July 2010

References

External links

Chalfont St Peter Church of England AcademyChalfont St Peter Parish CouncilChalfont St Peter community siteUK and Ireland Genealogy
{{authority control Villages in Buckinghamshire Civil parishes in Buckinghamshire