Chalfont St Peter Homepage

Dist:0.4km<br/>Two roads leave the A413 at this point climbing up the valley side to the north and east respectively.

©David Squire

Dist:0.5km<br/>

©Ray Stanton

Dist:0.5km<br/>Denham Lane junction with Joiners Lane

©Shaun Ferguson

Dist:0.6km<br/>Curiously the current Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 scale mapping has the footpath approaching the footbridge from the west then terminating at it. In practice it continues eastwards up to Gravel Hill, as shown by the sign.

©Nigel Cox

Dist:0.7km<br/>This footbridge over the River Misbourne is dedicated to the memory of Vic Wotton (1916-2000), a vice-president of the Chiltern Society, who campaigned from the 1970s for the restoration of the River Misbourne from the low flow conditions from which it had suffered in the 20th century. The Misbourne is a classic chalk stream rising in the Chilterns and even without any human activity would be prone to drying up occasionally as ground water levels dropped and rose with rainfall amounts.

The problems initially arose when a mill leat upstream was allowed to deteriorate in the 19th century once the mill was converted to steam power, causing a loss of river water through the leat banks. Then, with the growth of the population of places such as Chalfont St Peter in the 20th century and consequent greater demands for water, abstraction from the ground aquifers was made with a series of boreholes, thus generally reducing the groundwater level.

Finally a sewage treatment works was built, but the unreliability of the water supply meant that there was an inadequate supply of it to dilute the treated sewage and the works was closed. Large holding tanks were then built to contain the sewage until it could be transported for treatment elsewhere. Eventually this operation was by-passed and the tanks demolished. In so doing it would appear that further damage to the river banks occurred and there was a further loss of water through them.

For a comprehensive history of the situation and for the remedial plans please see the Chiltern Society's pamphlet here http://www.chilternsociety.org.uk/dloads/SavingTheMisbourneProposal.pdf

I am pleased to say that on the day the photograph was taken the River Misbourne was flowing with just the right amount of flow that Vic Wotton would have envisaged.

©Nigel Cox

Dist:0.7km<br/>The Misbourne is a classic chalk stream that was threatened in the 20th century by low flow conditions caused by a number of different human activities. Please see [[1835769]] for an explanation and further links. The River Misbourne eventually drains into the River Colne near Denham in [[TQ0585]].

©Nigel Cox

Dist:0.7km<br/>

©John Firth

Dist:0.7km<br/>Reputedly built in the 17th century for Judge Jeffreys (1645-1689), and later the property of the Whitchurch family, Lords of the Manor of Chalfont St Peter in the 17th and 18th centuries, The Greyhound is at the northern end of the High Street. It is a Grade II Listed Building.

The English Heritage Listed Building reference page, sadly with a spelling mistake needing to be corrected, describes it thus:

"C16 and C18. C16 part is timber-framed with whitewashed brick nogging. Old tile
roof. Two storeys, modern casements. Curved wind braces. C18 part of red
stretchers and grey headers, hipped old tile roof with moulded cornice. Two
storeys, 1st floor band with cyma reversa moulding. Five double-hung sashes with
flat arches. Modern bow window replaces carriageway. West elevation has range of
hipped tiled roofed projections. Reputedly built for Judge Jeffreys."

There is an obvious conflict here. Given that Judge Jeffreys lived only in the 17th century, how could the reputed 16th century inn have been built for him? The answer presumably is that there was an inn here in the 16th century that was substantially rebuilt for him in the 17th century.

©Nigel Cox

Dist:0.7km<br/>There are numerous old pit workings in Bloom Wood, presumably for flints, and this is one, with the ground covered in beech leaves.

©Nigel Cox

Dist:0.7km<br/>Bridge House is a Grade II Listed Building on the High Street where it crosses the River Misbourne.

The English Heritage Listed Building reference page describes it thus:

"Mid C19 three bay, three storey. Yellow stock brick with stucco cornice, pilasters and channelled rustication to ground floor. Recessed barred sashes, 1st floor windows in arched recesses. Architraved to all but centre bay 1st floor. Modern shop fronts. Left hand door and original chanelled rustication. Two storey one bay wing at left. Hipped slate roof."

©Nigel Cox

Dist:0.8km<br/>Possibly utilized by the sack race and the egg and spoon brigade rather than aspiring Olympic athletes, but you never know, and just what prize lurks behind that cricket pavilion door for the winner...?

©Nigel Cox

Dist:0.8km<br/>There are a number of playing fields to the north of Chalfont St Peter. They are all on flat ground that comprise the flood plain of the River Misbourne.

©David Squire

Dist:0.8km<br/>The old church here collapsed in 1708 and the new church, including this west tower, was rebuilt in brick and completed by either 1714 or 1726 depending on which current internet source one uses. The body of the church beyond the tower was substantially modified and extended in Victorian times.

Of interest here are the semi-octagonal stair turret on the right, the roof battlements and the rounded belfry windows. The tower is of red brick with stone quoins.

©Nigel Cox

Dist:0.8km<br/>This dual carriageway was built to bypass the centre of Chalfont St Peter, and the view was taken from the Chiltern Hill bridge.

©Nigel Cox

Dist:0.8km<br/>Rydinghurst House is one of several houses in the grounds of the National Society for Epilepsy's Chalfont Centre, and offers permanent residential accommodation. The house is built in a classic Edwardian style and dates from 1908. Please see David's [[124557]] for the history of the centre.

©Nigel Cox

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Chalfont Grove
I am interested in researching the history of the Chalfont Grove site and would love to hear from anyone with knowledge of its pass. Laurence
greentool2002 in Chalfont Grove, Friday 06 April, 2012

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