Chalfont St Giles
The village of Chalfont St Giles sits in the south east part of Buckinghamshire. It is just 25 miles from London and makes a great day out for visitors. The word ‘Chalfont’ translates as ‘chalk spring’ and this refers to the way in which the local chalk hills can carry water. There is a duck pond in the heart of the village, ensuring that it will always be a typical English village.
The parish church dates back to Norman times and visitors can see the cannonballs that were embedded in the church walls by Oliver Cromwel
l’s men. These can be seen at John Milton’s Cottage. The village is listed in the Domesday Book and over the years it has been home to a number of famous people. John Milton, for example, came to live here after the Plague devastated London. He wrote ‘Paradise Lost’ here. More recent residents include Ozzy Osbourne, Noel Gallagher and Nick Clegg.
The village is home to the Chiltern Open Air Museum, where buildings are rescued and rebuilt and these range from medieval to modern structures. The museum covers around 45 acres of parkland and visitors can easily spend all day there.