Ley Hill
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ley Hill is a Chiltern village on the Bucks/Herts border near the town of Chesham in the south-east England. It is part of the civil parish of Latimer, and comes under Chiltern District Council in the County of Buckinghamshire. Ley Hill lies in the Chiltern Hills and is continuous with Botley.
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[edit] Symbols
The golf club uses the green woodpecker as its symbol. The School uses the owl as its symbol. The cricket club uses an oak tree as its symbol and "The Swan" pub is named after the swan which is the symbol of Bucks County. In 2000 a village sign was hung up on the Common which incorporates an owl as the unofficial village emblem.
[edit] The Common
The village has a large common, which is used by Chesham and Ley Hill Golf Club. Golf has been played on the Common since about 1900.
[edit] Pubs
There are two pubs on the Common called The Swan and The Crown that both serve food.
The Swan was built in about 1520. In 1680 the timber framed building consists of three cottages with five extensions, oak beamed ceilings and pillars, a kitchen range and an Inglenook fireplace. It is reputedly one of the oldest pub in Buckinghamshire. During the war the "Snug" was a sub post office. Clark Gable and James Stewart were frequent visitors during WWII, and signed photographs were displayed in the bar for many years. They cycled from Bovingdon airbase.
[edit] Churches
The village has an Anglican Church called St George's at Tyler's Hill which was built in 1871. There is a Methodist Chapel on the Green which was built in 1887 although the church itself dates back to 1832. During the 19th century there was also a Baptist Chapel, at the bottom of Kiln Lane, which was built in 1833 and survived until about 1910.
[edit] School
Ley Hill School is a well-respected primary school.
[edit] Cricket
Ley Hill Cricket Club is a village-standard club competing in the Mid Bucks League. The club has four senior sides, as well as junior sides from Under 9s upwards. In 2006 the club became the first in Buckinghamshire to receive Clubmark accreditation.
[edit] Local Industries
Local industries include agriculture and brick-making. Historically the village also had tile making and pottery, which are remembered in the local names of Tyler's Hill and Kiln Lane. In the mid 1980s an extensive late medieval tile kiln (approx 1400) was found while excavating an extension in Joiners Close.
[edit] References
- Gavin Darvell "John Wilson - Fact or Fiction"
- Neil Rees "The Life of a Village Chapel - The History of Ley Hill Methodist Church"
(these booklets are available from Chesham Library)