Chaldon

Coordinates: 51°17′10″N 0°07′30″W / 51.286°N 0.1249°W / 51.286; -0.1249

Chaldon
Church of SS Peter and Paul
Glebe House, Chaldon
Chaldon  Chaldon shown within Surrey
Area	4.72 km2 (1.82 sq mi)
Population	1,735 (Civil Parish)[1]
- Density	368 /km2 (950 /sq mi)
OS grid reference	TQ31856
- London	15.8 miles (25.4 km)
Civil parish	Chaldon
District	Tandridge
Shire county	Surrey
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	CATERHAM
Postcode district	CR3
Dialling code	01883
Police	Surrey
Fire	Surrey
Ambulance	South East Coast
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	East Surrey
List of places UK England Surrey

Chaldon is a high village in Surrey, England on the North Downs immediately west of Caterham. Chaldon is centred 1.5 miles (2.4 km) WSW of Caterham on the Hill, 15.8 miles (25.4 km) south of London and falls within the boundaries of Tandridge district, just south of the border with the London Borough of Croydon

History

Etymology and Dark Ages

Chalvedune is the first written record of the place in 675 AD, meaning the hill (down) where calves were pastured, in a grant of land to Chertsey Abbey.^[2] Prior to this period of human history, White Hill on the borders of Chaldon and Caterham has yielded neolithic flints.^[3]

The village lay within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Wallington hundred.^[4]

Middle Ages

In the Domesday Book the manor of Calvedone appears in Wallington hundred rendering £4 to its lord Ralph Fitz Turold holding it as was most of the hundred of Bishop Odo of Bayeux.^[5] Prior to the conquest it had been held by the Saxon lord Dernic of King Edward. It consisted of two hides, land for two lord's plough teams and a church.^[6] In medieval times the parish included a narrow strip of land below the southern foot of the Downs and a wedge of land to the north of the church that in the 19th century were transferred to Bletchingley and Coulsdon respectively^[2] — these are omitted from this article.

An inscribed stone dedicates a pond for use by residents not animals dated to the late 18th or early 19th century illustrates the lack of water in the village during summer months.^[2] St Catherine's south chancel chapel in the church became devoted to the memory of Christian Hane (d.1752) of an aedicular type with a white stone rectangular panel flanked by Doric pilasters with red marble inlay, swan-neck pediment and crowning shell.^[7]

Church of St Peter and St Paul

The church of Saints Peter and Paul (built before 1086 AD) contains a large wall painting of around 1170 depicting images of the ways of salvation and damnation and their result ^{[lower-alpha 1]} and is in length 17' 2". Malden in 1911 described it as "perhaps the most interesting ancient wall-painting in England".^[3] This Grade I architecturally listed building ^[7] retains its west and east walls (of nave and of chancel/chantry) of their original dates, both with "extraordinarily high-pitched" gables, round window in the west and three windows in the east.^[3] The mural is divided in two by a cloudy band with the lower half decorated to torments and punishments of the wicked; the upper half devoted to the judgement and salvation of souls. In the centre is a ladder with Jesus Christ above. The main figures include the tree of knowledge, with the serpent (bottom right), the seven deadly sins and a cauldron for boiling murderers. Across the top are depicted the three Marys and the ascent of Elijah and Enoch to heaven, Jesus defeating the devil and Jesus preaching to the spirits in prison.^[7]

Towards the close of the 12th century the south aisle and St Catherine's chapel (to the chancel) (almost entirely rebuilt in the 14th century) in line with it were added, the little lancet in its west wall, with radiating splay, and the two arches opening from the nave the aisle's chief architectural features; and perhaps the later east-facing multi-faceted quatrefoil window the main early feature of the chapel.^[3]

In about 1220 the similar narrow aisle to the north was built; visitors can see its 1330-built windows, and a corresponding chapel was of this date which is no longer existing except its entrance arch.^[3]

Only in 1870–1 was a general restoration of the church was effected when the wonderful painting covering the entire width of the west wall of the nave was brought to light and preserved. Unhappily, a figure of a demon on the respond of the north arcade was destroyed by the workmen. It seems to have had some relation to the west wall's mural.^[3]

Post industrial revolution

Under Rev. James Legrew, the tithes were commuted for £335. 11s 3d, however as rector retaining a glebe of 31 acres, with a glebe house. A tower and spire were added to the church in 1843^[4] from a bellcote before.^[3] Given its steep, dry landscape on top of the North Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Chaldon did not develop new homes substantially even in the 19th and 20th centuries; though replacements to farmhouses were built in this period. In 1848 the population was 197^[4] and in 1901 the population in 1901 was only 266^[3] and it consisted of little more than "the church and six scattered farms".^[2] By 1911 Viscount Hylton connected his farms and cottages with the East Surrey Water Company's mains; otherwise the supply depended upon the shallow wells and ponds, filled in a wet season and empty in a dry one.^[3]

Geography

Elevations, Geology and Soil

Chaldon has received by some locals the epithet "Little Switzerland" because of the microclimate resulting in heavier snowfall here than in other parts of the region when there is snow in Winter.^{[citation needed]} Caterham-on-the-Hill is centred 1.5 miles (2.4 km) ENE of Chaldon and London is 15.8 miles (25.4 km) north.^[9]

Local Government

Historical

The civil parish of Chaldon fell within the Reigate Poor Law Union upon its creation in 1837, subsequently coming under control of Reigate Rural Sanitary District from 1875 and Reigate Rural District from 1894 until its abolition in 1933.^[10] Thereafter it became part of the Caterham & Warlingham Urban District until 1 April 1974 when the major local government reorganisation brought Chaldon under the newly formed Tandridge District.

For the purposes of parliamentary elections, Chaldon became part of the Eastern Division of the Surrey county constituency upon its creation in 1832. It moved to the Mid Division in 1867, to the South Eastern Division in 1885, to the Reigate Division in 1918 and to the East Surrey Division in 1948 where it remains to this day.^[10]

Current authorities

Surrey County Council, headquartered in Kingston, elected every four years, has one representative councillor as follows:

Election		Member[11]	Ward
	2009	John Alexander Orrick	"Caterham Hill"; includes in this context only Chaldon.

Chaldon has a representative on Tandridge District Council, headquartered in Oxted:

Election		Member[12]	Ward
	2011	Patrick Cannon	Chaldon

Civil Parish

Chaldon's residents can participate in the Civil Parish Council with five parish councillors and the parish clerk.^[13]

Demography and housing

In 2001, there were 1,821 residents in 639 households of which 18.8% were aged over 65; 4.5% of the population were in full-time further education; 70.9% of all men were economically active whereas 3.2% were unemployed, 5.2% worked part-time; 58.9% of all women were economically active whereas 1.2% were unemployed, 37.7% worked part-time.^[14]

As to ethnicity, 97.3% of the population identified themselves as being white, 0.5% as mixed, 1.0% as of Indian descent, and 1.5% as other of the three main categories.^[14]

In terms of religion, 80.1%% of the population responded as being Christian, 0.6% as Muslim, 2.0% other religions, 11.1% as atheist and 6% declined to answer.^[14]

Chaldon's economy is predominantly a service sector economy reflected by the lower end of the official categorisation table of occupation given, compiled from the 2001 census:

Category	Number of adults in category in 2001	Percentage of those aged 16–74
Lower supervisory and technical occupations	39	2.9%
Semi-routine occupations	83	6.2%
Routine occupations	39	2.9%[14]

Whereas in this census, 24% of the population worked in lower managerial and professional occupations and 7.9% in higher professional occupations.^[14]

2011 Census Homes

Output area	Detached	Semi-detached	Terraced	Flats and apartments	Caravans/temporary/mobile homes	shared between households[1]
(Civil Parish)	528	78	22	15	1	0

The average level of accommodation in the region composed of detached houses was 28%, the average that was apartments was 22.6%.

2011 Census Key Statistics

Output area	Population	Households	% Owned outright	% Owned with a loan	hectares[1]
(Civil Parish)	1,735	644	48.9%	44.4%	472

The proportion of households in the civil parish who owned their home outright compares to the regional average of 35.1%. The proportion who owned their home with a loan compares to the regional average of 32.5%. The remaining % is made up of rented dwellings (plus a negligible % of households living rent-free).

Landmarks

Along the north street, Church Lane is a line of houses ending with Glebe House facing Church Green. Here is a close cluster of five listed buildings including the two most highly ranked listed buildings plus farm outbuildings. This area forms a conservation area. Its booklet with hand-drawn illustrations was produced in 1975, year of European Architectural Heritage.^[2]

Church of St Peter and St Paul

See above.

Chaldon Court

This Grade II* listed timber framed building was built in the 14th century and encased in brick and flnit in the 18th century; its door is of the Tudor period.^[15] 1029812 Its large gable ends have a large window housing a third floor, however its extension at a right-angle has instead taller two storeys, slightly lower in height.^[2]

Surrey National Golf Course

Although almost a plateau, the highest part of Chaldon is White Hill, which is overlooks Caterham and south-east London beyond and is occupied by Surrey National Golf Course.

Notes

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chaldon.

• Chaldon Parish Council
• Chaldon
• History of Chaldon Village

Church

• History of Chaldon Church
• Church of St Peter and St Paul, Church Lane, Chaldon
• Chaldon Church mural
• The Purgatorial Ladder, or Ladder of Souls, with the Seven Deadly Sins: Chaldon, Surrey c.1200
• Page with a picture of part of the mural.
• High resolution picture of the whole mural.
• Two black and white pictures of the whole thing.

v t e District of Tandridge Towns, villages, neighbourhoods and hamlets Caterham Caterham on the Hill Caterham Valley Chaldon Whyteleafe Woldingham Godstone Godstone East Grinstead Felbridge Felcourt Horley Horne Burstow Lingfield Crowhurst Dormansland Lingfield Newchapel Smallfield Oxted Hurst Green Limpsfield Limpsfield Chart Oxted Tandridge Titsey Redhill Bletchingley Nutfield Warlingham Chelsham Farleigh Fickleshole Hamsey Green (part) Warlingham Westerham Tatsfield Grade I Anglican and other most notable places of worship Church of St John the Baptist, Outwood London England Temple (Mormon or LDS Church) List of places of worship in Tandridge (district) Education Caterham School De Stafford School Hazelwood School Oakhyrst Grange School Oxted School Warlingham School Woldingham School Transport Railway stations Caterham Dormans Godstone Hurst Green Lingfield Nutfield Oxted Upper Warlingham Whytleafe Roads A22 A25 M23 M25 Other North Downs Way/Pilgrims' Way Greensand Way Buildings and structures Heritage buildings and grounds Bletchingley Castle Titsey Place Spectator sports Lingfield Park Racecourse Theatre Orpheus Centre, Godstone Lakes, watersports and wildlife Hedgecourt Lake Nature Reserve, Felbridge Wire Mill Recreational Lake, Felbridge Mercers Park Country Park, Nutfield Marsh Sport Football Farleigh Rovers F.C. Lingfield F.C. Warlingham F.C. Whyteleafe F.C. Cricket Caterham Cricket Club While the administrative centre of the district is Oxted the largest town is Caterham. Five of the nine post towns are in the district: Caterham, Godstone, Lingfield, Oxted and Warlingham which does not denote these are necessarily towns. This list include localities not notable as encyclopedic articles, arranged by post town.