Chiseldon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Chiseldon | |
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  Chiseldon shown within Wiltshire |
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| Population | 2599 (2001 Census) |
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| OS grid reference | |
| Parish | Chiseldon |
| Shire county | Wiltshire |
| Region | South West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SWINDON |
| Postcode district | SN4 |
| Dialling code | 01793 |
| Police | Wiltshire |
| Fire | Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | Great Western |
| European Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | South Swindon |
| List of places: UK • England • Wiltshire | |
Chiseldon is a village in the borough of Swindon, Wiltshire, England, with a population of circa 3000.
The village lies on the edge of the Marlborough Downs, a mile south of junction 15 of the M4 motorway, on the A346 between Swindon and Marlborough. The hamlets of Draycot Foliat, Hodson, Badbury and Liddington are nearby, and the village of Wroughton is around two miles to the west.
Chiseldon Primary School is located in the village and has some 300 Pupils, most of them from the village itself. The Holy Cross Church is also located in Chiseldon. The Church, built in the thirteenth century is currently run by the Reverend Roger Powell as are the Churches in Ogbourne St. George and Ogbourne St. Andrew. The village also has a surgery, as well as two Hotels, an ESSO Petrol Station, and various other businesses. The engineering consultancy firm Halcrow Group Limited operates from Burderop Park, located in the parish.
There are two pubs in the village, The Elm Tree and The Patriot Arms. The Elm Tree Pub was originally a thatched beer house and was constructed in 1845. The pub was named after the elm tree that was located on the village green until the 1970s.
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[edit] History
Settlements in the area date back to prehistoric and Roman times, but Chiseldon itself was started by the Saxons. The village was included in the Domesday Book and was called Chiseldene at the time. At one point the nearby hamlet Draycot Foliat was larger than Chiseldon. Chiseldon lies on one of the country's oldest highways, the Icknield Way, although this section of the road is more commonly known as The Ridgeway.
The Midland and South Western Junction Railway line was constructed in 1881 and ran through the centre of the village until 1961, with a station that linked the village directly to Swindon Town station to the north and Marlborough to the south.
During World War II there was an American army camp near the village.
[edit] Religion
Most of the population are members of the Church of England although other denominations of Christianity exist. The Parish Church has a dwindling regular attendance and many more attend on special occasions. The most notable of other Christian denominations present is Methodism, and there is a small community of Methodists in the village. The Methodists previously had a 19th century built Church in the village, but was sold in 2006 due to low finances, low attendance, and uk government regulations requiring them to build a ramp, which the church could not afford. The methodists now use the Anglican Church hall for services, having been given permission by the church there. Some villagers adhere to other major religions, although they are limited to a few families. The Parish of Chiseldon is within the Church of England Diocese of Salisbury, unlike the rest of the borough of Swindon, which is within the Diocese of Bristol, but like the rest of Wiltshire.
[edit] The Parish
The Parish of Chiseldon encompasses not only the village but also the neighboring hamlets of Coate, Draycot Foliat and Hodson. Draycot Foliat once had its own Church and Parish in the Mediæval period, but in 1571 the Bishop of Salisbury ordered the Church in Draycot to be demolished, as neither Chisy nor Draycot could sustain their own rectors any longer. As Chiseldon was the larger, Draycot was incorporated into its Parish, and the materials from the Church in Draycot were used to repair the church in Chiseldon.
[edit] Local businesses
Local shops declined in the 20th century, like in many other villages, due to more people shopping in larger towns (Swindon) rather than in the village. Current local shops include Chaplins (a small newsagents), a hairdressers and a small supermarket (that offers many commodities and is larger than Chaplins or any other store in Chiseldon). The store was an old army barracks later converted into a shop. Until recently it was a SPAR convenience store but is now part of the 'Premier' chain, named Meadow Stores. Previous local businesses included a chip shop, which was run by a coal miner, whose customers apparently used to find traces of coal in their chips[citation needed]. Many other non-shop businesses survive. There also used to be a small village postoffice which was renamed the 'Penny Black' in 2007. It recently closed and the postoffice services are now offered in Meadow Stores.
[edit] External links
- Chiseldon FC Online
- Chiseldon Village
- Satellite photo from Google Maps
- The Patriot Arms
- The Elm Tree
- Chiseldon Bells
- Chiseldon Domesday Book Record
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