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High Road, CHIGWELL, IG7 6QB

High Road in Chigwell forms part of the A113.

The road has several notable buildings, these are less special, but still attractive.

The High Road aspect of this independent school which has a large site.

Just Google "Chigwell" and this school's website comes before anything else.

This is probably the headmaster's house as on the school plot.

The original building dates from C17. It was extended in the C19 and C20.

The entrepreneur Alan Sugar bought the former King's Head public house, here on the A113 High Road, in 2010 and it has now been re-opened as the Sheesh Turkish restaurant. The building is Grade II Listed and dates from either 1547 or the 17th century, depending on which website one reads. The earliest part comprises the four parallel ranges with gables facing the road with the denser half-timbering. The large extension to the left and the smaller one to the right are newer, while the first floor is jettied above the ground floor and the second floor jettied above the first. This is the view from Roding Lane. The Sheesh website complete with menu is here http://sheeshrestaurant.co.uk/

The two 18th century cottages at the near end are grade II listed. The inn, double branded here as 'Sheesh' and the corny 'Ye Olde Kings Head' is listed grade II*. It is 17th century, since extended.

According to Pevsner, Charles Dickens called Chigwell "such an out of the way rural place". Pevsner goes on to say: "The visitor today is surprised to find it still a real village, the first as one leaves London in a north-east direction." This was written though in the 1950s but Chigwell still has the feel of a village as one heads up the hill away from the underground station towards St Mary's Church. Directly across High Road is Ye Olde King's Head as it states on its sign board. It is 17th Century but with a large addition of 1901. The inn is Grade One Listed and was a favourite of ex-prime minister Winston Churchill. A history of the inn says how Dickens wrote in a letter: “Chigwell, my dear fellow, is the greatest place in the world. Name your day for going. Such a delicious old inn opposite the churchyard, such a lovely ride, such beautiful forest scenery, such an out-of-the-way, rural place, such a sexton! I say again, name your day." See http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/localhistory/11176468.Ye_olde_pub_s_history_revealed/ Since 2009 it has been known as 'Sheesh Restaurant' - see http://sheeshrestaurant.co.uk/about-sheesh/