IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Grassingham Road, GERRARDS CROSS, SL9 0BW

Looking south west towards the roundabout on the A413.

This footbridge over the River Misbourne is dedicated to the memory of Vic Wotton (1916-2000), a vice-president of the Chiltern Society, who campaigned from the 1970s for the restoration of the River Misbourne from the low flow conditions from which it had suffered in the 20th century. The Misbourne is a classic chalk stream rising in the Chilterns and even without any human activity would be prone to drying up occasionally as ground water levels dropped and rose with rainfall amounts. The problems initially arose when a mill leat upstream was allowed to deteriorate in the 19th century once the mill was converted to steam power, causing a loss of river water through the leat banks. Then, with the growth of the population of places such as Chalfont St Peter in the 20th century and consequent greater demands for water, abstraction from the ground aquifers was made with a series of boreholes, thus generally reducing the groundwater level. Finally a sewage treatment works was built, but the unreliability of the water supply meant that there was an inadequate supply of it to dilute the treated sewage and the works was closed. Large holding tanks were then built to contain the sewage until it could be transported for treatment elsewhere. Eventually this operation was by-passed and the tanks demolished. In so doing it would appear that further damage to the river banks occurred and there was a further loss of water through them. For a comprehensive history of the situation and for the remedial plans please see the Chiltern Society's pamphlet here http://www.chilternsociety.org.uk/dloads/SavingTheMisbourneProposal.pdf I am pleased to say that on the day the photograph was taken the River Misbourne was flowing with just the right amount of flow that Vic Wotton would have envisaged.

Reputedly built in the 17th century for Judge Jeffreys (1645-1689), and later the property of the Whitchurch family, Lords of the Manor of Chalfont St Peter in the 17th and 18th centuries, The Greyhound is at the northern end of the High Street. It is a Grade II Listed Building. The English Heritage Listed Building reference page, sadly with a spelling mistake needing to be corrected, describes it thus: "C16 and C18. C16 part is timber-framed with whitewashed brick nogging. Old tile roof. Two storeys, modern casements. Curved wind braces. C18 part of red stretchers and grey headers, hipped old tile roof with moulded cornice. Two storeys, 1st floor band with cyma reversa moulding. Five double-hung sashes with flat arches. Modern bow window replaces carriageway. West elevation has range of hipped tiled roofed projections. Reputedly built for Judge Jeffreys." There is an obvious conflict here. Given that Judge Jeffreys lived only in the 17th century, how could the reputed 16th century inn have been built for him? The answer presumably is that there was an inn here in the 16th century that was substantially rebuilt for him in the 17th century.

On High Street.

Bridge House is a Grade II Listed Building on the High Street where it crosses the River Misbourne. The English Heritage Listed Building reference page describes it thus: "Mid C19 three bay, three storey. Yellow stock brick with stucco cornice, pilasters and channelled rustication to ground floor. Recessed barred sashes, 1st floor windows in arched recesses. Architraved to all but centre bay 1st floor. Modern shop fronts. Left hand door and original channelled rustication. Two storey one bay wing at left. Hipped slate roof."

The medieval church was destroyed in 1708 when the tower collapsed onto the nave following flooding. This church dates mostly from the C19. The earliest recording of the Chalfonts was in 949 as Ceadeles funtan (fountain).