Chalford

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Map sources for Chalford at grid reference SO898028

Chalford is a small village in the Frome Valley of the Cotswolds in England. It is about 8 km upstream (4 miles east) from Stroud. At this point the valley is also called the Golden Valley—and has been ever since Queen Victoria rode the Great Western through the valley and called it so. The parish covers 2 square miles (5.2 km²) of this Cotswold countryside.

1 History
2 Residents
3 References
4 External links
5 Resources

[edit] History

The remains, and known sites, of many barrows indicate that the plateau area of Chalford Hill, France Lynch and Bussage has been an area of continuous settlement for probably at least 5,000 years. Stone Age flints have been found in the area as well as the remains of a Roman Villa. Several of the place names in the area are also Saxon or Danish in origin.

The name Chalford may be derived from Calf (Way) Ford, or possibly from the Saxon cealj or Chalk and the Norman Ford: both possibilities have the same meaning. Chalford Hill is a recent title for the western end of the hill: Its original name was Chalford Lynch. "Lynch" (lynchet in modern English)^[1] means a cultivated terrace following the contours of a hill. "France" is much more difficult to explain: some say it is derived from Frams-eye (island) or –ea (stream) from the Fram (Frome) river in the valley, and thence perhaps via Francey to France.^{[citation needed]} Others say it refers to the 17th century Huguenot refugees who settled there to make woollen cloth and silk.^{[citation needed]}

Chalford was one of the centres for the manufacture of broadcloth and its wealthy clothiers built many of the houses on the hill.

In February 2008, Chalford hit the headlines when a community plan to reintroduce donkeys as a way of carrying shopping up the steep, narrow hills became public.

Chalford known as participant to the Bisley Chalford games held every two years held in alternating villages. The competition has been runnning sinces the 90's originally started by a group of school children form the rival schools has turned into a properly hosted tournement.

[edit] Residents

Notable residents include James Bradley, the third Astronomer Royal, who died in Chalford in 1762, and the 19th-century sculptor John Thomas. The artist Damien Hirst has a studio in the village.[3] Lord Janvrin, former Private Secretary to H.M. the Queen, maintains a house in the village and on his retirement was gazetted as Baron Janvrin of Chalford Hill, on 10 October 2007.