More War songs sing along event Friday 8th November for Remembrance Day



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What the Dickens is going on in Chigwell?

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At the end of our journey, local history buffs congregated under the Dickens Oak. Please join our rapidly growing community facebook page   (click here) On Saturday 5th December 10 people from Chigwell and the surrounding area travelled across the various sites in Chigwell Row and Chigwell Village that had a connection to the world famous author Charles Dickens.  Initially people met just behind the car park of the Maypole pub The tour began at the Dido Oak in Hainault Forest accessible via Sylvan Way.  This is a veteran oak (old but not quite ancient a list of definitions can be found here ) that was once made famous in Tatler Magazine back in 1903, due to an article about the Hermit of Hainault, a man named William Bell otherwise known as Dido who once lived in the forest under the cover of some sackcloth.  In his pocket he carried herbal roots, snakes, newts and anything else he could make money form.  Apparently he used to say: 'They call me Doctor Bell, Bec...
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DUROLITUM: Did Romans really settle in Chigwell way over a thousand years ago?

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Neil Patel with Hannah Chowdhry as they search for Durolitum Please join our rapidly growing community facebook page  (click here) Chigwell has only been a modern day Parish since 1996, although an earlier C higwell civil parish was part of  E pping Rural District  from 1894 to 1933.  However, despite the very rural setting in which our famous Parish resides, we have a very early and distinct history.     Chigwell contains some sites of significant historical importance. Including some very early settlements that will surprise many of you no doubt, which includes Romans and later Saxons.  These settlements would have began hear because of the River Roding and the many other water sources that have existed here from longevity. One of them may 'well' be (excuse the pun) the origin of the name of our location. CRRA have already traced the historic location of a Ching Well or Chig Well to land adjacent to Wells Park School, or to the rear of the schoo...
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Chigwell derived from King's Well or Cicca's Well the jury is out!

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The famous Hainault Forest sheep dip pond where sheep were once brought to drink. Not sure they would now however... Please join our rapidly growing community facebook page  (click here) I received a call from an elderly woman named Anna from Orchard Way last week and we had a long conversation about the history of Chigwell and the need to preserve our history. She was quite fortunate as I am the type of person to take a keen interest in the history of places, though this is for pleasure and not academically.  Besides, when I read about the novelist Charles Dickens's passion for Chigwell, I was naturally intrigued myself.  In a letter to his friend  John Foster, Dickens described Chigwell:  " the greatest place in the world ... Such a delicious old inn opposite the churchyard ... such beautiful forest scenery ... such an out of the way rural place.. . " In my previous home town my eldest daughter Hannah and I successfully obtained a £50,000 replic...
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