Step into the Enchanting History of Chrishall in North West Essex
Welcome to Chrishall, a village steeped in history that stretches back to before the Domesday Book was penned. This website serves as your gateway to the rich tapestry of tales and traditions that define our community and its extraordinary inhabitants. Beyond the digital realm, we invite you to explore our delightful Archive, where we curate captivating displays that bring our history to life. Don’t miss out—subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on our events and ongoing research.
Discover What’s On
Join us at our Archive during the summer months, where we open our doors from 2 to 5 PM. Indulge in delicious refreshments as you immerse yourself in our current exhibition, which showcases the fascinating journey of the village hall and its roots as a Methodist Chapel. There are no more planned openings for 2025 but do get in touch if you would like to arrange a private visit – or keep an eye out for new dates for 2026.
Available now!
Available now!The history of Chrishall Village Hall and its background as a Primitive Methodist Chapel. This little booklet may be small but contains a wealth of information and stories about how methodism first came to Chrishall and was so embraced by the community that they contributed every penny they had, practically, to make sure they had their own building to worship in.
Copies are available at the Archive but can be posted out. Please use the contact form on this page to request copies and quote for postage.
Village walks to download
Discover the hidden gems of Chrishall with our curated walking routes. Each path tells a story of our rich history and stunning landscapes. Download our guides and embark on an adventure that connects you with the heart of our community.
Articles to read
Saffron Walden Blast From the Past Facebook Group
If you are a Facebook user you might be interested in the Saffron Walden 'Blast from the Past' group which has a real treasure trove of images and information from Saffron Walden and surrounding villages. It is a public group so you should be able to view the posts...
Football Handbook 1947-48
We have a picture of Chrishall's 'winning' football team (pictured above). However we only assume they were 'winning' because they were holding a cup. But what did they win? If you can help us with what they won or who they were please do get in touch. It would be...
Two Ears of Barley
I was recently loaned a lovely little book called Two Ears of Barley, written by Jack Wilkerson and published in 1969 and all about the history of Barley in Cambridgeshire. Barley is only about three miles from Chrishall as the crow flies and there are lots of...
Church Newsletter July 1950
Some things don't change, thankfully, and it is good to know that we can all still enjoy a good local village fete. I thought you might enjoy Rev. Bagley's report of the success of Chrishall fete in July 1950 from the church magazine of that time. Walter and Bessie...
1900 September 29
The following report appeared in The Newsman on September 29th, 1900: KILLED AT CHRISHALL _________ THE CORONER'S INQUIRY _________ VERDICT OF MANSLAUGHTER _________ "YOU HAVE KILLED DAVID" The inquiry into the death of David Rodgers, the result of a quarrel at a...
The boy with the birds
The boy with the birds continues to fascinate Just over a year ago I wrote about a picture of the boy with the birds. This was around the time when we found the photographs that turned out to be (we think) the Mallow family from Hamlet House, Pond Street near...
The story of Engleric
We have recently been asked the reason behind the name Engleric and are delighted to re-produce this article written many years ago for the village magazine. Mrs Irene Cranwell, village historian, wrote articles for many years under the guise of the village pumps. ...
Loveday family of High Street
This lovely photograph has written on the back "Stan Loveday as a baby" and "Small boy Walter Loveday". Checking on the 1901 census it looks like this could be the Loveday family of High Street. In 1901 William was 34 and a horsekeeper on a farm, and his wife Esther...
Rev Sharman Chrishall Chapel
After a recent conversation I was reminded of the images we have of the Rev. George Sharman. He was at Chrishall Chapel at the time of the opening of the school room. You can see him in the photograph below, fourth from the right. And we also have the picture above...
Updates to existing content:
- June 2025
- April 2025
- Additional material and photo of Mrs Guiver added to the page about Kemps
- Additional material about Nash’s Farmhouse
- Name research on the Hearth Tax details and addition of 1670 return
- January 2025
- Update to the Links page
- January 2024:
- Update to the details of Rev Leachman on the Vicars of Chrishall page
- March 2022:
- October 2022
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- Update to the War Memorial page to include names of local special constables
