Chignal St James
Encyclopedia
Chignal St James is a small parish, 3½ miles northwest by west of Chelmsford
, Essex
, containing only around 250 people.
The spelling of the village name is open to discussion. Sometimes it is spelt "Chignall St James" at other times, it is spelt "Chignal St James" or "Chignal Saint James".
Although only a small village, the countryside has attracted a number of businesses and their owners to make this village their home. Amongst the most notable being Ashdown Engineering
, Gardening Express & Balance Life Magazine. Together with the local farms, these companies form some of the larger employers in the area.
Originally the village was a settlement for farmers and their labour force that worked on the land, but gradually as mechanisation took over, so the farming population left, with the village now being somewhat of a commuter village, but also being resident to the remaining agricultural workers, and retired folk.
The village has a pub, The Three Elms, thought to be over 500 years old, which is a very small but traditional country pub that serves food and drinks, and is open every day of the week, being somewhat the hub of the community.
In 2009, there was a controversial planning proposal to create a quarry close by to the village, but this was turned down by the planning authorities.
The village contains a number of notable buildings, including an old brick built farm barn, with dove-cote, thought to be the oldest and only example of its type in Essex. Other notable buildings include an old red brick school (now a dwelling), the Church, and other large houses such as the Old Rectory.
The village is also rumoured to be home to Black Shuck
, a mythical devil dog, that has been sighted between Chignal St James and the neighbouring village of Chignal Smealy.
Sighting of Big Cats (thought to be black leopards or pumas) have also been made by local farmers, although these have not be substantiated by the authorities. The area is very rural, and has large populations of deer, thought to be the food source for these large cats should they exist.
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, containing only around 250 people.
The spelling of the village name is open to discussion. Sometimes it is spelt "Chignall St James" at other times, it is spelt "Chignal St James" or "Chignal Saint James".
Although only a small village, the countryside has attracted a number of businesses and their owners to make this village their home. Amongst the most notable being Ashdown Engineering
Ashdown Engineering
Ashdown Engineering is a British manufacturer of instrument amplifiers, particularly for bass, but also developed a range of guitar amps for a number of years...
, Gardening Express & Balance Life Magazine. Together with the local farms, these companies form some of the larger employers in the area.
Originally the village was a settlement for farmers and their labour force that worked on the land, but gradually as mechanisation took over, so the farming population left, with the village now being somewhat of a commuter village, but also being resident to the remaining agricultural workers, and retired folk.
The village has a pub, The Three Elms, thought to be over 500 years old, which is a very small but traditional country pub that serves food and drinks, and is open every day of the week, being somewhat the hub of the community.
In 2009, there was a controversial planning proposal to create a quarry close by to the village, but this was turned down by the planning authorities.
The village contains a number of notable buildings, including an old brick built farm barn, with dove-cote, thought to be the oldest and only example of its type in Essex. Other notable buildings include an old red brick school (now a dwelling), the Church, and other large houses such as the Old Rectory.
The village is also rumoured to be home to Black Shuck
Black Shuck
Black Shuck, Old Shuck, Old Shock or simply Shuck is the name given to a ghostly black dog which is said to roam the coastline and countryside of East Anglia...
, a mythical devil dog, that has been sighted between Chignal St James and the neighbouring village of Chignal Smealy.
Sighting of Big Cats (thought to be black leopards or pumas) have also been made by local farmers, although these have not be substantiated by the authorities. The area is very rural, and has large populations of deer, thought to be the food source for these large cats should they exist.