Great Chishill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Great Chishill |
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| Village | |
 St Swithun's parish church |
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 Great Chishill
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| Population | 678 (2011 Census) (parish, including Little Chishill) |
| OS grid reference | TL427386 |
| Civil parish |
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| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Royston |
| Postcode district | SG8 |
| Dialling code | 01763 |
| Police | Cambridgeshire |
| Fire | Cambridgeshire |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament |
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| Website | Great & Little Chishill |
Great Chishill is a small village in Cambridgeshire, England. It is part of the South Cambridgeshire district. The village is about 1 mile (1.6 km) east of the border with Hertfordshire. It is also about 4 miles (6.4 km) east of the town of Royston.
In 2011, the population of Great and Little Chishill together was 678 people. The village used to be a separate area called a civil parish. Now, it is part of the larger parish of Great and Little Chishill.
Great Chishill was once part of Essex county. This changed in 1895 when the county borders were moved. In 1929, the village's name officially changed from "Great Chishall" to "Great Chishill". Then, in 1968, Great Chishill joined with Little Chishill to form one parish.
The highest point in Cambridgeshire is near Great Chishill. It is about 146 metres (479 ft) above sea level. This spot is about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) east of St Swithun's church. However, because Great Chishill used to be in Essex, the historic highest point of Cambridgeshire is further away. That point is near Castle Camps, reaching 128 metres (420 ft) high.
The highest point in Essex, called Chrishall Common, is also nearby. The spot where Cambridgeshire, Essex, and Hertfordshire meet is about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of Great Chishill.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The name "Chishill" or "Chishall" comes from an old English word. Cishella means "gravelly hill." This tells us about the type of land the village is built on.
In 1086, a very old book called the Domesday Book mentioned the area. It said that before William the Conqueror arrived, two free men owned land here. Later, William gave these lands to different important people.
Great Chishill was once divided into five main areas, like big farms or estates. These were known as manors. Some of their names were Cardens, Belknaps, and Tewes. Today, you can still find Hall Farm in the village, which was once part of one of these old manors.
Village Churches
St Swithun's Church
The Church of England parish church of St Swithun was started a very long time ago in 1136. It was built by Geffrey de Magnaville for the Benedictine Walden Abbey. The first known vicar, or priest, was Anselm De Flempton in 1327.
The church is made of flint stones with limestone and clunch decorations. Parts of the church, like the main hall (nave) and the altar area (chancel), are from the 1200s. The church has side sections called aisles. The south aisle was built around 1275, and the chancel was rebuilt around 1330. The north aisle was added later.
The church's tall west tower was built in the 1300s and 1400s. But in 1892, the tower fell down! It was rebuilt in 1897. At the same time, the rest of the church was repaired. An architect named Alfred Hoare Powell visited after the collapse. He wrote that the tower had an iron band around it. The vicar and church leaders thought it looked ugly, so they took it off. This led to the tower falling down!
The west tower has five bells that can be rung. Four of the bells were made in 1686. The fifth bell was made in 1841. In 2000, a new floor was put in the tower for bell ringers. St Swithun's church is a very important historical building.
United Reformed Church
A different church, called a Congregational chapel, was built in 1694. In 1789, a fire started in its building and quickly spread. It destroyed many houses in the village and even set fire to the tower of St Swithun's church. Luckily, no one died. The Congregational chapel was rebuilt in 1894. Today, it is known as a United Reformed Church.
Village Life and History
Chishill Windmill
Chishill windmill is about 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) west of the village. It stands on the B1039 road. People have known about a mill here since 1592. The last person to work the mill was William Pegram, who stopped in 1951.
The windmill you see today is a "post mill." This means the whole top part of the mill can turn to face the wind. It might have been rebuilt in 1819 using parts from an older mill from 1726. A wooden beam inside the mill has the year "1712" carved into it. The main post was replaced in 1868.
In the 1960s, the local council bought the mill. They fixed it up and opened it for people to visit. Later, the council closed it. But in 2012, a group called the Great Chishill Windmill Trust took over. They wanted to fix it again and open it to the public.
After seven years of hard work, the mill was fully restored. It cost £100,000, raised from donations and grants. The famous pop singer Sam Smith officially opened the mill on June 8, 2019. Sam Smith grew up in the village and used to work at a local shop.
Village Shops and Services
In 1886, a book called Kelly's Directory listed many businesses in Great Chishill. There were bakers, butchers, and people who fixed wheels and built with bricks. There were also dressmakers and seven farms. The village had two pubs: the White Horse and The Plough (now called The Pheasant). There was also a shop, a post office, and a school for 100 children.
The village shop closed in the late 1970s, and the school closed in 1971. Today, The Pheasant pub is still open. The village also has a playing field, a sports building, and a village hall built in 1982. Two farms in Great Chishill and one in Little Chishill are still working.
In 1991, there were 237 homes in Great and Little Chishill parish. The Guinness Book of Records has a fun entry about Great Chishill. On September 10, 1983, a local farmer named Ben Palmer and a baker named Owen North made bread from wheat in a field in just 40 minutes and 44 seconds! This was a world record.
See also
In Spanish: Great Chishill para niños
