Chiddingfold combines a distinctive glassmaking history with medieval architecture and an extensive woodland landscape northeast of the village. The Church of St. Mary and historical details about the glassworks bring cultural history to life through specific architectural and craft details. Chiddingfold Forest adds a natural focal point. When planning, you can decide whether the village’s history or the forest should be the main focus of your visit.
Glassmaking History in Chiddingfold
A unique lancet window is located in the Church of St. Mary. It is made up of 427 unworked pieces of Chiddingfold glass from eleven glass workshops in the parish. During the reign of Elizabeth I, there were at least eleven glassworks on the Village Green. These details reveal different aspects of glassmaking history: the window identifies a specific work and the origin of its glass, while the historical figure locates production on the Village Green. A lancet window is a tall, narrow window with a pointed top. The technical term describes its shape, while the figure of 427 specifies the window’s composition.
Church and Historic Buildings
The Church of St. Mary is a Grade I listed building. Its tall, four-bay nave arcade and chancel arcades date from the 13th century. A bay is a section of an arcade; the number four therefore describes the division of the nave arcade. The nave is the main part of the church interior, while the chancel arcades belong to a different part of the building.
A working blacksmith’s forge stands on the Village Green, with timber framing dating from the 17th century. The Crown Inn stands on The Green; it is a 14th-century timber-framed building in the Wealden style. In chronological order, the church arcades of the 13th century predate The Crown Inn of the 14th century; the forge’s 17th-century timber framing provides a later point of comparison. The buildings can thus be compared by their different dates.
Forest and Activities
Chiddingfold Forest covers 840 hectares of woodland and lies northeast of the village. It contains numerous oak, birch and ash trees. About 502 hectares of the forest are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The two area figures cover different extents: 840 hectares refers to the forest as a whole, while around 502 hectares refers to the designated portion. This distinction helps put the size of the forest and the extent of the protected-area designation into perspective.
Sidney Wood is open to the public for walking, dog walking, cycling and horse riding under a permit system. If you plan to do any of these activities there, check the permit system in advance. These are two different aspects to consider when planning: for Chiddingfold Forest, the location, size and tree species are the main points; for Sidney Wood, the access rules for the activities listed are what matter.
Discover more destinations: Walton-on-Thames, Tatsfield, Weybridge, Crowhurst, Windlesham, Farnham, Mickleham, Shepperton.
For the main travel overview: Surrey.
