Did you know that...
Rich flint deposits enabled human settlements to develop here since the Paleolithic age. The village was built during the Roman domination. A mill and a brewery were also built. The old name of Chorleywood was Cerola Leah. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon words “leah” which means wood and “ceorla” which means peasant. In the 13th century, this WD3 area was known as Churl’s Wood or Peasant’s Wood. After the dissolution of monasteries, the name changed to Charleywoode. This area attracted a large community of Quakers. William Penn, a prominent Quaker member, founded the North American colony of Pennsylvania with people from this area and other neighboring North London towns. The name Pennsylvania is based on Penn and “sylvania” which is Latin for wood.
Chorleywood House is a landmark of the area. It was built in 1822. Seventy years later, the house and property were turned into an estate with gardens. The estate surrounding the house is a Local Nature Reserve since 2007. The River Chess runs through it. The estate features meadows and woodland. It is home to protected species such as the cardamine. Chorleywood Common is a County Heritage Site. It was used for cattle grazing until World War I. Since then it’s a recreational area. It also features a nine-hole golf field. Since the 19th century, the Chorleywood Cricket Club plays on the common.
The local railway station was built in 1889. Chorley Wood was the original name of the station. From 1915 to 1934, it was called Chorley Wood & Chenies. In 1965, it adopted the name of the area. According to a 2004 survey, this North London area had the highest quality of life based on 37 criteria. More than 30,000 communities took part in this study. The area is also known for the Chorleywood bread-making process. More than 80% of the UK bakeries use this standard.
