A little history of Chalfont St Giles

Chalfont St Giles is a picturesque village in Buckinghamshire, England, situated on the edge of the Chiltern Hills. The name "Chalfont" is believed to derive from Old English, meaning "chalk stream," referencing the area's chalky springs.

A notable historical figure associated with Chalfont St Giles is the poet John Milton. In 1665, during the Great Plague of London, Milton moved to the village to escape the epidemic. While residing in a 16th-century cottage, now known as Milton's Cottage, he completed his epic poem "Paradise Lost" and began "Paradise Regained." The cottage remains a museum dedicated to his life and works.

The parish church of St Giles, dating from the 12th century, features Norman architecture and medieval wall paintings. During the English Civil War, iron cannonballs were embedded in the church's stonework, believed to have been fired by Oliver Cromwell's troops. These artifacts are now displayed in Milton's Cottage.

In 1907, the village's Buckinghamshire Building Society was founded as the Chalfont & District Permanent Building Society, continuing to serve the community today.