Chaldon

Chaldon is a village in Surrey, England on the North Downs to the west of Caterham. Chaldon is 1.5 mi WSW of Caterham on the Hill, 15.8 mi south of London and falls within the boundaries of Tandridge district, just south of the border with the London Borough of Croydon

Etymology and Dark Ages
Chalvedune is the first written record of the place in 675 AD, meaning the hill (down) where calves were pastured, in a grant of land to Chertsey Abbey. Prior to this period of human history, White Hill on the borders of Chaldon and Caterham has yielded neolithic flints.

The village lay within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Wallington hundred.

Middle Ages
In the Domesday Book the manor of Calvedone appears in Wallington hundred rendering £4 to its lord Ralph Fitz Turold holding it as was most of the hundred of Bishop Odo of Bayeux. Prior to the conquest it had been held by the Saxon lord Dernic of King Edward. It consisted of two hides, land for two lord's plough teams and a church. In medieval times the parish included a narrow strip of land below the southern foot of the Downs and a wedge of land to the north of the church that in the 19th century were transferred to Bletchingley and Coulsdon respectively — these are omitted from this article.

An inscribed stone dedicates a pond for use by residents not animals dated to the late 18th or early 19th century illustrates the lack of water in the village during summer months. St Catherine's south chancel chapel in the church became devoted to the memory of Christian Hane (d.1752) of an aedicular type with a white stone rectangular panel flanked by Doric pilasters with red marble inlay, swan-neck pediment and crowning shell.

Church of St Peter and St Paul
The church of Saints Peter and Paul (built before 1086 AD) contains a large wall painting of around 1170 depicting images of the ways of salvation and damnation and their result and is in length 17' 2 " .  Malden in 1911 described it as "perhaps the most interesting ancient wall-painting in England".  This Grade I architecturally listed building retains its west and east walls (of nave and of chancel/chantry) of their original dates, both with "extraordinarily high-pitched" gables, round window in the west and three windows in the east.  The mural is divided in two by a cloudy band with the lower half decorated to torments and punishments of the wicked; the upper half devoted to the judgement and salvation of souls. In the centre is a ladder with Jesus Christ above. The main figures include the tree of knowledge, with the serpent (bottom right), the seven deadly sins and a cauldron for boiling murderers. Across the top are depicted the three Marys and the ascent of Elijah and Enoch to heaven, Jesus defeating the devil and Jesus preaching to the spirits in prison.

Towards the close of the 12th century the south aisle and St Catherine's chapel (to the chancel) (almost entirely rebuilt in the 14th century) in line with it were added, the little lancet in its west wall, with radiating splay, and the two arches opening from the nave the aisle's chief architectural features; and perhaps the later east-facing multi-faceted quatrefoil window the main early feature of the chapel.

In about 1220 the similar narrow aisle to the north was built; visitors can see its 1330-built windows, and a corresponding chapel was of this date which is no longer existing except its entrance arch.

Only in 1870–1 was a general restoration of the church was effected when the wonderful painting covering the entire width of the west wall of the nave was brought to light and preserved. Unhappily, a figure of a demon on the respond of the north arcade was destroyed by the workmen. It seems to have had some relation to the west wall's mural.

Post industrial revolution
Under Rev. James Legrew, the tithes were commuted for £335. 11s 3d, however as rector retaining a glebe of 31 acres, with a glebe house. A tower and spire were added to the church in 1843 from a bellcote before. Given its steep, dry landscape on top of the North Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Chaldon did not develop new homes substantially even in the 19th and 20th centuries; though replacements to farmhouses were built in this period. In 1848 the population was 197 and in 1901 the population in 1901 was only 266 and it consisted of little more than "the church and six scattered farms". By 1911 Viscount Hylton connected his farms and cottages with the East Surrey Water Company's mains; otherwise the supply depended upon the shallow wells and ponds, filled in a wet season and empty in a dry one.

Elevations, Geology and Soil
Chaldon has received by some locals the epithet "Little Switzerland" because of the microclimate resulting in heavier snowfall here than in other parts of the region when there is snow in Winter. Caterham-on-the-Hill is centred 1.5 mi ENE of Chaldon and London is 15.8 mi north.

Historical
The civil parish of Chaldon fell within the Reigate Poor Law Union upon its creation in 1837, subsequently coming under control of Reigate Rural Sanitary District from 1875 and Reigate Rural District from 1894 until its abolition in 1933. Thereafter it became part of the Caterham & Warlingham Urban District until 1 April 1974 when the major local government reorganisation brought Chaldon under the newly formed Tandridge District.

For the purposes of parliamentary elections, Chaldon became part of the Eastern Division of the Surrey county constituency upon its creation in 1832. It moved to the Mid Division in 1867, to the South Eastern Division in 1885, to the Reigate Division in 1918 and to the East Surrey Division in 1948 where it remains to this day.

Current Authorities


Surrey County Council, headquartered in Kingston, elected every four years, has one representative councillor as follows:

Chaldon has a representative on Tandridge District Council, headquartered in Oxted:

Civil Parishes
Chaldon has its own Civil Parish Council with five parish councillors and the parish clerk.

Demography
In 2001, there were 1,821 residents in 639 households of which 18.8% were aged over 65; 4.5% of the population were in full-time further education; 70.9% of all men were economically active whereas 3.2% were unemployed, 5.2% worked part-time; 58.9% of all women were economically active whereas 1.2% were unemployed, 37.7% worked part-time.

As to ethnicity, 97.3% of the population identified themselves as being white, 0.5% as mixed, 1.0% as of Indian descent, and 1.5% as other of the three main categories.

In terms of religion, 80.1%% of the population responded as being Christian, 0.6% as Muslim, 2.0% other religions, 11.1% as atheist and 6% declined to answer.

Chaldon's economy is predominantly a service sector economy reflected by the lower end of the official categorisation table of occupation given, compiled from the 2001 census: Whereas in this census, 24% of the population worked in lower managerial and professional occupations and 7.9% in higher professional occupations.

Landmarks
Along the north street, Church Lane is a line of houses ending with Glebe House facing Church Green. Here is a close cluster of five listed buildings including the two most highly ranked listed buildings plus farm outbuildings. This area forms a conservation area. Its booklet with hand-drawn illustrations was produced in 1975, year of European Architectural Heritage.

Church of St Peter and St Paul
See above.

Chaldon Court
This Grade II* listed timber framed building was built in the 14th century and encased in brick and flnit in the 18th century; its door is of the Tudor period. 1029812 Its large gable ends have a large window housing a third floor, however its extension at a right-angle has instead taller two storeys, slightly lower in height.

Surrey National Golf Course
Although almost a plateau, the highest part of Chaldon is White Hill, which is overlooks Caterham and south-east London beyond and is occupied by Surrey National Golf Course.