What does Chrishall look like today?

Click Here for snow scenes 2009     Click Here for a modern photographic tour of the village    

Click on general Information for village location and street maps

Postcards for Sale !!!

Postcards of the village are available. They are of exceptional quality and beautifully sharp and clear on high gloss card. The reverse has a central dividing line but no address lines or postage stamp rectangle, so the entire area can be used for your message, if used with an envelope. Prices are 40p each or £3.00 for 10 cards. Please contact the web site.

From the archive

January 2010 - Irene Cranwell died peacefully at her home at Fairie Cottage in Crawley End on Thursday 7th January. She would have been 100 years old in February. (Details here)

August 2009 - Papua New Guinea Plane Crash: Keith Hayden writes from Australia: "Just to report that the terrible plane crash which happened in Papua New Guinea on Tuesday 11th August 2009 and which resulted in the deaths of 11 Australians sadly included Maxwell Cranwell aged 61 and his married daughter Leanne aged 38 both from Victoria. They are descendants of James Cranwell & Sarah Jeffrey through their son Thomas (1824-1908) who married Emma Bolden/Bolding and emigrated to Victoria in 1854 on the ship "Heleus). Max was the great grandson of Thomas Cranwell". (Keith is descended from the Brand family - his family tree is on Written Records).

From the Cambridge Evening News 13 February 2008: Poison mystery after pets and wildlife die

A MYSTERY poison is thought to be killing dogs and wildlife near two villages - leading to fears children could also be at risk. Six dogs have died in recent months - two in the last two weeks - and the bodies of poisoned foxes have been found between Elmdon and Chrishall. Two other dogs have survived poisoning in the same area.

Chrishall Parish Council has put up notices warning dog owners to keep their pets on leads as the Government's science laboratory analyses samples from post-mortems to establish the source of the poison. The first pet to die was a pedigree Labrador called Jasper in November. His owner, Lucy Lewis of Chrishall, said: "We took him for a walk on a public footpath between Chrishall and Elmdon and walked round some ponds and back. We have been going that way every day for years. "In the early evening Jasper showed signs of confusion and then had a full epileptic fit. He lost his sight and began foaming at the mouth. I thought he would die in the car on the way to the vet." Jasper, a three-year-old, five stone, very fit dog, died the next morning. Just six days later, a nine-month-old puppy belonging to one of Lucy's friends suffered the same fate after walking along a similar route. Mrs Lewis said a local farmer had discovered the bodies of several foxes and rabbits that had died for no apparent reason.

Natural England, which investigates and prosecutes cases of poisoning of wildlife, including cats and dogs, visited the area after the first two deaths but found no evidence of spillage of poison. A spokeswoman said post-mortems carried out on a dog and fox proved inconclusive and tissue samples had been sent to the Central Science Laboratory for further analysis. "We are awaiting the results, which can take several months, before deciding on the next course of action," she said. Di Pohlmann of Duddenhoe End, who owns two dogs, is urging people to keep dogs on leads until the source of the poison is traced. She added there were strict regulations on how poison could be put down on public and private land and anyone breaking the rules would be subject to prosecution. "One of the symptoms is an epileptic fit," said Ms Pohlmann. "If a dog has this then it is really important to get them to a vet and get the stomach pumped out. This has saved the life of one of the dogs."

Robert Chambers, chairman of Essex Police Authority, who lives in the area and has two dogs, said: "Obviously something is happening that is very unusual. "People should not put poison down indiscriminately - it could be a danger to children, not just animals. "I would urge people when they go out to keep their dogs on leads and then the chances of them being poisoned are minimal." Anyone who suspects poisoning of wildlife is asked to contact Natural England on the freephone number 0800 321600.

June 2007. Red Cow: Opening night photos of the Red Cow with previous landlords Chris and Alice. Photos: click here. (The pub changed hands in 2010 when current landlords Toby and Alexis Beeching took over and who continue to offer an excellent menu).

Saturday 12th May 2007. The Village Market: Guy Rackham, chairman of the parish council, handed over a cheque for £200 on behalf of the Village Market to Rameshar Lal Verma. Rameshar is the director of the NGO which oversees Khandel Light's funds in Rajastan, India. He was accompanied by his wife, who was visiting England for the first time and Dr and Mrs Peter Gough, who started the Barley based charity, and which is dedicated to improving health and social conditions in the village of Khandel.

Result of the Local Election May 4th 2007: Long serving member Robert Chambers (Conservative), whose family used to live at Martenholme, retained his place on Uttlesford District Council by defeating present Chrishall resident Neville Reed (Liberal Democrat) in the Wendens Loft ward, by 493 votes to 147 in yesterday's local election. New Labour did not field a candidate.

The swing to the Conservatives across the region meant they took back control of the Council with a total of 26 seats against the Liberal Democrats' 15 seats and the Independents' 3 seats.  New Labour has no seats on the council. Turnout was 43.9% compared with 38.5% in 2003. Full results at: http://localelections2007.blogspot.com/

The 2004 Village Show - September 7th

For a selection of photgraphs click here (please be patient while the photos download).

June 2004 - Mediaeval Fun... a private party but half the village(s) was there... .Click here for photos.

2004 - Chrishall - the Best Place to live in the UK!

The Sunday Times, in an article headlined "Utopia on the M25" recently reported the results of a detailed nationwide survey carried out by Experian in which they compared parts of the country and assessed them on the basis of key issues such as: green space, schools performance, congestion, housing affordability, shopping amenities, employment and crime. Chrishall's district Uttlesford "wins by a mile" comfortably ahead of second placed Malvern Hills in Worcestershire. Bottom was Stoke on Trent with many of the nation's large conurbations in the bottom ten.

"You have probably never heard of Uttlesford....it all looks so picture postcard English, so sleepy and devoid of graffiti and grime (they've obviously not seen my sons' bedrooms). Its low-profile residents have been keeping a secret: it is the best place to live in England and Wales."

"Its inhabitants enjoy space and fresh air - some 2.5 acres per head - while having easy access to London. From the motorway you see rolling harvested ochre hills, punctuated by copses and church spires" says The Sunday Times. "The western side is the most popular, particularly villages such as Elmdon, Clavering, Arkesden, Chrishall and Littlebury."