Chiddingfold: Discover Glass History and Forest

Chiddingfold combines an unusual glassmaking history with distinctive buildings and an extensive woodland landscape. Anyone wishing to combine culture, village traditions and nature on a trip will find a range of themes to consider when planning their visit. When choosing accommodation, you can therefore decide whether historical discoveries in the village or the landscape around Chiddingfold should be the main focus for you.

Glass History and Significant Buildings

A special feature of the Church of St. Mary is a unique lancet window made from 427 unworked pieces of Chiddingfold glass. The glass comes from 11 glassworks in the parish and makes the local craft tradition visible in a specific building. The village's history also includes the fact that during the reign of Elizabeth I, there were at least 11 glassworks on the Village Green.

The Church of St. Mary itself is a Grade I listed building. Inside, the tall, four-bay nave arcade from the 13th century and the chancel arcades, also dating from the 13th century, deserve attention. Visitors interested in church art, architectural history and regional craft traditions will therefore find several different points of interest, without the village's history being limited to a single landmark.

Historical traces can also be found on the Village Green. A working blacksmith's workshop stands there, with timber framing dating from the 17th century. The Crown Inn is also located on The Green, a 14th-century timber-framed building in the Wealden style. Both buildings represent different periods of local architectural and craft history and add visible details in the villagescape to the way Chiddingfold can be appreciated.

Woodland Landscape Northeast of the Village

Chiddingfold Forest covers 840 hectares of woodland and lies northeast of the village of Chiddingfold. Numerous oaks, birches and ash trees shape the woodland landscape described there. Around 502 hectares of Chiddingfold Forest are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, or SSSI. If you are looking for a nature-focused perspective during your stay, this forest therefore offers a distinctly different theme from the village's glassmaking and architectural history.

Separate access information applies to Sidney Wood: the area is open to the public for walking, dog walking, cycling and horse riding through a permit system. Anyone wishing to plan for this option should take the required permit system into account when preparing their trip. This allows cultural activities and an outdoor activity to be arranged according to personal interests, without combining different offerings into a single route.

Travel Planning Based on Your Interests

For families and other travellers, it may be helpful to organise the experiences they want before searching for a holiday apartment. The Church of St. Mary, the Village Green and The Crown Inn are more suited to a stay focused on history and architecture. Chiddingfold Forest and Sidney Wood offer different points of focus, with the stated permit required for Sidney Wood. The Chiddingfold Bonfire also provides a fixed traditional reference point: it has been held on the Saturday closest to 5 November since 1961.

Depending on whether you are mainly interested in glass, ecclesiastical architecture, timber framing, woodland or a distinctive village tradition, you can tailor your accommodation in Chiddingfold to your preferred travel style. The facts about the village provide several distinct themes, leaving room for travel planning that includes both cultural discoveries and experiences in nature.

Find more local ideas for your search here: Reigate, Windlesham, Ashford, Ockley, Frimley, Chilworth, Bisley and Cranleigh.

For the higher-level travel overview: Surrey.