Local information

Chigwell Village is approximately 11 miles N.E. of London, and has been described as 'the first village out of London'.
Chigwell's Location and travel information may be found on the Chigwell Useful Stuff page.
Chigwell is mentioned in the Domesday Book and a little more recently in Charles Dickens' Barnaby Rudge - where the scenery of the neighbourhood is described. Mention is also made of the Kings Head Inn (Dickens' "Maypole") which is still open as a Pub and Restaurant. The infamous highwayman Dick Turpin is reputed to have connections with the Kings Head.
Sir Alan Sugar - recently starring in the BBC TV show The Apprentice lives here.
The TV Series 'Birds of a Feather' featured fictitious residents of Chigwell, although the filming was done elsewhere.
William Penn, a former pupil at Chigwell School, was the founder of Pennsylvania in the U.S.A.
Sally Gunnell MBE, Olympic Gold Medallist, lived in Chigwell and attended Chigwell Primary and West Hatch schools.
Haifa Kayali, contestant in the major TV show 'The X Factor'. Although unsuccessful in this series I expect we will be seeing a lot more of her.
Chigwell has connections with Tottenham Hotspur Football club and avid fans can often be found outside the gates of the Luxborough Lane training ground.
The RAF had a base in Chigwell, which closed a number of years ago. Ronnie O'Sullivan, Embassy World Snooker Championship player, is from Chigwell.

Chigwell Coat of Arms, displayed on Parish signs.


The ITV1 program, Essex Wives, focussing on families in Chigwell, Buckhurst Hill, Loughton and elsewhere in Essex, has generated a great deal of interest. The TV listing said:
'Essex Wives
Documentary series examining the real lives of a group of women from Essex, whose glossy, glamorous exteriors are complemented by an iron determination.'


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