 Hello, thanks for joining me. I'm in my home village of Chalfonson, Peter today and what we're doing is we're going to do a follow-up to some videos I did back in 2020 when you you know had your daily exercise and you had to stay local. I Re-explored the whole of Chalfonson Peter. I think I went down every road every footpath There is and one thing I discovered and was quite fascinated by was dotted around the village are These plaques and what they do they show what they used to look like and what it looks like now See there's that bus stop That is actually a different bus stop, but that view there is That today there's the precinct. It's Where that view so I visited all of the plaques back in 2020 and you know, I had quite a good time I enjoyed doing it. There were four videos There was one sort of centered around the village center I called it the lost village because you know a lot of the buildings have gone the village used to continue out We'll go over there later on in the video to what is now the bypass So it's a funny way how the village has changed a lot of the original villages disappeared under a bypass And yet we've got that huge new precinct This is of course the parish church probably one of the few buildings that hasn't changed as we're about to Even though it's had extensions as we're about to discover Some of the churches in the village have changed Considerably since 2020 because as we leave the churchyard here, we're just going to go and find the first of these new plaques So in today's video, we're going to look at all the new plaques There's just a couple of other changes that have happened to the village. I wanted to point out since 2020 So this is the village car park. There is a plaque over there So as I said, if you want to see there's a whole playlist of the first four and then this one has now been added So if you want to see them, you can have a look at the playlist. Now as we turn this corner here There's this building here Which wasn't here back in 2020. Well, I think they were just starting to build it this is I Think it's called the hub that is what's replaced Gold Hill Baptist Church Now we're going to go up to Gold Hill Common have a look at the Baptist Church Effectively about this church has moved to here. So you've got two churches in the village center has for us fetics I can't say It's the best-looking church. In fact, I don't even know to does it look like a church? But yeah, if the people inside are enjoying it, then that's that's great I personally think it looks like an old bus or tram depot I can almost imagine, you know buses coming in and it looks like an old bus depot It's been converted into a church which in some places has happened. I did sort of joke back in the summer I was in Gamundan in Austria, which funny enough is about the same size as Chalfons and Peter and The station is about the same distance away from the town as George Cross is and I said And I did a driver's eye view of the tramway There's a tram from Gamundan station down to the village and I basically compared it to Chalfons and Peter They wouldn't it be great if Chalfons and Peter had a tramway running from here to George Cross I think Buckinghamshire must be the only county in Britain or one I can't think of any others I don't think has ever had any electric trams because all of the big towns like High Wickham and Ellsbury didn't have trams There were trams in Uxbridge once Stony Stratford in Northbuck's had a steam tram, but that wasn't electrified So anyway, there's not going to be any trains or trams in today's video. We're going to cross the road That's new as well. They've refurbished St Peter's garden, but that that little lich gate that's new that Walk past here like well in the last couple of weeks. I'm fairly sure that wasn't there Let's cross the road and have a look. So there is a plaque here. This is Church Lane There we go. It's the first of the new plaques Now this gentleman, he lived at the Chalfon Park I have also made a video at Chalfon Park in the past. Now he supplied land from Chalfon Well, he lived at Chalfon Park. He owned a lot of land ofage. He supplied this land here as a burial ground So have a look at that So we're going to walk through this new lich gate Yeah, the wood smells brand new and obviously you can't smell it on screen, but that's nice And we're going to walk up now into St Peter's Garden Which as I said has been completely refurbished since our last visit from here We're going to go up to Goldhill Common because I want to show you what's happened to the old church. It is still At the time of filming it's still there. Well, it is it's staying. It's not going anywhere But it's not church anymore. So I'll show you what's happening. So as we get to here This is St Peter's Garden So we're just walking now through St Peter's Garden as you can see they've made like a Circular area here that wasn't there before So that's that's all completely changed since we was last here back in 2020 I think a lot of the gravestones are from where the carpark was They've moved the gravestones up here when they built the carpark And there was also a fence down here So that was different So they've they've changed a few things here And then here you go get quite a good view Of the of the garden So this is St Peter's Garden what I'm going to do now. I'm going to walk on up to Goldhill Common I'm going to follow The driveway up here Let's go have a look at Goldhill Common Here we are on Goldhill Common This side of things doesn't look really any different to as it did in 2020 But it's the Baptist Church, which I want to show you because that's changing a lot As mentioned before it's been replaced. It's no longer the Baptist Church So there's quite a lot changes going on up here. So there's no actual plex to see I just thought we'd use this opportunity to record the changes to the village as they happen So as we come to up here, I can't help but thinking I mentioned if there was a tramway in Charleston, Peter I know it's my fantasy idea, but it would run say from the village probably taking the route of the buses I almost imagine tram's running along there to George Cross. Anyway, um, half of my fantasies Let's have a look because as we come along here Well, firstly There's the Baptist Church I know it looks a bit different. You can see a hoarding beside it That's because everything but the church itself has been demolished The church is being converted into flats. I understand they're going to be building houses It's all around it. So there'll be quite a few new dwellings there So we're going to have a close look at that. I guess there's a plaque here That shows That's looking across So look there You can see Those cottages Uh Must be those cottages and then that house has Either been altered considerably or been rebuilt I was thinking there was one obviously one on the other end Showing how the Baptist Church looked. No, there isn't. Okay, so The Baptist Church kind of looks how it would have done Originally, that's why I really wanted to come up here today because it hasn't got its adventures It's a bit sad in a way to see it like this because I went through a stage of going to the youth club there when I was a teenager And there was a lot of happy memories. We had a lot of fun in that Baptist Church And the youth club was held in the hall behind. We'll cross there in a minute Now one of the things we used to sometimes do was We would go look at that it's a rock house Which unfortunately is being demolished now It's that it was an old people's home and we used to go and visit the people there And they used to really really like the company of a load of teenagers coming to visit them It seems a shame to see that being demolished I understand it was originally two big semi-detached houses and They got converted into the retirement home out the back was Graham house. That was where the more And I was the word like the ones who looked after themselves lived And then the one in front was more the care or the nursing home. Just have a look to see if we can see Can't go in but have a look. Oh, wow. Look. There's the church. So if I could go in it'd be great We like doing an urbex, but Yeah, it looks exactly the same. I can smell that hardcore demolition Sort of smell so the extension used to be here Now I started going there as a very young child My mother used to go to something called popping which was where you know, the mothers used to go to their children and You know the very young the babies went upstairs And the children I was very about three or four went in the in the hall out the back I remember one day they were making a layout of a brio train set and The young lady didn't know how to put the brio track together and Four-year-old Henry showed her how to do it And there's yeah, look at that rock house half a rock house. So for those of you don't know Yes, I came past here yesterday and I'm fairly sure All of that was standing so this morning. They've been really busy Imagine a mirror image of rock house if I can find the old pictures of how it looks I'll put them on screen so you can see what it looked like And I think the scaffolding is is to protect the houses behind it because that's where graham house the more modern Building would have stood now if we have a look here There was an extension to the church here and up there was what was known as the upper lounge It was a long thin room and when I was a bit older maybe about 14 15 We used to go to a youth club up there So that yeah, it all seems a bit sad really seeing it disappear and as I said one of our activities was to go and See the people in rock house. So I remember one time there was an england football match on and I think I was the only boy That went to rock house because all of the girls, you know want Yeah, the girls went and the boys wanted to watch football. I don't think there's any more to see here There used to be a house here. I remember on the side There was a building or out the building There used to be like a fire escape ladder and I always intended to climb down it when one of the youth club leaders Wasn't looking but that was something I never got round to doing interestingly behind there There was when I first started there. There was a small house and it was known as the haunted house It was derelict that got demolished and they built two flats on there. They have also now been demolished They didn't last long. They lasted not even 20 years So here's all rather sad Seeing the changes now the next place we come to is somewhere else that has seen a massive change Not since 2020 but in the last 10 years. We're going Take our last look. This may well be the last time actually see rock house Yeah, it's it's not going to be there much longer Um, we're going to go to the Grange now now that I always think is a very sad Story it was that it was the convent of chaff and st. Peter for a long time It was a girl's school and then They demolished all but the chapel there I always think it's a real shame that they That they demolished all but the chapel because That the house there was a historic house But that for some reason wasn't listed. So they just demolished it. So that's a real shame But at least with gold hill baptist church at least the church is going to stay there So, you know from that view of I'm not going to go back over there, but on the common And looking across to the church that view won't change Also, as I said, I used to go to that um youth club Another thing we used to sometimes do all my memories are coming back now We used to sometimes sneak out and go on what we called expeditions And you know go and climb trees and play in the park and that and then I think once you got into the summer They just basically let us do it. Oh and another really Good evening was um snowed one evening. So I turned up with a sledge. I happened to have like a Swiss mountain rescue sledge and we had a few Yeah goes up and down the hill and I remember at the end of the evening They they all sort of says to me. Oh, you know, you've entertained as all of your sledge You sit down and all my friends call me back to the church and I just sat there on the sledge So, yeah, there's a lot of happy memories from the old baptist church. Anyway, I'm going to go down there now Down into those trees and we're going to go and have a look at this new plaque at the Grange Here we are at the bottom of gold hill. That's the hill I said used to like sledging down whenever we had any snow We're now going into the Grange or the old Holy Cross Convent site Leaving the common behind us. So it's all a bit sad really what happened here They demolished pretty much all of it except the chapel The only sort of good thing that's come out of is this woodland here is now, you know public can walk around there There's a path that goes off in a minute. And that's the old stations of the crosswalk Which the nuns would have done now a few years ago. You could still see, you know evidence that that's what it was I think today. I doubt anyone, you know, would realize that's what it was But if you were to go off up that path up there I have done a video a few years ago before the site kind of became What was finished in its new guys and The chapel which like I say survives and is here. I'm not sure what's going on, but it always seems to be locked But when I came here then it was still a bit of a building site And the doors were open so I walked in had a look if you want to see that video have a look at the link on the screen now And it was fascinating. It was just like how the Baptist church was That we saw today. It was just sort of empty and as if people had just walked out and left it And I remember there was newspapers in there from in this little room. There was some newspapers about 1964. They've just been there all that time It's the small tower so They've kept the chapel supposedly for community use although I've not ever seen any community events taking place there. That's not to say they don't I just haven't seen any So here we are. That's the So the reason for the horrendous walled areas is because that's where they've been joined onto our buildings So most of the school I think was sort of here. I can understand them knocking that down But the grange The historic house that was there, you know, that's terrible. But that was demolished and but you know, they Wanted to build a load of houses. I can understand them building the houses It's progress whether we like it or not But there's been numerous other developments where they've managed to incorporate a historic Building into today's Development, you know, they could have just come up with a different road So the road basically goes right through where the house would have been to think, you know, the house That dated back years and years was standing here Until only a few years ago. It just sort of seemed so wrong They demolished it that up there. That's the old nun cemetery. They've obviously known Not to build on that And and let's say they've kept the chapel but as for the house That they demolished. Well, there's a plaque here and I can show that to you now So as you can see the estate it was dates back to 1224 And we can see what it says. But you know, it's that's how historic we're talking. We're not talking Of, you know, an attractive Turn of the last century house that got demolished, which unfortunately happens a lot We're talking about something very very historic. Anyway Unfortunately, this is what it is today, but at least that plaque's there We can see what it looked like and I'll probably always remember the old building I used to stand in like where I could and look into the site and watch them demolishing it It was a shame just a bit like I mean rock house. Yeah, it's a shame that's going but this is like 100 times better than Rock house just watching it disappear every time Came past until it all gone. Anyway, I'm going to go and find some more plaques now So here we are. We're now down in the village centre. It's looking up market place That way's the high street and then looking that way is Harris church where we started as a new plaque I'll show you this one just because we're here And that would have featured the first time round looking down the high street So that was in the video the first time round now the one we're going to Is well, there's two others. We'll just have a quick look at these ones just because they're here There's one obviously this is very quite an interesting one that shows the fourth These they're forward here and these are the buildings that were here before the precinct Look at that completely different There was also this 16th century house Which was also demolished unfortunately to make way for the precinct So, I mean really I think when they got rid of the precinct or when they got rid of these made the precinct They're effectively made Chavos and Peter into a town. What would be really nice Is the mizborn actually flows underneath there if they're close to car park and just made it into a plaza And uncovered the mizborn a bit like they did in Hemel Hempstead with a river gate The river gate was culverted they uncovered it and you've got a really sort of nice Town centre they could do that here and have like a really really nice Town centre, you know where you could sit and drink coffee from the coffee shops and just be pleasant Anyway, the plaque I want to show you the new one. I think is this one here And it says it's looking up marketplace. So look at that Preparing With today's view it's quite different what we're going to do now We're going to go across the road and there's one over by the Greyhound pub. So we'll cross here Passing the church again I'll say this is like the one bit of the village that's still You know not original, but it's got quite a few of the original buildings or the older buildings And then of course you've got the precinct there. So this is where The Ford would have been so that vehicle there would have been making a big splash And no doubt this coach here would have made an even bigger splash had it still been there It's just starting to rain now Which is probably a good thing because if you look at the River Mistborn you can see It's got no watering. I did a video series where I explored the whole of the River Mistborn and That was quite exciting And I remember I was Sort of knowing it was going to start drying up and I think it had Parts of it had dried up by the time I got to this part of Charleston, Peter Anyway, we're now heading out So if you look at that building there It stops there The high street would have continued out into what is now the roundabout So this is like the lost village. All of that would have been part of the high street as these cracks Rounds here will show us Make a way between these two cars. So I think this one was here last time Swan Farm So that was demolished to make way for the roundabout. I'll look at that And then a new one was this one here Swan Cottage Swan Cottage would have been about where the corner of the roundabout is And then if we go back up onto the road There's one more again. It was already here, but since we're walking past it Our Martyrs will show it to you. I'll show you that one then I've got to go up there join as Lane So have a look. There's a new one up until up there. So have a look at that. That's the high street Transformed into not really a high street at all. Just a busy road junction. Right, I'm going to go up Join as Lane and we're going to go and find the one more new plaque Well, here we are on the other side of the roundabout. I just thought we'll stop here before I go off up join as Lane. The rain's easing off a little bit Because this plaque When I did the videos last time, unfortunately, it had been stolen and it's been replaced. So it's good to see it back again That's how different join as Lane was. Look at that You know, it really was a little country lane, not the The busy sort of residential road here today Which I'm now going to walk up when we get to the top and find this one more new plaque somewhere up there So here we are. We're almost now at the top of join as Lane and we're coming to our final plaque Interestingly, it's about the house behind this fence now until fairly recently This house never had any fence. So you could look straight in So the house we're about to have a look at from what we can see Where it's just by the beginning of the Chalfont Heights estate. It's a private state But it's a footpath so you can walk through it. So we'll be able to have a look This house here. Look at this So George Gooch lived there. Now he was an MP So he lived in he says that Winston Churchill actually came and visited him here in this house That house there now it's interesting to see it's been altered a bit If you look at the house here the extension has been built out this way And if you look at the normal window it's that little one there that's been filled in so that one that one Are there and then there'll be another new one about here. So we'll just wander into Chalfont Heights And if we stand here you can see so Looking at the house. Yeah, the that window there that's the extension That one was in the picture that one wasn't just there you can just see They've bricked it up. So it's been quite recently extended and altered quite considerably But to think that Winston Churchill has been inside that house. It looks like it's been extended out the back But as I said for a long time it always never had any fence on the other side used to see Straight into the garden So we're now in the Chalfont Heights estate and we're pretty much coming to the end of Today's video. It's a pleasant walk back down to the village. So I think I'll walk back to the village this way If you want to do this trail you can get as this leaflet here as a nice map. Well, this is actually the old leaflet Now there's been more added. I think you can pick them up in the library I think this is where fairly sure it's where I got this one from So this one had a map inside Of all of the plaques, but like I say there's been Quite a few new ones added So it's worth doing it whether you're local and live in Chalfont St Peter and want to discover more about where you live Or if you you know would like to If you're visiting Chalfont St Peter You could come and you know discover a bit about it There's plenty of you know shops and cafes and places to get lunch if you wanted to make a day of it So, you know do do come and Do this walk for yourself. You don't have to do it in one big go It's worth doing. Anyway from the rather pleasant Chalfont Heights with the ubiquitous sound of a lawn mower Thank you very much for watching. Please do feel free to Like subscribe and comment and from Chalfont St Peter. Goodbye