Population 3,814 Region South East Sovereign state United Kingdom Shire county Buckinghamshire Dialling code 1.1733601070950468 UK parliament constituency Chesham and Amersham | OS grid reference TQ 00340 92346 Country England Post town Gerrards Cross District Chiltern District Civil parish Chalfont St Peter | |
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Chalfont Common is a hamlet in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located in the Chiltern Hills, to the north of Chalfont St Peter (where the 2011 Census population was included). It is 24 miles from the centre of London.
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Map of Chalfont Common, Chalfont St Peter, Gerrards Cross, UK
It is located east of the River Misbourne and was one of Chalfont St Peter's three commons (the other two being Gold Hill Common and Austenwood Common). Housing of all sorts developed around and on the common, some dating back to the 1890s. In the 1960s a post office was constructed on the common, which is now a Spar shop, with a salon next door.
It is also the home of the Epilepsy Society which was founded in 1892.
Gott's Monument
Chalfont Common is also the home of Gott's Monument which was erected in 1785 by Sir H T Gott. According to local tradition, the monument either commemorates a hunt attended by George III, or an incident in which the king got lost in the forest surrounding the monument.
The plaque on the obelisk, which is the height of horseback, reads:
1785
To NEWLAND I Mile III Furl.g's
To Chesham VII Miles
Built by Sir H T Gott
Restored by W Brown in 1879
To Denham IV Miles
To Uxbridge VI Miles
LONDON XXI
The monument was damaged in 1879 by a lightning strike and was rebuilt. Remarkably it was struck by lightning again in the 1960s, so was reduced from its original size of 60 ft to 20 ft.
The monument has been Grade II listed since 22 December 1958.