Chipping, Hertfordshire

Chipping is a hamlet and former market town in the civil parish of Buckland in the East Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England. Situated along the A10 road (which follows the course of the Roman Ermine Street), Chipping was an early attempt at a planted town to support the establishment of a market at the crossing of the River Rib and Ermine Street. It formally held town status after being granted a royal charter by King Henry III in 1252.^[2]

Lying in a valley, Chipping is located approximately two miles (3.2 km) north of Buntingford and six miles (9.7 km) south of Royston. It is situated half a mile west of the prime meridian. Prior to 1750, Chipping was referred to as New Chipping, though this name is rarely used today.^[3][4]

Evidence suggests that the area around Chipping has been a site of human activity since ancient times. To the west of the current village, within Burhill Wood, lie the remains of earthworks and a former moat (largely destroyed in the 1950s) which suggest the presence of an Iron Age settlement or hill fort pre-dating the Roman occupation.^[5]

The settlement's location was heavily influenced by the construction of Ermine Street, a major Roman road connecting London to York. The road crosses the River Rib at Chipping, creating a strategic choke point. Archaeological evidence of Roman activity along the river valley supports the theory that this was an important ford crossing, likely used by Roman military traffic moving between the major settlement at Braughing to the south and Royston to the north.

By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, the land was recorded as part of the manor of Buckland, held by the Bishop of Lincoln. The area was described as heavily wooded, with enough forest "to support 300 pigs," indicating a landscape dominated by dense woodland and agriculture long before the commercial village emerged.^[6] The current settlement of Chipping eventually developed from the manor of Pope's Hall (now Chipping Hall), which was originally a sub-manor within this estate.^[7]

Chipping began to develop as an independent settlement around 1220. Although unnamed at that point, its position on Ermine Street made it a vital stop-off for travelers negotiating the steep hills between London and Cambridge.^[8]

In 1252, the settlement became known as New Cheping (later New Chipping). It was granted market town status after obtaining a royal charter from King Henry III to hold a weekly market on Fridays and an annual three-day fair. These events continued for 108 years, from 1252 until 1360.^[9] The town was established by William de Buckland, Lord of the Manor of Buckland as an entrepreneurial venture, identifying Chipping as a strategic location to generate revenue from passing traffic on Ermine Street.^[10]

Although the town experienced initial success, it failed to grow as quickly as the neighbouring settlement of Buntingford. Consequently, after 108 years, the market was transferred to Buntingford by Elizabeth de Burgh, 4th Countess of Ulster, the Lord of the Manor of Pope's Hall, resulting in Chipping losing is town status. This decision was driven by Chipping's dwindling trade in the face of Buntingford's rapid growth.^[11] Over the subsequent centuries, Chipping declined rapidly, reverting to its status as a small hamlet.

In April 1643, during the second year of the English Civil War, a skirmish occurred in Chipping, which was situated along the most difficult section of Ermine Street. A group of Parliamentarians had been sent by Oliver Cromwell to collect treasure from Cambridge, including a new helmet ordered by Cromwell because he found his old one "ill-set".^[12]

When passing through Chipping, they were "set upon by a Royalist party with so much vigour, and evidently superior numbers that while the fight was proceeding some of the attacking party carried on with most of the baggage".^[13] After intense fighting, the Parliamentarians managed to repel the Royalist assault and escape with Cromwell's helmet.^[14] One Parliamentarian later recalled: "We went up with the treasure; got sadly mauled coming back by ruffians at Chipping, but lost near all our luggage".^[15] Upon the delivery of his new helmet, Cromwell commended the victorious party.^[16] This "Chipping helmet" became the first of the recognisable lobster-tailed pot helmets that Cromwell wore throughout the remainder of the war.

From 1700 until the mid-nineteenth century, the main occupation of Chipping's residents was farming, specifically working the dense woodland and farmland surrounding the village, while other local settlements served the passing trade along Ermine Street.^[17] Chipping has historically been overshadowed by its larger neighbours: Buntingford to the south and Royston to the north. Consequently, its population remained small—never sufficient to warrant the construction of a church.^[18]

Sometime after its initial closure in 1360, the market was re-established, before finally closing in 1883.^[19] Until the late nineteenth century, Chipping was divided between the parish of Therfield (on the west side of Ermine Street) and Buckland parish (to the east).^[20]

A post mill was situated on Mill Hill to the east of the village from around 1737 until 1838.^[21] The former public house, The Royal Oak, was destroyed by fire in the 1970s; its site now hosts the cul-de-sac Royal Oak Close.^[22][23]

In 1851, the population of Chipping was 215. However, the development of the railway reduced road traffic, while the demand for industrial workers in cities grew; consequently, Chipping's population fell to below 100 by 1905.^[24] As of 2011, Chipping consists of approximately 50 houses with a population of between 125 and 150. The combined civil parish of Buckland and Chipping had a population of 274 in 2011, evenly divided between the two villages.^[25]

Along with its neighbour Buckland, Chipping elects members to the Buckland and Chipping Parish Council.^[26] Chipping lies within the Buntingford ward of the Hertfordshire County Council, which is responsible for most significant local government functions.^[27] Additionally, the village is within the Buntingford ward of East Hertfordshire District Council, represented by three district councillors. Nationally, Chipping is in the North East Hertfordshire parliamentary constituency.^[28]

Chipping features a mix of historic and modern landmarks, with over half of the current housing stock built since the early twentieth century. The village retains several historic buildings, thatched cottages, and a public house, many of which date back to the 17th century or earlier.

The Countryman (known as The Red Lion Inn until 1975) is a 17th-century coaching inn. Built in 1663, it has operated as a public house since 1760.^[29][30] Situated in the centre of the village, The Countryman has hosted the annual 'World Sausage Tossing Championship' in August since 2014.^[31]

Chipping also includes the manor house of Chipping Hall (formerly Pope's Hall). The current hall dates from the early eighteenth century; the main hall, dovecot, and walled gardens are constructed of red brick in the early Georgian style.^[32] The manor of Pope's Hall was inherited by Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence from his wife Elizabeth de Burgh, 4th Countess of Ulster after her death in 1363.^[33] To the north of Chipping Hall lies a large eighteenth-century farmyard, formerly part of Chipping Hall Farm, which was sold and converted into housing around 2007.

Other notable buildings include a former Congregational Chapel constructed in 1844 and a former Mission Room built in 1878 at a cost of £380; both are now in private ownership.^[34][35] Six houses along Chipping's Brookside lane were among the UK's first council housing, constructed under the Addison Act of 1919.

The name Chipping likely derives from ceapen, an Old English word meaning 'market', referring to the market hosted in the town between 1252 and 1360. Alternatively, the name may derive from the Medieval English word chepynge, meaning 'long market square', a theory supported by early references to the settlement as New Cheping.^[36][37] While Chipping is a prefix used by several places in England, only Chipping, Lancashire shares the sole use of the name.

The name New Chipping was commonly used prior to 1750 (and occasionally until 1900), specifically meaning 'new market'.^[38] The reason the prefix "New" was dropped is unknown, though the change was likely a gradual evolution over several centuries.

Chipping is situated at the foot of three hills: Chipping Hill to the north, Capons Hill to the east, and Mill Hill to the west.^[39] Historically, the village was surrounded by dense woodland used for grazing pigs and sheep. Today, only Capons Wood to the east and Burhill Wood to the west survive (neither of which has a public right of way).^[40][41] College Wood (formerly adjacent to Capons Wood) was removed in the 1950s and 60s, alongside a reduction in the size of Burhill Wood by approximately 80%, to make way for increased farmland.^[42]

The River Rib runs through the village, crossed by one bridge (Chipping Bridge) on the A10 and two fords along public footpaths.^[43] The village of Buckland lies one mile north of Chipping, and the prime meridian passes to the east.^[44]

The land surrounding Chipping is dominated by farmland growing winter wheat, rapeseed, borage, and broad beans.^[45] This habitat supports farmland birds such as the grey partridge, lapwing, skylark, yellowhammer, and corn bunting, which can be found along the many bridleways and public footpaths surrounding Chipping, despite declining numbers nationally.^[46]

• Toponymy of England
• List of generic forms in British place names

• Media related to Chipping at Wikimedia Commons
• https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/26471
• http://www.bucklandandchippingpc.org.uk/
• https://www.sausagetosser.com/
• https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/photos/item/IOE01/08803/16
• http://www.hertfordshire-genealogy.co.uk/data/places/places-b/buckland/buckland.htm