Chenies History

The present Manor House was built by Sir Thomas’s descendant Sir John Cheyne in 1460, although a building was present on the site before this.

Chenies School has a history which it can be proud of, stretching back over 170 years.

In 1831 the first iteration of the school was first held in Lord Wriothesley Russell’s kitchen in the Rectory, and in 1845 The Duke instructed an Infant School to be built at what is now known as No 49 Chenies (Field Cottage). It carries a Bedford crown and the date 1845.

In 1887 the oldest part of the present school building was built on the instruction of Anna Maria, the wife of the 7th Duke of Bedford to educate the children on the estate, and quickly became very highy regarded.

Though the school went through some challenges in the 1930’s and 40’s, it grew and continued to thrive throughout the war years and continues to educate pupils to this day.

Information to come

As early as the 12th century a mill functioned in Chenies as a ‘fulling mill’ for the cleaning of cloth. Over time the Chess Valley began a tradition of paper making with Dodds mill manufacturing paper. Dodd’s Mill took its name from the Dodd family who took a 99 year lease on the mill from the Duke of Bedford between 1711 and 1736.

The Manse was part of the original plot of land bought by John Davis in 1775, the then steward of the Manor, and gifted to the non conformists on which to build their new meeting house. Dissatisfied with the actions of the Rector at St Michael’s, and held in high esteem by the Duke of Bedford, Davis bought two cottages and the field on which the Chapel now stands and placed them into the hands of the church trustees.

The existing cottages were pulled down and the present Manse and adjoining house (Kingscote) were then built. William Davis himself lived in the house next to the chapel, and gave the other (now ‘Kingscote’) for the Manse, but later his house became the Manse instead.

Kingscote cottage was part of the original plot of land bought by John Davis, the then steward of the Manor, and gifted to the non conformists on which to build their new meeting house. Dissatisfied with the actions of the Rector at St Michael’s, and held in high esteem by the Duke of Bedford, Davis bought two cottages and the field on which the Chapel now stands and placed them into the hands of the church trustees.

The existing cottages were pulled down and the present Manse and adjoining house (Kingscote) were built. Initially Kingscote housed the minister, whilst Davis kept the cottage in between for himself and his family, however Kingscote is now a private dwelling and the cottage and garden lying between it and the Chapel became the church Manse.

Originally The Red Lion was a coaching inn on one of the main routes out of London. The pub’s name is likely a reference to the Russell family’s red lion arms, which were displayed on the family’s manor house in Chenies. This pub received grade II listed building status on 30 July 1984.

The Red Lion was originally tied to Benskin’s Watford Brewery Limited. Benskin’s was Founded by 1722 by John Pope of New Street, Watford. It moved premises to the High Street in c1820 when Pope’s great-grandson John Dyson was in charge. The brewery was purchased in 1867 by Joseph Benskin for £34,000. At the time the brewery had 42 public houses tied to it. Benskin’s was registered in July 1894 and was acquired by Ind Coope Limited in 1957. Brewing ceased in 1972 and in 1978 the brewery buildings were demolished but the brewery offices were converted into the Watford Museum.

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The Countess of Warwick, daughter of the 2^nd Earl of Bedford, established the earliest recorded social services in Chenies, the Almshouses in c.1605.  The almshouses were built to house old people from three Parishes, four men and six women, eventually expanding to 72.

Eventually the almshouses were bought by the Duke of Bedford, the money going to the trust. He intended to convert them into cottages, due to public backlash instead pulled them down about the year 1888.

Chenies Baptist Church has been a place of Christian worship for over 250 years, with non-conformists in Chenies first meeting in Green Street before the Chapel was constructed in 1778.

Growing discontent with the rector of St Michael’s, John Davis, the then steward of the manor, bought the land now housing the Chapel and Manse and leased it to the trustees.

The chapel of 1778 is still clearly recognisable today, and continues to hold weekly services.

In 1845 The Duke of Bedford instructed an Infant School to be built, this was what is now known as No 49 Chenies (Field Cottage, on the left), it carries a Bedford crown and the date 1845.

The church at Chenies, dedicated to St Michael, stands to the east of Chenies Manor. It is first mentioned in 1232, although elements of the current building date to the 12th century when John de Chednuit was appointed the first rector, including a carved font.

The 12th century Church was later replaced by the stone and flint building that we have today. It was built at the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th Century by Sir David Phelip, husband of Dame Agnes Cheyne.

The Bedford chapel was built in 1556 by Anne, Countess of Bedford, widow of Sir John Russell who was created the First Earl of Bedford.

The chapel forms the whole of the north aisle of the church and is the private mausoleum of the Earls and Dukes of Bedford and their families. The chapel is not open to the public or the congregation.

The Pightle was built by Ted Life in 1951, after he and his wife Emilie Life moved out of the schoolhouse on her retirement as headteacher.

One of the unique features of the Pightle is its commemoration of Emilie’s relationship with the village school. Each pupil personally laid a brick in the front wall of the house bearing their name.

During the early part of this Century, up until 1959, Chenies was noted for its watercress. This was grown in spring water in beds along the Chess Valley beside the river itself.

The exact location of the Chenies Watercress Beds is unknown, though they were likely to be near a ford. The late 19th century maps mark beds near to Latimer and Sarratt, but there are none marked in between.

Adjacent to the Chess Valley footpath (Mill Farm to Latimer) is the tomb of William Liberty who died in 1777. A relative of the family of Liberty’s of Regent Street, London, he wished to be buried alone and near his mansion on the hill of which nothing remains.

Green street was used as a meeting place for the Baptists in the area before the building of the Baptist Chapel in 1778.