- Chignal St James
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Coordinates: 51°45′42″N 0°25′03″E / 51.76173°N 0.41757°E
Chignal St James 
Village pump and telephone box
former parish church St. James
Chignal St James
Chignal St James shown within EssexDistrict Chelmsford Shire county Essex Region East Country England Sovereign state United Kingdom Post town CHELMSFORD Postcode district CM1 Dialling code 01245 Police Essex Fire Essex Ambulance East of England EU Parliament East of England List of places: UK • England • Essex Chignal St James is a small parish, 3½ miles northwest by west of Chelmsford, Essex, containing only around 250 people.
The spelling of the village name is open to discussion. Sometimes it is spelt "Chignall St James" at other times, it is spelt "Chignal St James" or "Chignal Saint James".
Although only a small village, the countryside has attracted a number of businesses and their owners to make this village their home. Amongst the most notable being Ashdown Engineering, Gardening Express & Balance Life Magazine[citation needed]. Together with the local farms, these companies form some of the larger employers in the area.
Originally the village was a settlement for farmers and their labour force that worked on the land, but gradually as mechanisation took over, so the farming population left, with the village now being somewhat of a commuter village, but also being resident to the remaining agricultural workers, and retired folk.
The village has a pub, The Three Elms, thought to be over 500 years old, which is a very small but traditional country pub that serves food and drinks, and is open every day of the week, being somewhat the hub of the community.
In 2009, there was a controversial planning proposal to create a quarry close by to the village, but this was turned down by the planning authorities.
The village contains a number of notable buildings, including an old brick built farm barn, with dove-cote, thought to be the oldest and only example of its type in Essex. Other notable buildings include an old red brick school (now a dwelling), the Church, and other large houses such as the Old Rectory.
The village is also rumoured to be home to Black Shuck, a mythical devil dog, that has been sighted between Chignal St James and the neighbouring village of Chignal Smealy.
Sighting of Big Cats (thought to be black leopards or pumas) have also been made by local farmers, although these have not be substantiated by the authorities. The area is very rural, and has large populations of deer, thought to be the food source for these large cats should they exist.
External links
- The Three Elms
- Chignal Parish Council Web Site
- Ashdown Engineering
- Gardening Express
- Balance Life Magazine
Contiguous with Chelmsford: Broomfield • Chelmer Village • Great Baddow • Moulsham • North Melbourne • Springfield • Widford Towns: 
Villages & Hamlets: Bicknacre • Boreham • Chalk End • Chatham Green • Chignal St James • Chignall Smealy • Cooksmill Green • Danbury • Downham • East Hanningfield • Fanner's Green • Ford End • Galleywood • Galleyend • Good Easter • Great Leighs • Great Oxney Green • Great Waltham • Highwood • Howe Green • Howe Street • Little Baddow • Little Leighs • Littley Green • Little Waltham • Margaretting • Margaretting Tye • Mashbury • Newney Green • North End • Pepper's Green • Pleshey • Ramsden Heath • Rettendon • Rettendon Place • Roxwell • Runwell • Sandon • South Hanningfield • Stock • Tye Green • West Hanningfield • Woodham Ferrers • WrittleChelmsford is the county town of Essex
List of places in EssexCategories:- Chelmsford
- Villages in Essex
- Essex geography stubs
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