Gerrards Cross

infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 51.5882
longitude= -0.553
official_name= Gerrards Cross
population= 7,342 [ [http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=792139&c=Gerrards+Cross&d=16&e=15&g=424926&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1216420223373&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 Neighbourhood Statisitc 2001 Census] ]
shire_county = Buckinghamshire
region= South East England
constituency_westminster= Beaconsfield
post_town= Gerrards Cross
postcode_district = SL9
postcode_area= SL
dial_code= 01753
os_grid_reference= SU999880
shire_district= South Bucks
ambulance_service = ?

Gerrards Cross (sometimes referred to in shorthand as GXFact|date=July 2008) is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the south of the county, near the border with Greater London, south of Chalfont St Peter. Gerrards Cross is also a civil parish within South Bucks district, which was known as the Beaconsfield district from 1974 to 1980. This had been formed on April 1, 1974 by the merger of part of Eton Rural District (including Gerrards Cross) with Beaconsfield urban district.

History

The village name is fairly new, when compared with other villages that surround it. Gerrards Cross did not exist in any formal sense until 1859 when it was formed by taking pieces out of the five parishes of Chalfont St Peter, Fulmer, Iver, Langley Marish and Upton to form a new ecclesiastical parish. It is named after the Gerrard family who in the early 17th century owned a manor here. At that time it was a hamlet in the parish of Chalfont St Peter. It is the site of an Iron Age hillfort.

Facilities

The large and distinctive parish church is dedicated to St. James. It was built in 1861 as a memorial to General Reid who was MP for Windsor and designed by Sir William Tite in yellow brick with a Byzantine style dome, Chinese looking turrets and an Italianate Campanile. In 1969 the singer Lulu married Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees in the church.

Gerrards Cross has its own well stocked library, a two screen cinema and various restaurants.

Independent schools include St Mary's, Gayhurst and Thorpe House. Most students of secondary school age attend Chalfonts Community College, which is the catchment upper school, or one of the local grammar schools, such as Dr Challoner's Grammar School (Boys), Dr Challoner's High School (Girls), The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe (Boys) and Beaconsfield High School (Girls).

Reputation

Gerrards Cross and Chalfont St Peter have a reputation for being very upmarket and exclusive, with house prices being considerably higher than average. Located in the commuter belt of London, the village is the most expensive postcode to purchase a property in the country outside of London. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4131647.stm BBC News] ] .

The area is also known as mini Hollywood with many celebrities, Lords and Ladies residing here due to the close proximity to London (20 miles), Pinewood and Elstree film studios, exclusive schools, the attractive countryside, Heathrow Airport and the vast network link up from the motorways (M25, M40, M1 and M4) are all within easy reach.

Transport

The village has a railway station on the Chiltern Line which opened on 2nd April 1906. This provides services to London and Birmingham with a commuting time of about 25 minutes to London Marylebone.

14 miles to Londons Heathrow Airport.

32 miles to Londons Luton Airport.

Trivia

Some of the exteriors, notably "Charlotte Haze's house", in Stanley Kubrick's film Lolita (1962) were shot in Gerrards Cross.

Gerrards Cross High Street is actually in Chalfont St Peter. The main stretch of shops, cafes and restaurants are in Packhorse Road in Gerrards Cross.

The tunnel near the station collapsed at 19:30 on 30 June 2005 where Tesco were building a new supermarket over the railway.

Many of the houses constructed during development in the 1950s had defective tiles, leading to the House of Lords judgment: "Young & Marten Ltd v McManus Childs Ltd" [1969] 1 AC 454 to the effect that a person who contracts to do work and supply materials warrants that the materials will be fit for purpose, even if the purchaser specifies the materials to be used.

The village is mentioned in "Journeyman", a track in Heavy Horses, album released by Jethro Tull in April 10 1978.

This village was also mentioned in a first season Monty Python's Flying Circus sketch, Italian Lesson.

External links

* [http://www.meadwaypark.co.uk/TescoTunnel/ Railway tunnel collapse pictures and info]
* [http://www.tescotunnel.co.uk/ Railway tunnel collapse information]
* [http://www.tescogerrardscross.co.uk Tesco information about reconstruction of tunnel and shop]
* [http://www.saintjames.org.uk/ St. James Church]

References

"A History of Chalfont St Peter and Gerrards Cross" C G Edmonds 1964 and "The History of Bulstrode" by A M Baker 2003 published as one book by Colin Smythe Ltd. 2003