Drive and Stroll, with Ron Freethy

CHIPPING is a wonderful old village and its name actually means a market.

You can tell as you drive towards the settlement that all roads lead to Chipping.

In medieval times farmers would follow tracks to the market which, as was typical of those days, was sited in the churchyard.

We take cars for granted these days but when travel was slow and time was money folk killed two birds with one stone.

They went to church, then took advantage of the market and then went home.

Market charters were granted to settlements only providing they were more than one day's journey away from an existing trading centre.

I reached Chipping early in the morning and the village was a riot of colour as hanging baskets reached perfection.

All the inns seemed to be competing for the best display and also adding colour were shops and the old schoolhouse donated in the 17th century by John Bradby, a rich merchant. Not only is Chipping a beautiful village but it also has an impressive industrial past, especially the world-famous chair making firm of HJ Berry. Berry's have operated since 1840 and as I descended the road from the village to the factory I heard the sound of the sawmill combining with birdsong and the chattering of the brook which cuts through the works.

Initially the present works was a water-powered mill but it now has all the facilities expected of a modern factory.

As I reached the sawmill I picked up the scent of sawdust as I watched the crane moving the timber into the correct position to be operated by the saw. Berry's is very much a family firm and a stained glass window in the church has been donated by the chair works.

St Bartholomew's Church is a delight and the present building dates back to the early 13th century but it is known that Christianity in Chipping was established as early as the seventh century.

In the churchyard is a sundial which bears the date of 1708 but the stone steps on which the dial stands is much older. This was the base of the old market cross and shows that commerce and Christianity has long been working in partnership at Chipping.