Facts about Chalk Farm
Chalk Farm facts
Chalk Farm was originally known as the Manor of Rugmere, an estate that was mentioned in the Domesday Book. The manor was one of five which made up the large Ancient Parish of St Pancras. Henry VIII bought part of the manor, detaching it to form the north-eastern part of what would become Regent’s Park, the remainder subsequently become more commonly known as Chalk Farm.
In 1786 the estate was sold to Charles FitzRoy, 1st Baron Southampton, it was described as commonly known as Chalk Farm. The term Rugmere appeared to have endured for some time as a field name. The origin of the name is disputed, it certainly doesn’t derive from the soil as the area is built on London Clay. It might derive from the colour of the farmhouse, sometimes referred to as the White House.
General Info
Chalk Farm is a small urban district of north London, lying immediately north of Camden Town, in the London Borough of Camden. The area is not formally defined, though the former Manor of Chalk Farm was a component part of the Ancient Parish and Borough of St Pancras.
Chalk Farm includes part of the Camden Town with Primrose Hill ward, and perhaps also part of the Haverstock ward. As of 2020, Camdens wards are being reviewed and these wards will be abolished or have their boundaries redrawn. The core area lies between Chalk Farm Road in the east and St Pancras’ western boundary to the west; an area that extends to Ainger Road and takes in part of the Primrose Hill open space, though the hill itself is in Hampstead.
