This year marks 25 years since Chorleywood was twinned with the French town of Dardilly, a sleepy commune located in the country’s south east region. So, to commemorate this milestone, we thought we’d compare the two towns, and have a look and what both separates and divides them.
The idea to twin the two locations, which are separated from each other by more than 600 miles of land and sea, came about from a pair of sisters, one of whom lived in Chorleywood and another in Dardilly, who came up with idea 30 years ago.
Oddly enough, both of the towns share a lot in common, with both having a quiet nature, have their beginnings in the Roman occupations of both Britain and France and are located on the outskirts of a major metropolis, with Chorleywood being near London and Dardilly being near the gastronomic hotspot of Lyon.
Chorleywood is a slightly more populous place, with the last census in 2011 recording more than 11,000 residents, whilst a census in January of 2019 finding that around 8,700 people resided in the French town.
Despite their picturesque locales, neither town has had any events taken place within it that has played a major role in their respective country’s history. However, Dardilly in the 18th century was home to John Vianney, who would later become a Catholic priest and is now venerated in the church as a saint, known as the patron saint of parish priests, posthumously from 1929 onwards.
Meanwhile, Chorleywood’s most famous residents have included sitcom actor Jack Smethurst, Victorian actress Dame Madge Kendal and barrister Barbara Mills.
Chorleywood is also not the only twinned town for Dardilly (who’s residents are commonly referred to as ‘Dardillois’), who also share a relation to the German town of Merzhausen and a commune in the African state of Mauritania called Niabana.
Since the twinning, many trips from residents of both towns have been made through the past 30 years, with such events taking place through charity events, school trips, cultural festivals and regular visits.
In 2012, as part of Chorleywood Village Day, the town even received a gift of three French cherry trees, with Dardilly being sent three crab apple trees in return.
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