The Chiltern Country. 
E hear often of the ‘‘ Chiltern Hills,’ and the ‘Chiltern 
Hundreds,” occasionally of the ‘Chiltern Forest,” but little 
seems to be known of the name, its origin, or meaning. The 
following sketch is written in the hope of throwing some light 
on the early history of the tract of country represented by these 
names, whose hills and dales are so familiar to the members of 
our society through our numerous pleasant excursions. 
The ‘‘ Chiltern Hills” are usually taken to mean the ridge of 
lofty hills which separate South Buckinghamshire from the Vale 
of Aylesbury; but the name of Chiltern properly applies to the 
whole of the hilly district of which the Chiltern hundreds, of 
political celebrity, form a portion. This district is called in the most 
ancient records by the simple name of Ciltern or Chiltern, and in 
later times, the Chiltern forest. Physically it may be defined as 
the tract of table land, broken up by numerous valleys and 
coombs, and marked by lofty peaks which serve as landmarks for 
many miles round—which stands up in bold relief between the 
vales of the Thame and df the Thames. This tract was covered 
by an almost impassable forest of beech woods, from which it 
acquired its ancient name; for the element CIL is common to 
all primitive European languages, and universally signifies in 
geography country that is or formerly was thickly wooded; and 
has found its way in more modern times back into our own 
language, from the Latin, in the word ‘‘ sylvan.”* 
The name of Chiltern was bestowed upon the forest by its 
earliest inhabitants, the Celts; and a considerable portion of the 
names of the natural creatures of the district are Celtic, though in 
a Saxonised form. Such are the names of the springs and streams; 
the names of several hills—Penn, Coles-hill, Knaphill, Keep-hill, 
* The Cil is softened in Anglo-Saxon into Chil by a process peculiar to 
the latter tongue. The element is traceable in many names in Italy, Spain, 
Germany, Bohemia, France, and Greece—wherever, in short, the Celtic 
tribes made permanent settlements. 
