Chobham, United Kingdom

St Lawrence Church is on the High Street. Its earliest parts date from about 1080 although there may have been an earlier church on the site. It is dedicated to St Lawrence, who was martyred in Rome in 258.

Until the 19th century almost entirely surrounded by Chobham Common, which was heathland of little agricultural value compared to its central fertile belt, the village was isolated. During mediaeval times, Chobham remained part of the Chertsey Abbey estates. As across the whole hundred which he dominated, the power of the Abbot of Chertsey was considerable.

When the railways were built in the 19th century, lines running east–west went north and south of the village, passing through the neighbouring and at the time smaller villages of Sunningdale and Woking. Thus Chobham remained largely undeveloped during the Industrial Revolution and 20th century, while Woking has grown into a large town on the South West Main Line. In the 19th century peat was cut from the soil all around the village, which provided a cheap and reliable fuel source for heat, smelting and cooking.

No property in the parish possessed as much land as a medieval manor would have had, since the dues of the whole parish before the English Reformation belonged to ecclesiastical landowners. However, some expansion in building and a modest amount of farming resulted from the presence of two lines of baronets: the Abdy baronets and Le Marchant baronets. The buildings and estate no longer survive.

John Cordrey, the last Abbot of Chertsey, surrendered the possessions of the Abbey to the crown in the reign of Henry VIII, and in July 1558, under Queen Mary I of England, the crown sold a parcel of land for £3,000 to Nicholas Heath, Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor. The land was inclosed by a pale, whence it was called a park, and is marked as such in Norden and Speed's map of 1610. This grant was confirmed by Queen Elizabeth, but as Heath was later deprived for refusing the statutory oaths, the nominal ownership was conveyed to his brother William in 1564. The former archbishop continued, however, to reside when his nephew Thomas forfeited his new lands in 1588. Later they were restored, and in 1606 sold to Francis Leigh. The Cope, Hale and Henn families held the lands until 1681. The Martin and Crawley families held them until the time when Mr Revel, M.P. 1734–52, is said to have been the owner. In 1758, his daughter and heiress married Sir George Warren, and in 1777 their daughter married Thomas Bulkeley, 7th Viscount Bulkeley. The latter died in 1822, leaving the land to Sir Richard Williams-Bulkeley, 10th Baronet, after which now reduced in area, it was acquired by the Le Marchant baronets.

By 1911, Chobham House, which built in the 16th century as the home of minor local gentry, was only represented by a small farm-house. John Ardern held land in Chobham in 1331 and in 1540 this was held by John Danaster 'seized of the manor', baron of the Exchequer, his heiress daughter married a son of the wealthy Sir Edward Bray of Shere, a name later significant in local events and architecture.

The vicarage was built in 1811 by the Rev. Charles Jerram, vicar 1810–34. Jerram was a noted tutor whose pupils included Lord Teignmouth and Horace Mann.

A court roll of the time of Charles II mentions 'Stanners' and 'Pentecost' as tythings (presenting tythingmen). Pennypot Cottage, dating to the 17th century, situated on the long Pennypot Lane, is a Grade II listed building.

Brook Place, also known as Malt House, is a Grade II*-listed building is dated "W B[ray] 1656". It was built in the Artisan Mannerist style and was mentioned as fine architecture in the History of Surrey in 1809 by Manning and Bray. In 1648 this house's predecessor was the property of Edward Bray, a descendant of the Shiere family, who paid composition for his estate as a Royalist. It belonged to the manor of Aden (locally always pronounced Ardern) linked to Worplesdon but was not the manor house.

In 1911 Broadford (House) was the residence of Sir Charles George Walpole and Highams, formerly occupied by Lord Bagot was the estate of Mrs Leschallas.

Chobham became known for the development represented by its tank factory and testing ground, producing Chobham armour. The terrain was carved out of Chobham Common.