The area encompasses four different townships, each separated by green spaces. The area is located to the southeast of Coulsdon town centre, extending all the way down to Mugswell in the south, with Chipstead located a third of the way, and Hooley located two-thirds of the way (from the north). Brighton Road binds the area to the east, while the western frontier is dominated by Surrey Downs and Chipstead Golf Clubs. Reigate Hill and Mugswell represent the southern border, falling about a kilometre short of the M25. Several north to south lanes and their branches connect Coulsdon, Chipstead, Hooley and Mugswell to each other.

Hooley, Mugswell and Chipstead are all relatively small hamlets, and were smaller up to the start of the Industrial Revolution, which brought the railways to the area. Many mansions were built in that time, such as Starrock Court. However, unlike many other suburban areas of London, the three villages have been largely spared from the subsequent building boom of the interwar period, and have retained their rural charm, with village houses and traditional inns ever present in the area.

The name Chipstead probably came from the word Ceapstede, meaning a place where a market existed, referring to the village fair that existed in Tudor times.

June Brown, famous for starring as Dot Cotton in EastEnders, a role she has been playing since 1985 (apart from a four-year hiatus in the 1990s), lived in Chipstead up til very recently. June Brown was born in Suffolk and was trained in the traditional way at the Old Vic Drama School. She has been acting in EastEnders for more than three decades now.

Mark Serwotka, General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union (the largest civil service union in the country), currently lives in Chipstead. He is amongst the most popular trade union leaders.

St. Margaret’s Church, of which Mugswell’s name may have been derived from (St. Margaret’s well, or Mag’s well), is a Norman church, built more than 800 years ago. The Domesday survey documented Chipstead as being owned by Richard of Tonbridge, ancestor to the Earls of Gloucester.

The area is particularly notable for its large mansions, which as mentioned previously were built as the railways came in. These mansions were partly responsible for protecting the area from suburban development. The main ‘Great Estates’ that still exist today are Starrock Court, Longshaw and Eyhurst Court, built from the mid- 1800s to the dawn of the 20th century. They, and parts of their farmland, have been either converted into luxury apartments or into other private residences today. The area is located on the edge of suburban London, and as such there are not many stores in the area. The nearest town centre with the normal high street stores is located at least a kilometre away in Coulsdon town centre, while Chipstead and Hooley themselves are quiet villages with few businesses.

As per the Chipstead Village website, the inhabitants of the area continue to strive to protect their village and the Green Belt from any further encroachment, particularly in the form of higher density housing. Whether they are successful or not remains to be seen. However as of now the rural character of the area has largely been maintained. Office S&M submitted in 2021 a scheme of four new-build mews houses on a backland site. This scheme is adjacent to Chipstead Way, another project by the same developer consisting of 8 new build apartments. Macar Development also has a project in the area on Chipstead Valley Road, offering two 4-bedroom, 3 bathroom and two 2-bedroom homes.