The village is situated high on the North Downs, immediately west of Caterham and 15.8 miles (25.4 km) south of Charing Cross, the traditional centre of London.

Chalvedune is the first written record of the place in 675 AD, meaning the hill (down) where calves were pastured, in a grant of land to Chertsey Abbey.

An inscribed stone dedicates a pond for use by residents not animals dated to the late 18th or early 19th century, which illustrates the lack of water in the village during summer months.

[2] St Catherine's south chancel chapel in the church became devoted to the memory of Christian Hane (d.1752) of an aedicular type with a white stone rectangular panel flanked by Doric pilasters with red marble inlay, swan-neck pediment and crowning shell.

[7] The Grade I architecturally listed church of Saints Peter and Paul (built before 1086 AD) contains a large wall painting of around 1170 depicting images of the ways of salvation and damnation and their result.

[3] Given its steep, dry landscape on top of the North Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Chaldon did not develop new homes substantially even in the 19th and 20th centuries; though replacements to farmhouses were built in this period.

[2] By 1911 Viscount Hylton connected his farms and cottages with the East Surrey Water Company's mains; otherwise the supply depended upon the shallow wells and ponds, filled in a wet season and empty in a dry one.

[3] Chaldon has received by some locals the epithet "Little Switzerland" because of the microclimate resulting in heavier snowfall here than in other parts of the region when there is snow in Winter.

[2] Although almost a plateau, the highest part of Chaldon is White Hill, which overlooks Caterham and southeast London beyond and is occupied by Surrey National Golf Course.