Knaphill is a village in

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

, England, between

Woking Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in northwest Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'' and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement o ...

to the east and Aldershot to the west; to the south and north on the A322 – its western border – are Brookwood, and Bisley. Some of the village is on a hill, hence its name.

History

The village name was first recorded in 1225 as ''La Cnappe''. Since then there have been various spellings of the name including Nap Hill, Naphill and Knap Hill. In 958 A.D., the village was probably part of land granted to Westminster Abbey; there is clear ownership by 1278. The land passed to

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

on the dissolution of the monasteries in the 1530s. The Basingstoke Canal was built to the south of Knaphill in 1794 and the railway line came in 1838. In 1859, a prison was built in Knaphill. This was later converted into army barracks.

Today

Knaphill has three schools: Knaphill Lower School, Knaphill Junior School and St John's Primary School. Theatre company

Peer Productions ''Peer Productions'' is a youth arts charity based in Woking, England. Founded in August 2006, the charity specialises in peer education Peer education is an approach to health promotion, in which community members are supported to promote ...

is based at the Woking Youth Arts Centre in Knaphill, providing drama training and workshops for students of all ages. WYAC was previously known as Trinity Studios, and is famous as being the birthplace of the

Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and Vict ...

and the boy band

5ive Five (stylised as 5ive) are a British boy band from London consisting of members Sean Conlon, Ritchie Neville, and Scott Robinson. They were formed in 1997 by the same team that managed the Spice Girls before they launched their career. The gro ...

Local pubs include The Garibaldi, The Nags Head, The Royal Oak, which dates back to the 17th century, The Anchor, formerly a hotel, and Crown Inn, on the high street. The village has a residents' association. The nearest railway stations are at Brookwood and at

Sport and leisure

Knaphill has a

Non-League football Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to de ...

club,

Knaphill F.C. Knaphill Football Club is a football club based in Knaphill, Surrey, England. They are currently members of the and play at Redding Way. History The club was established in 1924.Combined Counties Football League. Knaphill Cricket Club plays at Waterers Park and was established in 2015. The club welcomes people aged 16+ of all abilities. Knaphill had a Men's team till the early 1990s and a new team was formed in 2015. Until the late 1930s, Knaphill also had a women's team. Knaphill is home to

Mizens Railway Mizens Railway is a 7¼ inch gauge miniature railway located in a 10-acre site near Woking in Surrey, England. The railway comprises three routes, the longest being nearly 1 mile long. A variety of locomotives are in use, including several stea ...

, a 7 1/4 in gauge railway run by volunteer members of the Woking Miniature Railway Society (WRMS). It is open most summer Sundays from 2pm until 5pm.

Brookwood Hospital

One of the major employers in the area until its closure in the 1980s was Brookwood Hospital, a vast, rambling mental hospital, that dated from the late Victorian era. Built on land formerly known as Knaphill Common, the hospital started life as The Surrey Asylum and formed part of the southern boundary of Knaphill (being denoted by the Basingstoke Canal). Its name was changed to Brookwood Hospital in 1919 to make it easier for patients and visitors travelling by rail to Brookwood Station to locate. Most of the hospital grounds have now been redeveloped, the wards having made way for several superstores and a large number of houses. The central building, which is listed, has been retained and converted into luxury flats. Several of the new residential roads were named after the old hospital wards.

Inkerman Barracks

In 1859 the Home Office began constructing a prison for disabled convicts on a 65-acre site in Knaphill. In 1892 the prison was converted for use by infantry battalions and became known as Inkerman Barracks. In the 1970s, however, the site was sold to Woking Borough Council and comprehensive demolition followed; a couple of terraces of houses are all that remain today.

References

Knaphill village community website

External links

{{authority control Villages in Surrey Woking