Shalford is a village and
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
in Surrey, England on the
A281 Horsham
Horsham is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...
road immediately south of
Guildford
Guildford ()
is a town in west Surrey, around southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The name "Guildf ...
. It has a
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
which is between Guildford and
Dorking
Dorking () is a market town in Surrey in South East England, about south of London. It is in Mole Valley District and the council headquarters are to the east of the centre. The High Street runs roughly east–west, parallel to the Pipp Br ...
on the
Reading to Gatwick Airport line.
It has one named locality, occupying the west of the area, Peasmarsh.
Shalford's
village sign
In many parts of England, an ornamental village sign is erected to announce the village name to those entering the village. They are typically placed on the principal road entrance or in a prominent location such as a village green. The design ...
was designed by
Christopher Webb
Christopher Rahere Webb (1886-1966) was an English stained glass designer.
His unusual second name was derived from that of the founder of St Bartholomew-the-Great, St Bartholomew's Priory in London where his father, Edward Alfred Webb and hi ...
and W H Randall Blacking in 1922, as part of a competition run by the
Daily Mail
The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper and news websitePeter Wilb"Paul Dacre of the Daily Mail: The man who hates liberal Britain", ''New Statesman'', 19 December 2013 (online version: 2 January 2014) publish ...
. It shows
Saint Christopher
Saint Christopher ( el, Ἅγιος Χριστόφορος, ''Ágios Christóphoros'') is veneration, venerated by several Christianity, Christian denominations as a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman Empire, Roman emperor Deciu ...
carrying the Christ Child over a shallow ford.
History
Shalford appears in the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
of 1086 as ''Scaldefor''. It was held by Robert de Wateville from
Richard Fitz Gilbert
Richard fitz Gilbert (before 1035–), 1st feudal baron of Clare in Suffolk, was a Norman lord who participated in the Norman conquest of England in 1066, and was styled "de Bienfaite", "de Clare", and of "Tonbridge" from his holdings.G. E. Cok ...
. Its Domesday assets were: 4
hides; 1 church, 3
mill
Mill may refer to:
Science and technology
*
* Mill (grinding)
* Milling (machining)
* Millwork
* Textile mill
* Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel
* List of types of mill
* Mill, the arithmetic unit of the Analytical Engine early ...
s worth 16s, 11½
plough
A plough or plow ( US; both ) is a farm tool for loosening or turning the soil before sowing seed or planting. Ploughs were traditionally drawn by oxen and horses, but in modern farms are drawn by tractors. A plough may have a wooden, iron or ...
s, of
meadow
A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or artifi ...
, wood worth 20
hogs. It rendered £20.
The village also became well known for "the Great Fair of Shalford" which was set up by a charter issued by
King John. In its heyday, it was said to have covered 140 acres (570,000 m²) and attracted merchants from across the country.
The mills continued to be built and operated there for hundreds of years. One still survives intact today.
The original church, mentioned in the
Domesday
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
survey, no longer exists. An early
Victorian church now stands in its place. St Mary's was built in 1846 with a
lychgate
A lychgate, also spelled lichgate, lycugate, lyke-gate or as two separate words lych gate, (from Old English ''lic'', corpse), also ''wych gate'', is a gateway covered with a roof found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style ch ...
and stained glass. Many older cottages do survive. One of the finest properties, Shalford House, dated back to the
Tudor period
The Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603 in History of England, England and Wales and includes the Elizabethan period during the reign of Elizabeth I until 1603. The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in Englan ...
and featured a carved stone fireplace dated 1609. Unfortunately, Shalford House was demolished in 1967 to make way for a water treatment plant. There are many Grade II listed structures including
stocks and whipping post.
World War II
On 11 April 1944 two goods trains collided at Shalford Station. One of them consisted of tankers of aviation fuel en route to airfields in Kent. Leaks from the damaged wagons caused a major fire which was eventually brought under control by the Fire Brigade, with assistance of members of the local police and
Home Guard
Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense.
The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting wi ...
volunteers, who used sandbags to contain the spread of the burning fuel. Nearby properties, including a potato and vegetable store, were badly damaged as was the steel road bridge over the railway that was buckled by the heat. Fortunately the local pub, the ''Queen Victoria'', escaped unharmed.
Geography
The
River Tillingbourne
The River Tillingbourne (also known as the Tilling Bourne) runs along the south side of the North Downs and joins the River Wey at Guildford. Its source is a mile south of Tilling Springs to the north of Leith Hill at and it runs through Frid ...
joins the
River Wey
The River Wey is a main tributary of the River Thames in south east England. Its two branches, one of which rises near Alton in Hampshire and the other in West Sussex to the south of Haslemere, join at Tilford in Surrey. Once combined the f ...
at Shalford adjacent to the parish church. For centuries, the river provided an important source of income for the village with various local industries, such the manufacture of gunpowder, utilising it as a source of power.
Cranleigh Waters
The Cranleigh Waters or Bramley Wey is a tributary of the River Wey in Surrey.
Course
The Cranleigh Waters or Bramley Wey rises at a source close to the sources of two tributaries, the Thornhurst Brook and Coneyhurst Gill in the rural north of ...
joins the Wey at the northern terminus of the
Wey and Arun Canal
The Wey and Arun Canal is a partially open, 23-mile-long (37 km) canal in the southeast of England. It runs southwards from the River Wey at Gunsmouth in Shalford, Surrey to the River Arun at Pallingham, in West Sussex. The canal compri ...
. Shalford was a landing place for barges, and continues to be visited by boats today – but for pleasure rather than trade.
The surviving mill is now preserved as a tourist attraction:
Shalford Mill
Shalford Mill is an 18th-century Grade II* listed watermill located on the River Tillingbourne in Shalford, near Guildford, Surrey, England. In 1932, the mill was endowed to the National Trust by a group of eccentric young female philanthropis ...
, a Grade II*
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
, situated in the centre of the village opposite the ''Sea Horse'' public house, was built in the 18th century and is now owned by the
National Trust
The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...
.
Notable residents
Some claim that the author of ''
The Pilgrim's Progress
''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of theological fiction in English literature and a progenitor of ...
'',
John Bunyan
John Bunyan (; baptised 30 November 162831 August 1688) was an English writer and Puritan preacher best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory ''The Pilgrim's Progress,'' which also became an influential literary model. In addition ...
, once lived in hiding in a cottage called ''Horn Hatch'' on Shalford Common and drew his inspiration from the fair held on the common and from the ancient route known as the
Pilgrims' Way
The Pilgrims' Way (also Pilgrim's Way or Pilgrims Way) is the historical route supposedly taken by pilgrims from Winchester, Hampshire, Winchester in Hampshire, England, to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury in Kent. This name, of compa ...
, which passes nearby, on its way to
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour.
...
.
Lt.Col.
Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen
Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen FRS FZS FRGS MBOU (6 July 1834 – 2 December 1923), known until 1854 as Henry Haversham Austen, was an English topographer, surveyor, naturalist and geologist.
He explored the mountains ...
(1834–1923), topographer, geologist, naturalist and explorer who surveyed the Himalayan region, including
K2, sometimes known as Mt. Godwin-Austen, for a time had an estate in Shalford.
A watercolour sketch titled 'In Captain Pierrepont's Grounds' was painted by
Anthony Devis
Anthony Devis (18 March 1729 – 26 April 1816) was an English landscape painter, working especially in watercolor and oils and active in London.Waterhouse, E., ''Dictionary of British 18th century painters'', 1981, p. 108
Anthony Devis was bor ...
(1729–1817) not long after Captain
William Pierrepont of acquired Shalford Manor in 1800.
Brigadier
George Roupell
Brigadier (United Kingdom), Brigadier George Rowland Patrick Roupell, (7 April 1892 – 4 March 1974) was a senior officer in the British Army and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy tha ...
, a
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
recipient, died in Shalford in 1974.
The
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
, singer/drummer
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...
had a home in Shalford named ''Old Croft'', where he wrote music which would end up on his first solo album ''
Face Value
The face value, sometimes called nominal value, is the value of a coin, bond, stamp or paper money as printed on the coin, stamp or bill itself by the issuing authority.
The face value of coins, stamps, or bill is usually its legal value. Howe ...
'', and also the Genesis album, ''
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
''.
Localities
Peasmarsh
The settlement of Peasmarsh on the west bank of the river Wey between
Artington
Artington is a village and civil parish in the borough of Guildford, Surrey, England. It covers the area from the southern edge of the built-up centre of Guildford and steep Guildown, the start of the Hog's Back and part of the North Downs AONB, ...
and
Godalming
Godalming is a market town and civil parish in southwest Surrey, England, around southwest of central London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, at the confluence of the Rivers Wey and Ock. The civil parish covers and includes the settleme ...
is contained in the parish. It consists of a large retirement home; Astolat and Weyvern business parks which include a large
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR currently builds Land Rovers ...
service centre, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, SMC Renault, Harley Davidson, IGuzzini Illuminazione (lights), Marchon UK, Maui Jim (eyeware companies), Integrian security, WHSmith plc and Efamol essential fatty acids, and Doble powertest
HV testing and equipment; and four short residential roads close to the
River Wey Navigation
The River Wey Navigation and Godalming Navigation together provide a continuous navigable route from the River Thames near Weybridge via Guildford to Godalming (commonly called the Wey Navigation). Both waterways are in Surrey and are owne ...
including ''Tilthams Green''. A woodland surrounding the rebuilt manor house, being higher up than most of the reclaimed marshland, is named Peas Marsh. A barn at Littlemarsh Farm, one at Tilthams Farm and Tilthams farmhouse are grade II listed. There is also a
C of E
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
church; St Michael's. The water meadows form the Wey Valley
SSSI
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
.
Demography and housing
The average level of accommodation in the region composed of detached houses was 28%, the average that was apartments was 22.6%.
The proportion of households in the civil parish who owned their home outright compares to the regional average of 35.1%. The proportion who owned their home with a loan compares to the regional average of 32.5%. The remaining % is made up of rented dwellings (plus a negligible % of households living rent-free).
See also
*
List of places of worship in Guildford (borough)
The Borough status in the United Kingdom, Borough of Borough of Guildford, Guildford has more than 100 current and former places of worship. Of those standing, 83 are in use by various Christian denominations and (in the case of Guildford Syn ...
References
External links
ShalfordShalford Choral Society, 1905 founding member of the Leith Hill Music Festival
{{Authority control
Borough of Guildford
Villages in Surrey
Civil parishes in Surrey