Warlingham is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

in the

Tandridge Tandridge is a village and civil parish in the Tandridge District, in the county of Surrey, England. Its nucleus is on a rise of the Greensand Ridge between Oxted and Godstone. It includes, towards its middle one named sub-locality (hamlet), ...

district of

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, south of the centre of

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and east of the county town,

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 ...

. Warlingham is the centre of a

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 ...

that includes

Hamsey Green Hamsey Green is a place on the plateau of the English North Downs between the villages of Sanderstead to the north and Warlingham to the south. It is split almost across the centre into north and south so is in part in the Tandridge district of ...

, a

contiguous Contiguity or contiguous may refer to: *Contiguous data storage, in computer science *Contiguity (probability theory) *Contiguity (psychology) *Contiguous distribution of species, in biogeography *Geographic contiguity of territorial land *Contigu ...

, smaller settlement to the north.

Caterham Caterham () is a town in the Tandridge District of Surrey, England. The town is administratively divided into two: Caterham on the Hill, and Caterham Valley, which includes the main town centre in the middle of a dry valley but rises to equal ...

is the nearest town, to the southwest.

History

Etymology

The name means the home(stead) ''(-ham)'' of the followers ''(-(l)ing)'' of ''Waer(l)a''. The letters "ae" here are the implied earlier spelling of any Anglo-Saxon scribes to denote the sound , which when Norman scribes replaced them was replaced with "a" as in today's orthography. No trace of a local Warra or Warla has been found in Norman texts (after 1066), nor of a Waera or Waera in Anglo-Saxon texts (before 1066). It is a man's name of the period which has a comparator in

Warrington Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...

Early history, Dark Ages and Middle Ages

Flint implements are not uncommon, and reputed

eolith An eolith (from Greek "''eos''", dawn, and "''lithos''", stone) is a knapped flint nodule. Eoliths were once thought to have been artifacts, the earliest stone tools, but are now believed to be geofacts (stone fragments produced by fully natur ...

s have been found in the pebble beds near the village centre. In 1909 several cinerary urns of late Celtic date were found near the road towards Worms Heath; one of them contained bones. In several places are depressions which may have been pit houses. Two of these are in the grounds of Bryn Cottage. The village lay within the

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...

administrative division of

hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 and preceding 101. In medieval contexts, it may be described as the short hundred or five score in order to differentiate the English and Germanic use of "hundred" to de ...

. Its rectorial estate,

glebe Glebe (; also known as church furlong, rectory manor or parson's close(s))McGurk 1970, p. 17 is an area of land within an ecclesiastical parish used to support a parish priest. The land may be owned by the church, or its profits may be reserved ...

and

rectory A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically ow ...

was from early times acquired by the manor, which was held by a priory, that of Bermondsey; held with the manor until a 1675 gift to trustees by Harmon Atwood.

Manors

Under manorialism three manors owned virtually all of the land: ''Warlingham'', ''Crewes/Carewes'' and ''Westhall''. ; Warlingham Manor Warlingham Manor was assigned by William de Watevile in 1144 to Bermondsey Priory, which held it until the dissolution of the monasteries, subject to certain retained rights to the de Watevile, later de Godstone family. In the 13th century a lawsuit with the Abbey of Hyde over the boundary of their Sanderstead manor took place. Immediately after the ecclesiastic Reformation in 1544, Sir

John Gresham Sir John Gresham (1495 – 23 October 1556) was an English merchant, courtier and financier who worked for King Henry VIII of England, Cardinal Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell. He was Lord Mayor of London and founded Gresham's School. He was the brot ...

, who made large loans to the state, was, subject to a few years' more rent from its senior tenants being retained by the Crown, granted the whole estate. In 1591 his grandson sold it to John Ownstead, though this was not done until

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

received her fine for her licence on conveyance (equivalent to a stamp duty on landed estates; legally imposed as overlord) for transferring the property. Later this manor descended to Rev. Atwood Wigsell of

Sanderstead Court Sanderstead Court was a country house in Sanderstead, Surrey, England, dating from at least the 17th century. It was destroyed by fire in 1944, and its ruins are Grade II listed. History The building is located next to the All Saints' Parish ...

in the 18th century and remained in that family until at least 1911. ;Crewes Manor In 1353 permission was given to Sir Richard Willoughby and his wife to grant to William and Nicholas Carew the manor of Beddington at a yearly rent of 20 marks, retaining to themselves the manor of Warlingham, a part that was later known as Carew's and, later still, as Crewe's manor. A royal grant of

free warren A free warren—often simply warren—is a type of franchise or privilege conveyed by a sovereign in medieval England to an English subject, promising to hold them harmless for killing game of certain species within a stipulated area, u ...

followed in 1375 to the lord of this manor. Later medieval owners included the Huscarl, Delamere and Saunders families leading up to the Dissolution/Reformation. Sir Edmund Walsingham's son was left the manor by his sister who married the then owner, Sir Thomas Walsingham, from whom it passed to his second son who sold it. Its purchaser was Edward Weston, who was followed as owner by Garrett Weston, and his son-in-law, Michael Wilkins, who sold Crewes in 1644. Only two years later Humphrey Gould sold it to Richard Rochdale, citizen and brewer of London. His heirs sold it to John Pemberton, who later sold the manor to John Heathfield the elder, a brewer of Croydon, in whose family it remained until 1804 when it was purchased by William Coles of Addington; however, by 1808 Charles Pieschall was lord of the manor and after this the Smith family of Selsdon held it until at least 1911. ;Westhall Manor William Rede exchanged his

Oatlands Palace Oatlands Palace is a former Tudor and Stuart royal palace which took the place of the former manor of the village of Oatlands near Weybridge, Surrey. Little remains of the original building, so excavations of the palace took place in 1964 to ...

for Tandridge Priory including this manor with

King 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 disag ...

. However, he died before the grant was completed, leaving as heir his infant son John Rede to whom the king on 2 January 1538 granted the priory of Tandridge, including the manor of ''Warlingham or Westhall''. Sir Robert Clayton of Marden, Godstone and of Bletchingley held this from 1674 to 1707. His nephew, Sir William Clayton, inherited his estates and, after this, the manor continued to be held by the Claytons with the manor of Bletchingley, until the estate was subdivided.

History of the church

All Saints' Church's present building dates back to around the year 1250. The church is built of flint rubble with stone dressings, partly rendered. Notable features include a 16th-century (

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 ...

) wall painting of St Christopher carrying Jesus Christ.All Saints Church, Grade II* Listing Local

vicar A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...

s have maintained a preaching that long-serving Archbishop Cranmer began experimenting with the first

Book of Common Prayer The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...

at this church. A south window contains stained glass depicting the presentation of the first English Prayer Book to King Edward VI by Archbishop Cranmer. In the 14th century the east window was installed, and it has now been renewed in the same pattern by artist J. O. Scott. All Saints' has a nave including a

baptistry In Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptisterium''; Greek , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned structure surrounding the baptismal ...

to the west, south porch and aisle with chancel to east, and vestry addition to the north; on the north side are lancet windows, with one two-light perpendicular window in the north and south walls. Its gabled wooden porch has cusped bargeboards; the original stone door surround of the south door was rebuilt from pieces in a later restoration. In 1907 a second church was constructed in front of Memorial Park and at the foot of the road to

Chelsham Chelsham is a village in the civil parish of Chelsham and Farleigh and the Tandridge District of Surrey, England. It is located in the Metropolitan Green Belt, from London, from Oxted and from Guildford. History Early history Flint implements ...

, dedicated to St Christopher.

Post Industrial Revolution

In 1841 Warlingham had 512 inhabitants; a notable resident of the Victorian period was Sir

Joseph Swan Sir Joseph Wilson Swan FRS (31 October 1828 – 27 May 1914) was an English physicist, chemist, and inventor. He is known as an independent early developer of a successful incandescent light bulb, and is the person responsible for develop ...

, inventor of the

incandescent light bulb An incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe is an electric light with a wire filament heated until it glows. The filament is enclosed in a glass bulb with a vacuum or inert gas to protect the filament from oxida ...

. Sir

George Gilbert Scott Sir George Gilbert Scott (13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878), known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic Revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he started ...

led the project to renovate and restore All Saints' Church in 1857. Its south aisle was added in 1893. All Saints' plain-tiled roof with tile-hung bellchamber above, under a gilt and iron weathervane, was also added in 1893. Five

Coal-tax post Coal-tax posts are boundary marker posts found in southern England. They were erected in the 1860s and form an irregular loop between 12 and 18 miles from London to mark the points where taxes on coal were due to the Corporation of London. There ...

s are listed for historic importance in Warlingham parish and there are six

architecturally Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...

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 ...

s: Court Cottage, The Vicarage, 23-31 Leas Road, the Church of All Saints, ''The White Lion'' (

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

) and The Barn, sited by the vicarage. Also the World War I War Memorial has made the national heritage list. Both the vicarage and the church are listed at the higher grade of Grade II* whereas the rest are at Grade II. Warlingham gave its name to the large psychiatric hospital that was opened on the borders of Warlingham and Chelsham in 1903. Originally called the "Croydon Mental Hospital" the institution was renamed "

Warlingham Park Hospital Warlingham Park Hospital was a psychiatric hospital in Warlingham, Surrey. History The facility, which was designed by George Oatley and Willie Swinton Skinner, was built at a cost of £200,000 and opened as the Croydon Mental Hospital on 26 J ...

" in the 1930s. The buildings, apart from the water tower, were demolished and the site redeveloped as a private housing estate called "Greatpark" in the early years of the 21st century. During the Second World War, Warlingham was witness to the

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...

, much of which was fought in the skies above this part of Surrey. The former RAF bases of

Biggin Hill Biggin Hill is a settlement on the south-eastern outskirts of Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Kent, prior to 1965 it was also in the administrative county of Kent. I ...

and

Kenley Kenley is an area within the London Borough of Croydon. Prior to its incorporation into Greater London in 1965 it was in the historic county of Surrey. It is situated south of Purley, east of Coulsdon, north of Caterham and Whyteleafe and w ...

were within a few miles of Warlingham in either direction, and from there fighters would intercept German bombers navigating their way up to London along the valley between Warlingham and Woldingham (then known as 'Bombers' Alley'). Warlingham War Memorial is the most prominent feature breaking up a lightly wooded, shop-surrounded green in the village. It is a simple yet poignant monument dedicated to the great many local people who made sacrifices during the two world wars in the 20th Century. Lead singer of

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...

Joe Strummer John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British singer, musician and songwriter. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, ...

moved to Warlingham after his diplomat father and family returned to the UK. Reggae singer and instrumentalist

Smiley Culture David Victor Emmanuel (10 February 1963 – 15 March 2011), better known as Smiley Culture, was a British reggae singer and DJ known for his "fast chat" style. During a relatively brief period of fame and success, he produced two of the most cri ...

lived in Warlingham. His death, as a result of a self-inflicted stabbing, occurred at his home in 2011 during a police arrest.

Geography

Warlingham is situated on the scarp slope of the

North Downs The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. Much of the North Downs comprises two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs): the Surrey Hills and ...

and parts of the village are 650 feet (200 metres) above sea level. This means that on the rare occasion it does snow in southern England, Warlingham will often get a light covering while neighbouring low-lying areas remain untouched. Warlingham's height also allows for some panoramic views over central London (on the stretch of the Limpsfield road between Warlingham village and

Botley Hill Botley Hill is a hill in Surrey and is the highest point of the North Downs with a height of . The Prime Meridian crosses the hill. Geography Botley Hill is a Marilyn (a hill with topographic prominence of at least 150m), and the third highes ...

Farm). On a clear day all the major skyscrapers (including Canary Wharf, the Gherkin and the NatWest tower) can be seen, and the hills north of London can be made out on the horizon. Warlingham is in the

Green Belt A green belt is a policy and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges, which hav ...

. Surrounding the town are the slopes of the North Downs, with rolling chalk meadow hillsides interspersed with woodlands. Parts of the adjacent Woldingham valley to the south have been designated a

Site of Special Scientific Interest 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 ...

. Blanchman's Farm Nature Reserve was set up in 1991 and was the first community wildlife area in Tandridge. It covers and includes a restored pond, around 10,000 native trees, and a path for wheelchair access.

Elevations

Elevations vary from 110m AOD at Woldingham Road, at the southernmost point of the parish, with a gentle increase in height through the village along the main road heading to the southeast, to the highest elevation (199.6m) at Limpsfield Road.

Economy

Today, most of Warlingham's working-age population works in

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...

or central

, making Warlingham part of the

London commuter belt The London metropolitan area is the metropolitan area of London, England. It has several definitions, including the London Travel to Work Area, and usually consists of the London urban area, settlements that share London's infrastructure, and ...

Local government

Surrey County Council Surrey County Council is the county council administering certain services in the non-metropolitan county of Surrey in England. The council is composed of 81 elected councillors, and in all but one election since 1965 the Conservative Party has ...

, headquartered in Kingston, elects one councillor for the Warlingham division every four years. Conservative Becky Rush was elected in a by-election in 2019. Warlingham has five representatives across two wards on Tandridge District Council, headquartered in

Oxted Oxted is a town and civil parish in the Tandridge district of Surrey, England, at the foot of the North Downs. It is south south-east of Croydon in Greater London, west of Sevenoaks in Kent, and north of East Grinstead in West Sussex. Oxte ...

: Warlingham has a civil parish council comprising two

wards Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a priso ...

. Warlingham East ward elects six councillors, with Warlingham West ward electing five every four years. The parish council clerk is Gina Caunt.

Amenities

Warlingham is centred on a triangular, tree-lined village green that contains a war memorial. Shops nearby include supermarkets, a pharmacy, a hardware store, a newsagent, two hair salons, two local firms of estate agents and a local solicitors. Also situated on the green are a village hall, a few small rustic cottages, a gift shop, and several dress shops and restaurants. To the south of The Green is School Common, an open recreational area with a notable wildlife pond known as Willeypit or Willey's Pit pond, and some Alms Houses. The White Lion, Warlingham

Warlingham formerly had a total of four

pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

s of varying character and locations (including the old coaching Inn, the 'White Lion'). This unusual concentration of pubs in Warlingham was due to the neighbouring villages of Sanderstead, Woldingham and Farleigh not having any pubs of their own. In recent years the Leather Bottle has been converted to a Spanish restaurant and Tapas bar and as of 2022 has changed again to a Turkish restaurant and takeaway. The Hare & Hounds has become a spaghetti restaurant, leaving the afore-mentioned White Lion and The Horseshoe. Warlingham has a large Sainsbury's supermarket, built on the site of the former London Transport bus garage known as Chelsham (garage code: CM).

Local schools

Warlingham School Warlingham School is a large secondary school with pupils aged 11–16, and also has a sixth form for 16- to 18-year-olds. The school is located in the village of Warlingham, in Surrey, England. It is one of three other secondary schools in the ...

is closer to Hamsey Green than Warlingham (and is on the same campus as Hamsey Green Junior and Infant schools) and is a senior state school, with a multi-course Sixth Form. *Warlingham Park School is a small private school which is very close to Chelsham Common (and is near the Great Park housing estate). *Warlingham Village Primary School is on Farleigh Road – which historically was "Farleigh School". *Private schools include Caterham, Woldingham School for Girls, Croydon High, Whitgift and Trinity.

Local transport

Warlingham is served by two railway stations on adjacent but separate lines (a legacy of the Victorian railway boom, and the competition between two private companies to service this part of Surrey).

Upper Warlingham railway station Upper Warlingham railway station is on the Oxted line serving Warlingham and Whyteleafe in Surrey, England. It is in Travelcard Zone 6, from , although off peak trains run to and from . The station is managed by Southern. Description Train ...

is about a mile from Warlingham and has fast Southern services to

London Victoria Victoria station, also known as London Victoria, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Victoria, in the City of Westminster, managed by Network Rail. Named after the nearby Victoria Street (not the Q ...

and

London Bridge Several bridges named London Bridge have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark, in central London. The current crossing, which opened to traffic in 1973, is a box girder bridge built from concrete and steel. It r ...

as well as

East Grinstead East Grinstead is a town in West Sussex, England, near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders, south of London, northeast of Brighton, and northeast of the county town of Chichester. Situated in the extreme northeast of the county, the civ ...

and

Uckfield Uckfield () is a town in the Wealden District of East Sussex in South East England. The town is on the River Uck, one of the tributaries of the River Ouse, on the southern edge of the Weald. Etymology 'Uckfield', first recorded in writing as ...

. The "Upper" prefix occurs because of a former station on the Caterham line which was named Warlingham until 11 June 1956 despite being even further away from the village. This station was renamed

Whyteleafe South Whyteleafe South railway station serves part of the suburban village of Whyteleafe in the district of Tandridge, Surrey, England. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southern, and it is on the Caterham Line from . There are ...

from that date. Just a few minutes' walk from Upper Warlingham is

Whyteleafe railway station Whyteleafe railway station serves the village of Whyteleafe right on the border of Greater London and Surrey, England. It is from . The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southern, and it is on the Caterham Line. It is a short ...

, which has slightly slower trains to London and

departing every quarter of an hour. The village is served by

London Buses route 403 This is a list of Transport for London (TfL) contracted bus routes in London, England, as well as commercial services that enter the Greater London area (except coaches). Bus services in London are operated by Abellio London, Arriva London, G ...

and the

Southdown PSV Southdown PSV Limited, trade name, trading as Southdown Buses, is a medium-sized country bus operator, with 18 routes across East Surrey, West Sussex, South London and Kent, 9 of which are school bus routes. Most of their routes are operated on ...

routes 409 and 411. These buses provide connections to

Selsdon Selsdon is an area in South-East London, England, located in the London Borough of Croydon, in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Prior to 1965 it was in the historic county of Surrey. It is located south of Coombe and Addiscombe, west o ...

, Redhill,

Reigate Reigate ( ) is a town status in the United Kingdom, town in Surrey, England, around south of central London. The settlement is recorded in Domesday Book in 1086 as ''Cherchefelle'' and first appears with its modern name in the 1190s. The earlie ...

Godstone Godstone is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Surrey, England, east of Reigate at the junction of the A22 road, A22 and A25 road, A25 roads, near the M25 motorway and the North Downs. Godstone railway station is separate ...

, Lingfield and

Sport

Warlingham 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 Warlingham F.C. Warlingham Sports Club dates back to 1856 and incorporates Warlingham Squash and Racketball Club, Warlingham Cricket Club, and Warlingham Tennis Club, all of which are very active. Warlingham is also home to Warlingham Rugby Football Club, which was founded in 1922.

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).

Notes and references

;Notes ;References

External links

History of Warlingham Village

Warlingham Civil Parish Council
{{Authority control Villages in Surrey Tandridge Civil parishes in Surrey