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Elstead is a civil parish 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 with shops, houses and
cottage A cottage, during Feudalism in England, England's feudal period, was the holding by a cottager (known as a Cotter (farmer), cotter or ''bordar'') of a small house with enough garden to feed a family and in return for the cottage, the cottager ...
s spanning the north and south sides of the River Wey; development is concentrated on two roads that meet at a central green. It includes Pot Common its southern neighbourhood. Hamlets in the parish, marginally separated from the village centre, are Charleshill and Elstead Common, both rich in woodland. Elstead lies between
Farnham Farnham ( /ˈfɑːnəm/) is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the River Wey, a trib ...
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 ...
on the B3001 road about west of the A3 Milford interchange.


History

Elstead's relative prosperity over the centuries can be partly attributed to the existence of the availability of a site for a watermill and a bridge over the river; parts of the bridge are dated to around 1300. The first known reference to Elstead is in the 1128 foundation charter for Waverley Abbey (sometimes spelt Waverly), where it was called ''Helestede''. The church of
St James Saint James or St. James may refer to: People Saints *James, brother of Jesus (died 62 or 69), also known as James the Just *James the Great (died 44), Apostle, also known as James, son of Zebedee, or Saint James the Greater **Saint James Matamoro ...
was built around ten years later. It still contains 13th-century windows and some 14th-century timbers and is a Grade II* listed building. In the 14th century, the Scheduled ancient monument bridge was built over the River Wey. Today this old bridge, strengthened by Surrey County Council in 1993, takes the westward traffic; eastward traffic takes the new bridge alongside. Elstead had a
forge A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to th ...
built in 1686 which is now an office. Elstead Mill, now a pub restaurant, was occupied by Oliver Cromwell’s ‘ roundhead’ army during the English Civil War but subsequently burnt down. The present structure is described in its listing as being the result of several re-buildings from the 16th century. There were two other pub restaurants in 2021, The Woolpack and The Golden Fleece, reflecting the early dependence on the local wool trade, also in 2021 three cafe's and a fish & chip shop. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Elstead was known for the quality and quantity of carrots grown there, with daily shipments by train from nearby Milford Station up to London's
Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...
market during the growing season. This is attributed to the light sandy soils in the village which are excellent for carrot growing. In 1997 a millennium oak was planted at the southern apex of the village green under the auspices of the afternoon WI.


Geography

Elstead is surrounded by woods and heathland, including Royal Common, Ockley Common, Elstead Common and
Hankley Common Hankley Common is a nature reserve and filming location in the south-west of Elstead in Surrey. It is owned by the Ministry of Defence. The site is part of the Thursley, Hankley and Frensham Commons Special Area of Conservation, Special Prote ...
, which is used by the British Army for training purposes and by others as a filming location. Much of the heathland area has environmental protection for rare birds, insects and reptiles. Thundry Meadow, close to Elstead, is 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 ...
(SSI) and is an important breeding area for the
dragonfly A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...
and damselfly. The area around the village has several large farms and much of the land is used for grazing for horses and cattle. Elstead is within the Green Belt and is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is a popular destination for walkers and cyclists.


Charleshill

The western hamlet Charleshill, is on the opposite (left) bank of the River Wey on the B3001 to Farnham, half of the hamlet being in Tilford. Its public house is ''The Donkey'' originally called ''The Half-way House''. The pub was converted from two small cottages in 1850, which at that time were owned by Farnham United Brewery. It acquired the nickname of "The Donkey", as before the days of motor traffic, donkeys were kept tethered outside the Inn to help horses and carts up the hill; it officially became named this in 1947.


Demography and housing

The average level of accommodation in the region composed of detached houses was 28%, the average for 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).


Sports and facilities

The Elstead Village Tennis Club was formed in 1989 and now has five floodlit all weather courts and a clubhouse with parking. Elstead Cricket Club, founded in the 1880s, are based in the self-built pavilion on the Thursley Road recreation ground. Elstead Royal British Legion has a club house. There is a bowling green, an activity hall, and an outbuilding used as a commercial cafe. The village hall plays host to the Elstead Badminton Club every Tuesday evening. Elstead Sharks are the junior football club and the Elstead Marathon has been held for over 100 years. Elstead pancake race is held on a convenient day, near to Shrove Tuesday. Elstead Paper Boat Race is held every year in early July. Boats built to hold children and adults race on The Moat, a pond on Elstead Common.


Pubs and Bars

Elstead has three pubs. The ''Golden Fleece'', and ''The Mill'' are both on the Farnham Road. ''The Woolpack'' is on the Village Green. Both the ''Royal British Legion Branch'' and the cricket pavilion, ''The Pav'', are on the Thursley road.


Notable residents

*
John Black Atkins John Black Atkins (5 November 1871 – 1954) was a British journalist. He served as the war correspondent for the '' Manchester Guardian'' in the Spanish–American War, the Greco-Turkish War and in the Second Boer War. He also wrote the biogra ...
, journalist *
Sir Francis Fogarty Air Chief Marshal Sir Francis Joseph Fogarty, (16 January 1899 – 12 January 1973) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War and also in the post-war years. During the First World War he served as a pilot i ...
, RAF Air Chief Marshal *
William Fraser, 3rd Baron Strathalmond William Roberton Fraser, 3rd Baron Strathalmond (born 22 July 1947) is a British hereditary peer. He was educated at Loretto School Loretto School, founded in 1827, is an independent boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 0 to 18. ...
*
Michael Gove Michael Andrew Gove (; born Graeme Andrew Logan, 26 August 1967) is a British politician serving as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations since 2021. He has been Member of Parli ...
,
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
politician *Austin Playfoot, who carried the Olympic torch in 1948 and 2012 *
Sir John Sunderland Sir John Michael Sunderland, (born 24 August 1945) is a British businessman, who was President of the Confederation of British Industry from 2004 to 2006, where his priority was restoring confidence in business after a series of corporate scanda ...
, former President of the CBI * Peter Thomas, Baron Thomas of Gwydir, former Secretary of State for Wales


References


External links


Elstead Village WebsiteElstead Parish CouncilElstead Independent News
{{authority control Villages in Surrey Borough of Waverley Civil parishes in Surrey