| Frensham | |
|---|---|
 The Great Pond at Frensham Common | |
  Frensham Location withinSurrey | |
| Area | 16.21 km2 (6.26 sq mi) |
| Population | 1,689 (Civil Parish 2011)[1] |
| • Density | 104/km2 (270/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SU8441 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Farnham |
| Postcode district | GU10 |
| Dialling code | 01252 |
| Police | Surrey |
| Fire | Surrey |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°10′N0°48′W / 51.16°N 0.80°W /51.16; -0.80 | |
Frensham is a village inSurrey, England, next to theA287 road, 13 miles (20.9 km)WSW ofGuildford, the county town. Frensham lies on the right bank of theRiver Wey (south branch), only navigable to canoes, shortly before its convergence with the north branch.Farnham is the nearest town, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to the north.
The majority of Frensham parish is within theMetropolitan Green Belt and the substantialgreen buffer in the parish isFrensham Common which is owned by theNational Trust and is aSite of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The non-agricultural land surrounding the village is mainly open heathland and birch woodland. The Common covers about 1,000 acres (400 ha)[2] and comprisesheathland, together with some coniferous and mixed woodland. There are two large ponds, known asFrensham Great and Little Ponds, which were built in theMiddle Ages to providefish for theBishop of Winchester's estate and today are the backdrop for a hotel and are used for fishing and sailing.
Mesolithic camp or living sites have been discovered around Frensham.[3] Hundreds ofBronze Age arrowheads have been found around Frensham and there are severaltumuli (burial sites). In 688 AD,King Caedwalla of Wessex made a charter conveying to theCatholic church 60hides of land that includedFarnham, Frensham andChurt. This became the property ofHedda, Bishop of Winchester.
The origins of the name Frensham come from 'Frena's ham'. Frena was the name of either aDanishEarl who was killed in thebattle of Ashdown in the year 871, or of aSaxon who was driven south fromNorthumberland by theDanes in 993. The second part 'ham' means 'settlement', and is also from where we get the word 'home', so Frensham is 'Frena's settlement'.
In 1348, there was an outbreak of theplague in Frensham. Before it ceased in 1350, fifty-two area farms had become desolate.
Frensham Beale Manor, off Mill Lane, is a Grade II listed timber framed manor house dating from the 14th century.[4]
Frensham includes the neighbourhood or locality, largely separated by a smallgreen buffer,Rushmoor or Rush Moor.
A few outlying farmsteads have also become reverted to clusters of houses.
Locally clay was extracted from around Frensham forFarnham Pottery. TheBishop of Winchester managed to retain ownership of most of his historic Farnham estate including most manors in the south until the 19th century.[5]
In the 17th century, farmers focused primarily onhop growing andsheep rearing. Fishermen continued to workFrensham Great Pond.[6]
Having been drained inWorld War II the lakes in the common were transformed into a leisure destination and in the late 20th century they were used as film locations for the1999 filmThe Mummy.[7] ActressLiza Goddard was a Frensham resident.
Pierrepont School was bought by Ellel Ministries International and converted into a training centre.
Originally a chapelry ofFarnham, the present St Mary's Church was dedicated in 1239, having been moved from its previous site on low ground beside theRiver Wey. The move was probably due to the massive storms of the 1230s which floodedWaverley Abbey, 3.7 miles (6.0 km) downstream, to a depth of 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m).
Thechancel is the oldest part of the church, its walls being those of the original building, the 13th-century niches,piscina andaumbry. The tower is 14th century, with massive diagonal buttresses and eight bells dated between 1627 and the 19th century. The porch is restored but is believed to be 15th century. The north aisle was built in 1827, and the whole church was subject to amajor restoration in 1868.
The font, ofPurbeck Marble, is earlymedieval but its carvings are nearly obliterated. The organ was installed in 1871 with subsequent modernisations. The exterior of the building is of localsandstone,flint and rubble, with evidence of endless repair and reconstruction.[8]
The church contains a large cauldron, said to have been borrowed from thefairies and never returned.[9]
The population of Frensham in 1851 was 714.[10] Today the area of Frensham, Dockenfield andTilford has a total population of 3,961.[11]
| Output area | Detached | Semi-detached | Terraced | Flats and apartments | Caravans/temporary/mobile homes | shared between households[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Civil Parish) | 395 | 162 | 41 | 49 | 1 | 0 |
The average level of accommodation in the region composed of detached houses was 28%, the average that was apartments was 22.6%.
| Output area | Population | Households | % Owned outright | % Owned with a loan | hectares[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Civil Parish) | 1,689 | 648 | 42.3% | 39.7% | 1,621 |
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 with the regional average of 32.5%. The remaining percentage is made up of rented dwellings (plus a negligible percentage of households living rent-free).
Frensham post office and village shop is a community run shop and celebrated its tenth anniversary in January 2006.
There are four local schools: St Mary's Church of England Infants' School,Frensham Heights,Edgeborough andMore House.
More House School is the largest residential special school in the uk, educating boys with specific learning and language-based difficulties, including Dyslexia, Developmental Language Disorders and Dyspraxia.
Frensham Great Pond, lying withinFrensham Common, extends over 100 acres (0.40 km2) and is a centre for sailing activities.[12] The pond sometimes suffers fromeutrophication. The occasional presence ofblue-green algae means that official advice regarding swimming varies, as indicated by notices at the water's edge. The smaller Frensham Little Pond is a scenic area for picnics - neither swimming nor sailing is allowed there.
There are two active sports clubs in the village - Frensham Cricket Club and the Frensham RBL Bowls Club.[13] The cricket club (2013) has two grounds, and plays in the I'Anson league with local villages. The bowls club have a very busy friendlies schedule as well as playing in the West Surrey Men's League, the Three Counties Bowl Fellowship and the Farnham and District league.
