| Wonersh | |
|---|---|
| Village andcivil parish | |
 Wonersh Village Stores and The Street | |
 Part of the village andSurrey Hills AONB | |
  Wonersh Location withinSurrey | |
| Area | 17.18 km2 (6.63 sq mi) |
| Population | 3,412 (Civil Parish 2011)[1] |
| • Density | 199/km2 (520/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TQ016453 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Guildford |
| Postcode district | GU5 |
| Dialling code | 01483 |
| Police | Surrey |
| Fire | Surrey |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°11′54″N0°32′48″W / 51.1983°N 0.5468°W /51.1983; -0.5468 | |
Wonersh is a village andcivil parish in theWaverley district ofSurrey, England andSurrey HillsArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Wonersh contains threeConservation Areas and spans an area three to six milesSSE ofGuildford.
In the outerLondon commuter belt, the village is 28 miles (45 km) southwest of London. Wonersh's economy is predominantly a service sector economy[n 1]. Threearchitecturally-listed churches are within its boundaries as are a number of notable homes such as Frank Cook's 1905 hilltop mansion, which is a hotel, business and wedding venue.
State records show the name asWonherche, (14th century);Ognersh andIgnersh, (16th and 17th centuries).[2] The formWoghenersh, in a Charter roll of 1305, indicates the (Old English) formation(aet) wogan ersce, 'at the crooked field'.[3]
Finds have been found in the hamlet and forest of Blackheath ofMesolithic (Stone Age) flint implements[4] and near Chinthurst Hill.[2]
Based on foundations and core of the church, a settlement has existed in Wonersh village centre sinceAnglo-Saxon times.[5][n 2]
Wonersh is not named in theDomesday Book of 1086. All the sixmanors: Tangley or Great Tangley; Little Tangley; Halldish; Losterford/Lostiford above the intact mill and mill house by the village;[6] Rowleys and; Chinthurst (partly in Shalford) were later built on lands then in Bramley and Shalford.[2] Great Tangley Manor in 1582 became the residence of John and Lettice Carrill and descended to their grandson John Carrill (d. 1656) and his widow Hester, who secondly marriedSir Francis Duncombe.[7][8]
The church of Wonersh was formerly a chapel (ofShalford), and as such theadvowson (right to appoint the vicar) was in the presentation of the King who later transferred it to St Mary without Bishopsgate in London; after this it was held by a line of nobles until bought in the 19th century by the lord of the manor.[2] As a chapel, the greattithes were commuted for £700 and the lesser for the vicar for £17.[7][n 3]
UntilCharity Commission amalgamation in 1908, Wonersh had charityendowments paying out for its poor: John Austen of Shalford left money for poor relief in 1620. Henry Chennell of Wonersh left land whose produce was to be devoted to putting six poor boys to school from 1672. A Mr Gwynne of London gave land and bank stock in 1698 to put four poor boys to school and to distribute bread to fifteen poor persons every Sunday after service.[2] Manorial fortunes became more muted from 1700 to 1900 during theIndustrial Revolution – seeing almost all of their farm lands being sold up for lack of scale or produce.
Wonersh was one of the flourishing seats of the clothing trade in West Surrey. The special manufacture was blue cloth, dyed, no doubt, with woad, licence to grow which was asked in the neighbourhood in the 16th century.[2]
Wonersh Park was a lightly wooded park now public Green in front of and beside the church. Through the park runs a small stream and its 17th century stone gatehouse houses a protected species of bat.[9] Wonersh Park, a 17th-century mansion, was demolished in 1935.[10] Owners were: the original owner of the demolished building Richard Gwynn, who died in 1701, and it passed by issue's marriage to 1710 SirWilliam Chapple, serjeant-at-law and later judge who probably rebuilt it; later passing in 1741 toFletcher Norton, 1st Baron Grantley ofGrantley in Yorkshire, leading government lawyer created Lord Grantley in 1782. His family held Wonersh Park until 1884 on a sale to Mr. Sudbury.
In 1848Cranleigh Waters here was used for coal, building materials and agricultural produce as part of theWey and Arun Canal and the west boundary formed an economic draw for the village. Northbrook's mill was afulling mill, used for dressing leather for making saddles, straps, bags and garments. Shamley Green was formed into a parish from Wonersh in 1881 at which time the 1stBaron Ashcombe did not part with theadvowson of Shamley Green, but did of Wonersh, toSelwyn College, Cambridge.
In 1905 Barnett Hill was chosen to be built on for the first time, by Frank Cook, the grandson ofThomas Cook, who lavished £35,000 on constructing a Queen Anne-style mansion. The house later passed to theRed Cross who owned it until 2006 – today, it is a hotel, conference and events venue managed by the Sundial Group.[11] The house is now Grade II* listed.[12]
Flanked by two round hills, Chinthurst Hill 121 m (397 ft) north west of the village and Barnett Hill 112 m (367 ft) east of the village, the village centre ranges between 40 and 50 m (130 and 160 ft) above sea level. Two-thirds of the pineheath and mixed forest-covered high groundBlackheath is included in Wonersh as are the settlements/neighbourhoods of Shamley Green, Blackheath, Ridgebridge Hill, Whipley, Plonk's Hill, Woodhill, Lordshill Common and Norley Common.
Spanning 3 to 6 miles (4.8 to 9.7 km) SSE of Guildford.[13] and in the outer London commuter belt, the centre of the village is 28 miles (45 km) southwest of London.[13]
Grassy expanses of Smithwood Common in the south and Wonersh Common in the north are in the civil parish; over 2,000 acres (810 ha) of the southeast isWinterfold Wood and Heath an ancient forest part of theWeald, with parts managed bySurrey Wildlife Trust.[14][15]
The parish rises from west to east up the eroded basin of Cranleigh Waters holding the villages to the flint, clay, greensand and sandy soil toppedGreensand Ridge. Elevations vary from 39 m (128 ft)AOD by the Bramley/Wonersh bridge over the stream to 207 m (679 ft) at the car park on Winterfold Hill, Winterfold Heath.[13]
Geologically the landscape demonstrates the contrast between the retention of the top of theGreensand Ridge from coastaldeposition (geology) followed by avoiding sea rise changes and the formation of the lowerWeald because of water erosion on the three-county-sized calciferous and sandy beds south of this ridge. The Ridge forms the highest hills in the south east, excluding the southwestBerkshire Downs.[16]
Soil isslowly permeable loamy/clayey slightly acid but base-rich soil except for the higher ground including Blackheath which is slightly acid only freely draining sandy soils containing small areas of wet impeded drainageheathland soil.[17]
Nearest Settlements | |
|---|---|
| Output area | Detached | Semi-detached | Terraced | Flats and apartments | Caravans/temporary/mobile homes | shared between households[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Civil Parish) | 752 | 423 | 105 | 87 | 8 | 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) | 3,412 | 1,375 | 48.7% | 33.8% | 1,718 |
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).
In 2001, Wonersh parish contained 3,297 residents of which 19.8% were aged over 65; 5.2% of the population were in full-time further education; 75.5% of all men were economically active whereas 2.2% were unemployed, 4.8% worked part-time; 57.6% of all women were economically active whereas 1.7% were unemployed, 34.8% worked part-time.[18]
Wonersh's economy is predominantly a service sector economy reflected by the lower end of the official categorisation table of occupation given, compiled from the 2001 census:
| Category | Number of adults in category in 2001 | Percentage of those aged 16–74 |
|---|---|---|
| Lower supervisory and technical occupations | 93 | 3.9% |
| Semi-routine occupations | 160 | 6.3% |
| Routine occupations | 94 | 4%[18] |
Whereas in this census, 34.6% of the population worked in middle or higher professional occupations.
Wonersh's economy is predominantly a service sector economy with its access to Shalford and Guildford stations and road links to the Compton interchange of theA3 road fromShalford it is part of theLondon Commuter Belt.[citation needed] Large eastern areas are managed by workers fromSurrey Wildlife Trust and the commons and sports grounds are supported by woodsmen, woodswomen and maintenance staff funded by Parish Councils.[9]
Many of the societies and clubs in the villages of Wonersh and Shamley Green are community-run without parish council intervention or support such as amateur dramatics and sports clubs. However cricket grounds, paths, commons and events are sponsored and organised by the village associations and the Wonersh Parish Council.[9] Shamley Green has two village halls for private and community events.[19]
Wonersh village green where local teams playfootball,cricket andstoolball. The sports club have built a pavilion there with a bar, meeting room and changing facilities.[9]
Wonersh Bowling Club is situated in the heart of the village at the end of a lane behind the Memorial Hall. It has a close view of Chinthurst Hill. The club was founded in 1925 by J.M. Courage, F. H. Cook, R. H. Haslam and F. Rogerson. The club is affiliated to both the English and Surrey Bowling Associations.
The bowling green, comprising six full sized rinks, is maintained by a team of groundsmen who are, themselves, active bowling members of the club. The pavilion has, in addition to the usual changing rooms and dining area, a kitchen and fully licensed bar. The bowling season runs from the beginning of April through to the end of September.
Wonersh Players are a well established amateur dramatic society that write, produce and perform their ownpantomimes. The Wonersh Players have been in existence since 1982,[20] always performing at the Wonersh Memorial Hall, usually during the February half term holiday, with rehearsals starting the previous October.
In 1993 Wonersh History Society was formed to preserve and build on a quantity of historical material and notes gathered over many years by the late Anthony Fanshaw. Much of this archive is now being transferred to the Society's computer data base and will be available.
A social club named Wonersh Village Club, which was founded about 110 years ago. It provides a venue for playingsnooker,billiards,darts and all manner ofcard games.
There is an active Wonersh U3A and a Gardening Club.[9]
The painted glass is all modern and exceptionally good, especially that in the east window of the north chapel, with figures of St. George and St. Alban.
A few slight traces of mediæval colour decoration remain, as on thevoussoirs of thechancel arch.H. E. Malden 1911[2]
Wonersh is situated in a gap between two steep hills in front of Cranleigh Waters: Chinthurst Hill with wooded paths and land managed bySurrey Wildlife Trust[14] which had a manor on it and now has a folly and a listed farm at its foot[15] and Barnett Hill.
In a meadow by this stream theChurch of England church is calledSt John the Baptist which had towercrenellations added in 1751,[5] has a 12th-centurybell tower, 13th-centurychancel, 15th-century north chapel and 1793 south aisle[n 4] includingtransept.[5] Theecclesiastical parish is joined with Blackheath and lies within theGuildford diocese.[21]
There is also aUnited Reformed church which overlooks the village common. There is a large college built in 1891 (St John's Seminary) for the training ofRoman Catholic priests,[22] built in the Italian Renaissance style.[2]
Wonersh has a village shop and post office which is owned by a village co-operative. There is also a small art gallery next door. Ascout group trains young people in the village. The Grantley Arms is the central pub/restaurant, which is often used for functions and also has a bar food menu. Both the shop and the pub are situated in the centre of the village by thepepper pot, which is a small shelter.[15]
Doctors have the area's surgery opposite the post office. Its purpose-built right wing was opened in 1972 and extended in 1982.[9]
Blackheath is often calledBlackheath Village[23] to distinguish it fromBlackheath in south east London. The settlement appears in theDomesday Book asBlacheatfeld.Blackheath as ahundred (not marked on its Surrey map, which shows onlyDomesdaymanors), an administrative area, where local leaders met about once a month.[24] Blackheath is architecturally a Victorian heathland settlement with pioneeringArts and Crafts movement buildings byHarrison Townsend.[25] Its church, which has remarkable stained glass (seeLandmarks) is alisted building. It is a lightly wooded east–west lineal settlement in the elevated, wooded heath.[15] St Martin's church, built in 1893 based upon the design of an Italian wayside chapel, contains some wall painting from 1894/5 by the American artistAnna Lea Merritt.
Shamley Green has a number of thriving social organisations including the Village Association, History Society and Gardening Club.
Wonersh Parish Council[19]
Shamley Green is a village part of theSurrey HillsArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty between Wonersh andCranleigh. It is bordered on the east by Blackheath and in the west by Cranleigh Waters. Blackheath is separated by farmland and footpaths in Reelhall Hill and Woodhill.[15] Two 300m footpaths, traversing Lordshill Common, connect the middle of the village to The Wey South Path from Guildford to Cranleigh which was historically theCranleigh Railway Line.[15]
The parish church of Christ Church, Shamley Green, was completed in 1864, initially as a daughter church of the Wonersh parish.[26] The adjacent Old Vicarage, now a private home, was built for the first vicar, the Reverend Edgar Bowring.[27]
Two areas of public open space in the village include the Cricket Green that hosts occasional summer fairs.[19] The Red Lion and the Bricklayers Arms are pubs in the village. There are several shops and there areschools. Shamley Green Conservation Area contains 22 listed buildings with 10 others on the village outskirts.[15][28] Shamley Green is a 5 ha (12-acre) area of common land, the majority of which is owned by the parish council. The area is predominantly open grassland and part of it is used as a cricket pitch.[29] None of the buildings in Shamley Green are graded Grade I or II*.[15]
In 2013,BBC Two featured the village in theHorizon episodeThe Secret Life of the Cat,[30] stating that Shamley Green has the highest densityfeline population in the United Kingdom.[31]
This forested area of the southeast adjoinsWinterfold Forest. In its middle is Willingshurst House, an 1887Arts and Crafts property byPhilip Webb, sometimes called the father of arts and crafts and son of commercial and residential buildings architect SirAston Webb.[32] Spring Wood, The Shaws, The Ball; Madgehole, South, Great, Dean, Pithouse, Rock and Lapscombe Copses are the names for sections of the forest. A car park is on top of Winterfold Heath on the Cranleigh parish boundary in the middle of the southern Winterfold Heath section.[15]
South of the main forest is a series of 11 woodland lakes – one is large enough to allow boats – used for fishing and woodland walks.
Wonersh Conservation Area contains 27 listed buildings[15][33] – at least ten of which are early and lateTudor period – however none in the highest Grade I category.[10] Just north of the village centre however is the only Grade I listed building,moated Great Tangley Manor.
Architecturally Grade II*-listed theDower House is the largest building on a long residential lane off Cranleigh Road, Barnett Lane at the end east of the street.[34] In 1710 most all of its exterior was built – the date of foundations and chimneys is uncertain – in red brick with plain hipped tiles and five 12-pane glazing bar sash windows to its first floor.[34] Its architectural features represent typical authenticQueen Anne style architecture.
At the opposite end of The Street behind a large listed entrance arch, are eightcourtyard townhouses, the original stables and parade ring to the demolished mansion Wonersh Park, converted and divided in 1745–1759 by the owner SirFletcher Norton, first Lord Grantley. Red and brown brick with some blue brick headers in arches over windows, painted weatherboard to first floor of rear (south) range. Architecturally the building is Grade II-listed.[35]
In the 15th century ahall house core was built on itsmotte that remains in the very core of the manor, but its main portion was built by Richard Caryll in 1584.[36] Wickham Flower employedPhilip Webb to restore and extend the house in 1884 and in 1906 Colonel Hegan Kennard employed Inigo Thomas to build the north wing.
Set a few metres above a narrow square moat, Great Tangley Manor has been well preserved and has been made the subject of many paintings as have its garden and lily pond[n 5], well described and illustrated.[2] A long entrance tunnel added by Philip Webb, with one sandstone and brick wall and open timber 12-bay arcade on the other, crosses the moat.[36] This medieval and Elizabethan building is Grade I listed and has Victorian gardens.[36] The main front facing south-east is decorative timber frame with whitewashed render infill and remainder is brick and whitewashed extensions on the south wing, ashlar ground floor and roughcast above on rounded north wing.
Architecturally Grade II*-listed Barnett Hill's social history is described inHistory, its architect was Arnold Mitchell who chose an expensive and ornate masonryCarolean style.[12] Purple/brown bricks with red brick and yellow stone dressings form its walls. Roofing consists of hipped plain tiled several roof slopes over a wooden eavescornice around its roof, incorporating dormer windows. Spread over three above ground floors the venue is on a short H-shaped plan with a long service wing in an identical style. Ground floor windows have 24 panes each andkeystonelintels. In the angles between wings are square turrets and a recessed range under copper ogee domes with spherical finials.[12]
Christ Church is towards the end of the main street (B road) towards Cranleigh in the south of Shamley Green and is a Grade IIlisted building.[37] The churchyard is the resting pace of television presenterTony Hart who lived in the village for more than 40 years.[38]
Colourful stained glass and imposing arches are in Blackheath's Grade II-listed church, St Martin's,[39] which is its only listed building.[40] The murals are by the American artistAnna Lea Merritt.
A 1930sfolly tower tops this 397-foot (121-metre above sea level) knoll.Surrey Wildlife Trust manage the hill's woodland and tower. It is the 31st highest hill in the county and a stand-alone outcrop of theGreensand Ridge which restarts in parishes east and west onits course fromHampshire toKent.[41]
The main road through Wonersh is the B2128, which links the village to Shamley Green, Cranleigh and Guildford.[42] The nearest railway station isShalford railway station on theReading to Gatwick Airport via Guildford Line.
Media related toWonersh at Wikimedia Commons
