| Alfold | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
 Old tile-hung cottages and Crown Inn at the centre of Alfold | |
 Looking towards thestocks | |
  Alfold Location withinSurrey | |
| Area | 15.1 km2 (5.8 sq mi) |
| Population | 1,059 (Civil Parish)[1] |
| • Density | 70/km2 (180/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TQ037341 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CRANLEIGH |
| Postcode district | GU6 |
| Dialling code | 01403 |
| Police | Surrey |
| Fire | Surrey |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°05′46″N0°31′11″W / 51.096°N 0.5197°W /51.096; -0.5197 | |
Alfold is a village andcivil parish in Surrey, England on theWest Sussex border. Alfold is adispersed or polyfocal village in theGreen Belt, which isbuffered from all other settlements. TheGreensand Way runs north of the village along theGreensand Ridge and two named localities exist to the north and south of the historic village centre which features pubs, a set ofstocks and awhipping post.
Alfold Crossways has a country park, recreational ground and a garden centre whereas Alfold's centre has a village store and theAnglican parish church. The population was 1,059 in the2011 UK census.
Alfold—also recorded asAldfold orAwfold—meant the "old fold" or clearing enclosure for cattle,[2] which is apt as it was in a much-wooded area ofThe Weald (meaning forest in Old andMiddle English) prior to being cleared for farming.[3]
Earlyglass making, evidence of which can be seen in Sidney Wood, appears to provide the oldest trace of land use in the village. The glass industry in Alfold ended around 1615 when using charcoal was banned in glass production.[3][2][n 1]
Alfold is not mentioned in theDomesday Book. This is probably because Alfold appears to have been an unrecorded, southern outpost in the multi-village estate ofBramley since pre-conquest times. The earliest mention of Alfold, in the 13th century, records that it was attached to Shalford Manor. A charter ofWilliam Longespee, son of theEarl of Salisbury, records that theadvowson, with the Manor of Shalford, is given to John, son of GeoffreyEarl of Essex, who died in 1256.
Four manors existed, namelyWildwood now represented by Great and Little Wildwood Farms and Wildwood Copse and Moat, was formerly possessed by the lords ofAlbury andStoke D'Abernon, the D'Abernons and their successors. In the 13th century they had land in Alfold and in a deed of 1313 John D'Abernon's wood calledle Wylwode is mentioned.Markwick andMonkenhook over their history have been held byWaverley Abbey,Viscount Montagu and theEarl of Onslow; andSydney alias Hedgecourt or Rickhurst (Rykhurst) lies partly inDunsfold held by the Sydney (then Dorrington) family.
Alfold Park, formerly with amoat (as did Wildwood Farm), belonged to the manor of Shalford and contained 300 acres (120 ha); however it lost its park beforeJohn Speed's map was made[2] in the reign ofJames I.
After the invention ofgunpowder, charcoal was extensively burnt in the parish for gunpowder works inDunsfold,Cranleigh, andSussex.[2]
The parish comprised 2,726 acres (1,103 ha) of which only 72 acres (29 ha) in 1848 were common or waste, and
...abounded withoak,ash, andelm: in parts there is a bed of stone, which is used for repairing roads, but is not hard enough for building. TheArun and Wey Junction canal passes through. The living is arectory, valued in the king's books at £6. 11. 2. [ land tax liability], and in the gift of the Sparkes family: the tithes have been commuted for £355, and theglebe comprises 14 acres.[4]
A Baptist chapel was erected in 1883, and an elementary school in 1876.
Significant other homes mentioned in 1911 were Sydney Manor and Sachel Court; Sachel Court was owned by Thomas Smith Wharrie, an engineer in Scotland and director of British Mutual Banking Company Ltd.[2][n 2]
The compact village has a red telephone kiosk,stocks andwhipping post with very old paving and the followinglisted buildings:
Also sometimes mistakenly recorded asAlford Crossways this hamlet or locality has more buildings in northern part of the village, around the crossroads of theA281 (Guildford-Horsham road) and the traditionalArundel Road to the village centre. Here there are the following:
This smaller also generally less old, southern part of the village has only one listed building, the Sir Roger Tichbourne Inn, seeTichborne baronets andTichborne, Hampshire for Roger's family history.[18] Alford Bars is situated just into West Sussex, with the county border at the north of the small area. The speed limit remains at 40 mph through the village.
The village's football club,Alfold F.C. play in theSouthern Combination League.
| Output area | Detached | Semi-detached | Terraced | Flats and apartments | Caravans/temporary/mobile homes | shared between households[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Civil Parish) | 185 | 131 | 28 | 44 | 52 | 9 |
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) | 1,059 | 449 | 39.6% | 28.1% | 1510 |
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).
References
