Elstead
Encyclopedia
Elstead is a village in Surrey
, England
, with shops and cottages mainly clustered around a central green, close to the River Wey
. Neighbouring villages include Gatwick (the village)
, Puttenham, Charleshill
and Peper Harow
. Elstead is about 5 km west of the part of the A3
lying between Guildford
and Godalming
.
Elstead Mill, now a pub and restaurant, was occupied by Oliver Cromwell
’s ‘roundhead
’ army during the English Civil War
, but subsequently burnt down. The present structure is therefore thought to date back to the 17th century.
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 was built around ten years later. It still contains 13th century windows and some 14th century timbers.
In the 14th century, a bridge was built over the River Wey
. Today this old bridge, strengthened by Surrey County Council
in 1993, takes the westward traffic whilst the east ward traffic goes over a new bridge.
Elstead had a forge
which was built in 1686 but is now a private house.
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
market during the growing season. This is attributed to the light sand
y soils in the village which are excellent for carrot growing.
During 2009, scenes from director Ridley Scott
's film adaptation of Robin Hood
was filmed at various locations including Oxenford Grange Farm, heavily disguised for the set, and the Hamstead Heath.
which is regularly used by the British Army
for training purposes.
Thundry Meadow, close to Elstead, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSI) and is an important breeding area for the dragonfly
and damselfly
.
A Speed Watch scheme is being organised for Elstead Village, to encourage drivers to reduce their speed through the village. This is intended to reduce the nuisance caused by commuters and other traffic passing through the village.
Village Pancake Race (with a pancake flipping competition in the Village Hall afterwards)
A Marathon (5.4 mile running race in July)
A Paper Boat Race, which involves people making life-size paper boats, out of cardboard, paper, glue, and paint (none of these can be water-resistant), and then the people who made them rowing in it on the Elstead moat to try and get the most laps, flour bombs can also be used.
The Duck Race, which involves everyone buying a rubber duck, and giving it a name (it comes with a number) and all of them floating down a river buy the mill, and the first ones go to the second heat etc. The winner of the whole thing gets to take home the £50 prize.
Annual Fireworks at the British Legion on the 5th November
Additionally, there is:
A Monthly Cinema at the Village Hall
Monthly dancing in the Village Hall to live Country music.
Information on events can be found on the Elstead Village News web site at: www.surreycommunity.info/elsteadnews
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, with shops and cottages mainly clustered around a central green, close to the River Wey
River Wey
The River Wey in Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex is a tributary of the River Thames with two separate branches which join at Tilford. The source of the north branch is at Alton, Hampshire and of the south branch at both Blackdown south of Haslemere, and also close to Gibbet Hill, near Hindhead...
. Neighbouring villages include Gatwick (the village)
Gatwick, Surrey
Gatwick is a small village in Surrey, England in the borough of Waverley. It lies to near the villages of Puttenham, Charleshill, Elstead and Peper Harrow. The village lies close to the Puttenham & Crooksbury Commons.-External links:...
, Puttenham, Charleshill
Charleshill
Charleshill is a village in Surrey, England. It lies to the west of Elstead and to the east of Tilford in the borough of Waverley. The village lies to the south of Crooksbury Common and near the River Wey.The local public house is called The Donkey...
and Peper Harow
Peper Harow
Peper Harow is a tiny village in south-west Surrey close to the town of Godalming.The whole village is privately owned and access is restricted. The name "Peper Harow" is very unusual and comes from Old English Pipers Hearg meaning, approximately "Pagan Temple".Peper Harrow appears in Domesday Book...
. Elstead is about 5 km west of the part of the A3
A3 road
The A3, known as the Portsmouth Road for much of its length, is a dual carriageway, or expressway, which follows the historic route between London and Portsmouth passing close to Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield. For much of its length, it is classified as a trunk road...
lying between Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
and Godalming
Godalming
Godalming is a town and civil parish in the Waverley district of the county of Surrey, England, south of Guildford. It is built on the banks of the River Wey and is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt. Godalming shares a three-way twinning arrangement with the towns of Joigny in France...
.
History
Elstead's relative prosperity over the centuries can be partly attributed to the existence of a large watermill and a significant bridge over the river, parts of which are thought to be around 700 years old.Elstead Mill, now a pub and restaurant, was occupied by Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
’s ‘roundhead
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
’ army during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, but subsequently burnt down. The present structure is therefore thought to date back to the 17th century.
The first known reference to Elstead is in the 1128 foundation charter for Waverley Abbey
Waverley Abbey
Waverley Abbey was the first Cistercian abbey in England, founded in 1128 by William Giffard, Bishop of Winchester. It is situated about one mile south of Farnham, Surrey, in a bend of the River Wey.-History:...
(sometimes spelt Waverly), where it was called Helestede. The church of St James was built around ten years later. It still contains 13th century windows and some 14th century timbers.
River Wey
The River Wey in Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex is a tributary of the River Thames with two separate branches which join at Tilford. The source of the north branch is at Alton, Hampshire and of the south branch at both Blackdown south of Haslemere, and also close to Gibbet Hill, near Hindhead...
. Today this old bridge, strengthened by Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Surrey in England. The council is composed of 80 elected councillors.The council is controlled by the Conservative party.The leader of the council is David Hodge....
in 1993, takes the westward traffic whilst the east ward traffic goes over a new bridge.
Elstead had a forge
Forge
A forge is a hearth used for forging. The term "forge" can also refer to the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith, although the term smithy is then more commonly used.The basic smithy contains a forge, also known as a hearth, for heating metals...
which was built in 1686 but is now a private house.
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
Milford railway station
Milford railway station is a stop on the Portsmouth Direct Line, serving the village of Milford, Surrey in England.- Services :There is an hourly service to Haslemere and Portsmouth Harbour southbound and London Waterloo northbound....
up to London's Covent Garden
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 site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
market during the growing season. This is attributed to the light sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
y soils in the village which are excellent for carrot growing.
During 2009, scenes from director Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
's film adaptation of Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
was filmed at various locations including Oxenford Grange Farm, heavily disguised for the set, and the Hamstead Heath.
Geography
Elstead is surrounded by common land, including Hankley CommonHankley Common
Hankley Common is a common near Elstead, Surrey, England. It is an area of heathland with sandy infertile soil. The dry areas are covered in common heather and bell heather with patches of bracken Hankley Common is a designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest .-Atlantic Wall...
which is regularly used by the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
for training purposes.
Thundry Meadow, close to Elstead, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
(SSI) and is an important breeding area for the dragonfly
Dragonfly
A dragonfly is a winged insect belonging to the order Odonata, the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infraorder Anisoptera . It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body...
and damselfly
Damselfly
Damselflies are insects in the order Odonata. Damselflies are similar to dragonflies, but the adults can be distinguished by the fact that the wings of most damselflies are held along, and parallel to, the body when at rest...
.
Pubs and places to eat
Elstead has 4 pubs. The Golden Fleece, The Woolpack and The Mill are all on the Milford Road. The fourth, Barstead, is located at the recreation ground on Thursley Road. There is also a Chinese restaurant, Pang's Lodge, across from St. James School on the Thursley Road and a fish and chip shop on the Milford Road, near the United Reformed Church. There is also a Thai Restaurant within the Golden Fleece pub.Village Events
Every year there is aVillage Pancake Race (with a pancake flipping competition in the Village Hall afterwards)
A Marathon (5.4 mile running race in July)
A Paper Boat Race, which involves people making life-size paper boats, out of cardboard, paper, glue, and paint (none of these can be water-resistant), and then the people who made them rowing in it on the Elstead moat to try and get the most laps, flour bombs can also be used.
The Duck Race, which involves everyone buying a rubber duck, and giving it a name (it comes with a number) and all of them floating down a river buy the mill, and the first ones go to the second heat etc. The winner of the whole thing gets to take home the £50 prize.
Annual Fireworks at the British Legion on the 5th November
Additionally, there is:
A Monthly Cinema at the Village Hall
Monthly dancing in the Village Hall to live Country music.
Information on events can be found on the Elstead Village News web site at: www.surreycommunity.info/elsteadnews