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Godalming (hundred)
Encyclopedia
Godalming was an ancient hundred in the south west of the county of Surrey
, England
. It corresponds to the central third of the current borough of Waverley
and some parts of the current borough of Guildford
.
annexed the "south eastern provinces" of Surrey, Sussex
, Kent
and Essex
.
Godhelm Ingas meaning "the clan of Godhelm". It is supposed that Godhelm was a Saxon
chieftain who first colonised this dry land, bordered by swamps and a steep valley, as he and his folk moved up the valley of the River Wey
. Archæological
evidence suggests the Iron Age
hill fort
at Hascombe
had been refortified by the Romano-Britons at the end of the Roman
period and this would have been the main obstacle for Godhelm and his Saxons to overcome. They would have fought the native Britons who would fight, and enslaved those that could neither fight nor run, conquering the area sometime around the end of the 6th century. Initially Godhelm Ingas would have had a quite an independent existence but the local Lord would have soon sworn fealty to a neighbouring king, be it South Saxons, East Saxons, Kentish
or West Saxons depending on the politics of the time. It was not until 690 that the Godhelm Ingas were formally placed within the bounds of Surrey
by treaty. Certainly the area would have been dominated by Sussex while Aelle
was Bretwalda
and later occupied by Wessex under Cædwalla.
and during the Middle Ages
was largely covered by the Forest of Essera – a northern lobe of the ancient and vast Forest of Andred. People survived through pig farming and the making of charcoal
. During the reign of Alfred the Great
a defensive burgh was built at nearby Eashing
to defend the area against the Vikings in around 885. By 1086 the population of the entire hundred is thought to have been only about 600 people. Under the West Saxon local government model Godalming Hundred would have had a Hundred Reeve and a Hundred Court or moot
. This moot is known to have met at the site of the present day Pepperpot in the centre of Godalming.
states that Godalming was owned by the King and had been a royal demesne
prior to the Norman Conquest. In particular of the Hundred the Domesday book states;
was established in 1889 the old Anglo-Saxon Hundred Court system ended and the administrative centre was moved from the Pepperpot to a new site on Bridge Street in 1908. The countryside around the town which had been part of the hundred, and other parishes once part of Farnham
, became Hambledon Rural District. The Borough of Godalming was reduced in status back to simply a Town Council when Waverley
borough was created in 1974.
There is much to remind a resident of the past in Godalming, but one of the most apparent is the Annual Town Meeting. On this day the Mayor leads the town councillors in procession down the High Street to the site of the old Hundred Court at the Pepperpot. The councillors on this one occasion wear distinctive long grey robes – the origins of which certainly hark back to the witan meetings of old Saxon times. This is now the only vestige of the tribal gatherings of Godhelm's people at the very beginnings of the town's long history.
Christianity
is thought to have come to the area after 675 when Surrey's only known sub-king Frithuwold converted and founded Chertsey Abbey
. This area was one of the last in southern England to convert formally to Christianity, however Godalming is and was a deeply pagan place. In Godalming itself there was a shrine to the war god Tiw at Tuesley
(literally "Tiw's Clearing") on the hill above the town (where even today gatherings there at the Winter Solstice
are specifically banned) and another to Thur or Thor
at Thursley
a little further away. There remains much mystery surrounding a very ancient Yew
at Peper Harrow or Pipers Hearg meaning, literally "pagan temple" and an even more ancient Druid
ic Grove
at Newland's Corner next to Silent Pool
a "holy well" once used for ritual offerings. Another "holy well" is now within the grounds of Ladywell Convent at Tuesley, a third called Bonfield or Bonville Well is found close to the hamlet of Oxenford. Hascombe
, to the south of the town, translates as hægtesse combe meaning valley of the hag or witch. Cusanweoh and Besingahearh which are both now lost were heathen sanctuaries thought to have been near Farnham
. They are mentioned in a charter signed by Caedwalla dating to 688
in which they are awarded to the church http://www.anglo-saxons.net/hwaet/?do=get&type=charter&id=235. After the Hundred converted to Christianity most of those shrines were sanctified as chapels and a convent still exists close to the old worship site at Tuesley. The rough ground adjacent to the convent where the ruins of the old chapel are buried is still owned by the convent. A notice specifically forbids public gatherings here on the night of December 21
. In the 11th century a new parish church was built on recently drained land by the river. The oldest part of the Church of S.S. Peter & Paul – the Anglo-Saxon chapel – still survives today and in it retains a stone decorated with pagan carvings thought to have been brought down from the original 7th Century chapel at Tuesley on the hill.
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...
. It corresponds to the central third of the current borough of Waverley
Waverley, Surrey
Waverley is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England. The borough's headquarters are in the town of Godalming, with Farnham and Haslemere being the other large notable towns....
and some parts of the current borough of Guildford
Guildford (borough)
Guildford is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England. It is named after Guildford where its council is based....
.
History
It was formed as a hundred in Surrey sometime after 825 when WessexWessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
annexed the "south eastern provinces" of Surrey, Sussex
Kingdom of Sussex
The Kingdom of Sussex or Kingdom of the South Saxons was a Saxon colony and later independent kingdom of the Saxons, on the south coast of England. Its boundaries coincided in general with those of the earlier kingdom of the Regnenses and the later county of Sussex. A large part of its territory...
, Kent
Kingdom of Kent
The Kingdom of Kent was a Jutish colony and later independent kingdom in what is now south east England. It was founded at an unknown date in the 5th century by Jutes, members of a Germanic people from continental Europe, some of whom settled in Britain after the withdrawal of the Romans...
and Essex
Kingdom of Essex
The Kingdom of Essex or Kingdom of the East Saxons was one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the so-called Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was founded in the 6th century and covered the territory later occupied by the counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, Middlesex and Kent. Kings of Essex were...
.
Etymology
It takes it name from the Old EnglishOld English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
Godhelm Ingas meaning "the clan of Godhelm". It is supposed that Godhelm was a Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
chieftain who first colonised this dry land, bordered by swamps and a steep valley, as he and his folk moved up the valley of 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...
. Archæological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
evidence suggests the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
at Hascombe
Hascombe
Hascombe is a village in Surrey, England. It contains a cluster of cottages and country estates, St Peter's church, the village green and The White Horse pub, all nestling between wooded hillsides in Surrey, England....
had been refortified by the Romano-Britons at the end of the Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
period and this would have been the main obstacle for Godhelm and his Saxons to overcome. They would have fought the native Britons who would fight, and enslaved those that could neither fight nor run, conquering the area sometime around the end of the 6th century. Initially Godhelm Ingas would have had a quite an independent existence but the local Lord would have soon sworn fealty to a neighbouring king, be it South Saxons, East Saxons, Kentish
Kingdom of Kent
The Kingdom of Kent was a Jutish colony and later independent kingdom in what is now south east England. It was founded at an unknown date in the 5th century by Jutes, members of a Germanic people from continental Europe, some of whom settled in Britain after the withdrawal of the Romans...
or West Saxons depending on the politics of the time. It was not until 690 that the Godhelm Ingas were formally placed within the bounds of Surrey
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...
by treaty. Certainly the area would have been dominated by Sussex while Aelle
Aelle of Sussex
Ælle is recorded in early sources as the first king of the South Saxons, reigning in what is now called Sussex, England, from 477 to perhaps as late as 514....
was Bretwalda
Bretwalda
Bretwalda is an Old English word, the first record of which comes from the late 9th century Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. It is given to some of the rulers of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms from the 5th century onwards who had achieved overlordship of some or all of the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms...
and later occupied by Wessex under Cædwalla.
Early history
Godalming Hundred continues to be one of the most densely wooded parts of EnglandEngland
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...
and during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
was largely covered by the Forest of Essera – a northern lobe of the ancient and vast Forest of Andred. People survived through pig farming and the making of charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
. During the reign of Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
a defensive burgh was built at nearby Eashing
Eashing
Eashing is a small village in Surrey a couple of miles outside Godalming and was once part of the Godalming but is now administered by Guildford Borough Council. The village is divided into Upper and Lower Eashing. During the reign of King Alfred the Great a burgh was constructed at Upper Eashing...
to defend the area against the Vikings in around 885. By 1086 the population of the entire hundred is thought to have been only about 600 people. Under the West Saxon local government model Godalming Hundred would have had a Hundred Reeve and a Hundred Court or moot
Moot hall
A moot hall is meeting or assembly building, traditionally to decide local issues.In Anglo-Saxon England, a low ring-shaped earthwork served as a moot hill or moot mound, where the elders of the hundred would meet to take decisions. Some of these acquired permanent buildings, known as moot halls...
. This moot is known to have met at the site of the present day Pepperpot in the centre of Godalming.
Domesday
In 1086 the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
states that Godalming was owned by the King and had been a royal demesne
Demesne
In the feudal system the demesne was all the land, not necessarily all contiguous to the manor house, which was retained by a lord of the manor for his own use and support, under his own management, as distinguished from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants...
prior to the Norman Conquest. In particular of the Hundred the Domesday book states;
The King holds in demesne Godalming. King Edward held it. Then 24 hides. It never paid tax. Land for 30 ploughs. In demesne are 3 ploughs and 50 villans and 29 bordars with 19 ploughs. There are 2 slaves and 3 mills at 41 shillings and 8 pence and 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) meadow. Woodland: 100 pigs. During the reign of Edward was worth £25 and later: £20. Now: £30 at face value but it renders weighed and assayed £30.
Ranulf FlambardRanulf FlambardRanulf Flambard was a medieval Norman Bishop of Durham and an influential government minister of King William Rufus of England...
holds the church of this manor to which belong 3 hides. Wulfmer
held it from King Edward. It never paid tax. Land for 2 ploughs. In demesne is one
and 5 villans and 12 cottars with 2 ploughs. There are 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) meadow and Woodland at 3 pigs. There this same Ranulf holds another church which pays 12 shillings per annum.
These three hides during the reign of Edward and now: value £4. When received: £3.
The same Ranulf holds from the King TuesleyTuesleyTuesley is a village to the south of the town of Godalming, in the county of Surrey in southern England.It lies within the Saxon district of Godalming , Surrey....
. It belongs to Godalming.
Leofwin held it from King Edward. Then and now one hide. Never taxable. Land for 1 plough and it is there with one villan and 6 cottars and one slave. During the reign of Edward had value 60 shillings and later and now: 40 shillings.
BishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Odo of Bayeux holds in demesne Rodsall. Tovi the ProudTovi the ProudTovi the Proud was a rich and powerful 11th-century Danish thegn who held a number of estates in various parts of southern England. He was staller to King Cnut the Great....
held it previously and he could go where he wished. Then it answered for 5 hides. Now for nothing. Land for 2 ploughs. There are 3 villans and 4 cottars with 1 plough and 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) of meadow. Woodland: at 4 pigs. During the reign of Edward and later and now: value 40 shillings.
Himself the bishop holds in demesne Farncombe. Ansgot held it during the reign of King Edward and he could go where he wished. Then it answered for 3 hides and a half.
Now for nothing. Land for 2 ploughs. There are 8 villans and 3 cottars with 2 ploughs and 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) of meadow. Woodland: 3 pigs. Value is and value was 24 shillings. A reeveReeve (England)Originally in Anglo-Saxon England the reeve was a senior official with local responsibilities under the Crown e.g. as the chief magistrate of a town or district...
of the king's named Lufa claims this manor and then men of the Hundred testify that he held it from the king when the king was in Wales and held it later until the bishop of Bayeux came to KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. Himself the bishop transferred Rodsall and Farncombe to the farm of BramleyBramley, SurreyBramley is a village and civil parish about three miles south of Guildford in the Borough of Waverley in Surrey, south east England. With a population of c.3,300 most of the parish lies in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There is evidence of iron age settlement in the area,...
.
Land of Earl Roger. Tenant: Thorold. Thorold holds from the count Loseley. Osmund
held it from King Edward. Then it answered for 3 hides. Now for 2 hides. Land for 2 ploughs. In demesne is one plough and 7 villans and 1 cottar with 3 plough. There are 2 slaves and 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of meadow. During the reign of Edward had value 40 shillings and later: 20 shillings.
Now: 60 shillings.
Walter son of Othere holds Compton. Brictsi held it from king Edward. Then it answered for 14 hides now for 11 hides. Land for 10 ploughs. In demesne are 3 ploughs and 21 villans and 8 cottars with 6 ploughs. There are 7 slaves and 7 acres (28,328 m²) of meadow. There is a church. During the reign of Edward had value £8 and later £6. Now: £9. Tenant: Gerard. Himself Walter and Gerard from him holds Peperharrow. Alward held it from king Edward. Then it answered for 5 hides. Now for 3 hides. Land for 3 ploughs. In demesne are 2 ploughs and one mill at 15 shillings and 7 acres (28,328 m²) of meadow. There are 4 villans and 3 cottars with 1 plough. TRE and later: value 30 shillings. Now: 100 shillings. Tenant: Tesselin Tesselin holds from Walter HurtmoreHurtmoreHurtmore is a village to the north-west of Godalming, Surrey, England. It is located in the parish of Shackleford.-Transport:Hurtmore is well positioned for commuters, being located next to the A3 making it ideal for travelling to and from London...
. Alwin held it from king Edward. Then it answered for 15 hides now for 3 hides. Land for 3 ploughs. In demesne are 2 ploughs and 3 villans and 2 cottars with 1 plough and a half. There is 1 mill at 11 shillings and 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) of meadow. During the reign of Edward had value 50 shillings. Later: 30 shillings. Now: 100 shillings.
Gilbert son of Richere de Aigle holds WitleyWitleyWitley, in Surrey, England is a village south west of Godalming. The village lies just east of the A3 that runs from Guildford to Petersfield. Witley together with the neighbouring area of Hambledon have a population of about 4,000. Neighbouring villages include Milford, Chiddingfold and...
. Then it answered for 20 hides. Now
for 12 hides. Land for 16 ploughs. In demesne are 2 ploughs and 37 villans and 3 cottars
with 13 ploughs. There is a church and 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) of meadow. Woodland at 30 pigs.
During the reign of Edward and later value £15. Now: £16.
Land of Edward of Salisbury. Ranulf [Flambard] holds from Edward of Salisbury HambledonHambledon, SurreyHambledon is a small and scattered village in Surrey, south of Guildford. It is tucked away amongst fields and woodland between Witley and Chiddingfold....
. Azor held it from king Edward. Then it answered for 5 hides. Now for 3 hides. Land for 4 ploughs. In demesne are 2 ploughs and 8 villans and one cottar with 5 ploughs. There are 13 slaves and one mill at 30 pence and 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) of meadow, Woodland: 30 pigs. Value is and value always was 100 shillings.
Wulfwy Hunter holds from the king LittletonLittleton, GuildfordLittleton is a hamlet in Surrey, in the United Kingdom. It lies west of Artington, between Guildford to the north and Godalming to the south, strung along Littleton Lane....
. He himself held it from king Edward. Then 2 hides but it paid no tax. Now for one virgate. Land for 1 plough. It is there in demesne with one villan one cottar with one plough. There are two acres of meadow. Value is and value was 20 shillings.
Modern era
In 1300 Godalming was granted the status of a town with a Town Warden and later a Mayor. The administration was based first in the Market House http://fp.cotswan.plus.com/godalming.htm. This was used at one time to house French prisoners during the Napoleonic Wars. The Market House was demolished in 1814 and a new building nicknamed the Pepperpot was built in its place. When Surrey County CouncilSurrey
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...
was established in 1889 the old Anglo-Saxon Hundred Court system ended and the administrative centre was moved from the Pepperpot to a new site on Bridge Street in 1908. The countryside around the town which had been part of the hundred, and other parishes once part of Farnham
Farnham (hundred)
Farnham was a hundred in what is now Surrey, England. It includes the town of Farnham.In the 14th century, Farnham hundred was owned by the Bishop of Winchester and was one of the wealthiest on the bishop's rolls.-See also:*Medieval Surrey...
, became Hambledon Rural District. The Borough of Godalming was reduced in status back to simply a Town Council when Waverley
Waverley, Surrey
Waverley is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England. The borough's headquarters are in the town of Godalming, with Farnham and Haslemere being the other large notable towns....
borough was created in 1974.
There is much to remind a resident of the past in Godalming, but one of the most apparent is the Annual Town Meeting. On this day the Mayor leads the town councillors in procession down the High Street to the site of the old Hundred Court at the Pepperpot. The councillors on this one occasion wear distinctive long grey robes – the origins of which certainly hark back to the witan meetings of old Saxon times. This is now the only vestige of the tribal gatherings of Godhelm's people at the very beginnings of the town's long history.
Religion
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
is thought to have come to the area after 675 when Surrey's only known sub-king Frithuwold converted and founded Chertsey Abbey
Chertsey Abbey
Chertsey Abbey, dedicated to St Peter, was a Benedictine monastery located at Chertsey in the English county of Surrey.It was founded by Saint Erkenwald, later Bishop of London, in 666 AD and he became the first abbot. In the 9th century it was sacked by the Danes and refounded from Abingdon Abbey...
. This area was one of the last in southern England to convert formally to Christianity, however Godalming is and was a deeply pagan place. In Godalming itself there was a shrine to the war god Tiw at Tuesley
Tuesley
Tuesley is a village to the south of the town of Godalming, in the county of Surrey in southern England.It lies within the Saxon district of Godalming , Surrey....
(literally "Tiw's Clearing") on the hill above the town (where even today gatherings there at the Winter Solstice
Winter solstice
Winter solstice may refer to:* Winter solstice, astronomical event* Winter Solstice , former band* Winter Solstice: North , seasonal songs* Winter Solstice , 2005 American film...
are specifically banned) and another to Thur or Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
at Thursley
Thursley
Thursley is a small village in Surrey. It lies just west of the A3 running between Milford and Hindhead. Neighbouring villages include Rushmoor, Bowlhead Green and Brook. Thursley is in south-west Surrey, in south-east England...
a little further away. There remains much mystery surrounding a very ancient Yew
Taxus baccata
Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may be now known as the English yew, or European yew.-Description:It is a small-...
at Peper Harrow or Pipers Hearg meaning, literally "pagan temple" and an even more ancient Druid
Druid
A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
ic Grove
Sacred grove
A sacred grove is a grove of trees of special religious importance to a particular culture. Sacred groves were most prominent in the Ancient Near East and prehistoric Europe, but feature in various cultures throughout the world...
at Newland's Corner next to Silent Pool
Silent Pool
Silent Pool is a spring-fed lake at the foot of the North Downs, approximately east of Guildford in Surrey. Together with the nearby Newlands Corner it forms part of the privately owned Albury Estate SSSI managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust. The outflow from Silent Pool runs into a second lake...
a "holy well" once used for ritual offerings. Another "holy well" is now within the grounds of Ladywell Convent at Tuesley, a third called Bonfield or Bonville Well is found close to the hamlet of Oxenford. Hascombe
Hascombe
Hascombe is a village in Surrey, England. It contains a cluster of cottages and country estates, St Peter's church, the village green and The White Horse pub, all nestling between wooded hillsides in Surrey, England....
, to the south of the town, translates as hægtesse combe meaning valley of the hag or witch. Cusanweoh and Besingahearh which are both now lost were heathen sanctuaries thought to have been near Farnham
Farnham
Farnham is a town in Surrey, England, within the Borough of Waverley. The town is situated some 42 miles southwest of London in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire...
. They are mentioned in a charter signed by Caedwalla dating to 688
688
Year 688 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 688 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Emperor Justinian II of the Byzantine...
in which they are awarded to the church http://www.anglo-saxons.net/hwaet/?do=get&type=charter&id=235. After the Hundred converted to Christianity most of those shrines were sanctified as chapels and a convent still exists close to the old worship site at Tuesley. The rough ground adjacent to the convent where the ruins of the old chapel are buried is still owned by the convent. A notice specifically forbids public gatherings here on the night of December 21
Yule
Yule or Yuletide is a winter festival that was initially celebrated by the historical Germanic people as a pagan religious festival, though it was later absorbed into, and equated with, the Christian festival of Christmas. The festival was originally celebrated from late December to early January...
. In the 11th century a new parish church was built on recently drained land by the river. The oldest part of the Church of S.S. Peter & Paul – the Anglo-Saxon chapel – still survives today and in it retains a stone decorated with pagan carvings thought to have been brought down from the original 7th Century chapel at Tuesley on the hill.
Towns and villages
| Parish | District in 1894 | District in 1974 |
|---|---|---|
| Artington Artington Artington is a village and civil parish in the borough of Guildford, in Surrey, England, lying on the edge of the built-up area of Guildford. It is about mile and a half south of Guildford town centre, and west of the River Wey, above the ford which gave Guildford its name and on the North Downs... |
Guildford Rural District | Guildford |
| Chiddingfold Chiddingfold Chiddingfold is a village and civil parish in the heart of The Weald in the Waverley district of Surrey, England. It lies on the A283 between Milford and Petworth... |
Hambledon Rural District | Waverley |
| Compton | Guildford Rural District | Guildford |
| 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... |
Municipal Borough of 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... |
Waverley |
| Hambledon Hambledon, Surrey Hambledon is a small and scattered village in Surrey, south of Guildford. It is tucked away amongst fields and woodland between Witley and Chiddingfold.... |
Hambledon Rural District | Waverley |
| Haslemere Haslemere Haslemere is a town in Surrey, England, close to the border with both Hampshire and West Sussex. The major road between London and Portsmouth, the A3, lies to the west, and a branch of the River Wey to the south. Haslemere is approximately south-west of Guildford.Haslemere is surrounded by hills,... |
Hambledon Rural District | Waverley |
| 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... |
Hambledon Rural District | Waverley |
| Puttenham | Guildford Rural District | Guildford |
| Thursley Thursley Thursley is a small village in Surrey. It lies just west of the A3 running between Milford and Hindhead. Neighbouring villages include Rushmoor, Bowlhead Green and Brook. Thursley is in south-west Surrey, in south-east England... |
Hambledon Rural District | Waverley |
| Witley Witley Witley, in Surrey, England is a village south west of Godalming. The village lies just east of the A3 that runs from Guildford to Petersfield. Witley together with the neighbouring area of Hambledon have a population of about 4,000. Neighbouring villages include Milford, Chiddingfold and... |
Hambledon Rural District | Waverley |
See also
- Medieval Surrey
- Surrey hundreds