Ockley
Encyclopedia
Ockley is a historic village in Surrey
, built on Stane Street, a Roman Road stretching from Chichester
to London
. Situated between Dorking
and Horsham
, close to the Sussex/Surrey border, Ockley nestles in the shadows of Leith Hill
, the highest point in South east England. Neighbouring villages include Capel, Ewhurst Green and Rusper
. It is a linear settlement running along the A29 and lying about 3 km west of the A24. Ockley is also a civil parish covering 1374 hectares (5.3 sq mi).
There are four pubs in Ockley: Cricketer's Arms, Inn on the Green, King's Arms and Bryce's Restaurant (also known as the Old School House). In addition to the pubs, Ockley has a Post Office & village shop and garage, and a local veg shop out towards the station. There is also a golf course called 'Gatton Manor' on the outskirts of the village.
The village is served by Ockley railway station
which lies over two miles to the East of the settlement. Yet the trains are few and far between with absolutely no trains on a Sunday. With no bus stop, the public transport in Ockley is poor.
Nicholas Culpeper
, the famous Herbalist, was born here on 18th October 1616.
Ockley could be the location of a battle described in the entry for the year 851 of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
. According to the chronicler, king Æthelwulf and his son Æthelbald, together with the West-Saxon army, fought against an invading Danish army of 350 ships that had plundered London and Canterbury previously, and had also put king Beorhtwulf of Mercia to flight. The chronicler refers to the battle field as Aclea, Oak Field, and the Danish army was defeated suffering “the greatest slaughter… we have heard tell of up to this present day”.
Ockley appears in Domesday Book
of 1086 as Hoclei. It was held by Radulf (Ralph) from Richard Fitz Gilbert
. Its domesday assets were: 1 hide
. It had 5 plough
s, woodland
worth 20 hogs. It rendered £3 10s 0d.
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...
, built on Stane Street, a Roman Road stretching from Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Situated between Dorking
Dorking
Dorking is a historic market town at the foot of the North Downs approximately south of London, in Surrey, England.- History and development :...
and Horsham
Horsham
Horsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
, close to the Sussex/Surrey border, Ockley nestles in the shadows of Leith Hill
Leith Hill
Leith Hill to the south west of Dorking, Surrey, England, reaches above sea level, the highest point on the Greensand Ridge, and is the second highest point in south-east England, after Walbury Hill near Hungerford, West Berkshire, high....
, the highest point in South east England. Neighbouring villages include Capel, Ewhurst Green and Rusper
Rusper
Rusper is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies north of the town of Horsham and west of Crawley. Rusper is the centre of Rusper Parish which covers most of the northern area between Horsham and Crawley. Rusper is governed by the Horsham District...
. It is a linear settlement running along the A29 and lying about 3 km west of the A24. Ockley is also a civil parish covering 1374 hectares (5.3 sq mi).
There are four pubs in Ockley: Cricketer's Arms, Inn on the Green, King's Arms and Bryce's Restaurant (also known as the Old School House). In addition to the pubs, Ockley has a Post Office & village shop and garage, and a local veg shop out towards the station. There is also a golf course called 'Gatton Manor' on the outskirts of the village.
The village is served by Ockley railway station
Ockley railway station
Ockley railway station serves the villages of Ockley & Capel in Surrey, England being situated two miles to the east of Ockley and just over one mile to the west of Capel . The station is 29 railway miles south of London Victoria station...
which lies over two miles to the East of the settlement. Yet the trains are few and far between with absolutely no trains on a Sunday. With no bus stop, the public transport in Ockley is poor.
Nicholas Culpeper
Nicholas Culpeper
Nicholas Culpeper was an English botanist, herbalist, physician, and astrologer. His published books include The English Physician and the Complete Herbal , which contain a rich store of pharmaceutical and herbal knowledge, and Astrological Judgement of Diseases from the Decumbiture of the Sick ,...
, the famous Herbalist, was born here on 18th October 1616.
Ockley could be the location of a battle described in the entry for the year 851 of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
. According to the chronicler, king Æthelwulf and his son Æthelbald, together with the West-Saxon army, fought against an invading Danish army of 350 ships that had plundered London and Canterbury previously, and had also put king Beorhtwulf of Mercia to flight. The chronicler refers to the battle field as Aclea, Oak Field, and the Danish army was defeated suffering “the greatest slaughter… we have heard tell of up to this present day”.
Ockley appears in Domesday Book
Domesday 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...
of 1086 as Hoclei. It was held by Radulf (Ralph) from Richard Fitz Gilbert
Richard Fitz Gilbert
Richard fitz Gilbert , was a Norman lord who participated in the Norman conquest of England in 1066. He was also known as "de Bienfaite", "de Clare", and "de Tonbridge".-Biography:...
. Its domesday assets were: 1 hide
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
. It had 5 plough
Plough
The plough or plow is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
s, woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
worth 20 hogs. It rendered £3 10s 0d.