Woldingham
Encyclopedia
Woldingham is a village and civil parish in Surrey
located 700 feet (213.4 m) above sea level just within the M25
, southeast of London
. Situated high on the North Downs
between Oxted
and Warlingham
, it is a village of 2,326 inhabitants (according to the Office for National statistics 2001 census). Central London can be reached in thirty minutes by train and the village is served by the East Grinstead line provided by Southern
. Much of Woldingham's populace works in Croydon or central London, making Woldingham part of the London commuter belt
.
administrative division of Tandridge
hundred
. It appears in Domesday Book
of 1086 as Wallingeham and was held by John from Richard Fitz Gilbert
. Its domesday assets were: 1 hide
. It had 4½ plough
s. It rendered £1.
Woldingham is home to one of the smallest churches in the country - St. Agatha's (it only seats 40 but it served as Parish Church of Woldingham until 1934 and is still in regular use). It was first mentioned in 1270, and it is the county’s smallest church with dimensions of 30 ft 3 in by 20 ft 2 in (9.2 by 6.1 m), and at 797 ft (243 m) above sea level is the third highest old parish church in Surrey. The Croydon and East Grinstead line was opened in 1884 and a long tunnel was built to take it under the village. There is a small parade of shops (known as “The Crescent”) in the centre of the village next to St Paul's Church, which was constructed in 1933 and there is an impressive view over Oxted and The Weald from the edge of the chalk pits. There is a train station
, tennis courts as well as two golf clubs (Woldingham and North Downs). Woldingham Girls School is located in the town, providing education for girls between the ages of 11 and 18.
From the nearby areas of high ground impressive views can be enjoyed - and from some places one can see as far as the Chilterns
. The Marden Estate once owned much of the area and Marden Park (now Woldingham School
) still stands in extensive grounds in the valley alongside the railway line.
The Garden Village is a former Army Camp. The bungalow called "Funny Neuk" was home to the Czechoslovak military intelligence radio station from 1940 to 1942, and was used for the communications for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich
. In 1942 the radio station later moved to Hockliffe
, near Dunstable in Bedfordshire.
On Friday 25th May 1951, Donald Duart Maclean
, Soviet spy and then resident of nearby Tatsfield, is said to have left from Woldingham station on the night of his escape to the coast and defection to Russia.
In December 2007, the Sunday Telegraph announced that Woldingham was placed at no.2 in the "Top Ten Richest Suburbs in Britain", according to their research - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/investmentinproperty/3360057/Property-in-the-suburbs-Britains-top-10-richest-suburbs.html
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...
located 700 feet (213.4 m) above sea level just within the M25
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
, southeast of 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 high on the North Downs
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
between Oxted
Oxted
Oxted is a commuter town in Surrey, England at the foot of the North Downs, north of East Grinstead and south-east of Croydon.- History :The town lay within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Tandridge hundred....
and Warlingham
Warlingham
Warlingham is a large village on the south-eastern boundary of London, England, just across the border in Tandridge district, east Surrey. Neighbouring villages include Sanderstead, Hamsey Green, Whyteleafe, Farleigh, Fickleshole, Tatsfield and Woldingham...
, it is a village of 2,326 inhabitants (according to the Office for National statistics 2001 census). Central London can be reached in thirty minutes by train and the village is served by the East Grinstead line provided by Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
. Much of Woldingham's populace works in Croydon or central London, making Woldingham part of the London commuter belt
London commuter belt
The London commuter belt is the metropolitan area surrounding London, England from which it is practical to commute to work in the capital. It is alternatively known as the Greater South East, the London metropolitan area or the Southeast metropolitan area...
.
Background
The village lay within the Anglo-SaxonAnglo-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...
administrative division of Tandridge
Tandridge (hundred)
Tandridge was a hundred in what is now Surrey, England. It includes the borough of Tandridge.It includes the parishes of Bletchingley, Caterham, Chelsham, Crowhurst, Farleigh, Godstone, Horne, Limpsfield, Lingfield, Oxted, Tandridge, Tatsfield, Titsey, Warlingham and Woldingham.The hundred has...
hundred
Hundred (division)
A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...
. It 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 Wallingeham and was held by John 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 4½ 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. It rendered £1.
Woldingham is home to one of the smallest churches in the country - St. Agatha's (it only seats 40 but it served as Parish Church of Woldingham until 1934 and is still in regular use). It was first mentioned in 1270, and it is the county’s smallest church with dimensions of 30 ft 3 in by 20 ft 2 in (9.2 by 6.1 m), and at 797 ft (243 m) above sea level is the third highest old parish church in Surrey. The Croydon and East Grinstead line was opened in 1884 and a long tunnel was built to take it under the village. There is a small parade of shops (known as “The Crescent”) in the centre of the village next to St Paul's Church, which was constructed in 1933 and there is an impressive view over Oxted and The Weald from the edge of the chalk pits. There is a train station
Woldingham railway station
Woldingham railway station is in Surrey, in England. Train services are provided by Southern, and the station is on the Oxted Line.The station opened as "Marden Park" and was very simple with one waiting shelter....
, tennis courts as well as two golf clubs (Woldingham and North Downs). Woldingham Girls School is located in the town, providing education for girls between the ages of 11 and 18.
From the nearby areas of high ground impressive views can be enjoyed - and from some places one can see as far as the Chilterns
Chiltern Hills
The Chiltern Hills form a chalk escarpment in South East England. They are known locally as "the Chilterns". A large portion of the hills was designated officially as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1965.-Location:...
. The Marden Estate once owned much of the area and Marden Park (now Woldingham School
Woldingham School
Woldingham School is an all-girls, independent, Roman Catholic, boarding and day school in Woldingham, Surrey, England.-History:The school was founded as the Convent of the Sacred Heart in 1842 in Berrymead, London by the Society of the Sacred Heart...
) still stands in extensive grounds in the valley alongside the railway line.
The Garden Village is a former Army Camp. The bungalow called "Funny Neuk" was home to the Czechoslovak military intelligence radio station from 1940 to 1942, and was used for the communications for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich
Reinhard Heydrich
Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich , also known as The Hangman, was a high-ranking German Nazi official.He was SS-Obergruppenführer and General der Polizei, chief of the Reich Main Security Office and Stellvertretender Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia...
. In 1942 the radio station later moved to Hockliffe
Hockliffe
Hockliffe is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire on the crossroads of the A5 road which lies upon the course of the roman road known as Watling Street and the A4012 road.It is about four miles east of Leighton Buzzard...
, near Dunstable in Bedfordshire.
On Friday 25th May 1951, Donald Duart Maclean
Donald Duart Maclean
Donald Duart Maclean was a British diplomat and member of the Cambridge Five who were members of MI5, MI6 or the diplomatic service who acted as spies for the Soviet Union in the Second World War and beyond. He was recruited as a "straight penetration agent" while an undergraduate at Cambridge by...
, Soviet spy and then resident of nearby Tatsfield, is said to have left from Woldingham station on the night of his escape to the coast and defection to Russia.
In December 2007, the Sunday Telegraph announced that Woldingham was placed at no.2 in the "Top Ten Richest Suburbs in Britain", according to their research - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/investmentinproperty/3360057/Property-in-the-suburbs-Britains-top-10-richest-suburbs.html
Residents
- Davina McCallDavina McCallDavina McCall is an English television presenter and actress, most notable as the presenter of the UK version of Big Brother up until its move to Channel 5.- Early life :...
actress and tv presenter who now lives in East Sussex. - Jordan (Katie Price)Jordan (Katie Price)Katie Price , previously known under the pseudonym Jordan, is an English media personality, author, former glamour model, occasional singer and businesswoman....
glamour model and tv personality, also now moved away. - Robert Barr (writer)Robert Barr (writer)Robert Barr was a British-Canadian short story writer and novelist, born in Glasgow, Scotland.-Early Years in Canada:...
1857-1912,lived and died in Woldingham