Horsell

Horsell

Horsell High Street
Horsell
 Horsell shown within Surrey
Population 9,384 
DistrictWoking
Shire countySurrey
RegionSouth East
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town WOKING
Postcode district GU21
Dialling code 01483
Police Surrey
Fire Surrey
Ambulance South East Coast
EU Parliament South East England
UK ParliamentWoking
List of places
UK
England
Surrey

Coordinates: 51°19′43″N 0°33′42″W / 51.3286°N 0.5617°W / 51.3286; -0.5617

Horsell is an ancient village in the borough of Woking in Surrey, England, located less than a mile northwest of Woking town centre.[1] In November 2012, its population was 9,384.[2]

Horsell has a close association with H. G. Wells' classic science fiction novel The War of the Worlds, the sand pits of Horsell Common being used as the site of the first Martian landing.[3] Horsell Common has since been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Another landmark is the McLaren Technology Centre, built on the northern edge of the common in the early 2000s for the McLaren Group.

History

Horsell was first documented in the 13th century, although the parish church of St Mary the Virgin is believed to date from the middle of the 12th century. The name probably comes from the Anglo-Saxon horig scylf, meaning "muddy slope". This may refer to the hill now carrying the metalled track known as "Horsell Rise"; tricky for cars in winter conditions it is then very much enjoyed by local children who create toboggan slides down the centre of it.

Until the late 19th century, the village consisted of scattered cottages and farms, surrounded by fields, heathlands and nurseries. Suburban development eventually began in the 1880s, although the village remains largely rural in character.[4]

St Mary's Church

Horsell Common

The commonland includes Horsell Common, which is notable for being the place where the martians landed in War of the Worlds, an Ancient Burial Ground and a Muslim Burial Ground. One of Horsell's most significant locations is Horsell Common. The common includes a bomb crater from WW2, a large, seasonal pond with a sandpit (which is where the Martians landed) and an open field which extends to the grounds of the McLaren HQ. Many different species of plants and wildlife can be found there. There was a Home Guard base there, though this has long since disappeared. The Common is popular with the locals and people of Woking Borough.

Schools and facilities

The Anglican parish church of St Mary the Virgin dates back to the middle of the 12th century, and still retains the original doors. The church has strong links with one of the village's junior schools, Horsell C of E Junior School. The village's other schools include the Horsell Village School, built 1851, and independent school St. Andrew's School along with Woking High School, formerly Horsell High School.

It is also the home of Woking and Horsell Cricket Club, whose members have included Alec and Eric Bedser. The twins have played cricket for England.

Notable people

Notable people from Horsell include:

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.horsellresidents.com/village/index.htm - Horsell Resident's Association - A Welcome in the Village and Local Area
  2. ↑ "Horsell". UKCrimeStats.com. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  3. ↑ "The Sandpit". Horsell Common Preservation Society. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  4. ↑ "A Short History of Horsell". Horsell Residents' Association. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  5. ↑ "Pares, Norman (PRS876N)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.

External links

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