Alfold
Template:Short description Template:For Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox UK place Alfold is a village and civil parish in Surrey, England on the West Sussex border. Alfold is a dispersed or polyfocal village in the Green Belt, which is buffered from all other settlements. The Greensand Way runs north of the village along the Greensand Ridge and two named localities exist to the north and south of the historic village centre which features pubs, a set of stocks and a whipping post.
Alfold Crossways has a country park, recreational ground and a garden centre whereas Alfold's centre has a village store and the Anglican parish church. The population was 1,059 in the 2011 UK census.
EtymologyEdit
Alfold—also recorded as Aldfold or Awfold—meant the "old fold" or clearing enclosure for cattle,<ref name=histcounty>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> which is apt as it was in a much-wooded area of The Weald (meaning forest in Old and Middle English) prior to being cleared for farming.<ref name="explore">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
HistoryEdit
Early glass making, evidence of which can be seen in Sidney Wood, appears to provide the oldest trace of land use in the village. The glass industry in Alfold ended around 1615 when using charcoal was banned in glass production.<ref name="explore"/><ref name=histcounty/><ref group="n">Malden states "In Sydney Wood were glass-houses, of which the only relic is the name Glass House Fields. A glasshouse is marked in Speed's map. Aubrey (17th century) saw the graves of French glass-makers in the churchyard, but the industry was extinct in his time, so the French were not refugees after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, as stated by Brayley."</ref>
Alfold is not mentioned in Domesday Book. The earliest mention of Alfold, in the 13th century, records that it was attached to Shalford Manor. A charter of William Longespee, son of the Earl of Salisbury, records that the advowson, with the Manor of Shalford, is given to John, son of Geoffrey Earl of Essex, who died in 1256.
Four manors existed, namely Wildwood now represented by Great and Little Wildwood Farms and Wildwood Copse and Moat, was formerly possessed by the lords of Albury and Stoke D'Abernon, the D'Abernons and their successors. In the 13th century they had land in Alfold and in a deed of 1313 John D'Abernon's wood called le Wylwode is mentioned. Markwick and Monkenhook over their history have been held by Waverley Abbey, Viscount Montagu and the Earl of Onslow; and Sydney alias Hedgecourt or Rickhurst (Rykhurst) lies partly in Dunsfold held by the Sydney (then Dorrington) family.
Alfold Park, formerly with a moat (as did Wildwood Farm), belonged to the manor of Shalford and contained Template:Convert; however it lost its park before John Speed's map was made<ref name=histcounty/> in the reign of James I.
After the invention of gunpowder, charcoal was extensively burnt in the parish for gunpowder works in Dunsfold, Cranleigh, and Sussex.<ref name=histcounty/>
The parish comprised Template:Convert of which only Template:Convert in 1848 were common or waste, and Template:Quote
A Baptist chapel was erected in 1883, and an elementary school in 1876.
Significant other homes mentioned in 1911 were Sydney Manor and Sachel Court; Sachel Court was owned by Thomas Smith Wharrie, an engineer in Scotland and director of British Mutual Banking Company Ltd.<ref name=histcounty/><ref group="n">http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=205835 Scottish Architects profile]</ref>
LandmarksEdit
The compact village has a red telephone kiosk, stocks and whipping post with very old paving and the following listed buildings:
- St Nicholas's Church (Grade I)<ref>St Nicholas's Church Template:NHLE</ref>
- Alfold House (Grade II*)<ref>Alfold House Template:NHLE</ref>
- Alfold Stores/The Magnolias (Grade II*)<ref>Alfold Stores/The Magnolias Template:NHLE</ref>
- Carrier/Cherry Tree cottages<ref>Carrier/Cherry Tree cottages Template:NHLE</ref>
- Rosemary Croft<ref>Rosemary Croft Template:NHLE</ref>
- Church Cottage and Great Nicholas Church Room<ref>Church Cottage and Great Nicholas Church Room Template:NHLE</ref> and
- Crown Cottage.<ref>Crown Cottage Template:NHLE</ref>
LocalitiesEdit
Alfold CrosswaysEdit
Also sometimes mistakenly recorded as Alford Crossways this hamlet or locality has more buildings in northern part of the village, around the crossroads of the A281 (Guildford-Horsham road) and the Arundel Road to the village centre. Here there are the following:
- Wildwood Country Park
- A Garden Centre
- A recreation ground
- Medieval moated site and associated pillow mound, Wildwood Copse, Scheduled Ancient Monument<ref>Medieval Moated Site and Pillow mound Template:NHLE</ref>
- Orchard Cottage<ref>Orchard Cottage Template:NHLE</ref>
- Waggoners Cottage<ref>Waggoners Cottage Template:NHLE</ref>
- Great Wildwood Farmhouse with Haybarn<ref>Great Wildwood Farmhouse with Haybarn Template:NHLE Template:NHLE</ref>
- Caters Croft/Welby Cottage<ref>Caters Croft/Welby Cottage Template:NHLE</ref>
- Little Pound/The Pound<ref>Little Pound/The Pound Template:NHLE</ref>
Alfold BarsEdit
This smaller also generally less old, southern part of the village has only one listed building, the Sir Roger Tichbourne Inn, see Tichborne baronets and Tichborne, Hampshire for Roger's family history.<ref>The Sir Roger Tichbourne Inn, Alford Bars Template:NHLE</ref> Alford Bars is situated just into West Sussex, with the county border at the north of the small area.
SportEdit
The village's football club, Alfold F.C. play in the Southern Combination League.
Demography and housingEdit
| Output area | Detached | Semi-detached | Terraced | Flats and apartments | Caravans/temporary/mobile homes | shared between households<ref name=ons/> |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Civil Parish) | 185 | 131 | 28 | 44 | 52 | 9 |
The average level of accommodation in the region composed of detached houses was 28%, the average that was apartments was 22.6%.
| Output area | Population | Households | % Owned outright | % Owned with a loan | hectares<ref name=ons/> |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Civil Parish) | 1,059 | 449 | 39.6% | 28.1% | 1510 |
The proportion of households in the civil parish who owned their home outright compares to the regional average of 35.1%. The proportion who owned their home with a loan compares to the regional average of 32.5%. The remaining % is made up of rented dwellings (plus a negligible % of households living rent-free).
Notable PeopleEdit
- Arthur Casswell (1892–1940) – cricketer
Notes and referencesEdit
NotesEdit
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