Capel, Surrey
Encyclopedia
Capel is a village in southern Surrey
, southeastern England
, situated about 6 miles south of Dorking
alongside the A24 road
, and approximately 3 miles (5.5 km) from the West Sussex
border. Neighbouring villages are Ockley
, Coldharbour
and Newdigate
. The pub is called The Crown; there are also several shops, a church, St John the Baptist, a Friends Meeting House
(see history below), an infant school, a garage, a cricket club and a tennis club. The village is served by Ockley railway station
on the Mole Valley Line between Dorking
and Horsham
. A bus service runs to Dorking and Horsham.
Capel civil parish covers an area of 2,613 hectares and at the 2001 census
had a population of 3,624. At the same census, the census ward Capel, Leigh and Newdigate had a population of 3,882.
The original settlement of Capel consisted of approximately 30 farms, most of which still exist today bearing the names of their tenants in the early 14th century. Timbers in some of the farmhouses have also been dated to 14th century.
In the 17th and 18th centuries Capel was the centre of a thriving Quaker community which met at the houses of the local Bax family. The Quaker Sussex Quarterly Meeting recorded the fact that Thomas Patching "who then lived at Bonwick's Place in Ifield" met with George Fox
, and then later "there was settled the first Monthly Meeting that was set up in this county .... and has since been removed to the house of Richard Bax at Capel in Surrey by reason of Thomas Patching's removing from that place". It is known that George Fox visited Surrey in 1668 and held a Meeting at Plaistow Farm, Capel, the home of Richard Bax.
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...
, southeastern 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...
, situated about 6 miles south of 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 :...
alongside the A24 road
A24 road (Great Britain)
The A24 is a major road in England. It runs south from Clapham in southwest London through Morden before entering Surrey and heading through Ewell, Epsom, Ashtead, Leatherhead and Dorking...
, and approximately 3 miles (5.5 km) from the West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
border. Neighbouring villages are Ockley
Ockley
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...
, Coldharbour
Coldharbour, Surrey
Coldharbour is a village in Surrey UK. It is situated on Leith Hill in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.Europa Oil & Gas has submitted a planning application to Surrey County Council to explore for oil and gas in Coldharbour....
and Newdigate
Newdigate
Newdigate is a village and civil parish in Surrey lying to the east of the A24 road running between Dorking and Horsham. Neighbouring villages include Charlwood, Capel and Coldharbour...
. The pub is called The Crown; there are also several shops, a church, St John the Baptist, a Friends Meeting House
Friends meeting house
A Friends meeting house is a meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends , where meeting for worship may be held.-History:Quakers do not believe that meeting for worship should take place in any special place. They believe that "where two or three meet together in my name, I am there among...
(see history below), an infant school, a garage, a cricket club and a tennis club. 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...
on the Mole Valley Line 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...
. A bus service runs to Dorking and Horsham.
Capel civil parish covers an area of 2,613 hectares and at the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
had a population of 3,624. At the same census, the census ward Capel, Leigh and Newdigate had a population of 3,882.
History
Capel was originally a chapelry of Dorking. The chapel which gives its name to the village was first mentioned in a confirmation (1129–71) of a grant to the Priory of Lewes by the Earls of Warenne consisting of 'Ecclesiam de Dorking cum Capella de la Wachna.'The original settlement of Capel consisted of approximately 30 farms, most of which still exist today bearing the names of their tenants in the early 14th century. Timbers in some of the farmhouses have also been dated to 14th century.
In the 17th and 18th centuries Capel was the centre of a thriving Quaker community which met at the houses of the local Bax family. The Quaker Sussex Quarterly Meeting recorded the fact that Thomas Patching "who then lived at Bonwick's Place in Ifield" met with George Fox
George Fox
George Fox was an English Dissenter and a founder of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as the Quakers or Friends.The son of a Leicestershire weaver, Fox lived in a time of great social upheaval and war...
, and then later "there was settled the first Monthly Meeting that was set up in this county .... and has since been removed to the house of Richard Bax at Capel in Surrey by reason of Thomas Patching's removing from that place". It is known that George Fox visited Surrey in 1668 and held a Meeting at Plaistow Farm, Capel, the home of Richard Bax.