Fernhurst
Encyclopedia
Fernhurst is a village
and civil parish
in the Chichester District
of West Sussex
, England
. It is located on the A286 Guildford
to Chichester
road, three miles (5 km) south of Haslemere
. The parish includes the settlements of Henley Common, Kingsley Green and Bell Vale and is sited within the boundaries of the South Downs National Park
.
The area of the parish is 2337 hectares (5772 acres). In the 2001 census there were 1,158 households with a total population of 2,765 of whom 1,244 were economically active.
The village is surrounded by hills, including Telegraph Hill 676 feet (206 m), Marley Heights 700 feet (213.4 m), Bexley Hill 600 feet (182.9 m), Fridays Hill 675 feet (205.7 m) and the highest hill in Sussex, Blackdown
919 feet (280.1 m) to the northeast. It is surrounded by miles of footpaths, the path to the summit of Blackdown commencing at the Red Lion.
, originally developed around crossroads (The Cross) and the village green, and ancient remains (Stone Age
and Roman
) have been found here. Iron working
took place in the 17th/18th centuries; and a turnpike
ran through the village. The church, dedicated to St Margaret, (c.1100) and Red Lion pub are located here and several old houses still remain. With the coming of the railway to Haslemere the village developed around and beyond The Cross, and since the 1960s the village has expanded further westwards. The village houses a commuter population, attracted by the proximity of Haslemere railway station
.
In November 2006 the Fernhurst Society published a book, "Voices of Fernhurst", comprising edited extracts of oral history interviews with local villagers.
The Verdley estate, about a mile south east of the village was the home of ICI
's Plant Protection Division in the 80s and subsequently a Zeneca
research and development centre.
by Anthony Salvin
in 1881. The interior is plain.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Chichester District
Chichester (district)
Chichester is a largely rural local government district in West Sussex, England. Its council is based in the city of Chichester.-History:The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of the municipal borough of Chichester and the Rural Districts of...
of 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...
, 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...
. It is located on the A286 Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
to 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...
road, three miles (5 km) south of Haslemere
Haslemere
Haslemere is a town in Surrey, England, close to the border with both Hampshire and West Sussex. The major road between London and Portsmouth, the A3, lies to the west, and a branch of the River Wey to the south. Haslemere is approximately south-west of Guildford.Haslemere is surrounded by hills,...
. The parish includes the settlements of Henley Common, Kingsley Green and Bell Vale and is sited within the boundaries of the South Downs National Park
South Downs National Park
The South Downs National Park is England's newest National Park, having become fully operational on 1 April 2011. The park, covering an area of in southern England, stretches for from Winchester in the west to Eastbourne in the east through the counties of Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex...
.
The area of the parish is 2337 hectares (5772 acres). In the 2001 census there were 1,158 households with a total population of 2,765 of whom 1,244 were economically active.
The village is surrounded by hills, including Telegraph Hill 676 feet (206 m), Marley Heights 700 feet (213.4 m), Bexley Hill 600 feet (182.9 m), Fridays Hill 675 feet (205.7 m) and the highest hill in Sussex, Blackdown
Blackdown, Sussex
Blackdown, or Black Down, is the highest hill in the historic county of Sussex, at 280 metres , and is second only to Leith Hill in southeastern England....
919 feet (280.1 m) to the northeast. It is surrounded by miles of footpaths, the path to the summit of Blackdown commencing at the Red Lion.
History
The village, on the WealdWeald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
, originally developed around crossroads (The Cross) and the village green, and ancient remains (Stone Age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
and Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
) have been found here. Iron working
Wealden iron industry
The Wealden iron industry was located in the Weald of south-eastern England. It was formerly an important industry, producing a large proportion of the bar iron made in England in the 16th century and most British cannon until about 1770. Ironmaking in the Weald used ironstone from various clay...
took place in the 17th/18th centuries; and a turnpike
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
ran through the village. The church, dedicated to St Margaret, (c.1100) and Red Lion pub are located here and several old houses still remain. With the coming of the railway to Haslemere the village developed around and beyond The Cross, and since the 1960s the village has expanded further westwards. The village houses a commuter population, attracted by the proximity of Haslemere railway station
Haslemere railway station
Haslemere railway station is a busy stop on the Portsmouth Direct Line, serving the town of Haslemere, Surrey.The large car park and industrial estate were originally large goods sidings. Platform 3 is an addition to the original structure, built in 1938 when the line was electrified...
.
In November 2006 the Fernhurst Society published a book, "Voices of Fernhurst", comprising edited extracts of oral history interviews with local villagers.
The Verdley estate, about a mile south east of the village was the home of ICI
Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries was a British chemical company, taken over by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British...
's Plant Protection Division in the 80s and subsequently a Zeneca
AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca plc is a global pharmaceutical and biologics company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's seventh-largest pharmaceutical company measured by revenues and has operations in over 100 countries...
research and development centre.
St Margaret's Church
The Anglican parish church, dedicated to St Margaret, was rebuilt in the nineteenth century, the south aisle in 1859 and the tower and spire as part of a general restorationVictorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
by Anthony Salvin
Anthony Salvin
Anthony Salvin was an English architect. He gained a reputation as an expert on medieval buildings and applied this expertise to his new buildings and his restorations...
in 1881. The interior is plain.
May Revels
Every May the traditional "Revels" fete is held on the green, raising funds for village societies and some local charities. The event includes various local May-time celebrations, such as maypole dancing, and the May queen is elected from the local school. In May 2006 a film of the village for the Meridian ITV programme "Village voices" was filmed involving the revels and local craftsmen. It was screened on 15 August 2006.Notable residents
- It is claimed that Bertrand RussellBertrand RussellBertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist, but he also admitted that he had never been any of these things...
wrote Principia MathematicaPrincipia MathematicaThe Principia Mathematica is a three-volume work on the foundations of mathematics, written by Alfred North Whitehead and Bertrand Russell and published in 1910, 1912, and 1913...
in the house "Millhangar" about a mile south east of the village. - Anthony SalvinAnthony SalvinAnthony Salvin was an English architect. He gained a reputation as an expert on medieval buildings and applied this expertise to his new buildings and his restorations...
, a notable English architect is buried in the village.
External links
- The Fernhurst Society includes a history of the village