Worplesdon

Worplesdon is a village 3.1 miles (5.0 km)

South of Broad Street, east of Wood Street Village on a farm in Broad Street Common are ruins of a Roman Villa – for further details see the Guildford article, as it is directly by the major town's western edge however in this parish.

Worplesdon has a Grade I

The parish was divided into four tithings: Perry Hill, about the hill on which the church stands; Burpham, on the east side; West End; and Wyke. The last, which was separated from the rest of the parish, was added to Ash in 1890.^[7]

Later Manors

Frenches

The reputed and lost Frenches manor represented the knight's fee held there by Richard le French in 1349. In 1402 John French released the manor of Frenches to Robert Oyldesborough, brewer, of London, having briefly been held by William Hamonde, probably in trust and passed to Robert Russell in 1598. It is probably represented by Russell Place Farm. Anthony Russell was living in Worplesdon when Symmes wrote, about 1676.^[7]

Merist Wood

In 1582 the queen, by charter, granted a lease to George More of Loseley of Merest Wood described as 82 acres (33 ha) of wood and wooded ground in the

In 1279 William of Wyke was holding this westerly manor. Divided between descendants Katerina, Joan and Christine in 1353, under the legal principle of female inheritance, "in moieties". Part holders' surnames thereafter included: Logge, Osbaldeston, Harding, Parker, Manory, Vyne, White in 1580 and in 1584 sold outright to William Harding, who thus acquired the whole again. Henceforth it descended with the manor of Claygate in Ash, Surrey.^[7]

Post-Industrial Revolution

Adjacent to the church a London to Portsmouth

In 1911 the Victoria County History's guide to the area included the agricultural and economic description:

The village and church stand upon an abrupt hill of Bagshot sand (the Bracklesham Beds), but round it the soil is lower Bagshot sand. To the south the parish is on the London Clay...There are brick and tile works, and cement works in the parish, and nursery gardens. It is otherwise agricultural, and a great part of it is waste land. Whitmoor and Broad Street Commons are extensive wastes.^[7]

This pinpoints the area's sands (and hence its low agricultural natural fertility) as being key to Worpledon's abundance of

In the 2021 Census, the parish was given an estimated population of 8,500, which is almost identical to the 2011 census figure.^{[9][failed verification]}

Landmarks and amenities

Whitmoor Common

A large common is at the heart of the parish that has mixed landscapes of heather, copses of woodland, grasslands and bracken.

Clustered around the village centre and its lightly developed localities are heavily wooded commons, managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust, including Broadstreet & Backside Commons, Stringer's Common, Littlefield Common, Whitmoor/Whitmore Common, Jordan Hill, Rickford Common, and Chitty's Common.

Memorial hall and recreational grounds

Worplesdon is served by the Worplesdon Memorial Hall,^[10] built in 1922 to recall those who died in World War I; it and the adjacent recreation grounds are managed by trustees representing the donors and the Parish Council. A caretaker lives nearby. Beside the Hall are a playground and tennis and cricket facilities. There are a large events room, a meeting room, and the Sidney Sime Memorial Gallery.

Hotel and convenience shopping

Worplesdon itself has few shopping facilities; however it has the Worplesdon Place Hotel and the rail station 1.2 miles (1.9 km) north-east of the village centre.

Wood Street Village and Stoughton amenities

In the 2021 census, it was found that 88.2% of residents live in a house or bungalow, which is 10.8% higher than the national average; 10% of residents live in a flat or maisonette,12.2% lower than the national average, and 1.7% live in a caravan or mobile home.^[9]

83% of residents were born in the UK and 17% were not, which is on a par with the average for England.^[9]

The religious make-up of the parish population is as follows:

Nearest Settlements

Education

• A wood and pond
• Plant nursery
• Arboriculture training area
• Equestrian centre
• Golf course
• Mixed farm

The village's Perry Hill School closed in 1976 to be replaced by Worplesdon Primary in Fairlands. Worplesdon Primary School caters for 539 students from the ages of 4–11. The head teacher is Mrs K O'Brien.^[15]

Youth outreach

The

The Worplesdon and Burpham Cricket Club[17] traces its origins to 1890,^[18] and Worplesdon & Burpham CC was established in 1999 following the merger of Worplesdon CC and Burpham CC.

There are two teams playing on Saturday in the Fullers Brewery Surrey County League and one team on Sunday playing in The Village League. A new pavilion was opened in 2008 providing much larger facilities, a brand new bar and kitchen to supply the all-important cricket teas and post-game drinks.

Directions Take the A322 leaving Guildford towards Bagshot. When you enter the village of Worplesdon (signposted and still on the A322) the ground is on the left hand side (with the entrance in the lay-by), 100 yards past the Worplesdon Place Hotel.

Other Sports

There is also Worplesdon Phoenix FC playing in the Surrey Counties Intermediate League and Guildford and Woking Alliance League^[19] and, since 1991, Worplesdon Tennis Club,^[20] with a new clubhouse (2005).

Worplesdon Rangers FC^[21] is another football club based in and around the parish; the club was founded in 2001 and caters for pre-reception to Under 18 age-groups playing in the Surrey Primary League. Committee meetings are held monthly at Jacobs Well Village Hall.

Notable residents

• Thomas Comber, Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, rector of Worplesdon (1615–42)^[7]
• William Ingalton (1794–1866), painter and builder^[22]
• Stephen Smith, early
  Quaker
  , gave Friends' Burial Ground (buried there 1672) (sold 1852).
• John Burton, founding trustee for the colony of Georgia, theologian and rector of Worplesdon (1766–71).^[7]
• Sir J. L. Walker, CIE of Worplesdon Place (1911);

In the early 20th century, Worplesdon was home to the artist Sidney Sime, best known for magazine illustration and work in the books of the varied, particularly fantasy, author Lord Dunsany.

In his later life

The following have received the Freedom of the Parish of Worplesdon.

• Sandra A. Morgan: 28 November 2021.^[27]

References