Burstow is a village and
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
in the
Tandridge
Tandridge is a village and civil parish in the Tandridge District, in the county of Surrey, England. Its nucleus is on a rise of the Greensand Ridge between Oxted and Godstone. It includes, towards its middle one named sub-locality (hamlet), ...
district of
Surrey
Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
, England. Its largest settlement is Smallfield. Smallfield is
ENE of
Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport , also known as London Gatwick Airport (), is the Airports of London, secondary international airport serving London, West Sussex and Surrey. It is located near Crawley in West Sussex, south of Central London. In 2024, Gatwic ...
and the
M23 motorway
The M23 is a motorway in the United Kingdom, running from the south of Hooley in Surrey, where it splits from the A23 road, A23, to Pease Pottage, south of Crawley in West Sussex where it rejoins the A23.
The northern end of the motorway star ...
, southwest of
Oxted
Oxted is a town and civil parish in the Tandridge District, Tandridge district of Surrey, England. It is at the foot of the North Downs, south-east of Croydon, west of Sevenoaks, and north of East Grinstead.
Oxted is a commuter town and Ox ...
and east of
Horley
Horley is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey, England, south of the towns of Reigate and Redhill. The county border with West Sussex is to the south with Crawley and Gatwick Airport close to the town.
It has its own econ ...
.
Crawley
Crawley () is a town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in West Sussex, England. It is south of London, north of Brighton and Hove, and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Crawley covers an area of and had a populat ...
is a nearby large commercial town, southwest of Burstow and southwest of Smallfield. Towards the outside of the
London commuter belt
The London metropolitan area is the metropolitan area of London, England. It has several definitions, including the London Travel to work area, Travel to Work Area, and usually consists of the London urban area, settlements that share London' ...
, some residents commute to the capital by road or rail from here as London is to the north or
Horley railway station is accessible.
History
Etymology
Burstowe and Burghstowe appear in the (14th century); Byrstowe appears in the 15th century and Bristowe is seen as an alternative to Burstow in the 17th century.
[
]
Roman and pre-Roman settlements
No artefacts are held in or referred to in the Surrey Archaeological Society predating the Anglo Saxon
The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to Ge ...
era in this parish.
Dark and Middle Ages
The first mention of Burstow is in a church record of 1121 the north and part of the west walls of the nave, with the west half of the north wall of the chancel, are for the most part of approximately 1210 in architecture; however its listing gives its date as 12th century references including Nicholas Pevsner's Buildings of England.[St Bartholomew's Church ]
Manors
Burstow Manor
Records exist referring to this manor in the 13th century which is today the Grade II* listed building with tightly surrounding wide moat, Burstow Lodge formerly taking up the north of all the parish land.[
Stephen de Burstow, whose name appears in the seals as Stephen Fitz Hamo, held the manor in the latter part of the 12th century, and that he was succeeded by his son Roger and his grandson John, the latter holding until and during the reign of Henry III,][ his descendant John de Burstow while Lord here served with the ]Black Prince
Edward of Woodstock (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376), known as the Black Prince, was the eldest son and heir apparent of King Edward III of England. He died before his father and so his son, Richard II, succeeded to the throne instead. Edward n ...
during the wars with the French. A Charter of in 1247 gave the manor free warren
A free warren—often simply warren—is a type of Exclusive franchise or Privilege (legal ethics), privilege conveyed by a sovereign in medieval England to an English subject, promising to hold them harmless for killing game (hunting), g ...
, weekly market
Market is a term used to describe concepts such as:
*Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand
*Market economy
*Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market
*Marketing, the act of sat ...
s and an annual three-day Michaelmas
Michaelmas ( ; also known as the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, the Feast of the Archangels, or the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels) is a Christian festival observed in many Western Christian liturgical calendars on 29 Se ...
fair. In 1366 the reversion of the manor was given by Richard de Burstow to Sir Nicholas de Loveyne
Sir Nicholas de Loveyne (died 24 September 1375) was a major English property owner and courtier, who held a number of senior positions in the service of King Edward III.
Background
The parentage of Sir Nicholas de Loveyne (Lovayne/Lovaine/Lovain ...
before passing to his son-in-law, Sir Philip St Clere. When Sir Philip St. Clere died in 1408, very shortly after his wife, he was holding the manor of Burstow 'of the Archbishop of Canterbury by paying £6 yearly at his manor of Wimbledon. His second son placed the manor in trust to three trustees for his heir's benefit 'in order to defraud the King' of the fee which was payable annually on the manor. His son-in-law Sir John Gage died in possession of the manor in 1475, which passed in turn to his son William
William is a masculine given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle ...
and then to William's son, who was another Sir John Gage. Sir Edward Gage was his son and next Lord of the Manor, who as Sheriff
A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
of Surrey
Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
and Sussex
Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...
(1557–8) was instrumental in the persecution of Protestants by Mary I
Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain as the wife of King Philip II from January 1556 until her death in 1558. She made vigorous a ...
who died in his last year as sheriff; he died in 1568. His grandson sold the manor to Sir Edward Culpepper of Wakehurst holding it from 1614 to 1640 when his son Sir William Culpeper, 1st Baronet of Wakehurst (died 1651) inherited it and became a Baronet. A family asset until the fourth Baronet sold Burstow Manor in 1696 to Sir William Raines LLD, whose son sold it in 1733 to Joseph Kirke whose death led to it belonging to James Harris, after which his son Christopher ran the manor followed by his son James until 1808. Then Thomas followed by his son John Hugh Bainbridge; by 1870 it was acquired by Henry Kelsey of Burstow Park, uniting what remained of the two estates. On death in 1888 Alfred Howard Lloyd held the manor until at least 1911 and also bought Burstow Lodge.[
]
Burstow Park
Burstow Park was a detached possession of the manor of Wimbledon
Wimbledon most often refers to:
* Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London
* Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships
Wimbledon may also refer to:
Places London
* W ...
. Hubert
Hubert is a Germanic masculine given name, from ''hug'' "mind" and '' beraht'' "bright". It also occurs as a surname.
Saint Hubert of Liège (or Hubertus) (c. 656 – 30 May 727) is the patron saint of hunters, mathematicians, opticians, and m ...
who was Archbishop of Canterbury
The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...
until 1205 was mentioned as seized of this manor in a Charter relating to land to the south of Burstow Park. A commission was issued in 1328 against evildoers who had entered the parks of his manors at Croydon, Wimbledon, Wyke and Burstow. In 1531 Burstow Park was leased to Sir John Gage (see above) for 80 years, reserving (excepting) the deer to the archbishop until the following Christmas. Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556) was a theologian, leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He is honoured as a Oxford Martyrs, martyr ...
exchanged the Wimbledon manor with Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
in 1535. In 1590 Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth''
* Princess Elizabeth ...
granted to Sir Thomas Cecil and his heirs the manor of Wimbledon and "''all those our lands in Bristowe alias Burstowe called le Parke''", after whom indebted Treasurer-at-War Sir Thomas Shirley held; however his trustees released the land to Elizabeth in satisfaction of £800 11s. 8d. remaining due to her, which she then obtained from the next buyers: William Bowes and others. Passing by Quarles, Turner and Infield, Falconer and Payne in whose possession a park is mentioned as still existing in 1649. John Payne was holding it and owing to a dispute it was bought by his cousin John Smith and during this 18th century period it passed then to Walter Harris, Daniel Hailes and Thomas Dickson, in the 19th century it passed to Henry Kelsey, who died in 1827, and whose son, of Burstow Court Manor owned the estate in 1841 and held it as a farm until death in 1887 when Alfred Lloyd bought it (see above). Burstow Park is considered the manor house of Burstow Court Manor, as well as of Burstow Park, but is probably not the most ancient manor-house of the former.
Burstow Lodge
Burstow Lodge was another manor; made up of "a messuage (house), 360 acres of land, 12 acres of meadow, 10 acres of wood, and 20s" in 1329 when it was given to Roger son of Ralph Salaman, was held of the Burstow family for 26s. and in suit of manorial court.[ Later owners surnames in order were Codyington; Codyngton with an alternative surname of St Myghell; Fromond (]recusant
Recusancy (from ) was the state of those who remained loyal to the Catholic Church and refused to attend Church of England services after the English Reformation.
The 1558 Recusancy Acts passed in the reign of Elizabeth I, and temporarily repea ...
Catholics); Richard Walmesley; Lord Petre; Melancthon Saunders relation to the then Lord of the Manor of Charlwood
Charlwood is a village and civil parish in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, England. It is immediately north-west of London Gatwick Airport in West Sussex, close west of Horley and north of Crawley. The historic county boundary between Sur ...
however by 1911 it was no longer a manor.[
]
Redehall ''formerly spelt Redhall''
John de Wysham's manor of Redehall consisted in 1332 of 1 messuage, of land, acres of meadow, and 22s. rent in Burstow known as the manor of ''Redhall'' near Burstow, which he held, jointly with Hawisia his wife, of John de Burstow, his son John was knighted[ and gave it to John Pecche, ]alderman
An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...
of London. Redehall manor passed out of the hands of the Pecches and became the property of the Welles family. In 1650 it was Edward Payne the elder's and Hannah his wife's and it continued to be held by this family until the late 18th century. Thomas Holles Payne, by his will, proved in May 1800, devised the "manor of Redhall, including a capital messuage or mansion-house called Redhall, and a messuage called Cophall" to Sophia Elizabeth Beard.[ Although in 1911 the house was surrounded "by a broad moat inclosing a considerable area of ground"][ a development of smaller houses has replaced it in Burstow.][
]
Post Reformation
John Flamsteed
John Flamsteed (19 August 1646 – 31 December 1719) was an English astronomer and the first Astronomer Royal. His main achievements were the preparation of a 3,000-star catalogue, ''Catalogus Britannicus'', and a star atlas called '' Atlas ...
, astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...
and cleric
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
was rector of Burstow from 1684 until his death in 1719, was appointed in 1675 by Charles II to be the first Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal is a senior post in the Royal Households of the United Kingdom. There are two officers, the senior being the astronomer royal dating from 22 June 1675; the junior is the astronomer royal for Scotland dating from 1834. The Astro ...
. His accurate measurements of star positions and the movements of the moon, made in the newly opened Royal Observatory, Greenwich
The Royal Observatory, Greenwich (ROG; known as the Old Royal Observatory from 1957 to 1998, when the working Royal Greenwich Observatory, RGO, temporarily moved south from Greenwich to Herstmonceux) is an observatory situated on a hill in Gre ...
, contributed to making possible the safe navigation of shipping around the world. Flamsteed is buried in Burstow Church and a star that commemorates him is in the large window above the altar. Before the charity commission amalgamated most charities in 1908 there were local charities for the poor. In 1718 John Flamsteed left money to buy new coats for two poor Christian people – in 1728 his widow Margaret Flamsteed left money for clothing for two poor women.[ In 1975 a Flamsteed festival took place in the village.
Smallfield had its own smithy where horses were shod and other work was carried out. This stood in Weatherhill Road opposite where the present bus shelter stands, and in its place are ]Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British monarchs of the House of Han ...
, classical-style houses.
Post Industrial Revolution
Although there was a marked period of growing population and industrialization in Britain, in 1911 the entire parish was described by a topographer as "purely agricultural, with a few brickfield
A brickfield is a field or other open site where bricks are made. Land may be leased by an owner to a brickmaster, by whom the manufacture of bricks may be conducted.
Historically, the topsoil was typically removed and the clay beneath was str ...
s" – which was due to accessible underlying clay in parts of the parish.[ The village was as then not at all compact; there were a few houses near the church, others spread to north or south or were a few scattered farms.][ In 1911 Copthorne (Sussex) was briefly, as not historically before then, included in the parish.][
The decorated ]Second Boer War
The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...
and World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
officer Alexander Kearsey was born at Burstow Hall just west of the border in the west of Shipley Bridge neighbourhood in Crawley district.
Smallfield Hospital was built early in World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
on land beside Broadbridge Lane for use by the Canadian Army to treat their wartime casualties and briefly served as a state-run hospital. In 1962 it was used in filming a scene of ''The Password is Courage'' which starred Dirk Bogarde
Sir Dirk Bogarde (born Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde; 28 March 1921 – 8 May 1999) was an English actor, novelist and screenwriter. Initially a matinée idol in films such as ''Doctor in the House (film), Doctor in the Hous ...
. In its place is the 'Canadian' housing estate: Toronto Drive, Ontario Drive and Alberta Drive are named for the many Canadians who used the hospital during the war.
By 1911 there were Baptist chapels at Burstow and at Fernhill, and a mission room near Smallfield.[ The hamlet of Fernhill was moved into West Sussex and the Borough of Crawley in 1990.]
Geography
Burstow village centre which consists of the south of Redehall Road, east of Broadbridge Lane and of Church Street (at the centre of the ecclesiastical parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
which covers the south of the civil parish) are south of Smallfield village, which is its largest settlement.[A Church Near You, ecclesiastical parish finder]
the Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
.
Burstow stream and Copthorne stream rise near the parish in West Sussex
West Sussex is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Surrey to the north, East Sussex to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Hampshire to the west. The largest settlement is Cr ...
and join in fields by Wellfield Copse just before entering the parish, passing by Shipley Bridge lane, where a its bridge running east–west towards Shipley Bridge neighbourhood which straddles the border with Horley
Horley is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey, England, south of the towns of Reigate and Redhill. The county border with West Sussex is to the south with Crawley and Gatwick Airport close to the town.
It has its own econ ...
then passing between Mushroom Farm, Church Lane and the two abandoned moated sites by the Church and large Rectory, which is now two buildings.[
Smallfield commences directly east of the M23 which bypasses Redhill and ]Crawley
Crawley () is a town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in West Sussex, England. It is south of London, north of Brighton and Hove, and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Crawley covers an area of and had a populat ...
. Above much of the green buffers of the parish is the take-off/landing flight path to Gatwick Airport, to the west.[ The nearest larger settlement is ]Horley
Horley is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey, England, south of the towns of Reigate and Redhill. The county border with West Sussex is to the south with Crawley and Gatwick Airport close to the town.
It has its own econ ...
, some 2 miles or 3 km to the west.
Elevation, geology and soil
Elevations vary from 101m in the south east corner of the relatively rectangular area to 59m AOD where the Burstow stream leaves in the north west corner of the parish.
Across the northern part of the parish a ridge of higher land runs from east to west, formed by a bed of Paludina limestone. It yields stone, usually called Sussex marble, which is susceptible of being polished; but, as is generally the case in the Surrey examples of this stone, it is too friable for architectural work.[ The soil part of a wide to band south of the ]Greensand Ridge
The Greensand Ridge, also known as the Wealden Greensand, is an extensive, prominent, often wooded, mixed greensand/sandstone escarpment in south-east England. Forming part of the Weald, a former dense forest in Sussex, Surrey and Kent, it ...
of "slowly permeable loamy/clayey slightly acid but base-rich soil"
Localities
Smallfield
Smallfield derives its name from a narrow piece of land (Saxon ''smæl feld'') donated by Lord Burghersh to John de Burstow in thanks for war assistance rendered – see Smallfield Place.
Burstow Primary School, or simply Burstow School, the largest state school in the parish, is in the middle of the neighbourhood.
Aurora Redehall School has occupied the original state school building, which was built before Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, since the 1970s. This building was also known as The Gables.[
]
Keeper's Corner
Keeper's Corner is the southerly part of the village. On the south side of its 'corner' crossroads is[Keeper's Cottage ] and opposite it are allotment gardens for the center of the settlement.[ Built around 1700 with early 20th extensions, the small house has ]lucarne
In general architecture a lucarne is a dormer window. The term is borrowed from , which refers to a dormer window, usually one set into the middle of a roof although it can also apply to a façade lucarne, where the gable of the lucarne is aligne ...
windows and is part timber-frame on a plinth
A pedestal or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In civil engineering, it is also called ''basement''. The minimum height o ...
, late use timber frame design was often seen as this is part of the timber-frame prevalent region named the Weald
The Weald () is an area of South East England between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It crosses the counties of Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex, and Kent. It has three parts, the sandstone "High W ...
.[
]
Shipley Bridge
Shipley Bridge forms the western border settlement of the village – there is a public house here along Antlands Lane East which is its narrow main street between both sides of the small community, straddling the M23 motorway
The M23 is a motorway in the United Kingdom, running from the south of Hooley in Surrey, where it splits from the A23 road, A23, to Pease Pottage, south of Crawley in West Sussex where it rejoins the A23.
The northern end of the motorway star ...
which has a neat parabolic arch
A parabolic arch is an arch in the shape of a parabola.Article about parabolic arch by The Free DictionaryParabolic arch , Article about parabolic arch by The Free Dictionary accessdate: March 2, 2017 In structures, their curve represents an effi ...
bypass for the main through road that west of here divides in a T-junction towards Horley
Horley is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey, England, south of the towns of Reigate and Redhill. The county border with West Sussex is to the south with Crawley and Gatwick Airport close to the town.
It has its own econ ...
/motorway access to the north and Pound Hill
Pound Hill is one of 14 neighbourhoods within the town of Crawley in West Sussex, England. Pound Hill is located on the east of Crawley. It is bordered by Three Bridges and Manor Royal to the west and Maidenbower to the south.
It is the large ...
, Crawley
Crawley () is a town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in West Sussex, England. It is south of London, north of Brighton and Hove, and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Crawley covers an area of and had a populat ...
to the south. A second residential road is on the Burstow side of the Horley parish border, Green Lane, which leads up to Mushroom farm and the confluence already mentioned.
Sanger's Circus had winter quarters for its animals at Burstow Lodge (at the northern end of Chapel Road) from the early 1900s until around 1940. It has been recorded that the elephants were used for ploughing land in the area.
Landmarks
Church of St Bartholomew
The only Anglican church referred to above dates from the 12th century. An east window with an imposing star in the chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...
commemorates John Flamsteed
John Flamsteed (19 August 1646 – 31 December 1719) was an English astronomer and the first Astronomer Royal. His main achievements were the preparation of a 3,000-star catalogue, ''Catalogus Britannicus'', and a star atlas called '' Atlas ...
, who is buried there with his wife. A noteworthy piece of timber construction, probably of 16th-century date, forms the tower; the supporting beams and posts being "very massive" according to the topographer and historian Malden. The benefice
A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...
is a rectory
A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant's ministry. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, p ...
. Tithe
A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Modern tithes are normally voluntary and paid in money, cash, cheques or v ...
s were commuted for £600 and in 1848 the glebe
A glebe (, also known as church furlong, rectory manor or parson's close(s)) is an area of land within an ecclesiastical parish used to support a parish priest. The land may be owned by the church, or its profits may be reserved to the church. ...
was 43 acres, however, none is referred to in 1911.[
The church was restored in 1884, a new roof and the south porch being added by Benjamin Edmund Ferrey.] All six bells in the tower were recast between 1899 and 1906, when they were inscribed with their dates and with what medieval inscriptions of the makers they replaced.[
]
Smallfield Place
One of five moated buildings in the parish including the court to the west, this is the tallest extending for more than half to three storeys. Altered in an ornate style the ashlar
Ashlar () is a cut and dressed rock (geology), stone, worked using a chisel to achieve a specific form, typically rectangular in shape. The term can also refer to a structure built from such stones.
Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, a ...
structure has embattled
A battlement, in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals t ...
angle bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room. A bow window is a form of bay with a curve rather than angular facets; an oriel window is a bay window that does not touch the g ...
s rising through just two storeys to left end. Smallfield Place has at its core a Jacobean manor built 1600 by Edward Bysshe's father on a land, the earlier promised a gift of some ''small field'' or piece of land in return for services rendered by John de Burstow during the reign of Edward III
Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...
in the Hundred Years War
The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of England and France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy of Aquitaine and was triggered by a c ...
to a fellow army knight Lord Burghersh.[
Smallfield Place was where Edward Bysshe was born in 1615; he was knighted in 1661, in which year he made additions to the house, which bore that date. Owen Manning states that part of the house was pulled down, the remainder being occupied in his time as a farm, and owned by ]Isaac Martin Rebow
Isaac Martin Rebow (28 November 1731 – 3 October 1781) was a British landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1755 and 1781.
Early life
Rebow was born on 28 November 1731, the son of Isaac Lemyng Rebow, MP and his wi ...
who died in 1781. His daughter Mary Hester married General Francis Slater, who took the name of Rebow and owned Smallfield Place in 1841. He died in 1845. By a second wife his son in law John Gurdon inherited, who also took the name of Rebow. He died in 1870. His son was Hector John Gurdon Rebow, from whom William Leslie Moore, the present owner, bought Smallfield Place in 1898.
Burstow Lodge
This 15th century timber framed
Timber framing () and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs. If the struc ...
-above and whitewashed brick cladding-below medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
hall house
The hall house is a type of vernacular house traditional in many parts of England, Wales, Ireland and lowland Scotland, as well as northern Europe, during the Middle Ages, centring on a hall. Usually timber-framed, some high status examples wer ...
has a Grade II* listing. A moat surrounds with small bridge to the front.
See manors above for further history.
Culture and community
On an end wall of Centenary Hall in Wheelers Lane (erected in 1994 and marking the centenary of Burstow Parish Council), there are mosaics designed and made by local residents. These celebrate some of the rich variety of places, events and activities that have gone to make up Burstow, Smallfield and Keepers Corner.[
Many of the local clubs and societies, old-established and new, contribute to the strong community spirit that exists in the village.][
]
Heatherley Cheshire Home
In the south a Leonard Cheshire
Geoffrey Leonard Cheshire, Baron Cheshire, (7 September 1917 – 31 July 1992) was a British Royal Air Force pilot, officer and philanthropist.
Cheshire fought in the Second World War. Among the decorations Cheshire received as a pilot w ...
disability nursing home opened in 1961 set in [ is within the parish.][ This has forty single rooms, the Leonard Cheshire foundation's mission to provide conditions necessary for their physical, mental and spiritual well-being of disabled people.][Leonard Cheshire Disability]
/ref>Housing Care – a review of Leonard Cheshire nursing home
/ref>
Sport
Smallfield Football Club is the only football club in the parish, a successful amateur team competing in county leagues at senior and junior level. They won the ''Redhill & District Saturday Football League'' and ''Surrey County FA – Junior Cup'' for 2010–11 and a Senior Cup again in the 2011–2012 season.
Smallfield Cricket Club plays at the same Plough Road Ground as the Football Club above. They play two teams in the Mid-Sussex League, 1st team in division 2 and 2nd team in division 5, and a friendly side playing mainly Sundays. It has web-based administration.
The football and cricket clubs form the Smallfield Sports Association who lease the ground from Tandridge District Council and run the facilities at the ground and in the pavilion which was totally refurbished in 1999.
Smallfield Raceway, an oval-shaped dirt track, has staged banger racing
Banger racing is a type of motorsport event in which Car, automobiles, traditionally derelict or totalled classic cars from scrapyards, are Auto racing, raced on Oval track racing, oval, tri-oval, or Figure 8 racing, figure-eight race tracks o ...
since the late 1970s.
Local government
3 councillors sit on Tandridge
Tandridge is a village and civil parish in the Tandridge District, in the county of Surrey, England. Its nucleus is on a rise of the Greensand Ridge between Oxted and Godstone. It includes, towards its middle one named sub-locality (hamlet), ...
District Council, who are:
Smallfield is part of the Lingfield Lingfield can refer to:
* Lingfield, County Durham, England, a village
* Lingfield, Surrey, England, a village
** Lingfield Park Racecourse
** Lingfield Cricket Club, prominent in the 18th century
** Lingfield railway station, serving the villag ...
division on Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council is the county council for the non-metropolitan county of Surrey, England. The council is composed of 81 elected councillors, and in all but one election since 1974 the Conservative Party has held the majority.
The leader ...
. It is represented by Lesley Steeds of the Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
group.
Transport
Roads
Smallfield is east of Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport , also known as London Gatwick Airport (), is the Airports of London, secondary international airport serving London, West Sussex and Surrey. It is located near Crawley in West Sussex, south of Central London. In 2024, Gatwic ...
and the M23 motorway
The M23 is a motorway in the United Kingdom, running from the south of Hooley in Surrey, where it splits from the A23 road, A23, to Pease Pottage, south of Crawley in West Sussex where it rejoins the A23.
The northern end of the motorway star ...
, southwest of Oxted
Oxted is a town and civil parish in the Tandridge District, Tandridge district of Surrey, England. It is at the foot of the North Downs, south-east of Croydon, west of Sevenoaks, and north of East Grinstead.
Oxted is a commuter town and Ox ...
and east of Horley
Horley is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey, England, south of the towns of Reigate and Redhill. The county border with West Sussex is to the south with Crawley and Gatwick Airport close to the town.
It has its own econ ...
.
A junction of the M23 motorway
The M23 is a motorway in the United Kingdom, running from the south of Hooley in Surrey, where it splits from the A23 road, A23, to Pease Pottage, south of Crawley in West Sussex where it rejoins the A23.
The northern end of the motorway star ...
is [Grid reference Finder measurement tools]
/ref> west at Gatwick
Gatwick Airport , also known as London Gatwick Airport (), is the secondary international airport serving London, West Sussex and Surrey. It is located near Crawley in West Sussex, south of Central London. In 2024, Gatwick was the second-bu ...
.
History of development of roads
All the original tracks in the area ran north–south – for example, the lanes to Outwood and Bletchingley/Blechingley – so they tend to be narrow and winding. The east–west roads tend to be wider and straighter as they were not constructed until much later – a narrow humpback bridge built over Burstow Stream saw many cars bump until it was replaced in the mid-1960s.[Map]
created by Ordnance Survey
The Ordnance Survey (OS) is the national mapping agency for Great Britain. The agency's name indicates its original military purpose (see Artillery, ordnance and surveying), which was to map Scotland in the wake of the Jacobite rising of ...
, courtesy of English Heritage
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...
Rail
Car parking at Horley station is at £6.50 at the time of writing for 24 hours. No more than 80 spaces exist therefore giving relatively limited railside car parking working on a first-come, first-served basis.[
The average level of accommodation in the region composed of detached houses was 28%, the average that was apartments was 22.6%.
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).
]
Other notable residents
*John Flamsteed
John Flamsteed (19 August 1646 – 31 December 1719) was an English astronomer and the first Astronomer Royal. His main achievements were the preparation of a 3,000-star catalogue, ''Catalogus Britannicus'', and a star atlas called '' Atlas ...
, Astronomer and Rector of Burstow.
* Matthieu Hartley, born in Burstow, member of the band ''The Cure
The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Reev ...
'' 1979–80.
*Robert Shearman
Robert Charles Shearman, sometimes credited as Rob Shearman, is an English television, radio, stage play and short story writer. He is known for his World Fantasy Award-winning short stories, as well as his work for ''Doctor Who'', and his as ...
, Writer of Dark Fantasy and Doctor Who, attended Burstow School.
See also
* List of places of worship in Tandridge (district)
Notes and references
;Notes
;References
External links
Burstow Parish Council
*
*http://www.smallfieldcricket.net
{{authority control
Civil parishes in Surrey
Villages in Surrey
Tandridge