This watercolour is the only illustration relating to Thursley to be found in the British Museum
The following was copied from the Thursley Parish Council website:
Thursley is situated in the Borough of Waverley, South West Surrey, north of the Hindhead Tunnel. Thursley parish is dissected with the village centre being just west of the A3 which runs from Portsmouth to London. Its name is believed to mean the “sacred grove of Thor” referring to the Norse God of Thunder, who was worshipped by the Anglo Saxons.
The relatively small population of approximately 650 people (272 households), live in a comparatively large parish of roughly eight square miles. The properties are located in four distinct areas: Thursley Village, Bowlhead Green, Pitch Place, and Warren Park.
The village has evolved slowly over time, with the church of St Michael and All Angels dating back, in part, to the Saxon times but later enlarged and reordered in 1860 and 1884. The centre of the village with its many listed buildings, interspersed with 18th Century, Victorian and more modern properties, is a designated Conservation Area. The Village Hall, built in 1843 of Bargate stone was originally the village school and remained so until its closure in about 1960.
Today it, along with The Three Horse Shoes public house, is very much at the centre of village life in Thursley; being used as a Nursery School in the day time and then by village organisations or to host social events in the evening or at week-ends.
The centre of Bowlhead Green is also a Conservation Area. Originally an agricultural settlement, the many listed and period buildings clearly reflect this activity. Being on the “other-side” of the A3, with its narrow lanes and high banks, it can have a quite separate feeling of identity.
Through the years the parish has seen various industries come and go. Woollen weaving took place during the 15th and 16th centuries, being replaced by iron smelting, which flourished in the 17th century. During the first half of the 19th century silk weaving took place; much of the raw silk was believed to have been smuggled from France. The surrounding Commons have also had a long relationship with the Military, being used extensively for training exercises and equipment trials during both World Wars. Tweedsmuir Camp at Thursley, named after Lord Tweedsmuir, Governor General of Canada, known to many as John Buchan the famous author, held Canadian troops until the end of the Second World War. Afterwards it became a Displaced Persons Camp for Polish nationals, many of whom chose to settle in the area.
Within the Parish boundaries are areas appreciated locally for their unspoilt nature and intrinsic beauty, which have also been recognised for their national and international significance. Thursley Common National Nature Reserve, managed by Natural England, is one of the largest remaining heathlands in Surrey with a mixture of woodland, lowland heath and mire (bog). The mire is not only a Special Area of Conservation, but also, a RAMSAR site (a wetland of international importance) supporting diverse flora and fauna. In addition, there is Hindhead Commons (partly in our Parish) and the Devil’s Punch Bowl which is owned and maintained by the National Trust and has been recently reunited by the construction of the Hindhead Tunnel which opened in 2011.
Finally, there is Hankley Common located to the north and west of Pitch Place which with its replica section of the Atlantic Wall, played a significant role in D-Day preparations, and more recently doubled as the Skyfall estate in the James Bond film of the same name. These Commons are all designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and the Parish as a whole is within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and is deemed to be an Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV).
The parish is unsurprisingly popular with walkers, many of who will follow the Greensand Way. Riders, both equestrian and on two wheels, also make use of the many byways that extend some 40 miles in total, through the parish.
Thursley residents are proud of their village and care passionately about its environment, so while they are cautious and measured in their approach to development of the village, they seek to ensure that a vibrant and viable community is maintained and further developed where possible and appropriate. A notable example would be the efforts made by parishioners to ensure the pub re-opened, after a significant period of closure, as a community-owned venture.
This article, written by Jackie Rickenberg, appeared in the Parish Magazine in February 2024
As every one of us knows, our Parish Council does a superb job of administering and governing the village and all its business. The Chairman, James, the clerk and all the councillors give of their time freely and enthusiastically to ensure this beautiful ancient village is protected and safeguarded for future generations. We probably don’t thank them enough - although I am sure they don’t do it for the self-gratification – and I’m also pretty sure they would tell you it’s a thankless task anyway! Nevertheless, as a reminder of the necessity of Parish Councils and a nod to their absolute worthiness, here is an extract from the archives dated November 1979 by C.W. Cooper:
“The Local Government Act of 1894 decreed that from henceforth the ultimate link in the chain of government should take the form of Parish Councils, the membership of which should be formed by local worthies of good standing in the community. When I was asked to contribute an article on the subject, it occurred to me that it might be of interest were I to delve into the past history of our village as it was recorded in minutes from the Parish Councils of the times”.
The first meeting of the Thursley Parish Council was on 2nd January 1895. The old Minute book makes quite fascinating reading – and one is struck by the similarity of some of the items dealt with then and today; the ever-jealous guardianship of public footpaths, the removal of fallen trees, common fires and the speed of motor traffic (this in 1908!) to name a few.
In 1897 there was concern for the victims of famine in India and a relief fund raised £27.
A tragic little piece of forgotten history is recorded in 1899. It was customary for the local bank manager to hold the post of Treasurer to the Council, and a Mr J C Collier of Capital & Counties Bank, Godalming, was so appointed at the first meeting. In the minutes for 20th April 1899 (a mere four months later) there appears this item – “Mr J.C. Collier was drowned in the wreck of the L.&S.W.R Co’s “Stella” on The Casquets, Channel Islands on or about Good Friday, 31st March 1899, and was found floating in a life-belt some days after. A.J.E”. A.J.E. was Mr A.J. Edwards, the first clerk to the council, a post he held for forty-five years until his death in 1940.
In 1898 a request was made to the Post Office for Sunday letter deliveries, which was granted. One wonders what the Post Office Union would have to say to that nowadays (remember – this was written forty-five years ago!).
Here are a few more intriguing items:
In 1900 The Institute (now Prospect Cottage) was built as a Working Men’s Club. There was a succession of caretakers and in 1910 the current incumbent, a Miss Keen, was given one months’ notice to quit as she was unable to reach the lamps in the billiard room to clean them!
1908 saw a request to the Automobile Association for the erection of danger signals at the Red Lion corner because of the excessive speeding of motor traffic.
The hot, dry summer of 1911 saw “terrible conflagrations” on the common, and Mr W K Fosberry was instructed to replace the destroyed gate to the Parish Field (gone again!).
In 1912, the Clerk had occasion to travel twice to Guildford and once to Kingston, on Council business. His total fares came to 9 shillings.
1913 saw considerable concern about the dangerous bends at Dye House Hill. Nothing much changes!
It now seems difficult to appreciate that the village had no refuse collection before 1929, when Hambleton Rural District Council undertook to provide a monthly service. From earliest days until then it had been customary to employ a man with a cart to collect bottles and tins to be dumped at various spots in the parish, one such being near Foldsdown. It was in 1929 too, that following a request from the Parish Council, it was agreed to construct the footpath from the village to the main (A3) road, and thence along past the bus stop to the bottom of the hill by Bowlhead Green turning (obviously written in days when we had buses!)
And so, one could go on, gleaning little snippets of interesting information of bygone Thursley, but I fear I have already over-stretched the space originally allowed me.
And so, to all members of the PC, carry on doing the good work on behalf of this community, you are very much appreciated.