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This article by Jackie Rickenberg was published in the Parish Magazine, May 2023 Many of us will be aware of the construction traffic around the outskirt of the village, relating to the work currently being done at Hammer Pond. If you have ventured close to the site (but still safely behind the surrounding barriers!), you, like me, may be surprised at the sheer scale of the project. But what are they actually doing? And what is the Hammer Pond? And why is this work necessary? All questions I ask myself regularly – and so, my attempt to make things a little bit clearer. Firstly, what is a “Hammer Pond”. There are innumerable references to hammer ponds and hammer woods all over the south-east of England. Most of these lakes are at least partially accessible, and blessed with an abundance of waterfowl and other wildlife. However, the historical origins of these waters were grimily practical rather than scenic or tranquil. ‘Hammer’ ponds are not natural lakes but dammed streams and rivers, crucial to the Tudor and Stuart iron industry that was established within the High Weald of Kent and Sussex, and adjacent parts of Surrey and Hampshire. The Weald was a major iron-producing region long before the Romans arrived, due to its abundant clay ironstone deposits. Smelting sites were determined by the quality of local ore, and the convenient location of other raw materials. These included naturally heat-resistant clay, or later sandstone, to construct furnace hearths, and ample supplies of wood to make charcoal for fuel. Water was essential for cooling the iron and the High Weald enjoys many swift streams in deep, densely wooded valleys, known locally as ‘ghylls’, which eventually played a pivotal role. From the end of the 15th century new developments in the industry required many of these to be damned, and the heads of water that built up used to turn waterwheels. The wheels powered furnace bellows more effectively, and also drove huge forge hammers which pounded pig iron into refined bars. Hence Furnace and Hammer/Forge Ponds. Thursley’s Hammer Pond There are three forge ponds in the Thursley National Nature Reserve. The Upper Hammer Pond has a bridge and a small spillway and is fed by a stream running northwards through a chain of ponds from Hindhead Common, via Cosford House, under the A3, and in turn feeds the (restored) Lower Hammer Pond and Forge Pond. Nearby Coldharbour Hammer Pond runs on a different stream east of the other hammer ponds, and lies partly in Thursley and partly in Witley. Warren Mere Lake, just north of here, was not connected to the iron works although there was a Witley Park Furnace further south, circa 1673, but the pond is long gone. A postcard from the 1920s The ironworks. The ironworks were situated near a brook on Thursley Common, which was widened in places to make the ponds, known as the Hammer Ponds. These were used for producing power for the hammer and for cooling the iron as it was smelted. The first reference to ironworks here was dated 1574. Thursley Common and the Devil’s Punchbowl possessed both iron ore for smelting and peat and wood for fuel. Peat was used to overcome the shortage of timber which beset the industry in the 16th century (no doubt as a result of the shipbuilding industry – the Mary Rose, Henry V111’s grand flagship, was built between 1509-1511 in nearby Portsmouth). Maverick ironmasters were punished by the King in an attempt to stop the destruction of timber. William Yalden, a Thursley ironmaster received a Royal Pardon in 1640 for offences committed before 1636 in destroying woods for smelting iron. During this time the industry was flourishing with contracts with the Navy for canon and shot. A lease survives, dated 1610 that refers to the Thursley works as “lately erected” and in 1617 the ironworks were leased for a yearly rental of £95. By 1666, they were let to William Yalden for £10 per annum, an indication that the demand for Wealdon iron was decreasing. Gradually, the iron industry with its attendant occupation of charcoal burning, died out - although the Thursley ironworks were the last to work in Surrey - and by the end of the 18th century, very little iron was worked. At the beginning of the 19th century, 1805 in fact, crape weaving took the place of iron smelting, and the mills were also built near the Hammer Ponds. Crape was a gauze like fabric with a wrinkled surface, or imitation silk, much used for mourning dress. Much raw silk was reputedly smuggled from France, then onto Dye House, where it was dyed before disposal. Today in the vicinity of the Hammer Pond one can find Silk Mill House and Cottages and, in the village, of course, Dye House. It is generally accepted that the first four cottages in The Lane were used as workshops, connected with the industry, while the cottages above them, on Dye House Rd, were the dwelling houses of the workmen. These industries brought prosperity and employment to the area. The ironmasters belonged to the local gentry and lived in large houses e.g. Rake and Heath Hall. Present day. Following heavy rains in December 2013 that washed away a section of the Upper Hammer Pond dam and emptied the pond, a section through the earthwork of the dam was exposed that revealed the major elements of its construction. Evidence was recorded that suggested the dam may have been rebuilt on a number of occasions. This latest project to rebuild has been a long time in the planning due to ecological restraint’s – work was only possible outside of the ground nesting bird season – and environmental requirements. Both Natural England and the Environment Agency, working alongside Waverley Borough Council and, of course, our own Parish Council, have finally come together to restore the historically significant ponds. Work has been ongoing since the 1st September 2022 and although it should have finished by 31st March, it has overrun by two months due to unforeseen problems. However, come 31st May, it is hoped our common can be reclaimed from the diggers and trucks and once more peace and tranquillity will be restored. And more importantly, Hammer Ponds and the surrounding properties will be safeguarded and restored to their formal glories for years to come. The following photographs were taken by Sean Edwards: From The Parish Magazine, April 1981:

Work in Progress: see separate entry for Smallbrook Farm . SMALLBROOK FARM Smallbrook Farm, North side, October 1996 SMALLBROOK COTTAGE Lynne, Adrian. and Sebastian Stewart lived here in 1996 Other owners include: Daw LITTLE SHAVINGS Little Shavings. Surnames of previous owners include: Hughes; Moore; Thomas Little Shavings, October 1996 SMALLBROOK BARN AND STUDIO HAYBARN Haybarn, North side Haybarn Garden Shelter Other owners include: Blixen-Finnicke

Three village calendars were produced in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and were sponsored by The Guildford Flames and The Three Horseshoes. Then there was a hiatus until 2023 when they were produced by the village hall committee and sponsored by Mathwall, The Three Horseshoes and Butterflies Nursery School. Photographs for 2010, 2001 and 2012 were contributed by: David Beechey, David Brickwood, Pat Clake, Bryony Chapman, Sarah Dashwood, Sean Edwards, Liz Ethrington, Nadine Froggatt, Alastair Graham Stewart, Jerry Horwood, Peter Hunter, Simon Hall, David Johnston, Arthur Lindley, Nicky Perkins, Sally Scheffers, Georgina Skinner, Lynn Skinner, Philip Traill and Tim Walsh. Photographs for 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 were contributed by: Clea Beechey, Lucy Brooks, Oakley Brooks, Anthea Croft, Manda Dinsmore, Gillian Duke, Sean Edwards, Cameron Ferris, Valérie Ferris, Amanda Flint, James Giles, Doug Gordon, Jenny Gordon, Amanda Hall, Carrie Hesmondhalgh Jerry Horwood, Andrii Kaplanovskyi, Caroline Mardon, Chris McClements, Neil McIntyre, Sarah O’Brien,  Josh Owen, Rich Owen, Michelle Presley, Miriam Sharland, Richard Symonds, Tamsin Taylor Mathews, Tim Wakeley, Stephen Walsh.

WORK IN PROGRESS: See separate entries for The Old Parsonage, St Michael & All Angles, Upper Highfield, Lower Highfield, Hedge Farm, Hall Farm Barns, Hill Farm House: *denotes separate entry Photograph by Sean Edwards THE OLD PARSONAGE* ST MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS* Photograph by Andrew Kaplanovsky HILL FARM HOUSE* Photograph by Sean Edwards Highfield Bungalows and Cottages. Photograph by Jill Fry Photographs by Sean Edwards HIGHFIELD BUNGALOWS 1 Highfield Bungalows, the home of Adrian, Teresa and George Linegar in 1997 2 Highfield Bungalows, this photograph of Ray and Peggy Stokes was taken in 1993 4 Highfield Bungalows, Eddie Gale photographed in 1997 Eddie Gale Mr & Mrs Arthur Gale on his son Jim's motorcycle outside Highfield Bungalows. Nos 3 & 4 Highfield Bungalows. Surnames of previous owners of No3 include: Winter and Dobson; of No4 include Avis, Woodger, Grant and Gale These, more recent photographs, were taken by Sean Edwards: HILL FARM COTTAGES HILL FARM BARNS* Photograph by Sean Edwards COPPER BEECHES Sale particulars in September 2025: https://www.knightfrank.co.uk/properties/residential/for-sale/highfield-lane-thursley-godalming-surrey-gu8/gld012456244 THREE ACRES Thursley born and bred at Three Acres HALYCYON FIELDS, formerly THE BRIARY Information to come Brian and Mary Sharp, The Briary, 1997 AMBLESIDE Sale particulars in September 2025: https://www.knightfrank.co.uk/properties/residential/for-sale/highfield-lane-thursley-godalming-surrey-gu8/gld012510005 FOUR WINDS Taken from 2018 sale particulars. View of Four Winds from Highfield Lane HOMEFIELD Dick Winter and wife, Homefield Cottages HILL HOUSE David and Catherine Phillimore, 1997 Surnames of previous owners of Hill House include: Middleton; Drewery; Edwards; RONARY Ronary Bungalow was built in 1994 and named after Mary Rapley's original home nearby Mary Rapley, 1994 HILLDOWN Home of the Smarts and the Emersics in 1997 Anne Marie Emersic lives there now LOWER HIGHFIELD FARM* UPPER HIGHFIELD FARM* UPPER HIGHFIELD COTTAGE Sale particulars prepared by Knight Frank in 2024: LITTLE COWDRAY FARM COWDRAY CROSS Cowdray Cross under construction.

Upper Highfield Farm is a timber-framed, smoke-bay house that dates from the second half of the 16th century. Grade II listed building (9 March 1960) The entry below was published by SurreyLive under the heading "Secrets of a farmhouse at Thursley: https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/local-news/secrets-farmhouse-thursley-4845854 UPPER  Highfield Farm in Thursley has a fascinating history. The farmhouse was, at one time, owned by a school. In 1913 a folk song collector visited one of its tenants and noted down three traditional songs. House detective Philip Gorton has been researching its history for the current owners. He has found out a lot, but there are still details that need to be uncovered and clarified. Here is what he has discovered so far. Situated on the lane to the Devils’ Punchbowl, Highfield Farm is a timber-framed, smoke-bay house that dates from the second half of the 16th century when it was occupied by Richard Boxfold. From then, until 1951, it was owned by various landlords and has been the home of a succession of tenant farmers. By 1662 the chimney had been built and, during the next decade, a second fireplace was built upstairs in the bedchamber for which the tenant, Richard Haddington, was charged an extra 2 shillings per year in Hearth Tax. Perhaps it was to celebrate his latest home improvement that he burnt his initials on to the hearth beam with his cattle branding iron! In 1704, the farm was bought by the trustees of the newly founded Robert May’s School in Odiham. It was a small school with about 20 boys on roll and the rents of the farm went to maintain the building, to provide free education and to fund apprenticeships. The archives of the school record their stewardship of the farm, the continual need for maintenance and relations with its various tenants. Maria Karn came to the farm with her husband Joseph in 1822 and was widowed with two small children 10 years later. Their letters to the trustees reveal how Mr and Mrs Karn struggled to make a living and pay their rent during the agricultural depression that followed the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815. The records show that Maria continued to run the farm through the “Hungry 30s”, supplementing her living by baking and selling bread. Upper Highfield was in the ownership of the school for more than 150 years until Mrs Karn left and the Cosford House estate bought the farm in 1857. Edward Baker and family at Upper Highfield Farm dated 1904. There were 10 children. Surnames of previous owners include: E Baker; J Baker; Wilton; Abels Studio portrait of Edward Baker probably with two of his daughters A series of short-term tenants followed until 1885 when Edward Baker came to the farm.In 1913, a folksong collector visited Edward and noted down three of his traditional songs, John Barleycorn, The Sweet Nightingale and The Cuckoo. It has been many decades since these songs, which reflect Mr Baker’s world and way of life, were sung within the walls of Upper Highfield Farm.  Edward Baker in the early 1930s. He was 91 when he died and he never went to church, not even to give his daughters away. From the Surrey Advertiser, 4th November 2005. Edward Baker remained at Upper Highfield until his death in the mid 1930s when his son, John, took on the tenancy.It says a lot for the continuity of rural life that he was farming the same 33 acres of land during the Second World War that were tenanted by Richard Boxfold four centuries earlier.  Edward and John Baker in the 1920's Miss E Baker John Baker Snr, plowing at Upper Highfield in the 1920's Philip Gorton is a professional researcher who specialises in the history of houses. A recent project is the history of Upper Highfield Farm. He would like to speak to anyone who may have family connections, memories or pictures of the farm or its former inhabitants.He is particularly keen to contact descendants of Edward Baker. If you are able to help in any way, he will be very grateful if you could contact him. Write to him at 11 Orchardfield Road, Godalming GU7 3PB or ring 01483 420763. His website is: www.house-history-research.co.uk Upper Highfield Farm as it is today Previous owners of Upper Highfield Farm include: Baker; Abels; Robertson; Leavitt; Anderson; Cooper; Axtell Art from a fallen beech try carved by Patrick Daw

This remarkable collection of old postcards was put together over many years by Kay Cottle. Her husband, John Gunner, has bequeathed the collection to the Haslemere Museum. In the main, the back of the postcards are blank but occasionally, when the message is legible or interesting, it has been reproduced. Bowlers (now Bowlhead) Green; Brook Cottage and Horn Cottage; Broom Squire's Cottage; The Camp Churt Road to the Pride of The Valley; The Clump; Thursley Common; Cosford House; Cosford Mill Thursley Cricket Field; Devil's Jumps; Devil's Punch Bowl Devil's Punchbowl; The Dye House; Entrance to Thursley; The Four Brothers; View of Thursley; Greetings from Hindhead; Greetings from Thursley; Greetings from Witley Camp Greetings from Witley Camp; The Half Moon, Thursley; Hammer Pond; Heath View; Hill Farm; The Hindhead Story (aka The Sailor's Murder), a collection of hand coloured postcards Hindhead, Devil's Punch Bowl; Hindhead, Devil's Punch Bowl, Keeper's Cottage; Huts Corner, Hindhead; The Institute; Kettlebury, Thursley; Lea Park House; Lea Park Lake; Lea Park; Lea Park, The Fountain; The Lookout, Hindhead; Milford Camp, 1903 Milford Camp; Old Dame School; Old Parsonage; Peperharow, Yew Hedge; Pitch Place, Portsmouth Road Post Office, Thursley; Punch Bowl Farm; Red Lion Inn; Red Lion Inn, Thursley, The Garden from the South; Red Lion, Thursley; Red Lion Inn and Portsmouth Road; Red Lion Inn and Red Lion Garage, 1925; The Ridgeway; Rocky Lane, Thursley The Royal Huts Hotel; The Sailor's Stone, Hindhead; Sailor's Stone and Gibbet Hill; Sailor's Stone and Devil's Punch Bowl; The Sailor's Tombstone, Thursley Churchyard; Scenes of Beauty in and Around Thursley (Brook Cottage and Horn Cottage); Smallbrook Farm, Thursley; The Stream, Thursley; The Street, Thursley. The Street; The Three Horseshoes; Thursley - view; Thursley Church Thursley Church; Thursley Common, Pathway to Moat; Thursley War Memorial; Thursley, In Denvil Copse; Thursley Sign; Thursley - views; Thursley, The Firs; Thursley, The Hollow; Thursley - view; Truxford The Vicarage; View at Brook; View at Thursley; View from Devil's Jumps; View from Gibbet Hill; View near Gibbet Hill; View from Gibbet Cross; View from Thursley Church; View in Thursley; "Peace" in Thursley Views of Thursley; Village Hall; The Street; Village, Thursley; Village, Thursley; White Horse, Hindhead; Winding Road, Hindhead; Witley Camp, "I'm Thinking of You Everyday; Witley Camp Post Office View from Racks Close from a postcard posted in 1910. The two large deciduous trees are no longer there and on the left is the granary of Hill Farm Barns, then Hill Farm House, The Old Parsonage, HatchCottages and St Michael & All Angels. Witley Camp Witley Park

In 1975, Margie Crawfurd and Georgina Harvey held an art exhibition at Thursley Village Hall as charity benefit. It was so popular that they continued to hold it annually for up to two weeks at a time until 1984. The exhibition consisted of work by artists and craftsmen from all over England, the large majority of whom were professionals. Over the years they managed to attract many leading figures in the arts and crafts, and as a consequence visitors to the exhibition came from far afield. We asked Georgina Harvey for her recollections and in February 2025 she wrote: The Thursley Exhibition began in 1975 as a fund raiser for the Thursley Conservative Association.   The idea was to get anyone in the village who had ever made, knitted, spun, sewn, weaved, carved, forged, thrown, blown, drawn, painted or whatever to show off their goods and skills.   The designated team consisted of artist Ros Kentish, Margie Crawfurd, Marion O’Brien & myself with Robert Tann being in charge of all things financial.  The Village Hall would be rented for 10 days at the end of September and a raffle and wine bar would cover expenses.    All committee members donated prizes and also helped man the hall during opening times.    The exhibition was open to anyone willing to pay the 10p entrance fee on Thursday & Friday evening and all day on the Saturday.   Sunday was the day to collect belongings or purchases and clean up the Hall. The exhibition seemed to grow exponentially and by the fourth year the political association was becoming a problem for some of the Artist and Craftsmen who were no longer locals.   For the next six years we had a keen viewing & spending public and exhibitors, some of which were more used to showing in London Galleries, still eager to show their work in our rural countryside.   The numbers and values increased and The Thursley Village Hall became a veritable hub of excellence in the regional autumn arts calendar.   Our Competition Judges were distinguished members of the Arts Scene and gave us credentials beyond our expectations.    It was time for a change.     For ten years The Thursley Exhibition had been able to have exclusive use of the Village Hall (which by 1984 had increased from 5 to 45 days).   A Nursery School wanted a home and 41 years later there is still one there. Artists showing their art over the years included: Nicholas Dimbleby - sculptor Mary Fedden - painter Paul Gunn - painter Ken Howard - oils John Makepiece - furniture Susan May - Jeweller Lorne McKean - bronze sculptures Bernard Myers - printmaker Charles Normandale - iron gate William Pye - a sculptor known particularly for his water sculptures Guy Taplin - driftwood birds Carel Weight - oils Mary Wondrausch - pottery Along with: Thursley's very own residents Salli Tomlinson (artist) and Peter Hanauer (handblown glass) An example of Salli's work: a musical artwork that opens up and reveals boxes within which also open and play music: painted on boards and approximately 1M x 1M Examples of Pete Hanauer's glass blowing which are exhibited in the V & A Museum Robert Tann, Margie Crawfurd, Alice Harvey and Georgie Harvey It reached national prominence in 1982 when it was covered by The Field, and this is an extract from their piece: Art and Craft Ascending The Rise and Rise of a Village Exhibition in Surrey. The Thursley Village Exhibition is now seven years old. It was started as a charity benefit and grew into an informal showcase for artists and craftsmen all over the south of England. Its stature is now such that it can shake hands on equal terms with established galleries. The setting is a Victorian hall in Thursley, a Surrey village which was once a centre of iron making and where one can still see the iron pits and hammer ponds. Nearly 200 paintings and sculptures by 50 artists as well as furniture, silver, glass, ceramics and bookbinding will be exhibited from 25 September – 3 October. Among the equestrian artists is Juliet Jeffrey who is showing a hunting scene from an unusual angle. “It was my own first view of the hunt, looking through the horses’ legs with the hounds bounding in. When they set off it becomes a blur with the flurry of hounds and horses coming and coming and it is this I have tried to capture”. Her other paintings depict Appleby Horse Fair, the big gypsy fair held every June, and one of her favourite subjects – pony sales at which the groups of ponies provide a very paintable series of patterns. Juliet Jeffrey has also illustrated several books including one of Gypsy Poems and Ballads. For some years she was married to Peter Ingram, one of the five gypsy waggon builders in the country and has painted a considerable oeuvre of gypsy life in a style which is an interesting blend of realism with abstract undertones. Paintings of people with their favourite horses and other animals, once the mainstay of the itinerant artist, is again becoming a popular art form. The resurgence of interest of this type of portraiture takes the equestrian artist Susie Whitcombe as far as Australia where she goes to paint animals, for some of the big livestock owners. Miss Whitcombe’s oil on canvas Summer Afternoon, Frensham, in this exhibition depicts three gleaming coated ponies reflected in the limpid waters of a large pond framed in trees and bushes (most likely Frensham Great or Little Pond – Ed). Earlier, in 1980, a press release from the exhibition organiser’s read: For the last six years the Thursley Exhibition has encouraged local artists to exhibit their work. During this period, the organisers have steadily improved the standard of work submitted, kept overheads down and prices low. This year in a bold step to raise the quality again, the organisers have invited a number of artists/craftsmen, who, whilst having local connections, exhibit widely. William Pye is one of our country’s leading sculptors. He will exhibit a stainless-steel work in the garden and his” Californian Bronzes” in the hall. John Donald is designing a collection of ten pieces of jewellery especially for this exhibition. Faith Shannon, from Puttenham, who has just been awarded an Arts Council grant, will exhibit a book she has bound, and her husband, Sandy Mackilligan, a piece of furniture. Lorne Mackean, whose bronzes are in the royal collection (seen in the forefront of the photographs below – Ed) , has something at the foundry for us and George Taylor, one of Edward Barnsley’s protegees, will exhibit some wood carvings. From Thursley itself we have Peter Hanauer’s glass bowl, Salli Tomlinson’s “Companions”, as seen on television recently, and the work of the Thursley weavers. Among our favourites at the Royal Academy this summer were Joyce O’Shea, from Godalming, Christopher Harrison from Cranleigh and Cavendish Morton from the Isle of Wight. All will be showing at the exhibition. Introductory page and frontispiece for the 1984 exhibition, the last to be held 1983 Unknown publication 1982 The Field Magazine, 1982 1981 1980 The Herald, Friday, October 3rd, 1980 1979

Photographs, please! The central focus for the year was the Jubilee weekend in June 2002 which began with a classical music concert in the gardens at Buckingham Palace. There was a Jubilee Church Service at St George's Chapel in Windsor and a National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral which followed a Ceremonial Procession from Buckingham Palace. Events culminated in a pop concert at Buckingham Palace with performers including Paul McCartney, Bryan Adams, Elton John and Shirley Bassey. The evening ended with a spectacular firework display and The Queen lighting the National Beacon, the last in a string of 2,006 beacons which had been lit in a chain across the Commonwealth. It was much more difficult to track down much information on how the Golden Jubilee was celebrated in Thursley despite it being only twenty-two years ago. It was noted “That on Saturday the 1st June, there will be a Thursley Village party – a pig roast, jazz and fun for all the family in the Village Hall”. And so, it was to be. A fantastic whole village feast was prepared. Long tables were set up, bunting was hung and young and old enjoyed a day of sunshine, celebrations and commemorations for our dearly loved Queen.

6 February 2017 marked 65 years since The Queen acceded to the throne, becoming the first British Monarch to mark their Sapphire Jubilee. To coincide with the occasion Buckingham Palace re-released a photograph of Her Majesty taken by David Bailey in 2014. In the photograph, The Queen is wearing a suite of sapphire jewellery given to her by King George VI as a wedding gift in 1947.

1902 January 1902 1907 1909 1908 1916 January 1960 This 16pp magazine can be downloaded below: April 1981