The view taken near the corner of Sailors Lane from where The Pines now stands. The three houses are named Pitchfield Cottage, Quirral House and Cassingray Pitch Place, Long Acres (on Sailors Lane), built by Mr and Mrs Henry can be seen on the hill. The field that can be seen is known as Wonham's Field as Ben Wonham's father, George, farmed as a tenant of the Dye House Estate when the Gooch family owned it. The house in the picture was lived in by the Voller family. View From Kettlebury Hill, January 1985 Kettlebury Hill Houndown Houndown Cottage Houndown Cottage The swimming pool in June 1936 John and Annete Graham-Stewart, 1977 Little Houndown Photographs from when the property was last listed in September 2025: Pitchfield Cottage Cynthia Tann, June 1996 The Pines Tim, Margaret and Stephen Walsh, The Pines, Sailors Lane, June 1996 Weymoor From sales particulars c2020 Mulberry and Kettlebury Cottage These properties at linked by a common boundary. Prior to the development of Mulberry c2013, the plot comprised agricultural buildings as can be seen from the photographs below. Mulberry was developed from a former farming/industrial site in 2013. This photograph is c2022. Kettlebury Cottage is on the right side of the photograph. Photographs are from the sale brochure produced by Knight, Frank in 2024 Full details were available here in July 2025: https://www.onthemarket.com/details/15038201/ Oakenhurst From sales particulars c2020 https://assets.savills.com/properties/GBFARSCLV189291/CLV189291_LAC19002977.PDF Pitch Place Farm House Entry from Historic England: Pitch Place Farm House is a Grade II listed building (9th March 1960), built in the late 16th Century. Timber framed on rendered rubblestone plinth with whitewashed rubble and brick infilling, under plain tiled roof, hipped to right and with tile hung ends. Two storeys. Multiple ridge stack to left of centre. Four framed bays with chimney bay. Three C19 arched head casements to first floor under steep gabled dormers with scalloped bargeboards. Two plain casement windows to first floor. Two decorative C19 and two leaded casements to ground floor. Plank door to right end. Wing at right angles to rear and pentice to rear right. All probably pre-WW2, note the entrance porch which does not feature on later photographs Charles Barrington visited Pitch Place Farm when his grandfather lived there in the 1950s. Here he is with his grandfather. He has also written a book which includes his recollections of staying there. https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-book-reviews/what-did-you-do-in-the-great-war-grandfather-the-life-and-times-of-an-edwardian-horse-artillery-officer/: This aerial view taken in the late 1970s, shows Pichino and its garden at the bottom left before it became a separate property, Kettlebury Cottage on the far left, together with the agricultural barns that are now the garden of Mulberry Previous owners of Pitch Place Farm include: Marchant Pichino These photographs were provided by Salli Tomlinson and date from the 1990s Silver Birches From sales particulars in 2026: https://search.savills.com/property-detail/gbfarsfas240003 Wulmer Cottage Wulmer Cottage has the date of 1861 detailed in the original brickwork Illustrations taken from Estate Agent's brochure in 2024 Kettlebury View Images taken from Estate Agent particulars in April 2026 https://www.keatsfearn.co.uk/properties/21650507/sales#/

Tractors have been important vehicles and farm machines in Thursley for decades. This entry will attempt to capture as many of them that currently exist from the oldest to the most recent - and all shapes and sizes! A typical Thursley tractor gathering! This is a work in progress entry as many more tractors exist in the village, please send your photograph and details via the website: https://www.thursleyhistorysociety.org/contact Many thanks to Peter Goble, James Goble, Malcolm Coles and James Maclean for their help. Fordson Model N, built 1939, one of the last in orange as it was changed to green after war broke out. A Fordson Model N on parade during the village's celebrations for The Festival of Britain in 1951 The tractor is a Fordson. The Fordson brand was used on mass-produced general-purpose tractors manufactured from 1917 to 1964. The name originated from Henry Ford's surname and "son," referencing his son Edsel. Ford's ambition was to "lift the burden of farming from flesh and blood" by building experimental tractors from automobile components. The light construction and large production numbers made them affordable for farmers. This tractor was at a village event and is photographed by The Clump, probably in the mid to late 50s. It is a Ferguson TE20, which was an agricultural tractor designed by Harry Ferguson. By far his most successful design, it was manufactured from 1946 until 1956. The driver was Trevor Sprinks of Bedford Farm with Tom Ranson in bowler hat and tie on the trailer. Another Ferguson TE20, possibly part of the Festival of Britain celebration in 1951 And another Ferguson TE20 which had seen better days This is a Massey Ferguson FE35, known as the "Gold Belly" for its grey tinwork and bronze/gold engine. It is driven by Mr Mitchell during a parade to celebrate Thursley winning 'The Best Kept Village' award in 1960. The trailer hosts the British Legion float and on it are A Abels and Bill Good. Framall A, built 1942, is a small one-plow row crop tractor produced by International Harvester under the Farmall brand from 1939 to 1947. This is a Fordson E27N Major, a popular tractor produced by Fordson in Dagenham, England, from 1945 to 1952. It was initially known simply as the Fordson Major and was developed as a replacement for the Fordson Standard tractor. The driver was John Stovold on Sid Hall's tractor who he worked for at Mill Farm: he, Trevor and Tom were celebrating winning the best kept village in 1960! Anthony Langdale on his beloved Fordson Model N, built in the 1940s, and now owned by his son. Another village Fordson. After war broke out the colour was changed to green and there were fewer body panels in order to save metal. Field Marshall Series 1, built 1946, was manufactured by Marshall, Sons & Co. of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire Pat Coles spraying using a crawler, c 1950 Field Marshall Series 2, built 1947 Field Marshall Series 3, built 1947 Case LA, built 1947, powered by a 6.6L 4-cylinder engine, producing nearly 60 Hp, and considered a big tractor in its day. International Harvester B250, built 1958, has a 30HP 2.4litre 4 cylinder diesel engine The Fordson Dexta was a popular, compact utility tractor made by Ford's British division from 1957-1964, known for its 32hp Perkins-designed diesel engine, live hydraulics, and suitability for small farms, competing with Massey Ferguson. This Fordson Dexta was built in 1959 and fully restored 2018. The International Harvester B-275 utility tractor was produced by International Harvester at the former Jowett car factory in Bradford, England, between 1958 and 1968. It was designed to rival models like the Massey Ferguson 35 and Fordson Dexta and featured a 38 horsepower, 4-cylinder diesel engine and an 8-speed transmission. Massey Ferguson 35, built 1959, is a popular and versatile utility tractor produced from 1956/1958 to 1964 (United Kingdom) and 1955 to 1964 (United States). It was the successor to the Ferguson TE20 and was a well-regarded, dependable machine known for its agricultural, industrial, and vineyard applications, still remaining a practical and valuable tractor today. Thursley, Punch Bowl Farm, Barn Field, with Bill Edwards, mowing hay on his Massey Ferguson 35; photographed by Monica Edwards, undated but early 1960s. Massey Ferguson 35, built 1960. The model was launched in 1958, as the successor to the ubiquitous Ferguson TE20,and was a product of the merger of Massey-Harris and Ferguson. The Lamborghini 2R model is powered by a three-cylinder, air-cooled diesel engine, producing 39bhp fed through a four-speed gearbox with high and low diff settings. The Porsche-Diesel AP 18 is an air-cooled, two-cylinder diesel tractor produced in the mid-1950s, featuring a 1.6-liter engine producing approximately 18-20 horsepower. These two tractors are not strictly Tractors of Thursley as they belong to a private collection in Churt, just outside the Parish of Thursley, but they are sufficiently rare to warrant inclusion. A Massey Ferguson 35, built early in the 1960s and with a modified bonnet International Harvester B-275, built 1960 James Maclean in his 1964 Massey Ferguson 135 with a New Holland 174 baler (which has worked every year from 1972 to date!) attached. County 1004 Super Six, built 1966 in Fleet, Hampshire. It is based on a Ford and features a 100 hp (75 kW) six cylinder Ford 2703E industrial engine. Cowdray Cross; England; Surrey; TPX 13F; Thursley; Zetor 3045; tractor, August 1970 after tractor accident repair. The Zetor 3045 Four Wheel Drive Tractor built in Czechoslovakia and marketed in the United Kingdom by Skoda (GB) Ltd in 1967. Power was provided by a three-cylinder diesel engine of 32.5 horsepower. Photo taken by Salosh Edwards. The same tractor on non-agricultural duties at a Rag Day in 1967 on the King's Road, Chelsea. The Rag parade was for the 'Combined London Colleges', and the Zetor lead the parade. Clearly Health & Safety hadn't been invented then: Sean Edwards is the driver! John Deere 1120, built 1971, is a utility tractor produced from 1967 to 1975 by John Deere in Mannheim, Germany. It features a 53 hp (39.5 kW) gross engine. David Brown 885, built 1979, was a popular British utility tractor produced from 1971 to 1980 , known for its reliability and performance. It featured a 47-horsepower 3-cylinder diesel (or gasoline) engine, a 12-speed transmission, and David Brown's Selectamatic® hydraulics. Manufactured in Meltham Mills, West Yorkshire. This David Brown 996 was registered in 1973/74 and is a utility tractor powered by a diesel engine. It was produced from 1971 to 1980 by David Brown at Meltham Mills, Huddersfield. Peter Scheffers in his Massey Ferguson 565 tedding the silage in the "Top A3" field in the late 1980. The Massey Ferguson 565 is a British-made, 60 horsepower, 2WD row-crop tractor produced from 1977 to 1982 as part of the 500 Series, powered by a Perkins 236 engine. International Harvester 684 utility tractor built in Doncaster between 1977 and 1984. It is powered by a 3.9-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine that produces 69 horsepower. The standard transmission was an eight-forward and four-reverse speed synchromesh gearbox. The International Harvester 84 Hydro Tractor with a 4.0L 4-cylinder diesel engine. It was built in 1978 to 1983, mainly in Doncaster. This is a Case IH 956 XL tractor and was produced by Case IH in Neuss, Germany, between 1985 and 1992. It is powered by a 95 hp (70.8 kW) International Harvester 5.9L 6-cylinder diesel engine. The tractor is available in both two-wheel and four-wheel drive variants. Massey Ferguson 390, is a utility tractor from the 300 series, produced from 1987 to 1997, available in both 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive versions. It typically features a 76-80 horsepower Perkins engine and a 12-speed transmission. David Brown 1494, built 1987 is from the David Brown 94 series, produced between 1984 and 1988. It was part of the last David Brown tractors built at the Meltham factory, which was later acquired by Case. Ford 1910, built 1987, a compact utility tractor produced from 1983 to 1987. It features a 32 hp Shibaura 1.7L 3-cylinder diesel engine, with tested PTO horsepower at 28.60 hp and drawbar horsepower at 24.76 hp. The tractor was built by Shibaura in Japan and distributed by Ford. It came in 2WD and 4WD variants. The 1988 Ford 8210 was a powerful row-crop tractor from the Ford 10 Series, known for its durability and suitability for medium to large-scale farming. This model, manufactured between 1982 and 1991, featured a 6-cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine, offering approximately 105 PTO horsepower, and came in two or four-wheel drive options. The Valmet 8100 (4WD) is a four-wheel drive tractor. Valmet is the former name of the Finnish tractor manufacturer now known as Valtra. Valmet tractors were originally produced in Finland starting in 1951. Case IH 5140 Maxxum tractor that was manufactured by Case IH from 1990 to 1997 as part of the Maxxum series. The tractor is a 4-wheel drive model and powered by an engine with around 109-117 HP. Eure Trad - VST 180D, built in India in the 1990s by VST Tillers. It features an 18.5hp (13.8 kW) VST Shakti engine. Photograph by Philip Traill. JCB Fastrac 185-65, built c1995, is a high-speed agricultural tractor series manufactured by JCB Landpower. Production began in 1991, with continual development to the present day. Generally the maximum speed of most models is 65 km/h (40 mph), but slower (40 km/h) and faster (80 km/h) versions are produced. This appears to be a McCormick CX-series tractor, most likely from the CX80 / CX90 / CX100 range (early–mid 2000s). McCormick tractors are manufactured by Argo Tractors, an Italian industrial group. The product line ranges from compact models to high-power tractors up to 310 HP. The brand has invested in advanced digital platforms for precision farming, enhancing performance and efficiency. This is a John Deere 6000-series tractor fitted with a Trima +5.0P front loader, probably a John Deere 6830 Premium model from around 2009. The Trima +5.0P is a heavy-duty front-end loader attachment. Features of the loader can include parallel control, vibration dampening, and a multi-coupler system. The tractor itself could have features like a 50kph Autoquad gearbox, air brakes, and cab suspension. John Deere 7530 which has a 6-cylinder diesel engine with a power output around 180 hp, which can boost up to 203-205 hp. The John Deere 7930 is a 220 hp row-crop tractor (2007-2011) featuring a 6.8L 6-cylinder diesel engine, with PTO power around 180-203 hp, and options for advanced guidance systems like StarFire RTK. Case Puma 160, built 2014, is a 4 wheel drive tractor manufactured by Case IH since 2012. It has a weight of 11 tons and is powered by an engine with a power output of 99.3 kW. It has a travel speed of 40 km/h. Kubota LA1854 built in has a lift capacity of 1810kg (3990lbs), max height of 3700mm (145.7 inches), and a max raising time of 4.2 seconds. JCB Fastrac 4220 iCONtractor acquired in 2018 and equipped with a Quicke 6M front loader. This model is a leader in agricultural tractors, known for its speed and full suspension. Fendt 720, built 2020, is available in different generations with varying specifications, including Gen6 models with ~148 kW (~201 hp) and a maximum speed of 50 km/h, and the newer Gen7 series which offers 164 kW (223 hp) maximum power Fendt 516, built 2022. Specifications vary by model year, but generally feature a powerful engine around 165 HP, Vario CVT transmission, a top speed of 50 km/h, and dimensions like a width of approximately 2.5 meters. The TLE3410 is Iseki’s Premium Economy tractor, built 2022. It is a 40hp tractor ideal for the farm, estate or sports pitches – from muck scraper to harrow or mower to loader. Manitou MT series telehandler, built 2024

This Grade II listed building (9th March, 1960), dating from the early 18th century, is situated on The Street. The Doctor, passing the Lodge, on his rounds wearing his top hat The Lodge, a painting by Arthur Robertson 1889 The Robertson family in front of the Lodge with a tricycle Michael and Marion O'Brien, 1997 Surnames of previous owners include: Robertson; Terry; Watson; Sadler Photograph by Sean Edwards

This article was published in Country Life, date unknown, and written by one of their regular columnists, Michael Hanson, who was their property correspondent for 27 years and was named Property Journalist of the Year five times. It describes how Gertrude Jekyll met the 'Young Ned Lutyens' and how their professional and personal relationship lasted over 40 years. It also covers Warren Lodge, now Warren Mere. Gertrude Jekyll by William Nicholson, 1920. Commissioned by Sir Edwin Lutyens. National Portrait Gallery NPG 3334 Here is a tribute to Michael Hanson from the Lutyens Trust: https://www.lutyenstrust.org.uk/portfolio-item/a-tribute-to-michael-hanson-1936-2015/

From Historic England: House. C17 extended in C20. Sandstone rubble with brick angle quoins and dressings, and brick extensions, under plain tiled roofs, hipped to right. Two storeys with gable lit attics over basement plinths. Plat band over ground floor and rear stack to left. Two first floor and one ground floor casement window, one window on each floor and one in the basement storey on the left hand return front. One five-light casement window between the timbers of the gable end. Ribbed door to right in pentice roofed porch in the re-entrant angle formed by the two ranges. Wooden C17 window mullions in window adjacent to re-entrant angle on wing. From an undated painting by Eva Webb Below is the lease for Pitlands 1560 Another map of the fields, note all the change of names! Keen Family Wedding in Pitlands This picture was painted by Eveline Lance who lived at The Outlook c1920 Field map of Punch Bowl Farm John and Mary Keen at the turn of the 20th Century and other contemporary photographs Stables at Punch Bowl Farm Aerial views of Punch Bowl Farm Photographs of Peter, Jo and Sally Scheffers and the farm taken in the 1970s Punch Bowl Farm, formerly known as Pitlands or Pit Farms, retains a three bay timber-framed house dating from the 16th century with a large smoke bay at the southern end. In the 17th century a stone parlour wing was built in front of the original two-storey house. This wing has two storeys plus an attic as well as a cellar underneath. The farm was formerly part of the Cosford Estate until its sale, by auction, to Monica and Bill Edwards who acquired it in 1947 (the conveyance was on 13th November 1947). It was bought as Pit Farm but immediately renamed Punch Bowl Farm. It was then immortalised in print by the numerous books written by Monica where it was referred to as Punchbowl Farm, the most famous being “The Unsought Farm’. I the late 1960s, Monica and Bill retired to the bungalow they had built above the farm but close to the badgers Monica still holds so dear. The Scheffers moved into the farm in September 1981. Four years later the land at Upper Highfield Farm was purchased from John Robertson and both farms are worked as one producing beef cattle and sheep. In 1994 the Punch Bowl Fold of Highland Cattle was formed and are grazed, during the summer, in the newly fenced northern section of the National Trust’s ‘Devil’s Punch Bowl’. As well as the farm animals we also have three horses, two cats, a goose and one elderly, but very naughty donkey, ‘Briar Rose’. Josephine, Peter and Sally Scheffers at Punch Bowl Farm, 1976 Surnames of previous owners: Keen; S Hall; J Hall; Edwards; Chalmers Punch Bowl Farm, 2014. Photographs by Sean Edwards Bill Edwards mowing Barn Hill

This article written by Jackie Rickenberg was published in the Parish Magazine in January and February 2022 Many of you, like me, may have been intrigued over the last year or so with the current refurbishment of Witley Park (formerly Lea Park). The number of contractors vehicles entering and leaving daily, the shielded scaffolding over the lodge houses, and not least the whisperings of grandiose extravagance are all rather eerily reminiscent of past times when the Victorian mansion was originally created. Here is the tale of the history of the great house, as written by Jane Brown, in a booklet from the archives, entitled “Portrait of S.W Surrey”. “Whitaker Wright was one of the last great eccentrics of the Picturesque – a movement that has seemed singularly attracted to Surrey ever since Charles Hamilton started building Painshill Park in the 1730’s – and the creation of Wright’s fantasy, Witley Park, was the last act of a suitably bizarre life. He was born in the north of England in 1845 – and surely with a sense of adventure and a “nose” for an opportunity – because he studied chemistry and metal assaying and set out for the United States when he was only 21. He went to the metal mining boom areas of the mid-west and by the early 1870’s he rose to the ranks of the fortune makers. After moving to Philadelphia, Wright became a pillar of East Coast society – more than a millionaire at aged 31. However, for some reason, his American business failed, and so he returned home to England in 1889 with just enough money to start all over again. Of course, Wright now knew enough about the metal mining business to exploit it from the actual “centre”, the City of London. In 1891 he bought his first mining company, the Abaris Mining Corporation, and then he floated the West Australian Exploring and Finance Corporation. He was on the road to success again, and his companies got bigger and bigger and his flotations ever more daring; his power over the stock market seemed such that the whole City shook at the mention of his name. During the late 1890’s he was at the peak of his fortune and reputation again. With his business life secure again, it was time for the fulfilment of dreams. Despite owning a palatial house in Park Lane and the most magnificent yacht, in 1897 he bought what was then Lea House, one of the old Witley manor houses, and its surrounding land, which included at the time, Hindhead Common and the Devils Punchbowl. He pulled down the old house and built an enormous Victorian mansion, which has been variously described as “hideous” or “clever free Tudor style”, but which was certainly in the big league of baronial mansions, with 32 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, a drawing room, two dining rooms, a library, a theatre, a palm court, an observatory, a velodrome, stabling for fifty horses and even its own private hospital. Endless spooky corridors were hung with hunting trophies and suits of armour. With his home comforts secured, Wright turned his attention to his real dream, which was to leave his name in the list of great “gentlemen-amateurs of the Picturesque” by creating and constructing a truly marvellous landscaped park. His first task was probably to enclose his park – a considerable feat in itself – as the great stepped wall runs for over a mile down the A286 from Milford Lodge to Brook, and then can be followed for over another mile beside and above the lane to Bowlhead Green. In 1903, The Royal Magazine told “how the sombre, silent man from the City strode about his park, carrying a great oak stick and superintending. Everywhere he saw chances of improvement. “We will have a great lake here” he said, with a wave of his oak staff, “this hill blocks the view – take it away. Cut down this wood. Here we will have a grotto. An Italian fountain would look well here! It was a standing joke among the workmen to say, every time they saw the oak stick waving ‘there goes another hundred pounds’”. And so the land at Witley was moved about by many men, at the will of one man – hills and valleys were manufactured the three great lakes: Upper Lake, Thursley Lake and Stable Lake were dug and filled from the tributary stream of the Wey. Wright imported fantastic ornaments for his park, one fountain of a dolphin came from Italy to Southampton docks but the railways refused to deliver it because it was too wide to go through their tunnels! Undeterred, Wright sent a tractor engine to haul the load home by road, and when it reached a bridge that was too low to get beneath, he ordered the road to be cut away until the dolphin could progress safely. He was not short of imagination either and had a tunnel dug beneath Thursley Lake – it was 400 feet long, lit with chandeliers and wide enough for four people to walk side by side – and it led to a great chamber of curved glass 80 feet in height, known as the ballroom. It had tiled floors and the glass walls allowed the fish swimming in the lake to be observed. Apart from the underwater ballroom, there was also the grotto, approached by a secret water passage from the lake. The grotto itself was a “fairy-like cavern, with trees high above, forming the roof within their branches” and it led to galleries and chambers carved out of rock and decorated in the Oriental manner”. Parish Mag article February 2022 Witley Park – Part 2 Last month we learned about the early life and times of Whitaker Wright, the entrepreneur businessman (AKA swindler and fraudster – keep reading!) who bought and built Witley Park at the turn of the twentieth century. This first passage continues Jane Brown’s excerpt from the publication “Portrait of S.W Surrey”. “Whitaker Wright obviously also had an eye for local talent, for he gave the then 19-year-old Edwin Lutyens from Thursley, one of his earliest commissions for two boathouses on the lakes. The biggest of these is a beautiful classical building, a real Lutyens minor masterpiece built on two levels – the top floor with a small room and balcony for sitting and viewing, with boathouses and steps for swimming from on the lower level. And then, of course, disaster struck again. Perhaps Wright was too involved in his dream landscape to keep tight enough control on his City activities, or perhaps those he thought were his friends, let him down, but his shares tumbled and the giant London and Globe Finance Corporation crashed in late 1900, bringing many members of the Stock Exchange and many subsidiary companies down with it. However, at first it seemed that Wright would escape; the Official Receiver’s report revealed the expected manipulations, deficits and false accounts, but no reason for public prosecution (in fact the Government ran scared because of the number of highly influential members of high society involved – Ed.). However, one creditor, a Mr John Flower, decided to act on his own account and obtained a warrant for Mr Wrights arrest in late 1902. Wright was in New York and eventually arrested the following March. Extradition failed and he returned home in August, of his own accord, to face the charges. Wright’s trial took place at the Law Courts in January 1904; he was found guilty of fraud and convicted to seven years penal servitude. After sentencing he was allowed a private meeting with his lawyers. He gave his watch to one of them saying that "I will not need this where I am going" and after requesting a whisky and cigar, swallowed a cyanide capsule he had smuggled into court. He died minutes later and was buried at All Saints Church, Witley. The pity of it all was that Whitaker Wright, in seven short years, had found a real place in the hearts of the people who worked for him and lived near him at Witley. His time at the Park was marked by constant acts of generosity – great lunches, bazaar’s for charities and entertainments for Friendly Societies, Working Men’s Clubs and all kinds of ordinary people much less fortunate than himself. The day of his funeral was a very sad day – the villagers wore violets as a mark of their sadness – and his coffin was hauled from the Park to Witley Church by the men who worked for him”. The collapse of Wright’s companies was largely unforeseen and took place on the last trading day of the nineteenth century. It was a true fin de siècle moment. Thousands of investors were ruined or suffered huge losses, and 20 firms of London stockbrokers went under. The story was headline news. With masterly understatement, The Times of London commented that ‘the last settlement of the century has certainly terminated in a deplorable manner.' Coverage of the trial from a contemporary newspaper report: Following Wright's dramatic exit, his estate was parcelled up and sold off. The locals, who had been concerned about his landscaping efforts, banded together and bought the sections of the estate which included the Devil's Punch Bowl and Hindhead Common, at auction in 1905. The locals then donated the land to the National Trust in 1906, becoming, in the process, the first Trust property to be managed by a local committee. In 1909 the house was bought by William James Pirrie (Viscount Pirrie) - famous as the designer of the SS Titanic and chairman of 'Harland and Wolff' the shipbuilders. He lived there with his wife until his death in 1924. The house was then bought by Sir John Leigh, created Baron Leigh of Altrincham in 1918, who was a wealthy newspaper owner, cotton industrialist and property financier. Photos of the house and interiors - possibly dated to around 1948 - show the fine and elegant style in which the house was kept. Sir John was considered a good owner and used his wealth to keep the estate and house in the style to which it was accustomed. Sir John was not to end his days at Witley Park. Sometime around the early 1950s, he sold the estate and moved to Juniper Hill in Surrey where he died in 1959. Following the sale, the fortunes of the house now declined markedly. The new owner, one Ronald Huggett, bought the house and quickly held a sale to auction off anything possible, significantly stripping the house and leaving it a shadow of its former self. The die appeared to be cast for its eventual demise, as was to be the fate of many houses in the 1950s. However, the end for Witley Park was almost as sudden as that of its former owner. In October 1952, a fire broke out (or was possibly started deliberately) in the ballroom and swiftly destroyed the house. What remained was levelled by another property speculator – and by 1956 all that remained were the domestic buildings, stables and the extensive parkland including the lakes with their now Grade-II listed buildings. The stables eventually became a conference centre - and even had a meeting room named Whitaker - with the grounds maintained as parkland. However, this was about to change. In 2003 a planning application was submitted and approved to build a house "...of classical design, with a main axis and two forward projecting bays at each end. A full height portico marks the front entrance and the garden elevation includes a projecting domed semi-rotunda, centrally set in this elevation." That was 18 years ago and today, the former house and parkland are receiving yet another much needed injection of love, care, attention and funding. We welcome and wish good luck to the new owners and long may it continue to be one of the finest houses in Surrey. An undated magazine article on Witley Park: Witley Park today: These contemporary photographs were taken by Sean Edwards in 2018 From Wikipedia: Witley Park, formerly known as Lea Park, is an estate dating from the late 19th century between Godalming and Haslemere in Surrey, England. Its landscaped grounds include three artificial lakes, one of which conceals an underwater conservatory and smoking room. The mansion house, rebuilt for the swindler Whitaker Wright, was gutted by fire in October 1952 and the ruins were demolished in January 1954. In the early 21st century, a new house was built on the site. At its height, under Wright's ownership at the start of the 20th century, the estate covered 9,000 acres (36 km2; 14 sq mi). Following his death in 1904, it was sold and became increasingly fragmented. Much of Hindhead Common, Witley Common and Thursley Common was bought by local residents and presented to the National Trust in December 1905. From Google Earth, both looking north:

Help in Thursley is a volunteer driving scheme and was founded in 2017 and which was launched in the village hall. Help in Thursley: Constitution Help in Thursley responds to the pandemic And here, we hope, is another piece of history: The current committee comprises: David Young, Chairman Peter Hunter, Treasurer Jo Kelly Julie Langley Sallie Roles

As part of the History of Thursley Society's Wedding Belles exhibition held in 2007, this list of marriages that took place in St Michael's and All Angels was compiled. For ease of research a complete file of the marriages from 1613 to date can be found at the end of this post. Overall, the most popular month to be married is October and March the least: 2000 August 19th James Ainsworth & Amik Nadia Steven Stephen Langley & Julie Holloway September 9th Stephen Langley & Julie Holloway   2002 June 14th Giles Parker & Lauraine Anderson September 7th David Slater & Emma Joan Scales   2003 July 5th Adrian Hugh George Linegar & Eulando Florendo Rimando July 26th Andrew Simon Ruffell & Joanne Jobson   2004 October 16th Christopher Melchior Richmond Hall & Louise Jane Burgess   2005 April 1st Simon Nicholas Richmond Hall & Amanda Jane Wood June 11th Theo Ivanovic & Martha Georgina Harvey August 27th Kerry Porter & Katherine Erika Sealy September 3rd Andrew Martin & Susannah Lindsay Prain September 9th Philip Patrick Collier & Abigail Christie Anderson   2006 May 6th Nigel John Hall & Fenella Duyland Wakeley August 26th Peter Rouse & Amanda Baker September 23rd Joseph Douglas Mercer Nairne & Melissa Emily Wakeley Scene from a Wakeley wedding   2007 September 15th Mark Ralph Godman & Katie Helen Cripp 2009 May 2nd Mark Lawrence Gordon Adams & Sarah Anna Maria Keating June 27th Ricardo Nuno Bugia Pires & Hayley Joanna Jutsum July 11th Gilbert Thinghi Yule & Michelle Anna Axford July 17th Christopher James Mendelssohn & Caroline Louise Morris July 25th Michele Ernesto De Gregorio & Catherine Selvarani le Doux Edwards September 12th Paul Tyers & Lynette Mary Jean Lawson November 7th Kevin Dass & Liza Ann Devi Gray December 28th Richard Charles Miller & Anna Hutton-Potts 2010 April 24th Nikolaos Minas & Lydia Laura Stephen May 28th Mehrdad Rahbar Sehat & Charlotte Mary Ford June 12th Edward James Alsford & Lara Camilla Patrick July 24th Deane Richard Eales & Annabel Charlotte Sophia Timberlake November 6th Andrew Neil Peters & Hannah Ellen Ford 2011 June 18th Benjamin James Russell Stoneham & Chloe Ria Rankin November 12th Mark John Fisher Foster & Emily Jane Ockenden 2012 June 30th Alan George Andrew Weir & Hailey Louise Wilkinson July 12th Maximillian Michael Collins & Shannan Louise Keen September 1st Benjamin John Whitehead & Katherine Jeanne Morris 2014 July 12th Benjamin David Clutterbuck & Francesca Louise Goodwin 2015 May 23rd Charles Simon Treadwell & Anne Herforth Finnerup June 6th James Peter Goble & Lucy Kate Wall-Palmer August 1st Peter Edwin David Swabey & Magali Clotilde Marie Webster-Nicol 2016 May 28th Alistair Matthew Smith & Louisa May Hunter 2018 June 30th Peter Justin Rickenberg & Jacqueline Jean Brown 2019 March 15th Ryan John Birse & Amy Louise Rapley June 29th Thomas Clermont Lake Davies & Pollyanna Louise Russell Stoneham 2021 July 30th Toby Oliver Simon Downes & Leonora Susan Chisholm Schofield Historical note: Covid masks worn by most 2022 April 2nd Calum Alastair Gee & Jemma Elizabeth Corridan 2023 May 27th Neil Geoffrey Lankester Woods & Lisa Catherine Rickenberg Neil Woods & Lisa Rickenberg September 9th Rupert Terence Bulkeley Perrier & Elodie Camilla Pendred 2024 April 27th Bradley Patrick May & Charlotte Mary Cruickshank Bradley Patrick May & Charlotte Mary Cruickshank July 20th Cameron Burns Dow & Lila Kate Flint Roberts Cameron Burns Dow & Lila Kate Flint Roberts 2024 Photo: James White Photography September 14th Patrick Hugh Hudson & Matilda India Tess Warner (Wedding Blessing) 2025 June 7th Edward James Spencer & Sophie Baker Edward James Spencer & Sophie Baker August 9th James Fitzroy Cordy-Redden & Olivia Frances Palmer-Jeffery August 16th Michael Joseph Barrett & Katherine Julia Woods Michael Joseph Barrett & Katherine Julia Woods August 30th Angus Frederick Secrett & Olivia Fae Welch 2026 Liam Thomas Herlihy & Virginia Finovola Cordy-Redden

From Kay Cottle's postcard collection From Kay Cottle's postcard collection 'Farewell to the Pylons across Thursley?', from a calendar dated January 2014. Truxford Cottage and barns Painting by the Moat The Moat, c1990

A few months ago, we were asked why there wasn't a history of the first village hall on the website. Since then, a number of photographs of it have been found as well as photographs of it being used. More recently an article on its formation has been discovered in our archive. The Old Village Hall with the Three Horse Shoes in the background Helpers at Christmas Party in the Old Village Hall about mid 1950s. Left to right: Mrs Wonham; Mrs Messenger; unknown; Mrs Keen; Mrs Good; Mrs Dummer Hannah Wonham (See above) in her home, Overdale Bill Cooper's car, most likely an Alvis Firefly or Alvis Firebird, outside the Old Village Hall c1950 An Alvis Speed 20 Sports Tourer also outside the Old Village Hall Horticultural Society Dinner in the Old Village Hall - probably about 1950. Old Village Hall: exhibits at autumn show held by the Horticultural Society and Farmers Assocation - early 1950s Old Village Hall: Sid Hall facing microphone with Wilfred Pickles in the "Have A Go" radio show in 1958. See separate entry.

Truxford Cottage is at one of the extremities of Thursley Parish. It lies up a lane leading from Truxford Corner which is on the Thursley Road leading to Elstead. From Kay Cottle's Postcard Collection (see separate entry) Truxford Cottage and Barn Taken from sales particulars in 2025

This remarkably comprehensive information was transcribed, typed and indexed by Tim Wilcock, Cliff Webb and members of West Surrey Family History Society - https://wsfhs.co.uk/pages/index.php NB: pdfs, when downloaded, are searchable and here is an example: This is the complete 212 page file: Here are the titles of the various sections where the first page of that section is shown to illustrate the content: