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The church was re-shingled with chestnut tiles from France in September 1986. The steeplejack was Mr Harknett.

Linked as they so often appear together in photographs: Brook Cottage and Horn Cottage 1900. As you can see Red Lodge had not yet been built. Brook Cottage had been the workhouse and in 1841, 30 people were living there. Horn Cottage 1950 shows its back garden when Charles and Betty Weeden lived there. In times gone by, it was a pub called 'The Horns' . Rear of Horn Cottage, c 1965. previous surnames of owners include: Partington; Weeden; Brown; Newman Brook Cottage is a symmetrical “Cottage Ornee”, built of stone with brick quoins, clay roof tiles and with thin drip mouldings above the windows.  The style is of a 17th century central chimney house but the house is not timber-framed and would seem to be of a late 18th century rebuild on an earlier site. The cottage was The Poor House and in the 1861 census there were twenty-six occupants of whom eight were aged over 80 years! Two loft openings were made from the original bedrooms in 1980 and chalk dates showing “1851” were found on the chimney base.  Considerable quantities of straw and other debris were lying on and between the rafters perhaps indicating a previous thatched roof. During excavations in 1994 a clay bottle was unearthed from a hole at the side of the brook and has been dated between 15th and 16th centuries, possibly confirming earlier occupation the site. The cottage was extended in the 1970s and again more considerably in 1894 when the old staircase was removed and new stairs installed to give access to both the original bedrooms in the old cottage and the new rooms at the rear of the enlarged structure. The present owners, Alison and Peter Anderson and family, have lived in the Cottage since 1978. June 1997  June 1997

Photographs only of this Grade II listed building (9 March 1960) Olde Hall in 1990 Miss Gooch, outside Olde Hall, where three families lived in 1897 when it was known as Back Lane (the locals called it Pig Turd Alley!) Tor and Kerstin Sandgren, 1996 Surnames of previous owners: Trusaler; Curtis; Sharland; Karn; Buckingham

The Three Horse Shoes after the breathalyser was introduced. Brockbank lived in Badgers in The Lane from 1951 to 1978. See also the biography of Russell Partridge Brockbank by Peter Anderson Russell did these two for Reg Cottle, the owner of the Red Lion Garage:

Evidence of a vault was discovered in 2005 when a section of the timber floor was lifted in order to check what appeared to be a brick sub-floor. The vault contained two coffins, that of Anne Woods and her husband, Edmund. Datail from the memorial stone that is in the church. From the Surrey Advertiser, 4th November, 2005

This review, by Sally Scheffers, first appeared in the September 2025 issue of the Parish Magazine Ka Haea Te Ata “Heart Stood Still”, written by Miriam Sharland   Over the last couple of years I have become friends with Miriam who is a frequent visitor to Thursley. Her family roots in our village go deep as the Sharlands and Lillywhites, from whom Miriam is descended, have lived here for centuries. As a young woman Miriam followed her heart and emigrated to New Zealand where she lived for nearly twenty years before making the brave decision to return to England and her family. I am envious of Miriam’s capability and fearlessness to make such huge choices and to coolly deal with all the ramifications incurred. Before leaving her adopted homeland Miriam wrote her first book, “Heart Stood Still”. This book is a series of essays based on the theme of the natural world which Miriam has written in four parts: Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer. Each part has three chapters which loosely relate to the title of that essay. I say loosely because Miriam describes the world around her and her frustrations at the lack of respect shown to the natural environment from her fellow citizens as well as the local authority. Occasionally, Miriam reports, in full, the abuse from entitled drivers as she cycles her way around Manawatu, Aotearoa.                   Set during Covid, Miriam and her friends meet at a distance and share the produce from their gardens and from their foraging forays. All the essays are gentle and wistful, and we learn of Miriam’s childhood in Witley with Sunday afternoon family outings to Thursley Common. And Miriam’s homesickness during phone calls to her family is there to see.                   Miriam writes with ease and reading her book is also easy as well as very enjoyable. This book reminds me of the pleasure of being told a story at the kitchen table which gently meanders, takes little detours, has little anecdotes and interesting facts that remain with you, but the story is heartfelt and real due to the way it has been told.                   This wonderful book is one of life’s simple pleasures and, as we all know, achieving simplicity takes a lot of effort. The Maori words were explained within the text but one word, ”berm” caught both Amanda Flint-Roberts and myself out. It is, in fact, a bank or verge.                   Miriam is now working on her next book in which she follows the wartime route of her uncle, Bob Sharland, who she never met as he was shot down in April, 1944 at the age of 21. I look forward to it but in the meantime I will re-read “Heart Stood Still”. Sally Scheffers --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The book can be bought from Blackwells and other online booksellers: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9781990048708?gC=5a105e8b&gad_source=4&gad_campaignid=20226739100&gbraid=0AAAAADsTpASL1BxMs5Ogoishvsc_6y2Wi&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8KrFBhDUARIsAMvIApaYIXvgKcQQUVH2Jup3g-h_KPm-h_XLvyuOjiSTIp_meWn7nii0LecaAjCaEALw_wcB

The RAF station next to Hindhead was envisaged as part of a short-range, blind-landing system to improve safety during night operations. However, during the course of development by the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) near Swanage, the range was found to be far better than expected. It then developed into a long-range, general navigation system. This article was kindly provided to the Thursley History Society by Dr John N Bennett. Photo from the Imperial War Museum These are just two pages of the 11 page report written by Dr John N Bennett The complete report is in this pdf: Sadly, there was a tragic air accident at RAF Gibbet Hill during the war: With thanks to Paul McCue for this information as in his book, Dunsfold: Surrey's Most Secret Airfield 1942 - 1992 , Paul wrote: "...[other former PoWs].....managed a lift to England in a Curtis Commando of the USAAF on 6th May 1945. As the aircraft headed for the American airfield at Membury [RAF Membury - USAAF Station AAF-466, station code ME] in Wiltshire [there's still a little of the airfield left but it is better known today as the location of Membury Services on the M4], it collided with the aerial of an RAF radio station on Gibbet, Hill, Hindhead. Although Dunsfold's medical services raced to the scene, all 31 men on board were found dead on impact, along with a Canadian officer from the radio station'. Here is the report: Date:Sunday 6 May 1945Time:12:54Type:     Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando Owner/operator:United States Army Air Force - USAAFRegistration:44-77839MSN:33235Year of manufacture:1945Fatalities:Fatalities: 30 / Occupants: 30Other fatalities:1Aircraft damage:DestroyedCategory:AccidentLocation:Hindhead -     United Kingdom Phase:En routeNature:MilitaryDeparture airport:  Newbury-Greenham Common RAF Station (EWY/EGVI) 8/10 cloud coverage at 600 feet caused the pilot to fly very low. The C-46 entered a valley where it struck the Gee tower about 1000m south east of the Gibbets Hill Gee tower. The airplane lost its right wing and crashed. Date & Time:  May 6, 1945 at 1254 LT Type of aircraft:   Curtiss C-46 Commando Operator:   Registration:   44-77839 Flight Phase:   Landing (descent or approach) Flight Type:   Ambulance Survivors:   No Site:   Mountains MSN:   33235 YOM:   1945 Location:   Hindhead   Surrey Country:   United Kingdom Region:   Europe Crew on board:   2 Crew fatalities:   2 Pax on board:   28 Pax fatalities:   28 Other fatalities:   1 Total fatalities:   31 Circumstances:   The crew was completing a flight to the US, repatriating wounded US soldiers. It was scheduled to make a stopover at RAF Greenham Common near Newbury, Berkshire. Starting the descent, the crew encountered low visibility with clouds to 600 feet. While flying in a mountainous area, the twin engine aircraft hit a radar antenna, lost its right wing and crashed in flames on a hut located on Mt Gibbet located near Hindhead, Surrey. All 30 occupants and one person in hut were killed. Crew: 2nd Lt John N. Boyce Jr., 1st Lt Herbert R. Chickering. Probable cause:   It was determined that the crew started the approach in visual mode in IMC. The aircraft hit a 70 meters high radar antenna that was not visible because it was not equipped with lights. Also, the crew was unaware of the presence of the antenna as it was not showed on any charts. Here is a newspaper report: Evening Telegraph & Post, May 9, 1945 OVER 30 KILLED IN PLANE CRASH An aeroplane accident which occurred at Hindhead on Sunday afternoon resulted in the death of over 30 service personnel. An American transport plane, returning from the Continent, passed over the Punch Bowl flying low and afterwards collided with one of the tall pylons at the RAF radio station at Gibbet Hill. It was raining at the time and there was low mist over the district. The plane crashed on two huts in the station grounds and one of the station personnel was killed. The machine burst into flames and was practically destroyed. Of the 32 occupants of the plane – crew and passengers – not one survived.

This article, written by Jackie Rickenberg, was published in the July 2025 issue of the Parish Magazine   The Farnham Herald is the origin of this piece on Thursley, published on June 3rd 1966, nearly 60 years ago. Of course, nowadays, you can gain access to back copies of most newspapers on line, but looking at a yellowing clip from the original newspaper from the History Society’s archives is pretty special. Luckily, mostly all the archives are now available to read on our website - thursleyhistorysociety.org . “Peaceful Village Meeting Modern Needs” “The village of Thursley has charm. It lies, undisturbed by industry or new housing developments, within the designated Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The dwellings have colour and character, the narrow byways offer new vistas at every turn, tall splendid trees – elm, oak and the stately pine – claim attention. The farms look as though they haven’t changed in any way in years, but in fact are highly mechanised, well-run holdings. The population does change regularly. According to one shopkeeper there seems to be a shake-up about every seven years. Residents leave, new people arrive – commuters mostly, who on weekdays glimpse a fraction of Thursley’s beauty, morning and evening and then at weekends discover its spell. Of course, for some villagers the spell never wears off. They remain to enjoy the slow pace of village life. But is it so slow or so quiet that someone once was heard to describe Thursley as “a dying village”? Naturally being quiet and free from heavy traffic, Thursley has a fair share of old-age pensioners, but the day when they go up the hill to the very beautiful parish church for the last time is for most a long way off. They tend their gardens and maintain an interest in the village. The following accounts of interviews with local people reveal there is more about Thursley than meets the eye; to all outward appearances it may seem changeless, but it is not sleeping…… THURSLEY SUITS HIM Along “The Street” which some say is the best part of Thursley, there, in a cottage just before the turn up to the church, lives Major A. Knight. Nearly 80, he is the driving force behind the effort to build a new cricket pavilion. Once a keen yachtsman, a doctor told him twenty years ago to get away from the Cornish hills (his yacht was moored in a Cornish harbour), so he came to Thursley. Life in Thursley suits him fine. He has been president of the cricket club for almost as many years as he has lived in The Street. “We have a first-class, delightful wicket, the best wicket in the neighbourhood” he said. Major Knight had a big hand in forming the Two Counties cricket competition for young people. Thursley has a team in the competition. The cricket ground at Thursley has one of the most beautiful settings in all Surrey, and the game has been played in the village for more than a century. It is always a joy to play on a good wicket and Mr Bert Williams, the groundsman, is the man responsible for making so many cricketers happy. Sunday cricket is so popular that visiting teams have to book a season ahead. Thursley would not be the attractive looking village it is if it were not for the people who love to live in properties and accept responsibility for the special care and maintenance needed to keep them sound. The Well House, which dates back to 1715, was once part of a line of cottages known as “The Ruins”. The name was appropriate at that time, but now, carefully converted and slightly modernised, the cottages are a joy to behold. WELL IN THE HALL. The Well House has been home to Canadian-born Mrs Elizabeth Jupe for twenty years. There is a 170ft deep well in the entrance hall. People do drop in, but not in the well, since it is covered. There is a fake well outside the main door. Small lattice windows appear in odd places. There are two winding staircases and low beams. The house, with its “tenpenny nail” wall and red tiled roof, is fascinating and Mrs Jupe wouldn’t live anywhere else. Some people outside Thursley, if they know nothing else about the village, know that the Jupe family take more than an ordinary interest in its affairs. Mrs Jupe’s husband, Mr Michael Jupe, after a day’s work at the London Stock Exchange, often comes home to tackle parish business in his capacity as chairman of the parish council. The Well House LIKE A BIG FAMILY “The time of day I wish I had a tape-recorder is between 11 and 12 o’clock in the morning, when it seems the post office becomes the village club”, says Mrs Wonham, who, with her husband, Mr B.H. Wonham, runs the post office stores. For them, the day begins as early as 5.30 a.m., but it is often an interesting day from the time they sort out the mail and put out the newspapers to the moment they relax over a hot toddy before going to bed. “In Thursley we are like a big family; if anyone is in trouble or anyone is sick, we all feel personally involved”, said Mrs Wonham. Mr Wonham has lived in Thursley most of his life.  Before the war he had a small poultry farm at Pitch Place. He sold it during the war years to work for two county war agricultural committees. After the war, he and his wife took over the stores. In a feature like this it is impossible to touch on every aspect of village life. For instance, it would have been nice to say something about the best-kept village competition which Thursley has won three times; about the nursing association which has been in existence in the village for almost as long as anyone can remember and about the young people , who, by delivering Christmas parcels and coal in winter and arranging a summer outing, do so much for the village’s old people and the church, which, in Thursley, is by various changes, meeting modern needs.”

Art Editor of “Punch”. Born 15.4.1913 – Died 14.5.1979, by Peter Anderson See also entry for Cartoons of Russel Brockbank. *Former name of Thursley History Society Born in Canada and educated at Ridley College, Ontario, Russell came to England in 1929 and studied Art at Chelsea School of Art in London. A temporary diversion into industry occurred between 1932 and 1936 when he resumed his career as a freelance artist until the War. He married Eileen Hames in 1933. During the War he served as Lieut. RNVR, Northern Convoys, in the British Pacific Fleet and was demobilised in 1946. He then freelanced until 1949 when he became Art Editor of Punch. This appointment was intended to be one to five years but in fact it lasted until 1960. in Thursley. Russell had been secretly receiving agents' particulars of properties for sale in the area including one on “Badgers” in The Lane, or Back Lane as it was then called. By some strange quirk, or so it appeared to Eileen at the time, they arrived in the village following a brief inspection of the property, out of the blue Russell made an offer tp purchase which was accepted! Eileen was “rather surprised”. The year was 1951. Most of his work was carried out above the garage in the studio which Eileen called “The Haven”. He would draw seven days a week and as a result was not often in evidence when it came to various village activities with perhaps one exception – namely the annual New Year's Eve Party given by Val and Paddy at the Three Horse Shoes! The Three Horse Shoes when the breathaliser was introduced Russell was a perfectionist as far as his drawing was concerned, When at work he would be surrounded by many photographs of the subject in order to build as much detail and accuracy into the drawings as possible and avoid too many critical letters from his readers. Publications have included:- 1948   Round The Bend 1953   Up The Straight 1955   Over The Line 1957   The Brockbank Omnibus 1958   Manifold Pressures 1963   Move Over and The Penguin Brockbank 1970   Motoring Through Punch 1900 – 1970 1973   Brockbank's Grand Prix 1975   The Best Of Brockbank   Apart from drawing his other passion was of, and in, cars. He started drawing them at the age of four  and it seems couldn't stop. He was a regular contributor to magazines including Speed and Motor in ten countries including Japan. He also drove fast cars, some say too fast, tried out exotic prototype models such as the Mini Cooper and D type Jaguar and was a motor racing aficionado. He visited all the Grand Prix. With Malcolm Muggeridge, Editor of Punch Russell became ill in the late 1970s and in 1978 they decided to move to Frome in Somerset to be nearer their daughter who was in the medical profession. He had once said to Eileen that he wanted to be buried in Thursley churchyard and wanted someone to draw an eye on his headstone so as to keep watch over Eileen. Sadly he died within two years of leaving the village and was cremated in Somerset. He left a widow and two children, Susan and Roger. From Chris Beetles Gallery: Russell Partridge Brockbank, SIA (1913-1979) During the years following the Second World War, the name of Russell Brockbank became synonymous with his cartoons of cars and planes. Grounded in his obsession with his favourite subjects, his delightful drawings are always completely accurate in detail, so can be enjoyed equally by all, from the non-motorist to the petrolhead. For the full entry click on the link below: https://www.chrisbeetles.com/artists/brockbank-russell-1913-1979.html From Motorsport Memorial: http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/LWFWIW/focusLWFWIW.php?db2=LWF&db=ct& From Epsom & Ewell History Explorer: This is a substantial entry and includes his Birth Certificate: For the full entry click on the link below: https://eehe.org.uk/68919/brockbank-russell-partridge-cartoonist/

Sean Edwards has created this map showing NNRs in and around Thursley. An NNR is a protected area designated by a national government to conserve and protect specific natural habitats, ecosystems, and biodiversity. These reserves are typically established to preserve areas of national or international importance for wildlife, geology, and landscapes. NNRs are managed for conservation purposes, often with an emphasis on scientific research, education, and public access while minimizing disturbance to the natural environment. About two-thirds of England's NNRs are managed by Natural England. The NNRs are shown in orange and many have been only recently been designated by the government. Sites of Special Scientific Interest are shown in green. Thursley Parish Boundary is in blue, greyed outside.

The exhibition, entitled 'Victory Euphoria', was the brainchild of the Thursley History Society's Chairman, Sally Scheffers. She spent many months asking Thursley villagers past and present to search their memories and photograph albums for stories about their relatives' experiences during World War 2. The result was an extraordinary exhibition of over 100 entries, albums and objects of interest most of which can be accessed from this main entry. All other entries have been cross-referenced. Welcome from Sally Scheffers: The main hall consisted of stories, desriptions of events and places and objects in display boxes This farm was made by Anthony's Langdale's mother in 1942 out of orange boxes. She made it for her three sons to play with. She and her husband, Arthur, ran a farm in Sussex and there were land girls on the farm The north hall was used as a reading room The exhibition consisted of: PEOPLE Sir Malcolm Arnold Mary Bennett Air Vice Marshal Denis Breakey Russell Brockbank Admiral Sir John Bush Reg and Elsie Cottle Jean Chopping Squ Ldr P F Clayton Frank Debono Major William Arthur Kirwan Dickinson Sheila Dickinson H A L Fisher Lettice Fisher Steven Frank Bruce Austin Fraser Eddie Gale Robert Goble Wing Commander Charles W Gore Vincent Grygelis Rudolf Hess Ernest John (Jack) Hesmondhalgh   F/Sgt Robert Henry Houldey Colonel Christopher Hutt Kate Jensen Ann Levy Jeffrey Malton David Man 'Topsy' and Christopher Man   Hilda Matheson Kenneth Mathews Noelle Mendelssohn Raymond Monnery Arthur Moss Edward Osborn Tom and Grace Ranson Robbie Robinson Peter Scheffers Joyce and Tony Secrett Robert Sharland Sir Roger Stevens Jack Stimpson Jo Streatfield-James Sally Streatfield-James Carl August Hendrik Swift and Joan Betty Swift Charles James Treadwell Christina-Maria van den Toorn Paul Von Oldecop   Tim and Margaret Walsh Monica Whately Michael Wyatt John and Madge Young It was hoped that by clicking on the surnames above, you would be able to connect to the individuals you wished to read about, unfortunately this proved to be difficult and so the pdf below was created. It has a contents page so that it can be both searched and navigated quite easily: Here is a sample entry: This is just one of the over 90 white plaques that Sally Scheffers made for the exhibition. Each one commemorates a person featured in the displays or stories. EVENTS, PLACES & THINGS 1939 Register Admiralty Signal Establishment Aircraft Recognition Journal The Camp Canadians in Thursley 'Doodlebugs' Farnham Castle Gee Radio Navigation System Hitler's Black Book Life in Thursley During World War II Life in Tweedsmuir Camp with the Lorne Scots Regiment Marriages in World War II Queen Victoria Rifles Siege of Calais Thursley Horticultural Society in WW2 Thursley's Home Guard Tweedsmuir Camp VJ-Day 15th August 2025 Voluntary Positions of Thursley's Non-Conscripted Residents Women's Land Army YMCA Like the People section above, these entries can be found a searchable pdf: Here is a sample entry: DISPLAY CASES These crocheted dolls, some fashioned over chicken wishbones, were lent by Marion O'Brien Mein Kampf in blue on the left and a Jewish Anti-Nazi novel in yellow in the middle Medals from many theatres of war The Camp was produced for POW's by the Germans Includes Jeffrey Malton's Log Books

The books listed below are available to be borrowed. Please make any requests via the contact form on the website LIST OF BOOKS, BOOKLETS, CATALOGUES, LEAFLETS HELD BY THURSLEY HISTORY SOCIETY – MAY 2025 The Great War, Imperial War Museum, edited by Mark Holborn Hindhead’s Turn Will Come (Golf Course), Ralph Irwin-Brown The Lost Countryside Images of Rural Life, Chris Shepheard Living in Tweedsmuir Camp 1948-57, Wies & Zen royal ski Helen Allingham’s Cottage Homes – Revisited, Annabel Watts The LWRR Guide – Tigers – 2017 25th anniversary  2 copies Farnham and the Civil War,  Derek & Angela Hall Edwin Lutyens – Monographs 6, Academy editions Pictures from a Country Churchyard St Michaels , Guy Singer All Tanked Up – The Canadians in Headley WW2  2 copies, John Owen Smith Thursley Today 1965, Thursley Women’s Institute Monica Edward’s – Authorised Biography, Brian Parks Malcolm Arnold: Rogue Genius – donated by Patricia Coles, Anthony Meredith & Paul Harris Witley & Milford in Living Memory, Valerie Box The Badgers of Punchbowl Farm, Monica Edwards Fascinating Farnham, Guy J Singer Tales from a Country Churchyard – St Michaels & All Angels, Guy J Singer The Wigwam Murder, M J Trow The Unsought Farm, Monica Edwards A History of Europe Vol 1– donated by Mary Bennett, H A L Fisher The Land of the Sophy, Roger Stevens Dolphin Summer, Monica Edwards Wish for a Pony – 2 copies, Monica Edwards Discovering Local History, David Iredale & John Barrett Thursley Remembers, John P Hill The Hunter Children, Natalie Joan Punchbowl Harvest, Monica Edwards Black Hunting Whip, Monica Edwards The Broom-Squire – 2 old copies, S Baring-Gould Witley & Thursley Parish Churches – 4 copies, Alan Bott Common Prayer Book donated by Mary Hall (nee Warner) 1927 Holy Bible presented to Tim Christmas at Sunday School 1912 The Punchbowl Companion to Monica Edwards’ books, Brian Parks The Romney Marsh Companion to Monica Edwards’ books, Brian Parks Women in the First World War, Neil R Storey & Molly Housego Marchan’s Hill 1939-1989, Judy Hewins Thursley Horticultural Society Centenary 1923-2023