During the last few months, there has been a renewed focus on the benefits of being outdoors.  Of course, this is something that all of us connected with the Surrey Hills have known for some considerable time.   Last year, the advisory panel to the Surrey Hills Trust Fund decided that one of its key objectives would be to promote the important role that the AONB can play in promoting health and well-being for all ages.  However, we recognised that, whilst the Trust Fund could provide seed funding for certain projects, the best approach would be to work in partnership with other charitable funds.  It quickly became clear that to obtain this support we had to provide evidence-based research that demonstrated the need in Surrey, the way in which the need could be met and the barriers that existed.

Last November, we organised the Surrey Hills Symposium in conjunction with the University of Surrey.  The theme was “Our Natural Health Service” and as part of the event we highlighted the research that had been commissioned by the Surrey Hills Trust Fund in conjunction with L C Energy and the University.  This excellent report by Genevieve Lebus is entitled “Into the Wild”.  It runs to nearly 100 pages and can be seen online here. Because this is such a wide topic we decided to focus initially on young disadvantaged groups, whilst recognising that immersion in nature can benefit all ages.

Some of the facts that emerged as a result of the research truly startled us all.  It is very easy as you drive down the leafy lanes of Surrey or walk in the beautiful countryside to be totally unaware of the real deprivation that exists on our doorstep.  The chart below contains some of the most disturbing statistics:

The average Surrey worker earns an income 22% higher than the national average, but thirteen neighbourhoods still fall into the 20% most deprived areas of the UK. 

The report not only identified the need but went on to review the evidence, showing the impact that exposure to the countryside can have on mental and physical well-being.  It was no surprise that the clear conclusion was that there are multiple advantages of engaging with the natural world. In addition to the physiological benefits of encouraging physical activity and boosting immune response, natural environments are successful in moderating the symptoms of low mental well-being. Nature’s restorative qualities significantly reduce feelings of stress or mental fatigue and allow people to escape the pressures of daily life. The outdoors also provides the opportunity for quiet reflection, as well as exercise, social group or educational/skills sessions that boost self-esteem and confidence. Furthermore, nature helps build resilience through encouraging young people to engage with an unpredictable environment in which they have to assess risk, make independent decisions and learn to adapt to their surroundings.  Perhaps one of the most telling conclusions was that early intervention makes a huge difference to mental health in the longer term – encouraging young people out into the countryside can truly change their lives!

Of course, different people have very different needs and it was very clear from the research that it is impossible to adopt a ‘one size fits all’ approach.  It is encouraging that there are a huge number of Surrey based organisations that are focussed on trying to meet some of the need identified, but there are some significant barriers that also exist. One of the main problems is the lack of education. Most people seem unaware of the benefits that nature can provide, or the negative consequences of departing from it. This has led to parent restrictions, societal rules, a blind acceptance of a technological way of life, and even a fear of the outdoors. It is clear that greater awareness is needed to highlight the importance of engaging with nature and hopefully incorporate it into mainstream culture.

In addition, another key barrier emphasised by local organisations was a lack of funding into relevant projects and interventions. Money is required to pay for equipment, volunteers and transport to help facilitate access to nature and to take young, disadvantaged people outside. Funding would allow organisations to expand and reach more of those who need help.

As a result of this research the Surrey Hills Trust fund is now working with the Surrey Hills AONB Board to develop a campaign that will promote the therapeutic benefits of activities in the Surrey Hills. Genevieve Lebus is assisting with the redesign of the Surrey Hills AONB website and we are starting by helping to fund certain youth groups to participate in a representative range of activities that will be videoed and widely promoted as part of a comprehensive communications plan.  The Fund will then make grants to assist with the funding of disadvantaged children, who wish to go on the courses.  However, the most important ambition is that, having started on this path, we can persuade other charitable funds to partner with us so as to expand the scheme and to make a real difference to young lives.

As many of you will have seen, we are now beginning to commence events, although we are of course complying with Government guidelines in relation to COVID 19.  In particular all events MUST be pre-booked through our website and we are limiting numbers to ensure that appropriate social distancing can be maintained.

It is with some sadness that I have to report that Anthony Wakefield has indicated that he can no longer continue as Chairman of the Newsletter Committee and that his firm will not be able to continue the excellent sponsorship that they have provided for several years.  I would like to record our thanks to Anthony and his firm for all the generous support that we have received, and I know that he is keen to continue to support the Society as an ongoing member.  We plan to continue with the E-newsletter format that has been developed over recent months, but we will also do two printed newsletters a year so if anybody knows someone who might be interested in providing sponsorship do please ask them to contact me.

Although we have been in Lockdown and we have had to cancel all our events, there has still been a lot to do over the last few months.  Not only are we now planning for the Autumn and fervently hoping that Government regulations enable us to enjoy the Countryside despite signs of further spikes, but we are also looking forward to next year and are hopeful that we can resurrect many of the events that had to be cancelled this year.

The Society has been involved in a couple of exciting projects.  We have recently helped Surrey Hills Arts with some essential maintenance work to Perspectives and the new Inspiring Views Project at Albury is under way.

Before Lockdown, work was done by Surrey Hills Arts with the Albury Estate to clear the view. This work has really lightened what was a dark tunnel of the North Downs Way, allowed light through to the forest floor and thereby created potential habitats for a more diverse wildlife. Chalk scrapes have been created and work is continuing with Butterfly Conservation to plant the scrapes to attract native butterflies and to keep the invasive roots down which will eventually see the return of grass meadowland.  During lockdown, the artist Will Nash was able to complete the framework of the Optohedron. This is now weathering beautifully and ready to install. Planning approval from Guildford Borough Council will hopefully be forthcoming in the near future.

Finally another work by Will Nash has been installed on Shalford Common – a swift tower to protect one of Britain’s most remarkable and endangered bird species.  The 10-metre-tall steel tower features 45 individually numbered nest boxes, which can accommodate 90 swifts and their chicks, to replace lost nesting sites in an area where swifts have nested for decades.

Members of the Surrey Hills Society who have missed the social aspect of the walks, talks and visits of our events programme will be delighted that a limited programme has started up again this month. The impact of the pandemic and particularly the period of lockdown has to some extent been a strain for us all, but for those with physical, mental health problems or learning difficulties, it has been exceptionally stressful.

At a time when charities supporting these vulnerable groups were needed most, many had to reduce their activities or in some cases close completely. However, as they move forward with their plans to reopen or increase their activities, they are now facing increased expenditure to ensure they are Covid safe. With their usual fundraising activities pretty much wiped out this year, for many, targeted appeals are likely to be the only way to avoid a precarious shortfall in income.

Two local charities, with which the society has a connection,  and who are supporting clients with mental health, learning or other challenges, are The Grange, Bookham, from whom we purchase all our fleeces and other branded clothing and The Patchworking Garden Project in Dorking, which we have visited and donated funds to over several years.

The Patchworking Garden Project, www.patchworkinggardenproject.co.uk and the Surrey Hills Society, both received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service last year. Established less than six years ago, it aims to bring positive change to people’s lives through friendship and gardening.  

I think many of us would agree that spending time with nature can improve our feeling of wellbeing during this difficult time and yet sadly the Patchworking Garden has had to remain closed for over four months.  During this time, a small group of volunteers regularly watered, weeded and generally maintained the garden, donating produce to the Community Fridge, while others kept in touch regularly with everyone they support. The garden will open again in mid-August, but in order to do so safely it has had to adapt – building a new covered area to provide sufficient shelter and maintain social distancing, provide new handwashing stations and facilities to clean tools along with the  provision of PPE.  While ensuring the safety of all who attend, it is vital that the garden continues to offer a welcoming, friendly and relaxed atmosphere, particularly for those who suffer from depression, dementia or anxiety.

So as we at SHS begin to regroup and socialise once again with other members on our walks and visits albeit at a distance, it is worth considering the extent to which many of our other local charities are having to rise to the challenge to be innovative and resourceful if they are to successfully adapt to life post lockdown.  

Surrey History Centre is well known as a repository of information and documents relating to Surrey’s past.  Indeed, it has such a large collection that the casual visitor to the website can sometimes find it difficult to focus on their initial topic of interest since there are so many threads that could be followed.

One heading which is certainly worth checking out is that entitled “Marvels of the Month”.  Each month, the Surrey Heritage teams showcase their own particular “Marvels of the Month” and the range of subjects is fascinating.  The website has monthly entries going back as far as 2012 so there are lots of topics to choose from.

To give you a flavour of the content, and with the kind permission of Surrey History Centre, we have selected a couple of entries which we hope will entice you to check out the site for yourselves.

March 2017 – Words in Focus

In the mid-nineteenth century, the area around Haslemere, Witley and Milford attracted a considerable number of London-based artists, drawn by the beauty of the landscape and the healthy air. The artist James Clarke Hook (1819-1907) moved to Hambledon in 1857 and was visited there by his friend Myles Birket Foster (1825-1899), one of the foremost watercolour painters of his time. Foster initially rented a summer cottage for his family and then in 1863 bought Wormley Hill where he built The Hill, a mock Tudor house decorated by William Morris. He was interested in the vernacular architecture of South West Surrey and he sketched and painted many of the local cottages and farmhouses. One cottage near his home in Wormley Wood was a favourite subject of many local artists, and Foster even paid for the roof to be repaired when it was threatened with demolition.

Another visitor to the area was Helen Allingham, well known for her paintings of Surrey cottages. She first visited the county when she and her husband stayed with their friend Lord Tennyson in Haslemere. In 1881 the couple bought a house in Sandhills, near Witley, and it was in the area that she discovered and painted the classic ‘chocolate box’ country cottages with their tumbling thatched roofs, cottage gardens and barefoot children in bonnets for which she is famed.

January 2013 – Surrey and the discovery of sunspots

Redhill Observatory was built by Richard Carrington (1826-75) on Furze Hill in 1852, and it was here that he carried out the work that would lead his major contribution to the history of astronomy. He identified solar flares and devised a system for sequential numbering of complete rotations of the sun that is still in use today. 2,000 complete rotations were logged by 1995, continuing the system began by Carrington in November 1853, he noted a total of 99 rotations in his lifetime. These discoveries lead to the publication of:

•             A Catalogue of the 3753 circumpolar stars observed at Redhill in the years 1854, 1855, and 1856 (1857) (SHC Library 523.89 S1x)

•             Observations of the spots on the sun, from November 9, 1853, to March 24, 1861, made at Redhill (1863)

In the 1860s, after a few years away from Surrey, he purchased 19 acres of land in Churt where he built another house known as Jumps House and an observatory further up the hill at Middle Devil’s Jump. This involved tunnelling into the hill both vertically and horizontally; the altazimuth instrument was located in the vertical tunnel enabling it to be used without a dome. An engraving shows the observatory and house and is reproduced [on the website] from the Illustrated London News, Volume 59, 1871 (SHC Library J/572/51, J/572/48)

In 1869 Carrington married Rosa Helen Rodway, a marriage that was to embroil him in scandal which dominated the last few years of his life. A full account of this story together with an account of his importance to modern astronomy can be found in: The Sun Kings: the unexpected tragedy of Richard Carrington and the tale of how Modern Astronomy began by Stephen Clark (2007) (SHC Library 920CAR)

As lockdown begins to ease, I am delighted to be able to tell you that the Society Events Committee is beginning to plan events for August and beyond. As a Society, we are very fortunate in that many of our events are outdoors and I hope we will be able to provide some welcome relief from the isolation that we have all had to undergo.

At this stage we are limiting ourselves to a couple of garden visits and some walks.  We hope to be able to expand the programme during the Autumn.  We are having to keep our numbers small in order to ensure that there is adequate social distancing and online booking is essential so that we have an accurate record of attendees. I’m afraid we can’t do paper bookings because we aren’t able to get access to Warren Farm Barns, which is our postal address.

Unfortunately, we have had to cancel the Passionate about Glass event as Adam Aaronson is not opening his glass studio to the public for the foreseeable future.  Our treasurer will be organising refunds.

However I am delighted to say that the Society will be supporting Guildford Walkfest again this year in September. The Festival organisers were originally hoping to promote nearly 60 walks, but inevitably it is likely that the Festival will be considerably slimmed down this year. Events that the Society are leading will go up on the website shortly.

I would like to extend my thanks to our Trustees and the organising committees who have been so supportive during this very challenging time.  We do hope that all our members are well and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Gordon Jackson

It is with great pleasure and after a great deal of discussion we have decided that the winner of our “What the Surrey Hills mean to you” Photographic Competition is….

Linda Norton’s

Congratulations Linda. We will be in touch with you to arrange delivery of your prize of a bottle of wine from one of our Surrey Hills Wine Vineyards. Check out our five leading vineyards at https://www.surreyhillsvineyards.co.uk/

2nd place goes to Chris Tremain’s photograph taken near Chaldon

3rd place goes to Martin Ison with this photograph taken at The Chantries

Chris and Martin will each be receiving our runners up prize of a £5 discount voucher redeemable at any of our events which we hope to start in the not too distant future.

A huge thank you to everyone who entered, we hope you have enjoyed seeing these as much as we have and we look forward to seeing you all in the Surrey Hills again as soon as we are able.

Gordon Jackson, Ken Bare and Chris Howard

While we are probably all missing getting out and about in the Surrey Hills right now, we can still visit a diverse range of places as virtual escapism is just a click away.  From the comfort of your own home, cup of coffee in hand, or even a glass of wine, why not explore some old favourites or try out somewhere new.  Driving for pleasure may be forbidden and gardens, historic houses and galleries may all be closed right now, but we can still immerse ourselves in their beauty and often gain new insights and knowledge.  Susie Turner, from our Newsletter Team, gives us some examples of what is on offer.

The National Garden Scheme highlights several wonderful virtual garden tours on its website, among them Dunsborough Park, Ripley, mentioned in our chairman’s April e-mail as it was sadly one of our postponed visits.  The video is very uplifting so you may wish to take another look as it really is the ultimate tulip destination.  Or why not look at video clips of nearby Wisley, exploring perhaps the wisteria walk, the walled gardens, or mixed borders to give you new ideas for your own garden.

And if you are missing those gallery visits, you may enjoy taking a 360 degree tour of the Watts Gallery, or view the extensive art collection at Polesden Lacey, or perhaps take a quick peek at the Sculpture Park near Churt, with the option to purchase a piece of sculpture online.

Surrey Day’s virtual celebration, sponsored by BBC Radio Surrey, Surrey Life and Visit Surrey, on Saturday 2 May was a great success, so there is plenty to check out on the various websites. The Visit Surrey website in particular has many other suggestions, including lots of food and drink, – why not learn about a typical day at Albury Vineyard, family owned and using only organic grapes grown in the Surrey Hills.  Or what about something for all the family such as Spring at Bocketts’ Farm, the amazing British Wildlife Centre near Lingfield, or explore 16^th century Loseley House and gardens, owned by Surrey’s Lord Lieutenant, Michael More-Molyneux.

Surrey Life also features a series of mini virtual tours of some of  Surrey prettiest places.  For those missing hiking further afield, why not navigate your path along the North Downs Way, starting at Farnham, and creating your own virtual trip.  And if it’s company you are after try following the Bald Explorer, Richard Vobes, as he walks and talks his way through local places of interest, including Reigate’s Fort and Priory Park or Leith Hill and the Greensand Way.

These are often short clips lasting just a few minutes, but they often offer something new to learn and give a real taster for a future visit.

While some virtual tours have been created specifically during lockdown, others are older, but nonetheless we feel they are still worth a look.