Events

A day in Bletchingley

21st March 2023, 10:30 - 15:45

 

 

A Day in Bletchingley

Tuesday 21 March 2023

10.30am – 3.45pm

 

 

 

 

David Martin of the Bletchingley Conservation and Historical Society has kindly agreed to guide us around the charming village of Bletchingley.

Positioned as it is on the A25 to the east of Redhill, most people just drive through without realising what is hidden either side of the road and it’s well worth discovering.

The existence of the village can be traced back as far as Saxon times and was subsequently mentioned in the Domesday book. It is still possible to find signs of this long history today; parts of the Church date back to 1100 ad with considerable enlargements in the 13th century.

In 1225 there is mention of Bletchingley as a borough. In the Middle Ages a borough was created either by the King or one of the Lords as a potentially profitable element in the development of their estates. It appears that after the 14th century Bletchingley began to lose its importance as a borough, perhaps losing out to the market town of Reigate. However, at one point it managed to achieve the status of a rotten borough! Parliamentary elections were held in what is now the White Hart pub.

 

A number of public footpaths and bridleways can be found both to the north and south of the village which not only allow access to the countryside but also provide the opportunity to stumble across some other interesting buildings. The house at Place Farm formed the gatehouse of Bletchingley Place; a great Tudor house, which Anne of Cleves occupied after her marriage to Henry VIII, was annulled.

 

It is still possible to see several buildings that date back to around 1500 in the High Street area. Also, to the north can be found Brewer Street Farm (15th century) and the Old Rectory (1786).

There are 30 tickets available and if more than 20 people attend we will divide into 2 groups so that everyone can properly hear the information given by the guides.

The event will fall into two parts : a guided tour of the village and a walk out to see some of the historic buildings nearby.

If there are two groups, the first group will be guided by David Martin around the church followed by a walk up the high street, taking in variouos interesting features. The second group, led by Victoria Gregory also from the Bletchingley Conservation and Historical Society, will be taken on a walk which includes Brewer Street and gives views of The Old Rectory. After lunch, if there are two groups they will swap over.

The walks will be on footpaths, open areas and a small amount of roadways.  We suggest you wear walking shoes although it is not anticipated to be very rough or muddy underfoot. There are no stiles and the walk is approximately 3 miles long.

There are two options for lunch.  You could bring a picnic as there are plenty of places where you could sit to eat or you may wish to have lunch at the The Red Lion pub in the village.  Please indicate in the comments box if you would to have lunch at the pub and we will reserve tables.  Lunch will be at your own cost and, depending on numbers, we may need to pre-order.  We will give you details of this in the confirmation sent nearer the time.

The walk around the village will be on paved walkways without any significant inclines and will take approximately 1½ hours, including stops at points of interest where our guides will tell us about the history.

Although we will go inside the church, the event is largely outdoors so please come dressed for the prevailing weather conditions.

The cost of the event will be £8.00 for members, £12.00 for non-members which includes a donation to the Bletchingley Conservation and Historical Society.

This event is not suitable for those wth mobility issues and we suggest it is not suitable for dogs.

Deadline for booking is 11 March 2023.

For further enquiries contact info@surreyhillssociety.org.

By continuing and making a booking you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to the Terms & Conditions specified in our Cancellation Policy and Responsibility Statement, both of which can be viewed by clicking here

Book Online

---