| Type: | Village |
| Static Image Name: | Alfold - geograph.org.uk - 1104250.jpg |
| Static Image Caption: | Old tile-hung cottages and Crown Inn at the centre of Alfold |
| Static Image 2 Name: | Alfold Churchyard - geograph.org.uk - 1105524.jpg |
| Static Image 2 Caption: | Looking towards the stocks |
| Country: | England |
| Official Name: | Alfold |
| Population: | 1,059 |
| Population Ref: | (Civil Parish)[1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 15.1 |
| Civil Parish: | Alfold |
| Shire District: | Waverley |
| Shire County: | Surrey |
| Region: | South East England |
| Constituency Westminster: | Guildford |
| Post Town: | CRANLEIGH |
| Postcode District: | GU6 |
| Postcode Area: | GU |
| Dial Code: | 01403 |
| Os Grid Reference: | TQ037341 |
| Coordinates: | 51.096°N -0.5197°W |
| Label Position: | top |
Alfold is a village and civil parish in Surrey, England on the West Sussex border. Alfold is a dispersed or polyfocal village in the Green Belt, which is buffered from all other settlements. The Greensand Way runs north of the village along the Greensand Ridge and two named localities exist to the north and south of the historic village centre which features pubs, a set of stocks and a whipping post.
Alfold Crossways has a country park, recreational ground and a garden centre whereas Alfold's centre has a village store and the Anglican parish church. The population was 1,059 in the 2011 UK census.
Alfold—also recorded as Aldfold or Awfold—meant the "old fold" or clearing enclosure for cattle,[2] which is apt as it was in a much-wooded area of The Weald (meaning forest in Old and Middle English) prior to being cleared for farming.[3]
Early glass making, evidence of which can be seen in Sidney Wood, appears to provide the oldest trace of land use in the village. The glass industry in Alfold ended around 1615 when using charcoal was banned in glass production.[3] [2]
Alfold is not mentioned in the Domesday Book. This is probably because Alfold appears to have been an unrecorded, southern outpost in the multi-village estate of Bramley since pre-conquest times. The earliest mention of Alfold, in the 13th century, records that it was attached to Shalford Manor. A charter of William Longespee, son of the Earl of Salisbury, records that the advowson, with the Manor of Shalford, is given to John, son of Geoffrey Earl of Essex, who died in 1256.
Four manors existed, namely Wildwood now represented by Great and Little Wildwood Farms and Wildwood Copse and Moat, was formerly possessed by the lords of Albury and Stoke D'Abernon, the D'Abernons and their successors. In the 13th century they had land in Alfold and in a deed of 1313 John D'Abernon's wood called le Wylwode is mentioned. Markwick and Monkenhook over their history have been held by Waverley Abbey, Viscount Montagu and the Earl of Onslow; and Sydney alias Hedgecourt or Rickhurst (Rykhurst) lies partly in Dunsfold held by the Sydney (then Dorrington) family.
Alfold Park, formerly with a moat (as did Wildwood Farm), belonged to the manor of Shalford and contained ; however it lost its park before John Speed's map was made[2] in the reign of James I.
After the invention of gunpowder, charcoal was extensively burnt in the parish for gunpowder works in Dunsfold, Cranleigh, and Sussex.[2]
The parish comprised of which only in 1848 were common or waste, and
A Baptist chapel was erected in 1883, and an elementary school in 1876.
Significant other homes mentioned in 1911 were Sydney Manor and Sachel Court; Sachel Court was owned by Thomas Smith Wharrie, an engineer in Scotland and director of British Mutual Banking Company Ltd.[2]
The compact village has a red telephone kiosk, stocks and whipping post with very old paving and the following listed buildings:
Also sometimes mistakenly recorded as Alford Crossways this hamlet or locality has more buildings in northern part of the village, around the crossroads of the A281 (Guildford-Horsham road) and the traditional Arundel Road to the village centre. Here there are the following:
This smaller also generally less old, southern part of the village has only one listed building, the Sir Roger Tichbourne Inn, see Tichborne baronets and Tichborne, Hampshire for Roger's family history.[17] Alford Bars is situated just into West Sussex, with the county border at the north of the small area. The speed limit remains at 40 mph through the village.
The village's football club, Alfold F.C. play in the Southern Combination League.
| + 2011 Census Homes | |||||||
| Output area | Detached | Semi-detached | Terraced | Flats and apartments | Caravans/temporary/mobile homes | shared between households | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Civil Parish) | 185 | 131 | 28 | 44 | 52 | 9 |
| + 2011 Census Key Statistics | ||||||
| Output area | Population | Households | % Owned outright | % Owned with a loan | hectares | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Civil Parish) | 1,059 | 449 | 39.6% | 28.1% | 1510 |
References