Elstead
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elstead is a village in Surrey, England, with shops and cottages mainly clustered around a central green, close to the River Wey. These buildings include a forge, built in 1686.
Elstead's relative prosperity over the centuries can be partly attributed to the existence of a large watermill and a significant bridge over the river, parts of which are thought to be around 700 years old.
Elstead Mill, now a pub and restaurant, was occupied by Oliver Cromwell’s ‘roundhead’ army during the English Civil War, but subsequently burnt down. The present structure is therefore thought to date back to the seventeenth century.
The first known reference to Elstead is in the 1128 foundation charter for Waverley Abbey (sometimes spelt Waverly), where it was called Helestede. The church of St James was built around ten years later. It still contains thirteenth century windows and some fourteenth century timbers.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, Elstead was known for the quality and quantity of carrots grown there, with daily shipments by train from nearby Milford Station up to London's Covent Garden market during the growing season. This is attributed to the light sandy soils in the village which are perfect for carrot growing.
Elstead is surrounded by common land, including Hankley Common which is regularly used by the British Army for training purposes.
Its more recent residents have included Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr.
Thundry Meadow, close to Elstead, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSI) and is an important breeding area for the Dragonfly and Damselfly.
[edit] External links
- Elstead Village Website
- History of Elstead
- St James' Church
- Some other Elstead Web Sites
- The River Wey and Wey Navigations Community Site — a non-commercial site of over 200,000 words all about the River Wey including information and images about Elstead
