Shalford, Surrey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shalford is a village in Surrey, England, situated on the busy A281 Horsham road immediately south of Guildford with geographic coordinates of . It has its own railway station between Guildford and Dorking on the North Downs Line.
The village is part of the borough of Guildford, and constitutes a civil parish and a ward. The 2001 census records a population of 5,161 (compared to 129,701 in Guildford as a whole).
Shalford was recorded in the Domesday survey, when it had three watermills on the River Wey, and mills continued to be built and operated there for hundreds of years. One still survives today, although it is now preserved as a tourist attraction: Shalford Mill, situated in the centre of the village opposite the Sea Horse public house, was built in the 18th century and is now owned by the National Trust.
The River Tillingbourne joins the River Wey at Shalford adjacent to the parish church. For centuries, the river provided an important source of income for the village. As the northern terminus of the Wey and Arun Canal, Shalford was a landing place for barges, and continues to be visited by boats today — but for pleasure rather than trade.
The village also became well known for "the Great Fair of Shalford" which was set up by a charter issued by King John. In its heyday, it was said to have covered 140 acres (570,000 m²) and attracted merchants from across the country. Some claim that the author of The Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan, once lived in the village and drew his inspiration from the fair, and from the ancient route known as the Pilgrims' Way, which passes nearby, on its way to Canterbury.
The original church, mentioned in the Domesday survey, no longer exists. An early Victorian church now stands in its place. St Mary's was built in 1846. Many older cottages do survive. One of the finest properties, Shalford House, dates back to the Tudor period and features a carved stone fireplace dated 1609.
