Hog's Back
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The Hog's Back is the name given to that part of the North Downs in Surrey between Farnham, Surrey in the west and Guildford in the east. Compared with the main part of the Downs to the east of it, it is a narrow elongated ridge, hence its name.
The name "the Hog's Back" was first recorded in 1823. The medieval name for the ridge was Guildown (recorded first in 1035 where it was the site of the abduction of Prince Alfred of Wessex by Earl Godwin and then in the Pipe Rolls for 1190 and onwards) but this name is no longer in use. However, the name Guildown is evoked by Guildown Road, a residential road which climbs the southern side of the ridge on the southwestern fringes of Guildford.
The Guild- element of Guildown is the same as that found in Guildford, meaning "gold". Various explanations have been suggested for the relationship between the names of Guildown and Guildford. Guildown may be an abbreviation of Guildford Down ("the Down by Guildford"). Guildford is the point where the River Wey cuts through the Hog's Back. Alternatively, both Guildown and Guildford may derive independently from a gold-coloured feature; either the yellow flowers of the marsh marigold or the gold-coloured (sandy) soil of the hillside, Guildford translates literally as gold ford after the river golden coloured sandy soil at the Ford in the River Wey : see The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names E. Ekwall (4th edn 1960) svv. Guildford and Hog's Back and A Dictionary of English Place Names A. D. Mills (1991, reprinted with corrections 1995) svv. Guildford and Hog's Back.
The Hog's Back is raised quite dramatically over the surrounding countryside, reaching a height of 154 metres above sea level, and therefore offers exceptional views, although they are difficult to see from the busy road which runs along the Hog's Back (the A31). The view to the north includes many towns and villages, including Ash and Aldershot, but the view to the south is unspoilt and has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty as well as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The road along the Hog's Back is ancient, since its raised position offered travellers a vantage point and also kept them above the thick ancient woodland of the valleys on either side. It was part of the road from London to Winchester (as it still is) and also formed part of the Pilgrims' Way to Canterbury. In order to avoid the A31, however, the Pilgrims' Way now runs along its southern flank.
The Hog's Back stretch of the A31 is now a dual carriageway, but the two directions of the road are separated by a central area of trees, some of them very old. The original road ran along the stretch now occupied by the lanes running from Guildford to Farnham, i.e. from east to west. The other two lanes, running from west to east, were added in the early 1970s.
On the north side of the Hog's Back near the turn off to the village of Seale formerly stood a mansion known as Poyle Hill Lodge. This was once one of the Admiralty semaphore stations because of its high vantage point. It was later converted into a hotel called the Hog's Back Hotel and now officially known as the Ramada Farnham.
On the south side of the Hog's Back, a little to the east of Poyle Hill, another large mansion was built in 1873 called Great Down. This was demolished in about 1950.
The Hogs Back Brewery is an independent real ale brewery based in Tongham, which is a village just below the Hog's Back.
[edit] Trivia
The Hog's Back is prominently mentioned in Richard Thompson's song MGB-GT.
