| Headley | |
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Headley
Headley shown within Surrey |
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| Population | 673 [1] |
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| OS grid reference | TQ205545 |
| District | Mole Valley |
| Shire county | Surrey |
| Region | South East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Epsom |
| Postcode district | KT18 |
| Dialling code | 01372 |
| Police | Surrey |
| Fire | Surrey |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Mole Valley |
| List of places: UK • England • Surrey | |
Headley is a small village and civil parish[2] in Surrey, England covering 675 hectares.
The village is bordered to its west by Leatherhead, to the north by Ashtead and Langley Vale, Walton-on-the-Hill to the east and to its south by Box Hill. It is just outside the M25 motorway encircling London.
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Headley is only a small village but it can trace its origins a long way back. It lay within the Copthorne hundred, an administrative division devised by the Saxons.
Headley appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Hallega. It was held by Radulfus (Ralph) de Felgeres. Its domesday assets were: 2 hides; 6 ploughs, woodland worth 15 hogs. It rendered £5.[3] Hallega means a clearing in the heather, which is appropriate considering the villages position on the acid top of the North Downs.[4]
The Romans certainly would have had an influence in the area with the Roman Stane Street a few hundred metres from part of the Western and Northern boundaries of the Parish and a considerable Roman presence in the neighbouring village of Walton-on-the-Hill with its well documented villa and other finds.
Headley was part of the Copthorne Hundred. There is no known record of a church in Headley during this period; the first records of a church are after the Norman Conquest. However this church could have been built on or adjacent to the site of a Saxon church.
In the Domesday Book of 1086 the Manor of Headley was held by Ralph de Felgeres. The survey also records that the manor was held before the conquest by Countess Goda (the mother of King Harold) and it had been granted to her by King Edward the Confessor.
There has been little development in the village recently as it is part of the London Green Belt and the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The land in the village is no longer farmed as it used to be, but is used for grazing for the many riding establishments in the area. A large section known as Headley Heath is under the control of The National Trust, and other nearby areas are controlled by Surrey Wildlife Trust and private nature reserves. The heath is part of the Mole Gap to Reigate Escarpment Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Most of the population work outside the village, as there are few opportunities for employment left in the village. The village still has an active church, shop, village hall and pub. Buses run to Leatherhead, Dorking and Box Hill with a connection available to Epsom.
Local state schools are in Leatherhead, Ashtead, Mickleham and Dorking. Some children attend private schools.
There is a military hospital (previously run by the RAF Hospital) at RAF Headley Court nearby. There is no airport as there are at other RAF bases, though its playing fields can be used for helicopters.
Headley is known for its large heath lands, which are owned by the National Trust, leading out towards Box Hill. The Heath was once much higher than it is now, it was flattened out by Canadian troops during World War II for use as tank and combat training grounds.
An infrequent bus service runs from Dorking to Leatherhead through Headley. A service was provided by Surrey County Council for local children of 5–11 years of age, to the state schools of Leatherhead Trinity, which are in Leatherhead. However, this service ceased 1, September 2006.
A bus service is also provided by St. Andrew's Catholic School for their pupils.
The village has a Parish Council and several clubs including a computer club, a cricket club, a gardening club, the Women's Institute and other activities.[5]
The Cock Inn, formerly for a few years the Cock Horse, is the only public house in the village. There is also the RAF Headley Club which is open only to service men and women, plus their families of RAF Headley Court
The Headley Cricket Club was founded in 1893, and now incorporating the Old Freemen's side from nearby City of London Freemen's School. The team play on the ground opposite the main Heath car park, to the south of the village centre and have played in the Surrey Downs League since 2002 on Saturdays and have a Sunday team.
Tyrells Wood Golf Club is a large private golf course and grounds to the west of the village and partially within the bounds of the parish.
Headley is served by these emergency services:
| Leatherhead | Ashtead | Burgh Heath | ||
| Mickleham | Walton-on-the-Hill | |||
| Headley | ||||
| Dorking | Box Hill | Buckland |
6. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/surrey/6918675.stm
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