Peaslake

Peaslake is in the centre of the Surrey Hills area, close to the market town of Guildford, England. Surrounded by acres of forest and downland, visitors come here to walk and cycle and to enjoy the views of the local countryside. Nearby to the south is Pitch Hill (sometimes called "Coneyhurst Hill") which at 843 feet (257 m) is the fifth highest point in Surrey. 3,000 acres (12 km²) of surrounding forest, the Hurtwood, is maintained by the Hurtwood Control. This includes Holmbury Hill, Pitch Hill, Winterfold, Shere Heath, Farley Heath and part of Blackheath Common.

Peaslake retains a unique small village atmosphere. Although the whole parish has a population of around 1,500, only a few dozen houses make up the main centre of the village. Access to the village by car can only be gained by using roads which are at some point single track, which gives visitor the feel that it is more remote than it actually is. Although a popular destination for tourists, this apparent remoteness makes it quieter than other local villages (Shere in particular) for visitors. The attractive nature of the village means it is often used for TV location filming.

Peaslake is a focal point for Mountain Biking in the Surrey area, and it is not unusual to see the village crowded (relatively, it's not a big place) with mountain bikers returning from rides in the surrounding hills. The nearest railway station is Gomshall, a mile to the north.

Local amenities include: a church, village hall, doctors surgery, pub/hotel (The Hurtwood Inn), a bike shop (Pedal and Spoke) and a well used village shop which also does teas and hot snacks, and incorporates a post office.

The village school^[2] is unusual in that it is owned and run by residents and parents, who bought it after it was closed by the local education council in 1994. It is free to pupils (except those in the nursery classes) and raises all its own running costs (over £100,000 a year) without council or government support(aside from "early years" funding). The high standard of its education has been praised in Education Inspectorate reports. It offers education for fifty children from age 3 to 7 and is an important focal point for community activities.

Notable residents

Notable residents include members of the band WinterKids

References

1. ^ Surrey county council census data
2. ^ School website

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Peaslake Peaslake] at Wikimedia Commons