Fetcham
Encyclopedia
Fetcham is a village in Surrey
, England
. It is west of Leatherhead
, on the other side of the River Mole
and Mill Pond
springs and the associated nature reserve.
The Mill Pond springs are a large number of chalk springs, which provide much of the water supply for the surrounding area. These springs even continued to supply water during the droughts of 1976 and 2006.
Although some would call it a suburb of Leatherhead, Fetcham is actually a busy village with good local shops, and has easy access to London
, Guildford
, Cobham
, Epsom
and, of course, Leatherhead
.
hundred
, an administrative division devised by the Saxons
.
Indeed, there is evidence that there were even earlier settlements, with the discovery of Stone and Bronze Age tools and Roman
artefacts, as well as three ancient burial grounds.
Fetcham appears in Domesday Book
of 1086 as Feceham. It was held partly by William the Conqueror; partly by Richard from the Bishop of Bayeux partly by Oswald the Thegn
. Its Domesday assets were: 7 hides
; 5½ mills
worth 17s, 10½ plough
s and 2 ox
en, 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of meadow
, woodland
, herbage and pannage
worth 23 hogs. It rendered £10 10s 0d. Fetcham, therefore, was referenced in the Domesday survey as three manors; one known as King's Manor was probably Fetcham Park
; another was given to Odo, Bishop of Bayeux after the Norman conquest
. The third was an Augustinian foundation from Merton Priory
, at Cannon Court, which Henry VIII
dissolved in 1538.
Its small manorial farming community numbered 176 in the survey, but halved as a result of the Black Death
in 1349. In the first half of the nineteenth century the population was still only around 370 http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/ENG-SURREY/1999-04/0924853766. In the 1931 census it had reached 1,318, and by 1972 was 7,331.
The Fetcham Conservation Area includes the impressive 18th century mansion of Fetcham Park House. The Well House, The Dower House and Ballands Hall are three of a cluster of old buildings in the area.
St Mary's Church has been a place of Christian
worship for over 1000 years. Built during Anglo-Saxon
and early Norman
periods, it is probably on the site of an even earlier timber church. There are many hints of its past in its structure. These include the south-west quoin of the nave, and a single splay window high on the south wall with traces of Roman brick as well as arches that are presumed to pre-date 1066.
at the village's east side, it is bounded by the neighbouring villages of Great Bookham
and Little Bookham
on its west.
To non-residents, Fetcham is regarded as part of Leatherhead. In its postal address, Royal Mail
prefer you to use the format of "Fetcham, Leatherhead".
The centre of the village has a number of shops, various in nature, with roadside free car parking. These are sufficient for the day-to-day demands of the local population. Food and drink is catered for by restaurants and food outlets supplying Indian, Chinese, and Italian cuisine, as well as a friendly fish and chips shop and a pleasant bakery coffee shop. A Harringtons' Sandwich bistro is currently being built.
There are four Christian congregations in the village:
To its south are the Fetcham and Leatherhead Downs, which are a part of the North Downs
.
brewery chain.
The large Village Hall in The Street is home to several organisations, including Fetcham Village Women's Institute. It was also the venue for several early performances by the influential band John's Children
, which included sometime frontman Marc Bolan
.
There is also a small reading room, in Cobham Road.
There was a social club, called the Fetcham Sports and Social Club, but this closed in 2001 after the membership dwindled. The building is now used as offices.
1st Fetcham Scout Group, headquartered in Cock Lane, has two Cub Scout
packs and two Scout Troops
, as well as Beavers
and Explorers.
link to Fetcham. The nearest stations are Leatherhead
and Bookham
. (A Fetcham station was originally planned for the area around Hilley Field Lane, but never constructed.)
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is west of Leatherhead
Leatherhead
Leatherhead is a town in the County of Surrey, England, on the River Mole, part of Mole Valley district. It is thought to be of Saxon origin...
, on the other side of the River Mole
River Mole, Surrey
The River Mole is a tributary of the River Thames in southern England. It rises in West Sussex near Gatwick Airport and flows north west through Surrey for to the Thames near Hampton Court Palace. The river gives its name to the Surrey district of Mole Valley...
and Mill Pond
Mill pond
A mill pond is any body of water used as a reservoir for a water-powered mill. Mill ponds were often created through the construction of a mill dam across a waterway. In many places, the common proper name Mill Pond name has remained even though the mill has long since gone...
springs and the associated nature reserve.
The Mill Pond springs are a large number of chalk springs, which provide much of the water supply for the surrounding area. These springs even continued to supply water during the droughts of 1976 and 2006.
Although some would call it a suburb of Leatherhead, Fetcham is actually a busy village with good local shops, and has easy access to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, Cobham
Cobham, Surrey
Cobham is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England, about south-west of central London and north of Leatherhead. Elmbridge has been acclaimed by the Daily Mail as the best place to live in the UK, and Cobham is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt...
, Epsom
Epsom
Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...
and, of course, Leatherhead
Leatherhead
Leatherhead is a town in the County of Surrey, England, on the River Mole, part of Mole Valley district. It is thought to be of Saxon origin...
.
History
The name Fetcham is derived from the Anglo-Saxon “Fecca’s ham” - Fecca's settlement. Fetcham lay within the CopthorneCopthorne (hundred)
Copthorne was a hundred in what is now Surrey, England. It includes the following places: Ashtead, Burgh, Cuddington, Epsom, Ewell, Fetcham, Headley, Leatherhead, Mickleham, Pachevesham , Tadworth, Thorncroft and Walton-on-the-Hill....
hundred
Hundred (division)
A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...
, an administrative division devised by the Saxons
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
.
Indeed, there is evidence that there were even earlier settlements, with the discovery of Stone and Bronze Age tools and Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
artefacts, as well as three ancient burial grounds.
Fetcham appears in Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 as Feceham. It was held partly by William the Conqueror; partly by Richard from the Bishop of Bayeux partly by Oswald the Thegn
Thegn
The term thegn , from OE þegn, ðegn "servant, attendant, retainer", is commonly used to describe either an aristocratic retainer of a king or nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England, or as a class term, the majority of the aristocracy below the ranks of ealdormen and high-reeves...
. Its Domesday assets were: 7 hides
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
; 5½ mills
Mill (grinding)
A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...
worth 17s, 10½ plough
Plough
The plough or plow is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
s and 2 ox
Ox
An ox , also known as a bullock in Australia, New Zealand and India, is a bovine trained as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration makes the animals more tractable...
en, 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
, woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
, herbage and pannage
Pannage
Pannage is the practice of turning out domestic pigs in a wood or forest, in order that they may feed on fallen acorns, beechmast, chestnuts or other nuts. Historically, it was a right or privilege granted to local people on common land or in royal forests...
worth 23 hogs. It rendered £10 10s 0d. Fetcham, therefore, was referenced in the Domesday survey as three manors; one known as King's Manor was probably Fetcham Park
Fetcham Park
Fetcham Park House is a Grade II listed, Queen Anne mansion designed by the English architect William Talman with internal murals by the renowned artist Louis Laguerre and grounds originally landscaped by Capability Brown...
; another was given to Odo, Bishop of Bayeux after the Norman conquest
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
. The third was an Augustinian foundation from Merton Priory
Merton Priory
Merton Priory was founded in 1114 by Gilbert Norman, Sheriff of Surrey under Henry I. It was located in Merton, Surrey, England at the point where the Roman Stane Street crossed the River Wandle....
, at Cannon Court, which Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
dissolved in 1538.
Its small manorial farming community numbered 176 in the survey, but halved as a result of the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
in 1349. In the first half of the nineteenth century the population was still only around 370 http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/ENG-SURREY/1999-04/0924853766. In the 1931 census it had reached 1,318, and by 1972 was 7,331.
The Fetcham Conservation Area includes the impressive 18th century mansion of Fetcham Park House. The Well House, The Dower House and Ballands Hall are three of a cluster of old buildings in the area.
St Mary's Church has been a place of Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
worship for over 1000 years. Built during Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
and early Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
periods, it is probably on the site of an even earlier timber church. There are many hints of its past in its structure. These include the south-west quoin of the nave, and a single splay window high on the south wall with traces of Roman brick as well as arches that are presumed to pre-date 1066.
Village
The village of Fetcham is quite large; extending from the River MoleRiver Mole, Surrey
The River Mole is a tributary of the River Thames in southern England. It rises in West Sussex near Gatwick Airport and flows north west through Surrey for to the Thames near Hampton Court Palace. The river gives its name to the Surrey district of Mole Valley...
at the village's east side, it is bounded by the neighbouring villages of Great Bookham
Great Bookham
-Today:The village has a high street, located in Great Bookham, which is, as its name suggests, the larger of the two villages. It has two butchers, a family run fishmongers and two traditional greengrocers...
and Little Bookham
Little Bookham
Little Bookham is a small, historic village in Surrey, England, located between Great Bookham and Effingham.Bookham railway station is situated in the village.- History :...
on its west.
To non-residents, Fetcham is regarded as part of Leatherhead. In its postal address, Royal Mail
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
prefer you to use the format of "Fetcham, Leatherhead".
The centre of the village has a number of shops, various in nature, with roadside free car parking. These are sufficient for the day-to-day demands of the local population. Food and drink is catered for by restaurants and food outlets supplying Indian, Chinese, and Italian cuisine, as well as a friendly fish and chips shop and a pleasant bakery coffee shop. A Harringtons' Sandwich bistro is currently being built.
There are four Christian congregations in the village:
- Cannon Court Evangelical Church, in Cannonside
- Church of the Holy Spirit (RCRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
), in Bell Lane - Community Church, which meets in Fetcham Infants School
- St Mary's Church, off The Ridgeway
To its south are the Fetcham and Leatherhead Downs, which are a part of the North Downs
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
.
Education
There are two village schools:- Fetcham Infants School for ages 4-7 with an attached pre-school for ages 2-4
- Oakfield Junior School for ages 7-11
Social life
Fetcham has just one pub, The Bell. It had a major refit in late 2004 and again in late 2007 by its new owner the YoungsYoung's Brewery
Young's is a British pub chain operating nearly 220 pubs.The company was founded as a brewery in 1831 by Charles Young and Anthony Bainbridge when they purchased the Ram Brewery in Wandsworth...
brewery chain.
The large Village Hall in The Street is home to several organisations, including Fetcham Village Women's Institute. It was also the venue for several early performances by the influential band John's Children
John's Children
John's Children were a 1960s pop art/mod rock band from Leatherhead, England that briefly featured future T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan. John's Children were known for their outrageous live performances and were booted off a tour with The Who in Germany in 1967 when they upstaged the headliners...
, which included sometime frontman Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist...
.
There is also a small reading room, in Cobham Road.
There was a social club, called the Fetcham Sports and Social Club, but this closed in 2001 after the membership dwindled. The building is now used as offices.
1st Fetcham Scout Group, headquartered in Cock Lane, has two Cub Scout
Cub Scout
A Cub Scout is a member of the section of the worldwide Scouting movement for young persons, mainly boys normally aged about 7 to 11. In some countries they are known by their original name of Wolf Cubs and are often referred to simply as Cubs. The movement is often referred to simply as Cubbing...
packs and two Scout Troops
Scout troop
The Scout troop is a unit of Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts that usually meet weekly. Girl Guides often use Unit or Company instead. The troop is the fundamental unit, which a Scout joins and via which he or she participates in Scouting activities, such as camping, backpacking, and...
, as well as Beavers
Beavers (Scouting)
Beavers in Scouting is one name for the youngest section of Scouting with members younger than Cub Scouts and sometimes going to as young as five years of age. Other names are used in some countries...
and Explorers.
Rail
There is no British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
link to Fetcham. The nearest stations are Leatherhead
Leatherhead railway station
Leatherhead railway station is a railway station serving the town of Leatherhead in Surrey, England. The station is managed by Southern, who provide train services along with South West Trains....
and Bookham
Bookham railway station
Bookham railway station is situated in the village of Little Bookham in Surrey, England. It also serves the adjacent village of Great Bookham...
. (A Fetcham station was originally planned for the area around Hilley Field Lane, but never constructed.)
Emergency services
Fetcham is served by the following emergency services:- Surrey PoliceSurrey PoliceSurrey Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Surrey in the south of England.The force is led by Chief Constable Mark Rowley and has its headquarters at Mount Browne, Guildford, Surrey...
. Leatherhead Police Station is now used only for minor issues; everything else is handled from Dorking Police Station. - South East Coast Ambulance ServiceSouth East Coast Ambulance ServiceThe South East Coast Ambulance Service is the NHS Ambulance Services Trust for south-eastern England, covering Kent , Surrey, West Sussex and East Sussex . It also covers a part of north-eastern Hampshire around Aldershot...
as of 1 July 2006. The SurreySurrey Ambulance ServiceSurrey Ambulance Service was the ambulance service for the County of Surrey in England until July 1, 2006, when it was succeeded by a South East Coast Ambulance Service also covering Sussex and Kent....
, SussexSussexSussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, and KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
Ambulance services have merged, and no longer exist separately. - Surrey Fire & Rescue Service, the local branch of which is actually located in Fetcham, but called Leatherhead Fire Station.
- Fetcham (Leatherhead) fire station has 28 personnel and one fire engine (water tender ladder). It also has special vehicles, one that is capable of transporting a large quantity of water or foam to an incident (water carrier), and a fire victim support vehicle crewed by the Red Cross.
- Appliances:
- 1 x water tender ladder
- 1 x water carrier