Horsell
Encyclopedia
Horsell in Surrey
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...
is an ancient (pre-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...
) village nearby to the more modern 19th century Woking
Woking
Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
, probably best known because of its association with the story The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds is an 1898 science fiction novel written by H. G. Wells.The War of the Worlds may also refer to:- Radio broadcasts :* The War of the Worlds , the 1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles...
, written by H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
. It is the home of the book's narrator (and home of Wells at the time), and the landing site of the first Martian
Martian (War of the Worlds)
The Martians, also known as the Invaders, are the fictional race of extraterrestrials from the H.G. Wells novel The War of the Worlds. They are the antagonists of the novel, and their efforts to exterminate the populace of Earth and claim the planet for themselves drive the plot and present...
transport vessel. The postal address for the village extends further than the built-up area of the village, reaching towards Ottershaw
Ottershaw
Ottershaw is a village in the Runnymede district of Surrey, England about 20 miles to the south-west of London. It is part of the Foxhills ward in the census....
, Chobham
Chobham
Chobham may mean:* Chobham, Surrey, a town in Surrey, England* Chobham Common, located near Chobham, Surrey, location of a British tank research centre* Chobham armour, composite armour for tanksSee also:* Cobham...
and Woking
Woking
Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
Town Centre.
It is the home of the McLaren
McLaren
McLaren Racing Limited, trading as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, is a British Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed and won in the Indianapolis 500 and Canadian-American Challenge Cup...
F1 headquarters.
It is also the home of Woking and Horsell Cricket Club, whose members have included Alec
Alec Bedser
Sir Alec Victor Bedser, CBE was a professional English cricketer. He was the chairman of selectors for the English national cricket team, and the president of Surrey County Cricket Club...
and Eric Bedser
Eric Bedser
Eric Arthur Bedser was a cricket player for Surrey County Cricket Club. He was the elder identical twin brother of Sir Alec , widely regarded as one of England's top bowlers of the 20th century...
, the twins who played cricket for England.
Numerous 500-plus year old buildings are still to be seen, and the village still very much retains its own atmosphere amid much commonland and greenery.
Horsell was originally planned to have a Railway station, although the plan was refused and station was placed in Woking
Woking
Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
instead. Although Horsell doesn't have a Railway station it does have a High School, Woking High School
Woking High School
Woking High School is a mixed comprehensive school for pupils aged 11–16 in the Horsell area of Woking, Surrey, England, UK. It specialises in Technology and has been awarded 'Technology Specialist School' status in 2004. It has approximately 1200 students on roll...
-Formerly Horsell High School.
Horsell features a number of attractions, including Horsell Common
Horsell Common SSSI
Horsell Common is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Surrey, England, UK. It is and lies near Horsell, an ancient village nearby to the more modern Woking. It includes a Muslim Burial Ground and a number of Bronze Age barrows and heathland. The common has thousands of trees. There are parts...
. The common includes a bomb crater from WW2
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a large pond with a sandpit which is where the Martians landed, an open field where many model airplane fliers fly their airplanes and extends to the grounds of McLaren
McLaren
McLaren Racing Limited, trading as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, is a British Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed and won in the Indianapolis 500 and Canadian-American Challenge Cup...
. Many different species of plants and wildlife can be found there. There was a Home Guard base there, though this has long since disappeared. The Common is popular with dog walkers, model aircraft fliers, children and artists.
The Anglican parish church of St Mary the Virgin
Church of St Mary the Virgin, Horsell
The church of St Mary-the-Virgin in Horsell is an Anglican church in the Diocese of Guildford. It is located about one mile away from Woking town centre.The current Vicar is Rod Jones...
dates back to the middle of the 12th century, and still retains the original doors. The church has strong links with one of the village's junior schools, Horsell C of E Junior School. Notable alumni include Robert Green
Robert Green
Robert Paul Green is an English footballer who plays for West Ham United and the England national football team as a goalkeeper.-Norwich City:...
, West Ham United Goalkeeper. The village's other schools include the Horsell Village School, built 1851, and independent school St. Andrew's School.