Westcott, Surrey
Encyclopedia
Westcott is a village
situated on the A25
between Dorking
and Guildford
in Surrey
, England. Neighbouring villages include Friday Street, Wotton
, Abinger Common
and Abinger Hammer
. It was the nearest village for the John Evelyn
's Wotton Estate, and was well known by the diarist in the mid to late 17th century. In 1694 Evelyn moved in at Wotton, a mile further west.
The village is approximately 2 miles west of Dorking
and rests in a valley at the foot of the steep slopes of Ranmore
and the North Downs
to the north and the slopes of Leith Hill
to the south. The most recognisable symbol in Westcott is the thatched dovecot on the village green
. The weather vane on top of the dovecot has had the N replaced by a T such that it now shows the letters W.E.S.T
Many pre-1800 houses are to be found in the lanes leading off the A25, including Leslie Howard
(mid-1900s screen actor) at Stowe Maries (built in the 1550s) in Balchins Lane. Milton Street and Westcott Street are also sites for several further old buildings.
Of the original three public house
s only The Prince of Wales remains. In 2007 the Cricketers became an Indian restaurant and, after a long period of decline, The Crown finally closed its doors in September 2011.
It has a number of small stores including an art gallery, a bicycle shop and two general stores, one with a small post office. The village is busy with cyclists every weekend as the area offers some of the best mountain biking
in Southern England.
Westcott's village school celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2004. In 2010 it was merged with the nearby Abinger Common to create a two-campus school known as the Surrey Hills Church of England Primary School.
In 2009 a skate ramp and football goals were installed in the village park.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
situated on the A25
A25 road
The A25 road is one of the three cross-country two-digit numbered roads in the southeast of England, the others being the A26 from Newhaven to Maidstone and the A27 along the south coast. It carries traffic from Guildford in Surrey through Dorking, and thence eastward along the southern edge of the...
between Dorking
Dorking
Dorking is a historic market town at the foot of the North Downs approximately south of London, in Surrey, England.- History and development :...
and 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...
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...
, England. Neighbouring villages include Friday Street, Wotton
Wotton, Surrey
Wotton is a small village located on the A25 between Guildford in the west and Dorking in the east. Neighbouring villages include: the Abingers of Abinger Common, Sutton Abinger, and Abinger Hammer; Friday Street and Westcott...
, Abinger Common
Abinger Common
Abinger Common is a village in Surrey, England. Abinger Common was inhabited in the stone-age, and is supposed to be the oldest village in England. The church dates back to Norman times and is the second oldest Parish church in Surrey. The headquarters of the Lutyens Trust is based in the village...
and Abinger Hammer
Abinger Hammer
Abinger Hammer is a village situated on the A25 between Dorking and Guildford in Surrey, England. It lies with the parish of Abinger which includes Abinger Common and Sutton Abinger...
. It was the nearest village for the John Evelyn
John Evelyn
John Evelyn was an English writer, gardener and diarist.Evelyn's diaries or Memoirs are largely contemporaneous with those of the other noted diarist of the time, Samuel Pepys, and cast considerable light on the art, culture and politics of the time John Evelyn (31 October 1620 – 27 February...
's Wotton Estate, and was well known by the diarist in the mid to late 17th century. In 1694 Evelyn moved in at Wotton, a mile further west.
The village is approximately 2 miles west of Dorking
Dorking
Dorking is a historic market town at the foot of the North Downs approximately south of London, in Surrey, England.- History and development :...
and rests in a valley at the foot of the steep slopes of Ranmore
Ranmore Common
Ranmore Common is a village and an area of wooded common land on the North Downs, to the northwest of Dorking in the English county of Surrey. It is located within the civil parish of Wotton and is also within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
and 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...
to the north and the slopes of Leith Hill
Leith Hill
Leith Hill to the south west of Dorking, Surrey, England, reaches above sea level, the highest point on the Greensand Ridge, and is the second highest point in south-east England, after Walbury Hill near Hungerford, West Berkshire, high....
to the south. The most recognisable symbol in Westcott is the thatched dovecot on the village green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
. The weather vane on top of the dovecot has had the N replaced by a T such that it now shows the letters W.E.S.T
Many pre-1800 houses are to be found in the lanes leading off the A25, including Leslie Howard
Leslie Howard (actor)
Leslie Howard was an English stage and film actor, director, and producer. Among his best-known roles was Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind and roles in Berkeley Square , Of Human Bondage , The Scarlet Pimpernel , The Petrified Forest , Pygmalion , Intermezzo , Pimpernel Smith...
(mid-1900s screen actor) at Stowe Maries (built in the 1550s) in Balchins Lane. Milton Street and Westcott Street are also sites for several further old buildings.
Of the original three public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s only The Prince of Wales remains. In 2007 the Cricketers became an Indian restaurant and, after a long period of decline, The Crown finally closed its doors in September 2011.
It has a number of small stores including an art gallery, a bicycle shop and two general stores, one with a small post office. The village is busy with cyclists every weekend as the area offers some of the best mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
in Southern England.
Westcott's village school celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2004. In 2010 it was merged with the nearby Abinger Common to create a two-campus school known as the Surrey Hills Church of England Primary School.
In 2009 a skate ramp and football goals were installed in the village park.