Wormley
Encyclopedia
Wormley is a hamlet
in Surrey
, England
. It is a dispersed hamlet largely consisting of a scattering of houses on the A283 Petworth
Road between Witley
and Chiddingfold
and Combe Lane, a turning off the A283 where Witley station
and further houses are situated. Part of the village is of the census area Witley
and part is of the census area Chiddingfold
.
Wormley originates from the Anglo-Saxon English
for 'break'. This is the hamlet's name due to the break in the forest in Saxon Times
where the hamlet exists.
Wormley developed primarily as a result of the construction of Witley station
, in the 19th century, on the main London
Waterloo
to Portsmouth
line. Its best known building is probably King Edward's School, Witley
and it was also the location for Cooper & Sons Ltd walking stick factory which has now been replaced by houses and a light industrial estate. The Institute of Oceanographic Sciences Deacon Laboratory was based in Wormley.
A number of the older houses in Wormley were designed by Gertrude Jekyll
. George Eliot
is a notable former resident, as is Louis de Bernieres
who based his collection of short stories, Notwithstanding (2009), on the lives and tales of Wormley and the local area. De Bernieres muses whether Wormley is, or is no longer, the rural idyll.
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
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
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 a dispersed hamlet largely consisting of a scattering of houses on the A283 Petworth
Petworth
Petworth is a small town and civil parish in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England. It is located at the junction of the A272 east-west road from Heathfield to Winchester and the A283 Milford to Shoreham-by-Sea road. Some twelve miles to the south west of Petworth along the A285 road...
Road between Witley
Witley
Witley, in Surrey, England is a village south west of Godalming. The village lies just east of the A3 that runs from Guildford to Petersfield. Witley together with the neighbouring area of Hambledon have a population of about 4,000. Neighbouring villages include Milford, Chiddingfold and...
and Chiddingfold
Chiddingfold
Chiddingfold is a village and civil parish in the heart of The Weald in the Waverley district of Surrey, England. It lies on the A283 between Milford and Petworth...
and Combe Lane, a turning off the A283 where Witley station
Witley railway station
Witley railway station serves the villages of Wormley, Witley, Hambledon and Chiddingfold, in Surrey, England. It is a stop on the Portsmouth Direct Line 62 km south of London Waterloo...
and further houses are situated. Part of the village is of the census area Witley
Witley
Witley, in Surrey, England is a village south west of Godalming. The village lies just east of the A3 that runs from Guildford to Petersfield. Witley together with the neighbouring area of Hambledon have a population of about 4,000. Neighbouring villages include Milford, Chiddingfold and...
and part is of the census area Chiddingfold
Chiddingfold
Chiddingfold is a village and civil parish in the heart of The Weald in the Waverley district of Surrey, England. It lies on the A283 between Milford and Petworth...
.
Wormley originates from the Anglo-Saxon English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
for 'break'. This is the hamlet's name due to the break in the forest in Saxon Times
History of Anglo-Saxon England
Anglo-Saxon England refers to the period of the history of that part of Britain, that became known as England, lasting from the end of Roman occupation and establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th century until the Norman conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror...
where the hamlet exists.
Wormley developed primarily as a result of the construction of Witley station
Witley railway station
Witley railway station serves the villages of Wormley, Witley, Hambledon and Chiddingfold, in Surrey, England. It is a stop on the Portsmouth Direct Line 62 km south of London Waterloo...
, in the 19th century, on the main 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...
Waterloo
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
to Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
line. Its best known building is probably King Edward's School, Witley
King Edward's School, Witley
King Edward's School, Witley is an independent co-educational boarding and day school, founded in 1553 by King Edward VI and Nicholas Ridley. The School is located in the village of Wormley , Surrey, England, having moved to its present location in 1867. The School became fully co-educational in 1952...
and it was also the location for Cooper & Sons Ltd walking stick factory which has now been replaced by houses and a light industrial estate. The Institute of Oceanographic Sciences Deacon Laboratory was based in Wormley.
A number of the older houses in Wormley were designed by Gertrude Jekyll
Gertrude Jekyll
Gertrude Jekyll was an influential British garden designer, writer, and artist. She created over 400 gardens in the UK, Europe and the USA and contributed over 1,000 articles to Country Life, The Garden and other magazines.-Early life:...
. George Eliot
George Eliot
Mary Anne Evans , better known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, journalist and translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era...
is a notable former resident, as is Louis de Bernieres
Louis de Bernières
Louis de Bernières is a British novelist most famous for his fourth novel, Captain Corelli's Mandolin. In 1993 de Bernières was selected as one of the "20 Best of Young British Novelists", part of a promotion in Granta magazine...
who based his collection of short stories, Notwithstanding (2009), on the lives and tales of Wormley and the local area. De Bernieres muses whether Wormley is, or is no longer, the rural idyll.