Coordinates: 51°09′02″N 0°34′18″W / 51.1505°N 0.5716°W
| Hascombe | |
  Hascombe
 Hascombe shown within Surrey |
|
| Population | 241 (2001 Census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| District | Waverley |
| Shire county | Surrey |
| Region | South East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Godalming |
| Postcode district | GU8 |
| Dialling code | 01483 |
| Police | Surrey |
| Fire | Surrey |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| European Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | South West Surrey |
| List of places: UK • England • Surrey | |
The village of Hascombe contains a cluster of cottages and country estates, St Peter's church, the village green and The White Horse pub, all nestling between wooded hillsides in Surrey, England. The village is situated approximately midway between Godalming and Cranleigh.
Even by the standards of the surrounding area, Hascombe is remarkably affluent: Russian multi-billionaire Boris Berezovsky, television presenter Anthea Turner and broadcaster/producer Chris Evans all own properties in the village. Hascombe is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Winkworth Arboretum, with its collection of rare trees and shrubs, is nearby and there are walks through the surrounding hills and along the greensand way.
The damming of a stream in the 15th Century created the Church Pond, close to which stands the village pub, The White Horse, a 16th/17th century building, with many later additions, constructed from the local Bargate stone.
St Peter's church was rebuilt during the mid-19th century, but retains its medieval screen, made from Jerusalem olive trees and featuring elaborate carvings, and a font dating back to 1690. Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman described the church as "a Tractarian work of art".
Hascombe's natural fresh-water spring attracts many visitors: the fountain itself was commissioned in 1887 by local landowner Edward Lee Rowcliffe as a memorial to his late brother. It was during a stay at Hoe Farm in 1915 that statesman and future Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill learned to paint.
At 644 feet (196 m), Hascombe Hill is among the highest points in Surrey. In the 1st century BC it was the site of an Iron Age fort. In the early 19th century it became an important naval telegraph station, using a mechanical form of semaphore to communicate with Netley Heath in Surrey on one side and Blackdown in Sussex on the other. A chain of such stations linked London with Portsmouth.
References
A History of Hascombe – A Surrey Village by Winifred Ashton
External links
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