Peaslake
| Peaslake | |
| Surrey | |
|---|---|
 Peaslake | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TQ085447 |
| Location: | 51°12’21"N, 0°26’37"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 1,421 |
| Post town: | Guildford |
| Postcode: | GU5 |
| Dialling code: | 01306 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Guildford |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Mole Valley |
Peaslake is a delightful Surrey village, in the hills close to Guildford. The village is surrounded by acres of forest and downland, it is a popular tourist destination for walking and cycling. Nearby to the south is Pitch Hill (sometimes called "Coneyhurst Hill") which at 843 feet is the fifth highest point in Surrey. 3,000 acres of surrounding forest, the Hurtwood, are maintained by the Hurtwood Control. This includes Holmbury Hill, Pitch Hill, Winterfold, Shere Heath, Farley Heath and part of Blackheath Common.
Peaslake retains a unique small village atmosphere. Although the whole parish has a population of around 1,500, only a few dozen houses make up the main centre of the village. Access to the village by car can only be gained by using roads which are at some point single track, which gives visitor the feel that it is more remote than it actually is. Although a popular destination for tourists, this apparent remoteness makes it quieter than other local villages (Shere in particular) for visitors. The attractive nature of the village means it is often used for television location filming.
Peaslake is a focal point for mountain biking in the Surrey area, and it is not unusual to see the village crowded (relatively, it is not a big place) with mountain bikers returning from rides in the surrounding hills. The nearest railway station is Gomshall, a mile to the north.
Local amenities include: a church, village hall, doctors surgery, pub/hotel (The Hurtwood Inn), a bike shop (Pedal and Spoke) and a well used village shop which also does teas and hot snacks, and incorporates a post office.
The village school is unusual in that it is owned and run by residents and parents, who bought it after it was closed by the local education council in 1994. It is free to pupils (except those in the nursery classes) and raises all its own running costs (over £100,000 a year) without council or government support.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Peaslake) |