Tatsfield
| Tatsfield | |
| Surrey | |
|---|---|
 The pond at Tatsfield | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TQ415575 |
| Location: | 51°17’56"N, -0°1’50"E |
| Data | |
| Population: | 2,000 |
| Post town: | Westerham |
| Postcode: | TN16 |
| Dialling code: | 01959 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Tandridge |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
East Surrey |
Tatsfield is a village and parish in eastern Surrey, close to the threatening conurbation but as yet escaped from it, and closer yet to the M25 motorway but set in the green hills and woods of the North Downs. The village stands at around 750 feet above sea level and is about a mile north of the North Downs escarpment. It is in the Tandridge Hundred.
The border of Kent lies just half a mile from here, with the county border forming the parish boundary to the western, northern and eastern sides of the village. The closest town is the Kentish town of Biggin Hill immediately to the north.
Tatsfield is a mile and a half north of the Clacket Lane services on the M25 motorway, although the nearest entry points onto the motorway for vehicles are further away at Junctions 5 and 6.
The village
There are two shops, a pub, and a village club. Little St Mary's is Tatsfield's local church, which for many years has played host to a dual congregation whereby Roman Catholics are permitted to worship with as well as its Church of England congregation. This small Norman church sits atop of the rolling hills of the North Downs, and is a favoured resting point for hikers in the Summer months during which the church puts on tea and cakes in the hall on Sundays. The Village Hall is the focal point for a number of clubs and societies, such as the Tatsfield Table Tennis Club and the Not So Young Club.
Tatsfield's new school next to the Village Hall opened at the beginning of the summer term of 2010.
A tourist attraction is Beaver Water World, an animal rescue centre specialising in cute animals and encouraging visitors. In addition to beavers it exhibits reptiles and birds. Until its death in 2006, the most famous of these cold-blooded residents was an alligator called Big Boy, which appeared in the James Bond film Live and Let Die.
Name of the village
The village's name is Old English but its exact origin is uncertain. Tatsfield appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Tatelefelle. The English Place Name Society suggests that "Tatsfield" is derived from a man named Tatol (possibly a nickname meaning "the lively one") The word feld ('field') would here denotes a clearing in the woods.
An alternative explanation is that the earliest village began on the hill with church, manor house and rectory, and the name could derive from Totehylefeld, in which Tot-hyll means a look-out hill or "watch hill"; a place-name element known elsewhere.
History
Tatsfield was held by Anschitill (Ansketel) de Ros from the Bishop of Bayeux. Its Domesday assets were: ½ hide. It had 2 ploughs. It rendered 60 shillings.[1]
During the 14th century the manor was held by Rhodri ap Gruffudd, brother of the last native Prince of Wales, and his descendants.
In 1929, the BBC built its Receiving Station just outside the village, in the parish of Titsey, and its masts and shortwave aerials were a prominent local landmark.[2][3] The station closed in 1974 when its work was merged with that of BBC Monitoring's receiving station at Crowsley Park in Oxfordshire. Some evidence of the derelict remains of the BBC station can still be seen.[4]
On 10 December 1935, a Savoia-Marchetti S.73 of Belgian airline SABENA crashed at Tatsfield, killing all eleven aboard.
Ancient roads
A number of ancient routes cross the parish. The best studied is the Roman road which lies to the west of the village. It was constructed about 100 AD and ran 44 miles from London to Lewes. One other trackway appears also to be of importance: this is the Biggin Hill to Titsey route, which is straight in places, and apparently provides a direct connection between the Roman road at the entrance to the village and the two villa sites in Titsey Park.
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Tatsfield) |
- Tatsfield Village Website
- Tatsfield Parish Council Website
- Tatsfield History Project
- Beaver Water World
References
- ↑ Surrey Domesday Book
- ↑ "The BBC Engineering Measurement and Receiving Station at Tatsfield" Recollections of BBC engineering from 1922 to 1997
- ↑ "The BBC Engineering Measurement and Receiving Station at Tatsfield" BBC Engineering Information Department pamphlet, 1961
- ↑ Derelict Places Tatsfield Monitoring Station