West Clandon
| West Clandon | |
| Surrey | |
|---|---|
 Clandon House at West Clandon | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TQ041524 |
| Location: | 51°15’41"N, 0°30’29"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 1,363 (2011) |
| Post town: | Guildford |
| Postcode: | GU4 |
| Dialling code: | 01483 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Guildford |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Mole Valley |
West Clandon is a village in Surrey, in the open countryside though within 4 miles of the M25 and the A3 Portsmouth Road. The nearest village, which has the shared parade of shops is East Clandon next to the railway station and contiguous with West Clandon's clustered development.
The village is served by Clandon railway station with services to London.
Contents
History in the sights of the village
West Clandon does not appear as a discrete manor in Domesday Book but what became West and East Clandon appear as one, as Clanedun. The manor was held by Hugo (Hugh) from Edward de Salisbury. Its Domesday assets were: 2½ hides; 1 church (replaced approximately one century later),[1] 1 mill worth 3s, 2½ ploughs, woodland worth 5 hogs. It yielded £3 a year.
- Main article: Clandon Park
Clandon Park, a Palladian architecture mansion, is in the village, an estate, hosting for dedicated visit days and weddings, entirely run by the National Trust. George Duncumbe owned it from 1615 until 1642 on its gradual sale to Sir Richard Onslow starting with the large lodge in the park in 1642, and a series of transactions with the Onslow family, begun in 1650, was finally concluded in 1711 by the conveyance of the manor to Sir Richard Onslow.[1]
The manor and Clandon Park were owned by successive Earls of Onslow as their main home; as heirs to the lands of the Earl of Surrey, until the late 20th century the Earl was the largest private landowner in the county. The house was largely destroyed by a fire in April 2015.[2]
Church
The parish church is St Peter and St Paul. It is largely of the late 12th century, with later mediæval roofs. There is a canonical sundial on the south wall. In the chancel are preserved, in a glass case, some mediæval panels of oak; probably late 13th or early 14th-century date; the figures upon them are St. Peter and St. Paul on either side of St Thomas of Canterbury; the two apostles bear their respective emblems, the keys and the sword; the martyred archbishop between them has his right hand raised in benediction, while the left holds the cross staff; there are traces of gold on the nimbus of each saint, and the figures are coarsely outlined in black. Much of the pewing in the western part of the nave is nicely carved in dark wood imported from abroad by a former Earl of Onslow.
The tower had six bells all by Thomas Lester, 1741, but the third, fourth, and fifth were re-cast by Mears and Stainbank in 1875. One was inscribed in capitals 'At propper times my voice II raies, unto my bennifactor praise.' In 1913, these bells were destroyed by fire and six new bells by Mears and Stainbank were installed in 1914. In 1932, Mears and Stainbank added two new trebles and replaced the 1914 treble with a new bell, to give the present ring of eight.[3]
The communion plate includes an Elizabethan cup and cover paten of the date 1569; also another paten of 1712 given by Sir Richard Onslow.
The registers begin in the unusually early year of 1536.[1]
Village life
The only shop within the parish bounds is the Clandon Park gift shop and the Garden Centre. The village has two pubs: The Onslow Arms and The Bull's Head, as well as a Royal British Legion Club.
Village residents can also join the village social group, called Rompers, which arranges lunches, coffees, cheese and wine, BBQ party and Winter party.
Folklore
Legend has it that a dragon once blocked the route to West Clandon. In commemoration there is a dragon cut into the chalk face of an old quarry.[4] The legend was recorded in the Gentleman's Magazine in 1796, where it was recounted that the dragon infested one of the back lanes of the village. A soldier killed the dragon with the help of his dog, in return for being pardoned for desertion.[5] The modern village sign depicts the battle between the dog and the dragon.[5]
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about West Clandon) |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Parishes: West Clandon - A History of the County of Surrey - Volume : {{{2}}} (Victoria County History)
- ↑ Clandon House fire – BBC News
- ↑ http://dove.cccbr.org.uk/detail.php?searchString=West+Clandon&Submit=+Go+&DoveID=WEST+CLAND
- ↑ West Clandon Dragon
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Westwood and Simpson 2005, p.721.
- Westwood, Jennifer; Jacqueline Simpson (2005). The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England's Legends, from Spring-heeled Jack to the Witches of Warboys. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-100711-7. OCLC 61302120.
