Windlesham

History

The neighbourhood has yielded bronze implements, now in the Archaeological Society's Museum, Guildford, and a certain number of neolithic flints.

Windlesham was once a small community within Windsor Great Park, built as a remote farming settlement around undulating heath, similar to Sunninghill. At Ribs Down in the north in private Updown Court and adjoining gardens land reaches 99 metres above sea level with a minimum descent (notch/col) of 31 metres, ranking 35th of 36 Surrey hills listed in the national hill-climbing database and the tallest private hill in Surrey.

This corner of the county appears, from absence of notice in Domesday, to have been very sparsely inhabited. Of Windlesham, Malden wrote:

The old road had been the source of great prosperity in Bagshot till it was superseded by the railway. Thirty coaches a day passed through, and there were many inns, since closed. The most interesting history of the place is in connexion with Windsor Forest, and its bailiwick in Surrey. The tenure of Bagshot in the Red Book of the Exchequer is per serjentiam veltrariae, i.e. providing a leash of hounds. The later history is full of the exploits of highwaymen, who found the wild country hereabouts specially favourable for their purposes.

The Inclosure Act of 1812 inclosed much of Bagshot Heath, and also inclosed the common fields of Windlesham. (fn. 3) Inclosure had begun before, for in 1768 the lords of the manors and the freeholders gave land inclosed from the waste for charitable purposes.

Windlesham Manor appears among the manors granted to Westminster by Edward the Confessor in his foundation charter. It was apparently transferred to the small local Broomhall Convent at an unknown date.

Newark Priory had a grant of land in Windlesham in 1256, and had the advowson (right to appoint the vicar) of the church. Joan Rawlyns, Prioress of Broomhall, made a voluntary surrender of the property of her house in 1522 before the 1538 Dissolution of the Monasteries. In the next year Windlesham was granted to St. John's College, Cambridge, who still held it in 1911

In 1911 the village was, due to Surrey Heath, described as almost entirely modern, in much the same way as Wentworth, Surrey's landscape was tamed approximately at the turn of the 20th century, being naturally heather, gorse and fern and ideal for grass and laid out evergreen trees.

Local schools

There are four schools in the Windlesham area, two of which are in the village itself: Windlesham Village Infants School. Woodcote House School is also in the area.

Field of remembrance

The village field is home to one of the local recreational parks and includes a play area. Many village events take place on the field, one of the most well known being the Windlesham Fête. The field is also used in the summer months by Windlesham Cricket Club. It also hosts a remembrance day service, where a boy from Woodcote House plays the last post.

Pram race

Windlesham is known for its annual pram race in which teams race around the village stopping at every pub. This usually happens every Boxing Day. The race starts at 10:30am at the old headquarters of The BOC Group now Linde Group. The finish and prize giving is held at the Windlesham Club & Theatre. Funds raised though entry fees and coin collections on the day are distributed to local charities and good causes.

Running club

Windlesham has a thriving running club, Windle Valley Runners, suitable for all standards of runner. The club meets every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday for group training sessions and group runs, which take place in Windlesham and the surrounding areas. Windle Valley Runners compete in the winter Thames Valley Cross Country League. They also organise a monthly 10K race for members.

Windlesham Drama Group

Windlesham Drama Group is based at the Windlesham Club and Theatre. There are usually three shows a year including a pantomime (usually end of January / beginning of February) and two plays. New members are always welcome.

Valley End

Valley End is a hamlet and chapelry in the Borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England 0.5 miles (0.80 km) east of Windlesham, so similarly is about 15 minutes drive from the South West Main Line at Woking to the southeast and from Sunningdale on the Waterloo to Reading Line to the north.

Valley End has two churches, St Saviour which was built in 1867 by the English architect George Frederick Bodley and Emmanuel Baptist Church. St Saviour's is built in red and brown brick with stone dressed windows. The interior is a simple mixture of brick and stone. There is a Holy Communion service every Sunday at 9am.

Valley End School was founded in 1859 by the Hon. Julia Bathurst of Hyams Hall, Windlesham.

The Valley End Cricket Club was founded in 1895.

Bagshot

See Bagshot for this developed part of the civil parish. There is the greatest concentration of shops and businesses in Bagshot compared to the other parts of the parish.

Lightwater

See Lightwater for this developed part of the civil parish

The Arboretum and the mansion of Updown Court

Windlesham Arboretum is connected by footpath to the edge of the village centre but on the opposite side of the M3 motorway. In July 2007, the most expensive house in the world, Updown Court, in Windlesham was valued at £75m ($138m (USD)). This 103-room mansion has 58 acres (23 ha) of gardens and landscaped woodlands.

Demography and housing

The average level of accommodation in the region composed of detached houses was 28%, the average that was apartments was 22.6%.

The proportion of households in the civil parish who owned their home outright compares to the regional average of 35.1%. The proportion who owned their home with a loan compares to the regional average of 32.5%. The remaining % is made up of rented dwellings (plus a negligible % of households living rent-free).

Notable residents