Shackleford

Shackleford's soil is of two types. An arc of wet heath soil is to the south-east, south, south-west, west and north-west of the village centre, covering all of Norney and Gatwick. This is the same type of heath as in Esher, Oxshott, Weybridge, Wisley, all around Woking, Brookwood, Deepcut, Pirbright, Frimley, Lightwater, Camberley, Chobham Common, Virginia Water and Ottershaw is "naturally wet, very acid sandy and loamy soil" which is just 1.9% of English soil and 0.2% of Welsh soil, which gives rise to pines and coniferous landscapes, such as pioneered at Wentworth and Foxhills estate (now spa, hotel, restaurant and golf club) by pro-American Independence statesman Charles James Fox.[12] Consequently, Malden summarised Shackleford's visual landscape in 1911 "The hamlet of Shackleford contains some old cottages and farm buildings and many new houses in very beautiful scenery."[7] Samuel Lewis writing in his magnum opus of 1848 "A Topographical Dictionary of England" described the country here in that "Eashing House is situated on a commanding brow overlooking the beautiful valley of Eashing." The remainder of the soil is in common with Godalming, "free draining slightly acid loamy" and is the dominant type in the centre of Shackleford, as well as throughout Eashing and Hurtmore.[12][13]

Eashing is a hamlet 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south-east of Shackleford on the River Wey, 1.2 miles (1.9 km) west of Godalming, and was part of the Hundred of Godalming; in the Anglo-Saxon era it was a significant place and is one of the burhs listed in the Burghal Hidage of Alfred the Great.

Eashing is now administered by Guildford Borough Council and is divided into Upper Eashing on top of the steep south-east bank and Lower Eashing set low, immediately below the A3 road embankment on the north-west bank. Lower Eashing has an ancient bridge over the River Wey which was constructed in the 14th century by monks from Waverley Abbey. Twenty buildings strewn across both parts are now architecturally listed buildings.[9] Eashing also has two large-unit business parks, The Granary and The Wharf, which are on a large island accessed by a bridge behind the Stag public house and the Mill.[9]

A veterinary practice is located here, Fitzpatrick Referrals, and has been seen in several television programmes, including The Bionic Vet.[14]

Hurtmore is a settlement and locality roughly east of Shackleford, adjoining hilly developed parts of the outskirts of Godalming such as Charterhouse Hill and Prior's Field (which is part of the village of Compton). On Charterhouse Hill, which comes under Godalming, is a well known public school (independent). Charterhouse School. 0 The name is derived from the word hurt ('hart'/deer) and mere ('pond'), which still exists in a rather poor state at Hurtmore Bottom.

A hot air balloon provider, Reach 4 The Sky, operates flights from the land behind the pub cottages, historically used as a chalk quarry.[15]

An 18-hole golf course with clubhouse is just off the next to the public house, The Squirrel.[16]

The Squirrel Inn, is beside the A3 and has a focus on serving food while providing a few guest rooms. It closed for a period from 28 November 2008 to 17 July 2009 and was refurbished before reopening under new management.[17]

Six listed buildings are spread about among the no more than 30 private residences, most with private woods.[9] These are: The Lodge,[18] The Church of St Mary,[10] Norney Grange,[19] The Lodge to Norney Grange,[20] Norney Farmhouse[21] and Norney Old House[22] which is a Tudor period cottage with extensions. One of these, Norney Grange is Grade II* listed, described in Landmarks.

Nestled among fir and beech plantations is a small neighbourhood consisting of 15 houses named Gatwick (not to be confused with the former hamlet in Reigate and Banstead, or the airport of the same name), parts of which overlook part of the expanse of placid, acid heath to the northwest, the Surrey Wildlife Trust managed Puttenham & Crooksbury Commons.

Its coordinates are 51°11′45″N 0°41′32″W (SU 916 450).

Norney Grange

Norney Grange is the highest architecturally graded listed building in the Norney part of the parish, a rectangular late 1897-1903 built, roughcast stone home with yellow limestone dressings. Its interior is just as remarkable as its exterior, with among many carved features, a green marble chimney breast in end room to left and a half-dome ceiling with gallery landing to the rear.[19]

William de Shackleford probably owned Hall Place - a substantial manor house which existed here in the 15th century. Its estate covered many acres, including much of today's village.

Hall Place was demolished in 1797 and a new mansion was built on the site in the late 19th century. During the Second World War this building and much of its grounds were bought by Aldro School, which relocated there from Eastbourne.[23]

To the south-west is a late 17th-century two-storey galleted coursed sandstone home with red brick dressings facing its round front drive, which is listed.[24]

During the reign of King Alfred the Great an Anglo-Saxon burgh was constructed at Upper Eashing as a defensive point to resist Viking attacks. Both this and the 13th century Eashing Bridge (in two parts) are Scheduled Ancient Monuments [25][26][27]

The bridge is officially listed as "probably built by the monks of Waverley Abbey"; it is made of local rubble stone with thin slabs of Bargate stone set in mortar to form voussoirs over the arches. Its top is of 18th century bricks with no parapet but instead for safety, twentieth century wooden posts and railings. The east span consists of three arches and the west four. Pointed cutwaters to upstream side and rounded cutwaters, "very rare", to downstream side.[27]

A bus services operates in Hurtmore through the village taking people into the nearby town of Godalming.

The main line between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour is accessible to the east at Farncombe, Godalming railway station and Godalming railway station is a similar distance (of about 2 miles (3.2 km) from nearer parts of Shackleford) in an ESE direction and has more trains per hour.[28]

An A3 intersection to local roads is directly between Norney and Hurtmore, which is one of three which can be used to access the town of Godalming.[9] Eashing can be accessed by bridleway and footpath under the A3 or from the A3 itself, not by local roads to the northwest.