Oxted

Oxted is a town and civil parish in the Tandridge district of Surrey, England, at the foot of the North Downs. It is 9 miles (14 km) south south-east of Croydon in Greater London, 8.5 miles (13.7 km) west of Sevenoaks in Kent, and 9 miles (14 km) north of East Grinstead in West Sussex.

This article is about the town in Surrey. For the Thoroughbred racehorse, see Oxted (horse).

Oxted
The timber-framed stucco façades of buildings in Oxted
Oxted Location within Surrey
Area	15.15 km^2 (5.85 sq mi)
Population	11,314 (Civil Parish 2011)[1] or 13,452 as to Built-up Area [2]
• Density	747/km^2 (1,930/sq mi)
OS grid reference	TQ3953
• London	17.9 mi (28.8 km)
Civil parish	Oxted
District	Tandridge
Shire county	Surrey
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	OXTED
Postcode district	RH8
Dialling code	01883
Police	Surrey
Fire	Surrey
Ambulance	South East Coast
UK Parliament	East Surrey

Oxted is a commuter town with a railway station, with direct train services to London and has the district council offices. Its main developed area is contiguous with the village of Limpsfield. Six intermittent headwaters of the River Eden unite in the occasional market town including its furthest source, east of Titsey Place. The Eden feeds into Kent's longest river, the Medway. Only the southern slope of the North Downs is steep and its towns and farmland form the Vale of Holmesdale, a series of headwaters across Surrey and Kent to separate rivers.

The settlements of Hurst Green and Holland within the civil parish to the south, including a public house named after Oxted, are continuous but almost wholly residential areas (contiguous neighbourhoods).

History

Mills and manors

The town lay within the Anglo-Saxon Tandridge hundred. Oxted appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Acstede, meaning 'Place where oaks grew'. It was held by Eustace II of Boulogne. Its Domesday assets were: 5 hides; 1 church, 2 mills worth 12s 6d, 20 ploughs, 4 acres (1.6 ha) of meadow, pannage worth 100 hogs. It rendered £14 and 2d from a house in Southwark to its feudal overlords per year.[3]

Three mills are mentioned in the inquisition on Roland of Oxted, 1291–2. To a greater or lesser extent these were alienated from the main manor, which had become one of four, before 1689, when they were in the possession of Thomas Causton. In 1712 only one is mentioned as appertaining to the manor. The five manors were: Oxted, Barrow Green, Bursted/Bearsted, Broadham, Stocketts and Foyle.

The history of the first suggests wealthy tranche of the parish and is instructive as to social history; by marriage it became by agreed settlement a manor of Ralph Earl of Westmorland, with remainder to Thomas Cobham, his wife's uncle. Margaret died in 1460, leaving no children and her husband held the manor until his death in 1485, when it passed to Anne, only child and heir of Thomas Cobham, who had married Sir Edward Burgh. She died in 1526, and her husband, who 'became distracted of memorie,' died two years later, leaving a son and heir Thomas, afterwards created the Lord Burgh.[4]

Civil development and expansion from village into a commuter town

The original village of Oxted (now Old Oxted) is a small village centred on a short high street with four pubs (The Old Bell, The George Inn, The Crown Inn and The Wheatsheaf) just off the A25. Oxted's oldest church which still provides services, St Mary's, was built in a field, upstream from and north-east of the medieval heart of Oxted, near Master Park and the railway station. The Grade I listed church dates from at least Norman times and stands on a conspicuous mound.[5]

With the arrival of the railway in 1884 (after many years' delay caused by lack of funds) Oxted boomed in line with London's trade growth around its station, north-east of Old Oxted, and new buildings created "New Oxted". These new buildings were built in the Tudor style, particularly with stucco frontages. All Saints Catholic Church was built in 1913–1928 designed by Arts & Crafts architect James L. Williams (died 1926, his other work includes Royal School of Needlework, St George's in Sudbury, London (1926–27) and The Pound House in Totteridge (1907)).[6] The United Reformed Church's building followed in 1935, which is listed for its coloured glass and Byzantine design by architect Frederick Lawrence.[7]

In 2011 The Daily Telegraph listed Oxted as the twentieth richest town in Britain.[8]

Governance

There is one representative on Surrey County Council, conservative Nick Skellett CBE.[9] There are six representatives on Tandridge District Council with much of Oxted South being Hurst Green :

Member Since		Member[10]	Ward
	1994	David Courtenay Weightman	Oxted North & Tandridge
	2016	Jackie Wren	Oxted North & Tandridge
	2003	Martin Fisher	Oxted North & Tandridge
	2007	Simon Ainsworth	Oxted South
	2000	Barry Charles Chittenden Compton	Oxted South
	2004	Elizabeth Parker	Oxted South

There is also a parish council with 11 members.[11]

Geography

The Greenwich Meridian runs through Oxted, passing through Oxted School. The parish encompasses a long divide between two ranges of hills, reaching up to the escarpments of the North Downs and the Greensand Ridge which is itself almost completely eroded at Hurst Green within the parish due to the action of the multiple headwaters of the River Eden, Kent.

The north of the parish is within the Vale of Holmesdale, which is drained by four, unconnected rivers. A nearby village is Tandridge, to the southwest, which sits on an edge of the Greensand Ridge.[4] Limpsfield, to the east, is contiguous with Oxted; both have a clustered community with the remainder of the land largely wooded or agricultural. Godstone is to the west and Crowhurst, Surrey to the south. Woldingham on the North Downs is to the north.

Demography and housing

2011 Census Homes

Output area	Detached	Semi-detached	Terraced	Flats and apartments	Caravans/temporary/mobile homes	shared between households[1]
(Civil Parish)	1,427	1,282	911	799	3	1

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

2011 Census Key Statistics

Output area	Population	Households	% Owned outright	% Owned with a loan	hectares[1]
(Civil Parish)	11,314	4,423	36.6%	36.5%	1,515

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).

Culture and community

Band and civic centre

Oxted is one of the few Surrey towns to retain its town brass band, Oxted Band, which has been a fixture within the town since 1901. The town became the administrative town of the Tandridge District when it was established in 1974.[12][13]

Pram race

Oxted is host to a charity pram race held annually. It was started in 1977 by Eric and Elsie Hallson, who ran it for nearly 20 years before retiring. Entrants wear fancy dress and must push a pram around the two-thirds of a mile course, stopping at each of the seven licensed premises on the way to quaff a drink as quickly as they can. The race ends in Old Oxted high street where the road is closed for the evening and a street party is held.[14]

Events in Master Park

The park hosts annual events such as that run by the local football/cricket club. Every year there is also the Oxted Beer Festival.[15]

Theatre

Oxted since 1924 has a 240-seat theatre called "The Barn" which often hosts students and local talent productions.[16]

Transport

Southdown PSV route 410 in Oxted Town Centre

Oxted is served by Oxted railway station and Hurst Green railway station on the Oxted Line. These stations provide services northbound into London (serving both London Victoria and London Bridge) and southbound to East Grinstead, Edenbridge, Crowborough and Uckfield.[17]

Oxted is also served by a total of four bus routes, operated by Southdown PSV (routes 236, 410, 594, 595).[18] These services provide connections to Westerham, Redhill, Godstone, Edenbridge and East Grinstead.[19]

Education

Oxted's main state secondary school is Oxted School (Oxted County School until 2000). Opened in 1929, it has over 2000 pupils and is one of the largest in the country. There is one other state school in Oxted, St Mary's C of E Primary School. It was recently formed from Downs Way primary school and St Mary's C of E junior school.

Notable residents

• Since the 1970s businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed has lived at Barrow Green Court and farm near Oxted.[20]
• Palaeontologist, TV presenter and author, Alan Charig lived in Oxted from 1958 until his death in 1997.
• Thomas Ernest Bennett 'Tibby' Clarke lived in Oxted in the 1950s. His Ealing comedy The Titfield Thunderbolt derives its name from an almagamation of near-by villages Limpsfield and Titsey.
• English heavyweight boxer Sir Henry Cooper died of cardiac failure at his son Henry's home, Bourne House, Uvedale Road, Oxted, on 1 May 2011.[21]
• American writer and poet Stephen Crane lived in Oxted in 1897, where he met writers such as Joseph Conrad and Ford Madox Ford.
• Photographer Bert Hardy moved to Oxted in 1964 and died there in 1995.
• Cellist Beatrice Harrison lived in Oxted for much of her life, and from her garden the BBC broadcast live radio recorded outdoors for the first time in 19 May 1924. Harrison played cello pieces and was accompanied by a nightingale; the first wild animal sounds transmitted by the BBC. The broadcast was heard by over a million listeners and repeated several times. She died in 1965.[22]
• Artist Albert Houthuesen lived and painted in Oxted in 1950.
• Commander William Ibbett, submariner and broadcaster, was born in Oxted.[23]
• Controversial Irish nationalist politician Douglas Pyne (1847–1888) was born and grew up at Oxted Place. He was the MP for West Waterford from 1885 until his unexplained death in the Irish Sea.[24][25]
• Singer Louise Redknapp, formerly of the band Eternal and now married to footballer Jamie Redknapp, lived in Oxted during her childhood.
• The band Rooster come from the Oxted area.
• British snowboarder, Ellie Soutter, grew up in Oxted.[26]
• Keir Starmer, current leader of the Labour Party, grew up in the town.[27][28][29]
• Distinguished English composer Michael Tippett lived in Oxted from 1929 to 1951. The first concert entirely devoted to Tippett's music took place at the Barn Theatre on 5 April 1930, conducted by David Moule-Evans.[30]
• Laura Trott, the current Conservative MP for Sevenoaks, grew up in the town.[31]
• Television presenter Kim Woodburn lives in Old Oxted[32]
• Footballers who have lived in Oxted include Julián Speroni, goalkeeper for Crystal Palace, and former footballers Ian Pearce, Nicky Forster and Jamie Pollock.

See also

• List of places of worship in Tandridge (district)
• The Oxted Station Outrage, a farcical incident in which Harold Laski bombed the men's lavatory at Oxted railway station in a gesture of solidarity with the suffragettes.[33]
• Titsey Place

References

1. Key Statistics; Quick Statistics: Population Density United Kingdom Census 2011 Office for National Statistics Retrieved 21 November 2013
2. https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/localarea?compare=1119883576
3. Surrey Domesday Book Archived 15 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine
4. H.E. Malden (editor) (1912). "Parishes: Oxted". A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 4. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 1 December 2013.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
5. Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1189608)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
6. All Saints Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1245423)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
7. The United Reformed Church, Oxted Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1388287)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
8. "Britain's richest towns: 20 – 11". The Daily Telegraph. London. 18 April 2008.
9. "List of Surrey CC Councillors". Surrey County Council. Archived from the original on 17 March 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
10. "Council Members". Tandridge District Council. Archived from the original on 9 September 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
11. "Parish Council Members". Oxted Parish Council. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
12. OxtedBand.co.uk
13. Tandridge District Council
14. Oxtedpramrace.co.uk
15. oxtedandlimpsfieldbeerfestival.co.uk
16. Richardson, Melissa. "Barn Theatre, Oxted - Theatre Info". www.barntheatreoxted.co.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
17. "Timetable 29: East Grinstead and Uckfield to London" (PDF). Southern, December 2019.
18. "Route Information". Southdown Buses, July 2020.
19. "Oxted and Limpsfield Bus Services Map" (PDF). Surrey County Council, September 2018.
20. Bower, Tom (1998). Fayed: The Unauthorized Biography. Macmillan. p. 43. ISBN 978-0-333-74554-0.
21. Source: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
22. Seatter, Robert. "The cello and the nightingale". BBC News Magazine. BBC. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
23. "Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939–1945 – I". Unit Histories. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
24. "An Irishman's Diary on a nationalist MP whose antics made him a celebrity". The Irish Times. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
25. "Oxted Place history". Retrieved 5 June 2020.
26. Ellie Soutter: British snowboarder dies on 18th birthday. BBC SPORT. Published 27 July 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
27. Stephen Moss (9 April 2016). "Labour's Keir Starmer: 'If we don't capture the ambitions of a generation, it doesn't matter who is leading the party'". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
28. "Sir Keir Starmer: 'My mum's health battles have inspired me'". Ham & High. 27 March 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
29. "Keir Starmer: The sensible radical". New Statesman. 31 March 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
30. Tippett, Michael. Those Twentieth Century Blues: an Autobiography (London: Hutchinson, 1991), p. 25.:ISBN 9780091753078
31. Smith, Alan (17 November 2019). "General Election 2019: Conservative Laura Trott looks safe in Sevenoaks". Kent Online. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
32. Salmon, James. "Kim Woodburn: My Money". Daily Mail. Retrieved 17 September 2009.
33. Torode, John (29 June 1993). "BOOK REVIEW / The art of collective irresponsibility: Harold Laski – Isaac Kramnick and Barry Sheerman: Hamish Hamilton, pounds 25". The Independent. London. Retrieved 7 May 2013.