An all day walk from Chaldon Church to Netherne taking in Alderstead Heath on the way out and Devilsden Woods and Happy Valley on the way back. Ending with teas and cakes at Chaldon Church.
Walk leaders Liz Bonsall, Richard Payne and Madeline Hutchins provided historical notes on things of interest on the way. At Netherne, Liz Bonsall gave her walking talk round the conservation area.
The route started with using the new kissing gates that had recently replaced the stiles, then went through many sites / sights mentioned in Liz’s talk on Alderstead earlier in the year.
On the way back, there was a coal post, dene holes, pond and Love Lane – all with stories behind them.
Maintaining the tradition of walking the boundary of the village.
On a pleasant warm dry day, the group set off from the church carpark, following the parish/village boundary as closely as possible, using footpaths and quiet roads. And returning to the church in time for tea and cakes in the afternoon.
The walk was an opportunity to meet some neighbours and find out about local history.
The route went over the fields to Alderstead Heath, past Tollsworth Manor, along the North Downs Way to Quarry Hangers where the walkers eat their picnic lunches. The route followed the boundary down to Harestone Lane, across Stanstead Road and through the woods and fields to Sunny Rise. It continued along Green Lane to Magazine Road, Happy Valley, Piles Wood and back to the church..
An illustrated talk by Liz Bonsall. Liz told the story of Alderstead from medieval times through two world wars to the present day. Over time it has been home to sheep, horses, gypsies, campers and soldiers. Plans for roads, by-passes, colleges and a prison have been thwarted and now part is protected as common land with Open Access.
56 people attended the talk, including some with strong personal links to Alderstead. £292.50 was given from the proceeds to the Friends of Chaldon Church.
Flint as a building material & in historic buildings
SATURDAY 18th JANUARY 2025
An illustrated talk by David Smith of the Flintman Company, Lewes.
With a visit to Rook Farm House to see the exterior of the house.
Nearly 70 people were at this event. The group walked to Rook Farm (on Rook Lane, opposite Doctors Lane) where David Smith explained examples of historical flint work on the house and then we all came back for the talk in the Village Hall afterwards.
David explained what flint is, and how and why it has been used through history and up to the present day as a building material. Using his wonderful range of images, David described notable styles of flint in buildings and showed us some spectacular examples. He also commented on images of Chaldon’s own flint buildings and significant ones nearby, including the Chapel from the Barracks, now Skaterham near Tesco. After the talk, David demonstrated flint knapping.
The afternoon included a photographic audit of flint buildings & structures in Chaldon and nearby.
David set up The Flintman Company in 1988 and his work preserves traditional flint techniques whilst also seeking to explore the material’s use through contemporary design and architecture. He is author of the book, Building with Flint (The Crowood Press, 2024). Locally, he has worked on Chaldon Court, both the house and the field walls.
We are very grateful to the owners of Rook Farm for hosting our visit to see the exterior of the house.
The proceeds from the talk (after costs were deducted) were given to the Friends of Chaldon Church to help maintain the church’s flint building. This was £238.50
The Victorian water tower of Netherne is just 0.86 miles from Chaldon Church as the crow flies and 0.5 miles from Hooley on the A23. Liz told the story of an area that for centuries was farming land in the most northerly part of the ancient parish of Merstham, became the site of Netherne Hospital from 1909 to 1994 and is now an interesting conservation village.
45 people attended the talk. The proceeds raised (after costs) of £212.50 were donated to the Friends of Chaldon Church.
View of Netherne Hospital Water Tower from the footpath between Chaldon Church and Happy Valley
A suggested reconstruction of Alsted at c 1290, the drawing is by Lesley Ketteringham.
An illustrated talk by Tom Oliver, Information Ranger for the City of London Commons, and Graham Lomas, Chair of the Friends of Farthing Downs. Telling the story of the ancient and recent history of the site, its natural history significance and looking at the challenges for the future.
Tom Oliver covered archaeological digs, in the 1870s and the 1940s and showed images of some of the finds that showed early human settlement from various historical periods including Anglo Saxon.
Tom told how Farthing Downs was one of many Green spaces purchased by the City of London Corporation in the nineteenth century and how neighbouring lands were added in the early 2000s. He showed pictures of the drinking fountain, the swing boats and the tea rooms. Ariel photos showed wartime defences and bomb craters, and there were plans for housing development in the early twentieth century. Tom then talked about current activities including an innovative trial of no fence grazing using electronic gps devices hung on the cows’ collars.
Tom described some of the most important plants, including greater yellow rattle and orchids, the tall ant hills produced by the yellow meadow ants, glow worms and the site’s designation as an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest).
Graham Lomas spoke about planning history including Garden Cities and the Green Belt, and the purchase of Happy Valley by Purley and Coulsdon UDC in the 1930s as part of the Green Belt scheme. Coming up to the present day, Graham spoke of the continuing need for and value of open spaces, dealing with population growth, and worries about new housing being allowed on Green Belt land. He gave information about the forthcoming Friends AGM with speakers on 6th November.
On display were photos and other materials that Graham had brought about the making of the Millenium Cairn, also a 1943 OS map covering Farthing Downs loaned by Gwyneth Fookes, and an article on the archaeological dig by Brian Hope Taylor from the Picture Post in 1948, loaned by East Surrey Museum.
45 people attended the talk. The proceeds raised (after costs) £186 were donated to the Friends of Farthing Downs.
This all day walk took place on Sunday 4th August 2024. The route round Chaldon was based on scenes in picture postcards from the early 20th century, along with some lovely old photographs. The walk leaders, Liz Bonsall and Madeline Hutchins, shared the stories behind the pictures as the group looked at the ‘then’ and ‘now’ of the views they showed. Brian Smith was the official photographer, taking ‘now’ photographs as a record of the walk.
There were 23 people on the walk. The lunch stop was in the Village Hall and teas and cakes in the Hazell Room at the church at the end of the day. Some of the puzzles of where the postcard images were taken from were solved but not all.
The proceeds from the day (less costs) £85 was donated to the Friends of Chaldon Church, for the upkeep of the building.
On Monday 10th June 2024, there was a talk and tour with Liz Bonsall – Part of the Caterham Festival 2024.
Those who came heard the stories and were shown photos of the history of this interesting site as well as walking round to get a sense of its past and to see what remains from it.
The Burial Ground is in Chaldon and is owned and managed by Chaldon Village Council. It is open for public access, and is managed in an environmentally friendly manner to protect its biodiversity.
The entrance to the burial ground is on Bridleway 77, just 150m from Green Lane towards Chaldon and the Golf Club (easiest and level walk) or from the Golf Club towards Green Lane (this direction is steeper and can be muddy).
Chaldon Court, built in 1366, is a timber-framed building with more questions than answers. We know when it was built, but not why or what it was used for. Was it domestic, or a church building, or what else?
Madeline outlined what is known of its story so far and planned next steps in the research to try to solve the unanswered questions, including archaeology.
42 people attended the talk and £192 was donated to Friends of Chaldon Church from the income from tickets and teas and cakes (after costs were deducted).
Merstham, a North Downs village of ancient origin, has the original medieval boundary with Chaldon still intact. Liz presented a fascinating pictorial tour of Merstham and revealed stories of its shared history with Chaldon through its proximity, landowners and residents.
40 people attended the talk and after costs were deducted, £215 was given to the Friends of Chaldon Church.
Merstham – view of Rockshaw Road (from the left to the centre of the picture with large bridge)
