Alfold, Surrey
| Alfold | |
|---|---|
 Old tile-hung cottages and Crown Inn at the centre of Alfold |
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 Looking towards the |
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 Alfold
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| Alfold shown within Surrey | |
| Area | 15.1 km2 (5.8 sq mi) |
| Population | 1,059 (Civil Parish) |
| • Density | 70/km2 (180/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TQ037341 |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CRANLEIGH |
| Postcode district | GU6 |
| Dialling code | 01403 |
| Police | Surrey |
| Fire | Surrey |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | |
Alfold is a village and civil parish in Surrey, England on the West Sussex border. Alfold is a dispersed or polyfocal village in the Green Belt, which is buffered from all other settlements. The Greensand Way runs north of the village along the Greensand Ridge and two named localities exist to the north and south of the historic village centre which features pubs, a set of and a whipping post.
Alfold Crossways here has a country park, recreational ground and a garden centre whereas Alfold's centre has a village store and the Anglican parish church. The population was 1,059 in the 2011 UK census.
Alfold—also recorded as Aldfold or Awfold—meant the "old fold" or clearing enclosure for cattle, which is apt as it was in a much-wooded area of The Weald (meaning forest in Old and Middle English) prior to being cleared for farming.
Early glass making, evidence of which can be seen in Sidney Wood, appears to provide the oldest trace of land use in the village. The glass industry in Alfold ended around 1615 when using charcoal was banned in glass production.
Alfold is not mentioned in the Domesday Book. This is probably because Alfold appears to have been an unrecorded, southern outpost in the multi-village estate of Bramley since pre-conquest times. The earliest mention of Alfold, in the 13th century, records that it was attached to Shalford Manor. A charter of William Longespee, son of the Earl of Salisbury, records that the advowson, with the Manor of Shalford, is given to John, son of Geoffrey Earl of Essex, who died in 1256.
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Wikipedia