Oxshott | |
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Oxshott Heath |
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Silverdale Avenue |
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Oxshott shown within Surrey | |
Area | 9.99 km2 (3.86 sq mi) |
Population | 4,922 (2011 census 2011) |
• Density | 493/km2 (1,280/sq mi) |
OS grid reference | TQ1460 |
Civil parish |
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District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Leatherhead |
Postcode district | KT22 |
Dialling code | 01372 |
Police | Surrey |
Fire | Surrey |
Ambulance | South East Coast |
EU Parliament | South East England |
UK Parliament | |
Oxshott is an affluent low density suburban village in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey. Oxshott includes hilly acidic heath which is partly wooded (see Esher Commons and Prince's Coverts) and occupies the land between the geographically large towns of Esher and Leatherhead. The Oxshott section of the single carriageway north-south A244 runs through its middle and briefly forms its high street, centred 2 miles (3.2 km) from the A3 (Portsmouth Road) and the M25 (London Orbital motorway). A survey in 2010 by the Daily Telegraph asserted it was "the village with most footballers" in England and mentioned other celebrities who chose to live in the village — Chelsea F.C. have their main training ground in Stoke D'Abernon which together with Oxshott makes up a ward of the United Kingdom.
Before about 1912 an equally used alternative spelling, Ockshot was used, which was the year when the village gained its first place of worship, before which it was the eastern half of Stoke D'Abernon. The Prince's Coverts remains part of the Crown Estate, albeit decreased by some privatisation; and the public land of the village has been protected by inclusion in the Metropolitan Green Belt.
A great many of Oxshott's residential areas are on private roads, gated off and inaccessible to the general public. This, combined with the large and desirable properties that form much of the village's housing stock, contributes to Oxshott's status as the "most expensive village in England."
Oxshott means "Ocga's corner of land", from the Old English personal name Ocga and sceat (related to modern 'shoot') "corner of land". The first element does not, unlike Oxford, have anything to do with oxen.