Nork, Surrey
| Nork | |
|---|---|
 Nork ward in 2011, outlined in black |
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 Nork
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| Nork shown within Surrey | |
| Area | 3.63 km2 (1.40 sq mi) |
| Population | 7,559 (2011 Census) |
| • Density | 2,082/km2 (5,390/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TQ241598 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Banstead |
| Postcode district | SM7 and KT17 |
| Dialling code | 01737 |
| Police | Surrey |
| Fire | Surrey |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | |
Nork is a residential area of the borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey and borders Greater London, England. Nork is separated from its post town Banstead only by the A217 dual carriageway, and the built-up area is also contiguous with similar parts of Tattenham Corner and Burgh Heath. A thin belt of more open land separates it from the communities to the north: Epsom, Ewell, Cheam and Belmont. There are two parades of shops, one called the Driftbridge and another at the north-eastern end of Nork Way, the street which runs centrally through the residential area. Nork lies on chalk near the top of the gentle north-facing slope of the North Downs, 175 m above sea level at its highest point.
It has been suggested that the word "Nork", as well as "Nore" and "Nower", might derive from the Latin "noverca", which literally means a stepmother, but which was applied to a feature which dominates, and thus weakens, a fortified camp. Others consider it more likely to be derived from the Old English word "nook", meaning secluded, tranquil and a corner. A third proposed derivation is from "northern oak".
The first recorded application of the name was to a "Nork close" (enclosed field) in 1723. It was then applied to Nork House, built in 1740 by Christopher Buckle (1684–1759). The Buckle family were owners of the adjacent Burgh Manor from 1614 to 1847. In the 18th and 19th centuries Nork could be considered an agricultural hamlet of Banstead village, covering the fields and buildings in the extensive grounds of Nork Park (surrounding Nork House). The line of trees planted to mark the park's northern boundary has given its name to Fir Tree Road.John Burton, author of Iter Surriense et Sussexiense, stayed at Nork House in 1752, and described at length the ingenious waterworks by which water was raised from a very deep well and distributed over the slopes of a dry down.
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Wikipedia