Worplesdon

infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 51.2722
longitude= -0.6117
official_name= Worplesdon
map_type= Surrey
population = 1,503 [ [http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/sccwebsite/sccwspublications.nsf/591f7dda55aad72a80256c670041a50d/1c602ea59c869c9180256e600054b26c/$FILE/Town%20populations.pdf Surrey Council census data] ]
shire_district= Guildford
shire_county = Surrey
region= South East England
constituency_westminster= Guildford
post_town= Guildford
postcode_district = GU3
postcode_area= GU
dial_code= 01483
os_grid_reference= SU969534 Worplesdon is a village in Surrey, England, located three miles (5 km) north of Guildford. Worplesdon is also the name of the parish that also includes the settlements of Fairlands, Jacobs Well and Wood Street Village. Nearby villages include Pirbright and Deepcut, with significant military presences.

Worplesdon has a medieval village church, St Mary's [http://www.worplesdonparish.com/] . Worplesdon appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as "Werpesdune". It was held by Turald (Thorold) from Roger de Montgomery. Its domesday assets were: 6½ hides; 1 church, 9 ploughs, 1 mill worth 2s 6d, convert|8|acre|m2 of meadow, wood worth 60 hogs. It rendered £10. [ [http://www.gwp.enta.net/surrnames.htm Surrey Domesday Book] ] Adjacent to the church, a semaphore tower (now demolished) served in the Napoleonic wars.

In the early 20th century, Worplesdon was home to the artist Sidney Sime, best known for magazine illustration and work on the books of the prolific author Lord Dunsany.

Worplesdon is served by the Worplesdon Memorial Hall, built in 1922 to recall those who died in World War I; it and the adjacent recreation grounds are managed by trustees representing the donors and the Parish Council. A caretaker lives nearby. Beside the Hall are a playground and tennis and cricket facilities. There are a large events room, a meeting room, and the Sidney Sime Memorial Gallery.

The Worplesdon and Burpham Cricket Club traces its origins to 1890, and there is also Worplesdon Phoenix FC playing in the Surrey Counties Intermediate League and Guildford and Woking Alliance League [http://www.worplesdonphoenixfc.org.uk/Default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1] and, since 1991, Worplesdon Tennis Club, with a new Clubhouse (2005).

Worplesdon no longer has shops or banking facilities but there is the Worplesdon Place Hotel and Worplesdon railway station is located approximately a mile and a half to the north-east of the village. There are a number of commons, managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust, in the area, including Broadstreet & Backside Commons, Stringer’s Common, Littlefield Common and Chitty’s Common.

Education

Merrist Wood Agricultural College stands on the hill to the west of Worplesdon encompassing a wood and pond, a plant nursery, an arboriculture training area, an equestrian center, a golf course, and a farm.

The village school, Perry Hill, closed in the 1960s. There is now a new school, Worplesdon Primary, in Fairlands. Worplesdon Primary School caters for 409 students from the ages of 4-11. The head teacher is Mr A Parsons.cite web | url=http://www.worplesdon.surrey.sch.uk/cms/news/downloaddoc.asp?DocRef=3&DocCount=139&MediaFolder=keyinfo&DocFile=s5_125025_20051004.pdf |accessdate=2007-02-20 | title=OFSTED report 2005]

References

* Notes within www.surreycc.gov.uk, as checked at April 6th 2007