Haslemere

For the suburb in Buckinghamshire, see Hazlemere.

Coordinates: 51°05′24″N 0°42′42″W / 51.0899°N 0.7117°W / 51.0899; -0.7117

Haslemere
Haslemere  Haslemere shown within Surrey
Population	15,612 [1]
OS grid reference	SU898329
District	Waverley
Shire county	Surrey
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	HASLEMERE
Postcode district	GU27
Dialling code	01428
Police	Surrey
Fire	Surrey
Ambulance	South East Coast
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	South West Surrey
List of places: UK • England • Surrey

Haslemere ( /ˈheɪzəlmɪər/) is a town in Surrey, England, close to the border with both Hampshire and West Sussex. The major road between London and Portsmouth, the A3, lies to the west, and a branch of the River Wey to the south. Haslemere is approximately 12 miles (19 km) south-west of Guildford.

Haslemere is surrounded by hills, with Blackdown at 920 feet (280 m) to the south and Gibbet Hill at 894 feet (272 m) to the north. The latter was the site of executions in past centuries. Many of those hanged there were highwaymen, because the roads around Haslemere, particularly alongside the nearby Devil's Punch Bowl, were notoriously dangerous. Today, much of the heathland and woodland is owned and protected by the National Trust, and has become a popular attraction for walkers.

The town also marks the western end of the Greensand Way footpath which extends for 110 miles (180 km) to Hamstreet in Kent, and is one end of the Serpent Trail.

Haslemere is the most southerly town in Surrey.

History

The earliest record of Haslemere was in 1221 (when it was spelt Haselmere)^{[citation needed]}. The name describes hazel trees standing beside a mere (lake). The lake does not exist today, but there is a natural spring in West Street which could have provided its source. In the 14th century, Haste Hill, also called East Hill, was the main settlement at Haslemere and there may have been a church as there were references on the site to "Churchliten field" and the "Old church-yard" of Haslemere^[2] Haslemere was granted a charter by Richard II in 1394. This right was confirmed by a new charter issued by Elizabeth I in 1596. Today, this special status is celebrated with the Charter fair, held once every two years in the High Street. There is a bust of Elizabeth I in the newly developed Charter Walk, linking West Street with the car park alongside Waitrose.

The town was one of the rotten boroughs, but recovered with the construction of the Portsmouth Direct Line, which connected Haslemere with London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour railway stations. The town became a fashionable place to live and continues to be a popular commuter town, still served by Haslemere railway station.

St Bartholomew's Church was originally a chapel of ease for Chiddingfold, and probably dates from no earlier than the 16th century.^[2] It was rebuilt in 1871. The bell tower is the only remaining part of the original building. The church contains memorials to many of the most prominent local residents, including Alfred Lord Tennyson, who lived south of Haslemere at Aldworth House and is commemorated in one of the stained glass windows, featuring Sir Galahad and the Holy Grail.

Haslemere museum is at the northern end of the High Street. It was established by eminent surgeon Sir Jonathan Hutchinson in 1888 to provide educational opportunities to local people, and moved to its present location in 1926 – a house with a Georgian façade, but partly dating back to the 16th century. The museum has a permanent natural history collection as well as hosting talks from both local and national figures of interest.

Haslemere Charter Fair

In 1397 Richard II and the Bishop of Salisbury confirmed an order dated the 29th April 1221 allowing an annual fair to be held in the town. The first ever recorded fair was held in the year 1394 and the latest to date was held 3 May 2010. It ceased to be a yearly event some time ago, but was reinstated in 1984 and now runs every two years.^{[citation needed]}

Today

The High Street is wide because of its use as a Victorian cattle market, and is at the heart of Haslemere, with the Town Hall standing at its southern end. There are two public houses: The White Horse and The Swan Inn. Along the High Street, West Street and Charter Walk are a mix of shops (mostly independent), restaurants, cafes, banks and estate agents. In 2009 a Waitrose opened in the town centre replacing the previous Somerfield supermarket.

Haslemere has a concert hall known as Haslemere Hall. Located on Bridge Road, just off West Street, the hall can seat 340 people and is used regularly as a theatre, a concert venue and as a cinema. Performances are held by local theatre groups including The Haslemere Thespians, The Haslemere Theatrical Society and the Haslemere Players. Haslemere Symphony Orchestra and Chorus also hold performances and there are popular music concerts. Films are shown shortly after their general release.

To the west of the High Street, separated from it by the railway station is an area known as Wey Hill. Here, there are further banks, public houses, shops (again, mostly independent), restaurants and takeaways. The town library is in Wey Hill and so are two further supermarkets, a Tesco and a Co-Op.

Sport and leisure

The Herons Leisure Centre, on King's Road, replaced the leisure centre previously at Lion Green in the 1990s (now the site of Tesco). The Herons facilities include a 25m swimming pool, children's pool, jacuzzi, hot-tub, sauna, steam room, a fitness suite, squash courts, tennis courts, a skate-park and an outdoor basketball court. The Woolmer Hill sports ground has a clubhouse that is home to a number of local teams and the facilities include four rugby pitches, two football pitches, and two artificial hockey pitches. The senior Haslemere RFC team plays in the Surrey Leagues.

Politics

Haslemere had an Urban District Council (including the villages of Shottermill, Grayswood and Hindhead) until 1974, when the area became part of the new Waverley District Council area. Haslemere, including its satellite settlements, retains a Town Council with lesser powers. The two leading political parties in Haslemere are the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties.

Mayor

The council elects a ceremonial mayor for a term of one year.

• 1976–78 Bob Bleach
• 1978–79 John Bowing
• 1993–94 James Mackie
• 1999–00 Patricia Hills
• 2005–06 Michael Dover
• 2007–08 Stephen Mulliner
• 2008–09 William King
• 2009–10 Melanie Odell
• 2010–11 Melanie Odell
• 2011–12 Jim Edwards

Dolmetsch Early Music Festival

The town is significant musically, and largely through the contribution of an immigrant family: Arnold Dolmetsch, musician and instrument maker, was born in France in 1858, and it was his family who revived the descant recorder and began the revival of many other instruments of early music, at the very beginning of the revival of historically informed performance which came to fruition in the late 20th century. The family settled in Haslemere and his son, Carl Dolmetsch, took over the business. The family firm still manufacture viols, recorders and harpsichords today. Their presence in the town inspired the International Dolmetsch Early Music Festival held every year in the town.

Notable inhabitants

General James Oglethorpe former Member of Parliament for the town

Haslemere’s Member of Parliament (MP) from 1722 to 1754 was General James Oglethorpe, who founded the Colony of Georgia in British North America. More recently, Neil Drysdale, an American based thoroughbred horse trainer was born here in 1947.^[3]

Other notable inhabitants include John Tyndall (born 1820 – died 1893, buried in St. Bartholemews, Haslemere), eminent physicist, mountaineer and science educator, who first established the radiative properties of various greenhouse gases, and who built a retirement home near Haslemere in 1885.

Arnold Dolmetsch, (born 1858 – died 1940), a French-born musician and instrument maker who spent much of his working life in England, established an instrument-making workshop in Haslemere.^[4] Sir Robert Hunter, one of the founders of the National Trust, lived in Three Gates Lane between 1883–1913.^[5] Rachel Portman, an Academy Award-winning composer best known for film music, was born in Haslemere.

Axel Haig, architect and illustrator of the Victorian Gothic Revival, lived and worked in Haslemere from the 1890s until his death. He constructed a house for himself, Grayshurst, and designed All Saints Church, Grayswood.^[6]

Alfred, Lord Tennyson lived and worked at Aldworth House, Haslemere, for much of his later life, dying there in 1892. Tennyson spent much of his time walking around Blackdown in Haslemere and famously sat at 'Temple of The Winds' in Blackdown.

Twinning

Haslemere has embraced the European project through its twinning:

• Bernay
• Horb am Neckar

References

1. ^ Census data
2. ^ ^{a b} Parishes: Haslemere, A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3 (1911), pp. 45–49. Date accessed: 22 June 2010
3. ^ House of Names
4. ^ Arnold Dolmetch biography
5. ^ Robert Hunter biography
6. ^ Axel Haig and the Victorian Vision of the Middle Ages, page 40

External links

• Waverley Council
• BBC report on violence in Haslemere in the 1850s