Writers of the Surrey Hills
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Edition 27 Autumn/Winter 2017 views chbowl, Hindhead vil's Pun ng De plori s ex ber em S m SH Writers of the Surrey Hills A lot of people know that Lewis Carroll The Box Hill area has been a magnet had strong links with Guildford but there for writers especially during the time have been many other writers who either of George Meredith. Of all the literary lived locally or used the Surrey Hills as figures associated with Box Hill, none the inspiration for their work. had a better feel for the place than this novelist and poet. From 1867 until his If you drop into your local library or one of death in 1909, he lived in a flint and brick the better bookshops, you are likely to house built off the Zig-Zag road at the find a range of books and booklets about bottom of the hill. It seemed that all the Surrey and, in particular, about the Surrey literary world came to his door – JM Hills. In the non-fiction section these Barrie, Henry James, Max Beerbohm will include numerous items focusing and Robert Louis Stevenson were just on specific locations or areas, often a few of those who visited. researched and written by local people. But the Surrey Hills have also been Such texts and images are a wonderful home to many writers of fiction, poetry, George Meredith’s Box Hill home record of how our Surrey Hills used to be. etc. Some have remained as well-known ‘Flint Cottage’ names whilst others who were important Across the years, other local authors at the time have become less commonly with a wider readership have written read. One example of this would be either factual or fictionalised books with Fanny Burney who lived for a number of a Surrey Hills theme. William Cobbett years in Camilla Cottage at Westhumble. (Farnham) documented his Rural Rides Fanny published her first novel, Evelina, whilst another political radical, Frederick anonymously in 1778. During this period, Ernest Green (Limpsfield & Oxted, novel reading was frowned upon as Reigate then Newdigate), wrote about the something that young women of a Surrey Hills and the lot of the agricultural certain social status should not do. Novel labourer at the turn of the 19th – 20th writing was therefore out of the question. Several other parts of the Surrey Hills century. Shortly afterwards, George Sturt When the book's authorship came to also attracted authors and in our centre (Farnham) was writing about village life light, it brought Burney almost immediate page spread we focus on the community at Bourne with a central character called fame and she went on to write several which formed around Hindhead and Bettesworth. As social histories, these more books. Her books’ popularity Haslemere in the late 19th Century. We and other authors remind us how recent it declined after she died but have recently hope you enjoy learning about them and was that the Surrey Hills were very much had a renaissance – and still make an will want to sample the writings of some an impoverished agricultural area. excellent read. of our many local writers. www.surreyhillssociety.org Discover and help conserve Hills the natural beauty of the Surrey Registered Charity number 1125532 will be sharing our thoughts with you at this Chairman’s Views year’s AGM. Do please join us. Our Society was set up as a charity in 2008 Our volunteers are now busy planning to support, promote and enhance the AONB. activities to celebrate the 60th Anniversary Focus was on raising awareness and of the designation of the Surrey Hills AONB, promoting the area - including developing the 40th Anniversary of the dedication of our volunteers for shows, fêtes, talks the North Downs Way as a National Trail programme and creation of our newsletters. and, of course, our own 10th Anniversary in An Events programme was started, so our SHS visit to Deepdene 2018. We have been awarded funds from members could learn more about the hills; its Trail in May 2017 the Heritage Lottery Fund to create an issues, projects, activities and enterprises. Funded Project bids e.g. Reigate Fort, inspirational book celebrating the Surrey Deepdene’s “Hope Springs Eternal”, Hills. Many thanks to Ken Bare, our vice- Inspiring Views and Gatton Park Trust’s Chairman who led on this bid. Surrey Life Capability Brown project. magazine's calendar for 2018 will highlight the Surrey Hills Anniversary (see p.3) and More excitingly, we have gained the we are planning a big occasion or two so confidence to develop our own HLF bid, that you will be able to join us for this in partnership with the Surrey Hills AONB important milestone. Board, with the “Tales of the Tillingbourne” (TTTV) project. We are currently progressing I hope you enjoy our latest newsletter, the several projects for 2017-18 with Ali Clarke programme of events, and our lovely Surrey from Surrey Hills Arts and Dr Anne Sassin, Hills during this autumn-winter season. the Co-ordinator for the TTTV project. We have also secured further funding for the Yvonne Arnaud Youth Theatre to continue Chris Howard, SHS Chairman with the schools engagement element of the Jeff Holliday, the Event Committee Chairman TTTV project. Read more about the project As we have developed and attracted more on our website https://www.surreyhills volunteers, we have been able to focus on society.org/news/. other areas and are now able to give support Our Trustees are currently working on our to projects happening across the AONB, in next three year Business Plan as well as partnership with other organisations. We doing some deep thinking as to where we SHS volunteering day at have supported successful Heritage Lottery see the organisation in ten years’ time. We Gatton park in March 2017 Thank you to the Chairman of Mole Valley District Council A huge thank you to Cllr David Mir for his support for the Surrey Hills during his year as Chairman of Mole Valley District Council. David raised £2,508.33. He is pictured here on last year's Surrey Hills Challenge with our President Neil Maltby (L), SHS Chairman (R), Cllr Gordon Jackson and Lavinia Sealy. See www.surreyhillschallenge.com for more details. Volunteer Profile – Peter Salisbury Having always lived in Reigate or Redhill I I take the Minutes of the Trustees, Management and Events have a great interest in the Surrey Hills. My committees’ meetings and send round the monthly emails telling wife and I joined the Society soon after it members about forthcoming events. I also help producing the was formed and are Founder Members. confirmations for our events and have recently agreed to manage Attending events and getting to know the Society’s shop which forms part of our web site. My role evolves members were my first motivation. The great according to my wishes and availability. variety of events, walks, visits to houses Away from the Society, I have several other interests to keep me and gardens (often opened especially for us) and of course ever busy, including being a volunteer at the National Trust’s Leith Hill popular food and drink gatherings makes it fascinating to be part of. Place and on the Bluebell Railway. I have also been a member of After a few years, I felt the urge to do more and in my present role the Scout Association for over 40 years and have held a variety of as the Society’s Administrator, I enjoy helping manage the Society. leadership and administrative roles. 2 AONB News Summer Lightning Bike Trail extended The Surrey Hills continue to be one of the reduces conflict with other users and top destinations in the Country to Mountain protects the wildlife of the commons. It has Bike. Cyclists are having a major impact on proved very popular, attracting high the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural numbers of cyclists and a very noticeable Beauty (AONB). The popularity of mountain reduction in the proliferation of wild trails. biking has created some tension with landowners and other leisure users. The addition of the new section sees the trail extended to an 8.5km loop starting To proactively manage the impact and and ending at Leith Hill tower. New signage ensure that all user groups are able to enjoy the hills without spoiling it for each other, and way marks have been installed by a the Surrey Hills AONB Board co-ordinated National Trust volunteer work party to the creation of a Mountain Bike trail clearly mark the route. See more Cllrs David Mir and Mike Goodman launching ‘Summer Lightning’ on Leith Hill. This trail http://www.surreyhills.org/discover- the trail extension offers bikers a segregated route which route/summer-lightning-mtb-trail/. Surrey Hills Arts Surrey Soundscapes runs until November. A 6-mile section of the North Downs Way National Trail, between Chantry Woods near Guildford, and ‘The Silent Pool’ has been brought to life with seven listening posts containing site specific sound tracks. Sounds through different seasons including the humming of thousands of wasps on Holmbury Hill and the underwater recordings at Silent Pool present a new way to experience the Trail in the Surrey Hills. Visit www.surreysoundscapes.com to find out more. Neil Cahoon, artist behind the sound trail Saving Surrey’s Small Blue Patches of wildflowers are being grown in by growing additional areas of Kidney Vetch Surrey as part of a project to help join up and other nectar sources on the area between areas of habitat where the county’s Guildford and Dorking.