Walk 6th January 2017 Shere millenium trail northern section starting from Walking Bottom (Peaslake)

Start point:- TQ
Distance:- 10.8 km; 6.71 miles
Time taken:- 2 hours 23 minutes
Route:-

Peaslake Walking Bottom CP - Hazel Hall - Jesses Lane - Drydown Farm -  Ponds Farm - Ponds Lane - Shere Heath - Dark Lane - Cycle Route 22 - Towerhill Lane - Hazelhatch - Broadfield Road - Smokey hole - Peaslake church - CP

The parish of Shere, which also includes Gomshall and Peaslake - were associated with the industries of weaving and tanning. Shown on a map of 1753 it says that Shere and Gomshall are famous for the weaving of fustain. (a coarse cloth, thick twilled) http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fustian

Shere church - 1329 Christine Carpenter the Anchoress of Shere was imprisoned for several years in the 14th Century, according to a 12th century chronicler Father Michael Duval. St James church Shere built in 1190 built in the early English transitional style. The nave pews were originally numbered and people paid the church to rent them. http://www.sheredelight.com/history.html

In English mediaeval architecture there have been six recognised “styles” : Anglo-Saxon; Norman (aka “Romanesque”); Transitional; Early English; Decorated; and Perpendicular. Of these, the last three are collectively known as “Gothic”. On the whole the later the period the more evidence of it you will see in our churches. In reality, very few churches indeed are of one style. Churches went through a great deal of change and expansion over the centuries so most churches are a bit of a mongrel mix! The actual dates for these periods are not precise. That is because, these different styles did not happen overnight. We call the period between Norman and Early English “Transitional” because for a period our architecture exhibited a mixture of the two styles and it can be said that some things did not occur before and after that period so it had some of its own characteristics. However, there were always transitional period (small “t” and small “p”)  between any two styles of architecture. Not everything was adopted immediately; not all church builders would have learned the new styles at the same time; and some places and people would be more conservative than others.

More detail on Shere can be found here
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/surrey/vol3/pp111-121

 Taken from near to Hazel Hall looking north towards the North Downs

St Mary's church at Peaslake is a Victorian church built about 1889. A grade II listed building. Church. Built in 1889 by Ewan Christian. Built of Sandstone rubble with tiled roof having shingled spirelet with metal clock face. Simple apsidal-ended structure with attached vestry. West front has bell gable and triple lancet window within arch incorporating 2 circular windows. South porch has sandstone base and wooden trefoils above and gable with curved fretted bargeboards. Simple lancet windows to rest of the church apart from paired lancet with circular windows over to vestry. Interior has roof of arch-braced type. Apse has stained glass windows of St Luke, St Mark, Mary the Virgin, Christ and Michael the Archangel and 2 panels depicting Faith and Hope of 1899. South window
of nave has 1896 window and 1926 window depicting St Bertha and St Augustine. Stained glass in west window of 1912. Circular stone font, original bench pews and tiled floor, lectern and pulpit