Oxshott

Oxshott is a village in Surrey, England with a growing population of around 1,501. It is situated in fields and woodlands between Esher and Leatherhead on the A244, five minutes by car to both the A3 (Portsmouth Road) and the M25 London Orbital motorway. It is situated in London's stockbroker belt and is an expensive place to live.

1 History
2 Transport
3 Local
4 Famous residents
5 External links

[edit] History

Oxshott enters history in 1179 as Okesseta - the name is derived from the name 'Occa' and the Old English word for a strip of land - 'sceat'. At this time Oxshott was a poor hamlet of about 200 people earning their living from forestry, farming and the keeping of pigs. For 600 years Oxshott enjoyed a scenic but isolated position, surrounded by heath and scrubland and connected to nearby villages only by simple tracks. In 1885 the nature of the village was changed forever with the building of the railway.

The railway allowed both day trippers and wealthy residents quickly to appreciate the area's great beauty. The following 30 years saw Oxshott expand to meet their demands and in doing so it acquired all the characteristics of a true English village. The Crown Commissioners limited early housing development to handsome mansions suitable for occupation by families of substance. Examples of these include Danes Hill, Broom Hall and Bevendean. Subsequently the village has expanded to include all types of housing, but it has retained a degree of prosperity.

The religious needs of the growing population were met by the consecration of St Andrew's Church in 1912. Oxshott became a Parish in its own right in 1913. The high street expanded from an initial nucleus of three shops: a drapers, a tobacconist and a set of tea-rooms. Industry arrived in Oxshott when John Early Cook set up his brickworks in 1866. Production continued until 1958 with the famous and distinctive chimney being demolished in 1967. Although the development of the last 120 years has changed Oxshott immeasurably it remains a thriving community located amidst the most stunning scenery.

[edit] Transport

Oxshott Railway Station

Oxshott is served by commuter trains and is 30 minutes from Waterloo Station in London, with local bus services to local town and city centres also available. The railway station is situated just off Oxshott Heath, to the south of Oxshott Woods. Oxshott Heath is interesting geologically as it has an escarpment where the London clay and sand strata emerge from the ground. For this reason, Oxshott had a brickworks from 1866 to 1958. The brickworks was served by a branch line that ran from the station, West (towards Guildford). This is why the footbridge at the end of Sheath's Lane (this is the proper, historic spelling) can span three tracks.

At Cook's Crossing, the railway crossing had three lines: two for the electrified main line to Guildford via Cobham and Stoke D'Abernon and a single track to the brickyards. This latter track is still in evidence if one looks hard, and the old hand-operated gates were still there less than 5 years ago. This single track now disappears into the houses built on the brickyards on Somerville Road.

[edit] Local

Oxshott also has two public houses: The Victoria and The Bear. Both of the aforementioned used to be Courage Brewery houses, but now only The Victoria continues that alliance. Oxshott is blessed with one, Anglican church, St. Andrew's. There is also a very active sports club, which has expanded from the village cricket club founded in 1896. Oxshott has its own Primary School, the Royal Kent, named because it was opened by the Duchess of Kent at the beginning of the 20th Century. There is also the private Preparatory school, Danes Hill, and its pre-prep school, Bevendean. Another school located near Oxshott is Reed's School that caters for boys aged 11 to 18 and girls aged 16 to 18.

The village has a large number of expatriates, due in part to the nearby ACS Cobham International school.

The local newspapers are the Cobham News & Mail & Esher News & Mail

Oxshott is featured in the popular "Confessions of a Shopaholic" novels by British author Sophie Kinsella