HERITAGE PROJECT UPDATE - NOVEMBER 2023

1. Introduction

Hi everyone, for this month’s update we’d like to discuss what we think are the main priorities for the Pyrford Heritage Conservation Assessment project (HCA) and ask for comments, as it’s time to start setting the future Heritage Conservation agenda in the area.

2. Heritage Priorities in Pyrford

Firstly, the more we have done, the more obvious it has become that heritage is best viewed as the combination of historic buildings, the landscape they are set in and the nature that surrounds it.

A big priority of this work is to review the current conservation areas, last reviewed and assessed in the year 2000. The team intend to start in the New Year with the conservation area around St Nicholas Church known as Pyrford Village CA (see details at https://pyrfordforum.org/pyrford-village-ca/ ).

We will be looking to extend the current area east along the south side of Warren Lane. This area includes Wheelers Farm where the barn has been comprehensively restored. The land is also part of the area designated by Surrey County Council Historic Environment Record (HER) as having High Archaeological Potential (AHAP). A thin strip of this land runs down the East side of Church Hill, within the current conservation area, but a much greater proportion of the area extends eastwards from The Prae across the farmland surrounding Wheeler’s Farm. Later in the new year we will appraise the Aviary Road CA – see https://pyrfordforum.org/aviary-road-ca/ for details.

In addition, we will review the area around The Old House and Lees Farm as a possible new conservation area. The owners of The Old House have made many conservation improvements to the house and property since 2002 and their wilding work on land that was once part of Twisted Stone Golf Course, is really starting to restore the heritage of our landscape and wildlife in the area.

Extra to the conservation area work, there are a number of assets that should be registered nationally/locally. The two best examples of these are the Lees Farm Granary Barn and it's Cart Barn. The Granary store shown right is now part of The Old House.

The adjacent Cart Barn beside Lees Farm Cottages is also very important. Both of these built assets may pre-date 1840 and the Cart Barn looks to be largely unaltered from when it was built..

Another priority identified by the team is to restore the ravaged trees and hedgerows along Upshot Lane and Sandy Lane. Not only will this restore the landscape but also provide an opportunity to protect the badgers and other wildlife that can be found in these areas.

These topics represent a brief overview of the priorities the heritage project team think we should focus on in our assessment work. Further details of each of these items will appear in later HCA Newsletters and a full list of priorities suggested by a brainstorming session can be seen at https://pyrfordforum.org/key-heritage-issues/ .

We would welcome your comments on any of these ideas and any ideas you might like us to look at by contacting us at info@pyrfordforum.org. If anyone would like to participate in the conservation area review/assessment process please contact on the same email.

3. Heritage Project Progress

Most activity in the past two months has gone into preparing for the Conservation Area appraisals and arranging for appropriate training.

4. Heritage Snippet

I’m sure you all know that Pyrford is the modern-day derivative of the Anglo-Saxon for ‘the pear tree by the ford’. But did you know there are 10 other recorded stages the name of our village went through:

Pyrianforda c956, 1250
Piriford c1067, 1107
Peliforde c1086
Perford c1175
Pyryford c1263
Pireford, Pyreford c1255, 1279
Puryforde c1275, 1309
Pureford c1317
Periford c1370
Pyrpherde
Pyrford c1573

Source - English Place Name Society https://epns.notingham.ac.uk .

So that's all for now. Next month we'll discuss some of the work we've done with old maps and their important role in the study. In the mean time why not come for a full update of the project at:

The Forum AGM

Monday 27 November
at 8pm
in Pyrford Village War Memorial Hall

Geoff Geaves
For and on behalf of the PNF Heritage Team