A bit of history

Witley has existed as a village since at least Saxon times, as is clear from the surviving Saxon stonework in All Saints Church. The building was transformed by the Normans and enlarged into a cruciform shape towards the end of the 12th century, when its tower was also erected.

The village contains many ancient buildings: Old Cottage and Step Cottage, dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, are close to the church. One of the village pubs, the White Hart, is mostly Elizabethan, and is said to stand on the site of a Saxon inn. Witley Infants School, opposite the church, is a fine example of a 19th century school - constructed one year before Queen Victoria was crowned, in 1836.

The Domestic Buildings Research Group has recorded 53 period buildings in the parish of Witley. Visit their website at www.dbrg.org.uk/witley.html. They study, by invitation, old houses,cottages and other domestic and farm buildings, mainly in Surrey, and have recorded nearly 4,000 buildings. Visit their home page for full details of their activities.