Bisley, Surrey
Coordinates: 51°19′47″N 0°38′24″W / 51.3296°N 0.6399°W
| Bisley | |
 Bisley
Bisley shown within Surrey |
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| Population | 3,615 [1] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SU948598 |
| District | Surrey Heath |
| Shire county | Surrey |
| Region | South East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Woking |
| Postcode district | GU24 |
| Dialling code | 01483 |
| Police | Surrey |
| Fire | Surrey |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Surrey Heath |
| List of places: UK • England • Surrey | |
Bisley (bɪz-li) is a large village in Surrey, England, which is notable for rifle shooting. Bisley's immediate neighbours are West End, Chobham and Knaphill.
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[edit] History
The name 'Bisley' was first recorded in the 10th century as 'Busseleghe'. It is derived from the old English words 'Bysc', meaning bushes, and 'Leah', a clearing. Therefore, it means the 'clearing where bushes grow'.[2]
In medieval times, the village lay on the edge of the Chertsey Abbey estate. The 13th century church, St John the Baptist, was donated to the village by the Abbey monks over 600 years ago. The church features a medieval bell and a 15th century porch which is said to have been built from a single oak tree. A nearby spring was once known as the 'Holy Well of St John the Baptist', and was said to have medicinal powers. Its waters were used for local baptisms until the early 20th century.[3]
Actor Barry Evans attended Bisley boys' school which was an orphanage run by The Shaftesbury Homes.[4]
[edit] Current
Bisley is also home to Bisley C of E Primary School. This school is situated in the centre of the village and its logo is a frog. It was described as delivering a satisfactory education to students in its recent Ofsted report.[5]
On Queen's Road, near Snowdrop Way, you will find the largest manufacturer of office furniture in the U.K. and one of the largest in the European Union, Bisley Office Furniture. Founded in 1931 by Freddy Brown, a tradesman sheet metal worker, who started his one man business repairing damaged cars in a garage in St Johns, Woking, Surrey. In 1941 the company moved to its present site in Bisley, Surrey when a 400 square metre manufacturing facility was built and various wartime defence contracts were undertaken. It was responsible for designing and manufacturing the first containers to be dropped by parachute, which were widely used by airborne forces throughout the war. Today, it is a leading manufacturer of filing cabinets, which are renowned worldwide.
Coldingley Prison - a Category C prison - is also situated in Bisley, and a number of the local estates were originally built to house prison officers.
Bisley is now a thriving village and house prices are high. This includes on the Flowers Estate development (the road names are flower names, with one for each letter of the alphabet) which benefits from a very big playing field.
[edit] Rifle range
In 1890, the village became the location for the UK's National Rifle Association Championships which moved there from Wimbledon. The competition is hosted by the NRA on its Bisley ranges - land owned by the Ministry of Defence. Bisley hosted most of the shooting events in the 1908 Olympic Games, and all the shooting for the 2002 Commonwealth Games.[6] During the 2012 Olympic Games the shooting will be held at the Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich.
In 1894 Colt, the US firearms manufacturer, introduced and sold the Bisley Model of its famous Single Action Army revolver specifically designed for target shooting. This revolver featured a longer grip, a wider hammer spur, a wider trigger and adjustable sights. It was offered in a variety of calibers including .32-20, .38-40, .45 Colt, .44-40.[7]
It is also the location of The Operational Shooting Competition, in which members of the British army compete for the coveted Queen’s Medal for Shooting Excellence.
[edit] Sport
Bisley is home to Bisley All Stars FC, who are currently a Sunday League club playing in the Surrey & Hants Border League Division 4. They play their home matches at Bisley Recreation Ground
At the Lord Roberts Centre (upstairs) is a purpose built Inline Inline Hockey Rink which is used for league and national events by BiSHA and BiPHA.
[edit] Further reading
- Rosemary F. Cooper St. John the Baptist Church, Bisley: A Guide and Short History
[edit] References
- ^ Census
- ^ History
- ^ Barbara Aitken, "Holy Wells in Surrey" Folklore 64.2 (June 1953), p. 350.
- ^ Barry Evans
- ^ Ofsted for Bisley Primary
- ^ 1908 Summer Olympics official report. p. 254.
- ^ Model Guns
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bisley, Surrey |
- Bisley 'Parishes: Bisley', A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3 (1911), pp. 398-399.
- The National Shooting Centre at Bisley
- Old pictures
- Bisley church
- Stained Glass Windows at St. John the Baptist, Bisley, Surrey
- Bisley All Stars FC Website
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