Dorking
- For the chicken breed, see Dorking (chicken).
| Dorking | |
|---|---|
| Population | 17,000 |
| OS grid reference | TQ165496 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Dorking |
| Postcode district | RH4 |
| Dialling code | 01306 |
| Police | Surrey |
| Fire | Surrey |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
Dorking is a market town at the foot of the North Downs approximately 25 miles south of London, in Surrey, England.
History and development
Dorking began life as a small staging post on Stane Street, the Roman Road which linked London to Chichester on the English Channel.
Dorking appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Dorchinges. It was held by William the Conqueror. Its domesday assets were: 1 church, 3 mills worth 15s 4d, 16 ploughs, 3 acres of meadow, woodland and herbage worth 88 hogs. It rendered £18.[1] In the 11th Century, Dorking was recorded in the Domesday Book as the Manor of Dorchinges.
Subsequent Lords of the Manor were to include the Dukes of Norfolk — who lived in Dorking until they moved to Arundel: one of whom is buried in Dorking churchyard. In the Medieval period, Dorking was a prosperous agricultural and market town, benefitting from its position on the junction of a number of important roads and tracks.
In 1750, the construction of a Turnpike Road made Dorking a staging post on the route to Brighton and the coast. The Bull’s Head in South Street had a famous coachman, William Broad, whose portrait hangs in Dorking Museum in West Street. The inn which now dominates the centre of Dorking, the White Horse, was developed in the 18th century; previous buildings on this site having belonged to the Knights Templar and later the Knights of St John.
Dorking held a big wheat and cattle market in the High Street. The poultry market was held in the corner of South Street and round Butter Hill. Here the famous Dorking fowl were sold. This breed which has 5 claws instead of the normal four, was a favourite for 19th century tables, including Queen Victoria's.
Dorking lost its stage coaches when the railways arrived, but now attracted wealthy residents who built large houses in and around Dorking, such as Denbies (now a winery) and Pippbrook House (now the library, with Council Offices in the grounds). Surrounding land and beauty spots such as Cotmandene and Box Hill were donated by landowners for public use and this, together with later planning controls, has enabled Dorking to remain one of the most pleasant towns within convenient reach of London, having escaped much of the modern development witnessed by its neighbours. [Overell, B. 2005, Dorking Local History Group].
A game resembling rugby was once played here. The two sides were unlimited in number, representing the east and west of the town. The goals were the 2 bridges on the Pipp Brooke. The Town crier kicked off the ball at 2 o' clock and stopped play at 6 o'clock. The game was started at the Church gates and was "rioted" up and down the High Street. It was ceased in 1897 after complaints by tradesmen and it was officially stopped under section 72 of the Highway Act 1835.
Topography, natural history and local landscape
Just north of the town the River Mole cuts a steep-sided valley through the North Downs. On the left bank is Denbies Vineyard, the largest vineyard in the UK. On the right bank is Box Hill, owned by the National Trust and Britain's first Country Park. The hill has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest, because of the large number of rare orchids which grow there in the summer.
Further north is Norbury Park which contains the Druids Grove — a forest of ancient yew trees, some of which are more than 1000 years old.
To the south west of the town is Leith Hill — also owned by the National Trust, the highest point in the south of England, reaching 1,000ft at the tower on top of the hill. Along with the adjacent hills of Holmbury Hill and Pitch Hill, as well as the nearby escarpment of the North Downs from Box Hill to Newlands Corner, the area is known as 'The Surrey Hills'.
A new species of fish-eating dinosaur — Baryonyx walkeri was discovered in clay pits just south of Dorking. The creature had a long curved claw on each hand and remains of its last meal were discovered fossilised in its ribcage. The skeleton can be seen at the Natural History Museum in London.
Modern Dorking
The evolution of the Dorking has been kind to the town centre. Much of the original character survives, whilst accommodating businesses that serve the needs of the 21st century. The town is known worldwide for its antique dealers[citation needed].
The town's three main trading streets of High Street, West Street and South Street are complemented by a small open-air shopping centre, St Martin's Walk which is adjacent to the town's main car park and easily accessed from the High Street.
In the late 1990s Dorking Halls was given a huge refit, to make it a cinema and theatre complex. In 2003 a new modern leisure centre and swimming pool were added to the Dorking Halls Complex.
There is now a giant statue of a Dorking Cockerel located on the Deepdene roundabout.
Image:|
Famous residents and literary connections
 |
- Laurence Olivier was born in the town — a blue plaque marking his birthplace can be found in Wathen Road.
- Several other actors live here now including John Watson and Rick Partridge, both of whom have appeared in The Bill.
- Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1872–1958, spent most of his childhood in Leith Hill Place, near Coldharbour and, from 1929 to 1953, off the Westcott Road in Dorking.
- Henry Hope and his nephew Thomas Hope spent summers at Deepdene in the beginning of the 19th century.
- Joshua Nicholas Cowls: Famous political debater from the 19th century. Political teachings rumoured to have influenced Tony Blair's early career moves. A bench on the north side of Meadowbank Park pays tribute to his fierce socialist ideologies.
- Thomas Cubitt was born and lived in the town, and later built up large areas of London from the early 19th Century. His Politician son George also had connections with the town, including building the St Barnabas church at Ranmore Common.
- Daniel Defoe, 1661-1731, probably attended a boarding-school in Pixham Lane, and later mentioned Dorking in his Tour through the Whole Island of Great Britain.
- Benjamin Disraeli wrote his novel Coningsby while staying in Deepdene House (now demolished) on the outskirts of the town.
- Marian Hemar, famous Polish poet is buried at the local cemetery.
- Lord Nelson is reputed to have spent his last night before boarding ship for the Battle of Trafalgar at the Burford Bridge Hotel.
- William Mullins, one of the passengers on the Mayflower came from Dorking. Mullins' house is still standing in West St, Dorking Discover Dorking.
- Robert Kilroy Silk, famous politician and chat show host is rumoured to have a country retreat in the Abinger area.
- Jane Austen set a significant passage from the novel Emma at Box Hill, northeast of the town.
- George Meredith lived in Box Hill and died at his home there in 1909.
- "The Battle of Dorking" a fictional short-story written by Lt. Col. Sir George Tomkyns Chesney in 1871 was set in the town. Describing a fictional invasion and conquest of Britain, it triggered an explosion of what came to be known as invasion literature.
- Sir James Hopwood Jeans and his wife Lady Susi Jeans lived in the nearby village of Westhumble.
- John Logie Baird lived in the Swiss Cottage on Dorking's Box Hill in the early 1930s.
- Oliver Reed lived at Broome Hall, close to the nearby villages of Coldharbour and Ockley, and latterly at Pinkhurst Farm in Oakwoodhill, with his last wife Josephine Burge.The comedian Jim Davidson subsequently bought the property, and has had great difficulty in selling it since his move to Dubai in 2006.
- Emma Holland was raised in the town, although went to some lengths in a bid to leave it.
- Sir Edward Michael Blunt, world-renowned lecturer in sociology and famous media personality was born and grew up in Newdigate.
- Mollie Sugden lives in Ockley, 7 miles to the south of Dorking.
- Peter André and Jordan live in Ockley, 7 miles to the south of Dorking.
- Judge Dredd illustrator Arthur Ransom lives in Dorking.
- Padre George Smith, a defender at Rorke's Drift in 1879, was born in Dorking.
- Tony Allen, American football coach, was born in Dorking.
- Marvin Allen, American football player, was born in Dorking.
Local government
Dorking is the administrative centre of Mole Valley District Council. It had been an urban district from 1894 to 1974.
It is situated in the Mole Valley parliamentary constituency, having formerly been the epicentre of its eponymous predecessor, the Dorking constituency.
Twin towns
The town is twinned with Gouvieux, France since 1997 and negotiations began in 2007 to twin with the German town of Güglingen.[2]
Transport
Road
Dorking is situated at the junction of the A24 (London to Worthing) and A25 (Maidstone to Guildford) roads.
Rail
The town has three railway stations.
- Dorking railway station, on the Epsom to Horsham Sutton & Mole Valley Line.
- Dorking Deepdene, on the Guildford to Redhill North Downs Line.
- Dorking West, also on the Guildford to Redhill North Downs Line.
Local music
The Lincoln Arms hotel (located next to Dorking Main railway station) has helped to build the local music scene by allowing local bands to play every Friday night from 8pm onwards. It has proved to be very popular with the 18+ crowd and many local bands can be seen performing there. The Lincoln band nights are run by the Dorktownpunks; a voluntary group aiming to make sure all the local bands and teens have a place to enjoy and play live music.
Education
Various Primary Schools cater for 5–11 year olds:
- St Martin's School
- St Paul's School
- St Joseph's School
- Powell Corderoy School
- St John's School, formerly Redlands
Secondary education is largely provided for by:
- The Ashcombe School
- The Priory School, formerly Sondes Place School (from 1996)
Emergency Services
Dorking is served by these emergency services:
- Surrey Police
- South East Coast Ambulance Service as of 1st July 2006. The Surrey Ambulance Service, Sussex, and Kent Ambulance services have all merged, and have now ceased to exist.
- Surrey Fire & Rescue Service, in North Holmwood
- Dorking Hospital, small hospital with no A&E.
Leisure and culture
Facilities and features of the town include:
- The Dorking Halls, A cinema, theatre, leisure centre and swimming pool complex.
- Each year in April, the town plays host to the Leith Hill Music Festival for choirs which was founded by the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.
- A local museum.
- A well stocked library.
- Famous antique and art shops on West Street.
- Almost 30 Pubs.
- The "Arts Alive" Festival takes place annually during the last two weeks of October in and around the town.
- The Leith Hill area, along with the adjacent hills of Holmbury Hill and Pitch Hill, as well as the nearby escarpment of the North Downs from Box Hill to Newlands Corner, is becoming known as one of the best areas in southern England for mountain biking. As a whole this area is known as 'The Surrey Hills'.
- Dorking has an active collection of sports clubs, the most recent of which to attract national attention was Dorking Rugby Football Club, winners of the 2005/2005 Powergen Vase
- Dorking has a vineyard, Denbies.
- The Mole Valley Bowmen are based in the Grounds of St Martins primary School
- The Dorking Group of Artists exhibit locally twice a year, in Betchworth and at Denbies. They celebrate their 60th Anniversary in 2007.
On June 15, 2004, Dorking was granted Fairtrade Town status.