Leigh, Surrey

History

A hoard of 62 Roman silver denarii was discovered in a field at Swains Farm in 2004. The oldest of the coins dates from 31 BC and the most recent were minted in around 180 AD after the death of the emperor Marcus Aurelius.

Before the Norman Conquest, and in dwindling use afterwards, the village lay within the Reigate hundred. Leigh appears to have been a centre for the Wealden iron industry, and the village was explicitly exempted from a legal prohibition of making charcoal from certain timber types issued by Elizabeth I, so that iron smelting could continue.

Amenities

The village has two pubs, The Plough and The Seven Stars. In the village is a parish church, St Bartholomew's, and the Leigh site for the North Downs Primary School, for school years one to three. There is a recreation ground, home to Leigh Cricket Club since 1900, and a play area for younger children.

Localities

Each of the four communities surrounding the village is subsidiary to Leigh itself. Nalderswood however, including by road, is almost as close to Sidlow, which is a slightly smaller village with fewer amenities.

Dawesgreen

Separated from Leigh by a buffer of less than 200m to the south, Dawesgreen is a linear settlement on a built-up crossroads including one of the village pubs, and two other listed buildings

Bunce Common

Bunce Common is on the continuation of the road east from Dawesgreen. It is more dispersed, with plots of lower density, and has a road to Shellwood Cross.

Shellwood Cross

Shellwood Cross occupies the south-west corner of Leigh civil parish, on slopes by the upper part of the unnamed brook that flows past the east of the village centre and includes three listed buildings, one of which is a barn.

Nalderswood

Nalderswood is by a little knoll known as the Mynthurst. The Deanoak Brook is a second tributary of the Mole, itself a tributary of the Thames, and is separated from the existing line of buildings forming most of Nalderswood by the Little Mynthurst rise.

Demography and housing

The United Kingdom Census 2011 shows an increase of more than 8% in population from 856, ten years previously. The proportion of households in Leigh who owned their home outright was within 4% of the borough and 12% above the national average. The proportion who owned their home with a loan was 1% greater than the national average; providing overall a higher proportion than average of rented residential property and of social housing than the national average, and above the average in Surrey.

The proportion of households in the civil parish who owned their home outright compares to the regional average of 35.1%. The proportion who owned their home with a loan compares to the regional average of 32.5%. The remaining % is made up of rented dwellings (plus a large % of households living rent-free).

The average level of accommodation in the region composed of detached houses was 8%, the average that was apartments was 22.6%.

Local government

At Surrey County Council, one representative represents the Dorking Rural division which includes Leigh.

At Mole Valley District Council, Leigh forms a part of Capel, Leigh, Newdigate & Charlwood ward which has three councillors.

Notable residents

• André Previn (1929–2019), pianist, composer and conductor, lived in Leigh.

References

References

1. [http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk Key Statistics; Quick Statistics: Population Density] [[United Kingdom Census 2011]] ''[[Office for National Statistics]]'' Retrieved 21 November 2013
2. Williams, David. (2005). "A late 2nd century coin hoard from Leigh". Surrey Archaeological Society.
3. Giuseppi, Montague S.. (1902). "The manor of Ewood and the ironworks there". Surrey Archaeological Society.
4. Malden, H. E.. (1911). "The Victoria County History of Surrey".
5. "Leigh Cricket Club".
6. [[United Kingdom Census 2011]] ''[[Office for National Statistics]]''
7. [http://mycouncil.surreycc.gov.uk/mgWardMap.aspx Electoral Divisions] {{webarchive. link. (2 December 2013 Surrey County Council. Retrieved 6 November 2013)
8. [http://mycouncil.surreycc.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=130 Your Councillor] [[Surrey County Council]]. Retrieved 15 September 2024
9. "Councillors".
10. (28 February 2019). "Andre Previn hailed as ‘one of a kind’ after death at 89". Leigh Journal.