Pictures of Oxted

About Oxted

Oxted is home to one of the largest surviving historic estates in Surrey. The foundations of Titsey Manor Estate lie deeply rooted in the 16th century when the manor was acquired by John Gresham, once Lord Mayor of London, he belonged to one of the wealthiest merchant families of Tudor times. This magnificent mansion house has an interesting history, it is beautifully preserved with richly decorated rooms and matchless landscaped grounds incorporating woodland, lakes and many habitats for creatures of the wild. Set as it is on the steep slopes of the North Downs, Titsey is extremely picturesque, it is in the care of a Trust and is open to the public from Easter until September each year.

The village itself is quite charming, yes it has spread a little over the years but this is not intrusive. It retains many pleasant historic old buildings, these include the noteworthy Bell Inn an atmospheric pub from the 15th century, and of course its beautiful church which has windows made by William Morris to a design by Burne-Jones. Also in the church is a stairway made during the reign of Queen Anne and a table from the same period. The church covers several architectural periods, there is a 13th century Priests doorway, a Chancel arch from the 14th century and a 15th century Porch. Also to be seen are several tablets and commemorative plaques. On leaving the church you will note the many graves and tombs of centuries past covering the remains of Oxted families.

A walk around the village reveals a riot of attractive 17th and 18th century cottages all standing on a rise surrounded by pretty flower-filled gardens. At the edge of all sides of the village there is spacious countryside, this is widely known for the sound of birdsong, particularly Nightingales whose beautifully pitched sound has been heard far and wide by courtesy of the BBC. The twittering of these delicate creatures is one of the joys of an evening stroll in Oxted's green spaces.

It is amazing to find that this tranquil village is only around one hours journey from London, it has such pretty places such as the Old Mill on Spring Lane, and Spring Lane Pond with its families of graceful Swans and Ducks. Within striking distance of the village lies Chartwell, former country home of Sir Winston and Lady Churchill. Also close-by is Emmett's Garden which was featured in the film "A Room with a View" - Emmett's, like Chartwell, belong to the National Trust, both are open to the public for most of the year.

This mid-Kent region of rolling downland is very beautiful, for anyone wishing to explore the area the rural village of Oxted makes a very pleasant base, it gives easy access to the North Downs Way and numerous historic sites and houses.