Shere
The Town
As Recoco buying agents will tell you, Shere is one of several contenders for the “most beautiful” village in England. It nestles snugly in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a stunning spot to instruct a property buying agent to conduct a property search.
Most houses here are semi-detached or homes designed for a single family, as Recoco buying agents will confirm. Many of the houses will suit property buyers requiring their own gardens. Compared to the national average, property buying agents will confirm there are relatively few rented residential properties, with relatively little social housing. The population is around 3,400. Buyers agents can help you appreciate the setup of the parish, which includes part of Abinger Hammer, Gomshall, Holmbury St Mary, Peaslake, and Shere.
Transport
Your real estate buyers agent can confirm the nearest major road links: the A3 near West Clandon from the north or west, with the M25 (Leatherhead) and the A24 (Dorking) leading in from the east, followed up by the A25. The A24 also leads south. For those requiring rail links, buyers agents can point out Gomshall, the nearest railway station, about a mile away on the Gatwick to Reading line.
History
Shere has been settled since at least Anglo-Saxon times; ask your buyers agents about the 1086 Domesday Book entry, which lists Shere as Essira and Essire.
You might not think it today, as our specialised property search company shows you homes in the calm, green landscape surrounding Shere, but for a while sheep-rustlers, poachers, and smugglers were often found hiding in these hills. Recoco property finders can show you examples of cottages which still have suspiciously large old cellars.
Those with an interest in architecture can obtain more details of the Grade I listed church of St James from their buyers agents. It was built in the Early English style and mostly dates from between the 12th to the 14th centuries. An earlier Anglo-Saxon church on the same site is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Ask your Recoco buying agents about the 30 listed buildings within the conservation centre in the village and which date from before 1830.
Education
Real estate buyers agents can reassure those who need to know that Shere Infant and Nursery School has often been graded “good” by. Ask your property buying agents for more details of the many independent schools nearby. They include St Theresa’s in Effingham, Tormead School, Longacre School, and Rydes Hill Preparatory School and Nursery in Guildford.
Leisure and Events
Recoco property finders will delight in showing property buyers the charming heart of the village, which includes a stream (with ducks), the delightfully named Dabbling Duck tearoom, a handful of pubs including The William Bray, and an art gallery. There’s also a blacksmith and a couple of walking shops.
This charming blend of regional and local shops and outlets is a very popular property search option for London commuters. The parish has four village halls within its boundaries and is much-loved by walkers, especially those exploring the Pilgrims’ Way and the North Downs Way.
Celebrity Connections
Recoco property finders can confirm that notable historic figures include landscape artists Benjamin Williams Leader and Lewis Pinhorn Wood, founder of the National Federation of Spiritual Healers Harry Edwards, and John “Hoppy” Hopgood, a pilot with the Dambusters (617 Squadron). Film buffs could ask their property search company about Shere’s screen credentials. It was a filming location for part of the seminal Powell and Pressburger work A Matter of Life and Death and also featured in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason; The Wedding Date; and The Holiday.
Foodies’ Corner
Property buyers won’t go hungry in Shere: as well as The William Bray, The White Horse can help make sure you’re well fed and watered as part of your property search. Real estate buyers agents might also suggest Kinghams restaurant, a local favourite. Surrey Hills Brewery is also located within the town.
Fun Fact(s)
Both baseball and cricket feature fairly early in the history of Shere. Resident Edward Bound was charged, in 1671, with “playing cricket on the Sabbath”, apparently one of the very earliest written references to the sport. (He was exonerated of any wrong-doing.)
And in the 1750s, the then Lord of the Manor, William Bray, wrote about baseball in his diary. (It was played in Guildford on 31 March 1755.) (And yes, as our property search company can confirm, the pub’s named after him too.)