Village News

At last, help has arrived for our much-loved woods bridleway between Dirtham Lane and Heath View. Surrey County Council (SCC) have installed fold-down posts, designed to stop vehicles from straying onto the path. Hopefully, this means the days of Ocado vans (and any other four-wheeled invaders!) rumbling through our peaceful woods are finally over.

A big thank you to SCC for helping to keep our bridleway safe and enjoyable for walkers, riders, and cyclists alike. Let’s keep our woodland paths just for us – and the wildlife!

Grace and Flavour held its third successful NGS Open Day on Sunday 27 July, raising around £1,000 for NGS charities and a further £1,000 for Cherry Trees, our local respite centre charity.

Once again, the weather was kind, and the event welcomed 200 visitors. Despite the recent dry spell, the garden was looking healthy, with an abundance of crops such as courgettes, French beans, and plums.

A huge thank you to all the member volunteers whose efforts made the day such a success. Special thanks also go to Dene Place for allowing the use of their field as a car park and to Stephen Isaac for arranging its mowing.

The Open Day requires considerable time and effort to organise. The current organising team is taking a well-deserved break and is considering whether to run the event next year, which would require a new team, or to pause for a year. The team would welcome your thoughts and feedback.

Apple Pressing

Ray Beard will be apple pressing on Saturday mornings (after the morning break) from 13 September onwards. Please bring your own apples and containers to collect the juice.

Get Involved!
If you would like to volunteer or help with future events, Grace and Flavour would love to hear from you. Contact the team to find out how you can take part in this thriving community initiative. Grace & Flavour

The Horsley Lunch Club for Men has been running for eight months and is proving hugely popular, with members learning to cook delicious, healthy meals while enjoying great company.

The club meets twice a month at The Wheelhouse, West Horsley, from 10:00am to 1:00pm. Each session features a new recipe, with all food and equipment provided. Members work together to prepare and cook the meal, aiming to serve lunch around 12:00. Afterwards, the group packs away the “pop-up kitchen” and heads home with full tummies.

So far, the 15 members have created dishes from India, China, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, the Levant and the UK, while picking up new skills, gaining confidence and making new friends. The emphasis is on real food from scratch that can be easily recreated at home, whether for one person or in batches for the freezer.

The club is open to all men – carers, widowers, and anyone who would like to share a meal, chat and a friendly atmosphere. Spaces are available for new members who want to improve their cooking skills in a relaxed, sociable environment.

For more information or to join, contact Edward Scott on 01483 285394 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Please be advised that there will be temporary path closures in Great Ridings Wood for two weeks, starting Monday 11 August.

• Footpath 601 (FP601) from High Park Avenue to Bridleway 109 (BW109) will be closed for the full duration.

• Bridleway 109 (BW109) will also be closed from its junction with FP601 to its junction with Bridleway 131 (BW131).

• Footpath 565 (FP565) will remain largely unaffected and open throughout, although there may be brief, temporary obstructions, for example, during deliveries.

The closed paths are marked with a black line on the map.

Just 13 months after its inauguration, the Horsley Repair Cafe is fast approaching a remarkable milestone: its 250th repair!

This Saturday (5 Aug), the team of dedicated volunteers is on track to complete their 250th fix, a fantastic achievement in such a short time. Since opening, the electro-mechanical team has brought new life to a wide range of household and garden appliances, while the textile repairers have lovingly restored garments and linens. Over 200 happy customers have gone home with treasured items repaired and revived.

So, who will be the 250th? Whoever it is will receive a small gift to mark the occasion. Could it be you?

Bring along an item in need of repair and join the team this Saturday in the Canterbury Rooms, next to St Martin’s Church, from 10.00am to midday. Free parking is available at nearby Horsley Towers.

Horsley Choral Society's Autumn season begins on Monday 1 September, with weekly rehearsals held at East Horsley Village Hall from 8pm to 10pm.

If you enjoy singing, this is a perfect time to get involved! New members are warmly invited to come along for a few free taster rehearsals as the term begins. The Society also welcomes Elspeth Wyllie as their new conductor, marking the start of an exciting new chapter for the choir.

There’s no audition required, and singers of all voice parts (SATB) are encouraged to join. All you need is the ability to hold a tune and a passion for singing.

Not only is singing fun, but it’s also been proven to support health and wellbeing, so why not come and enjoy making music with a friendly, like-minded group?

📞 For more information, visit: www.horsleychoralsociety.com
📧 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
📱 Phone: 07742 930574

After 14 years of dedicated service, Parish Clerk Nick Clemens will retire in July 2025 following his 70th birthday. Nick’s leadership has been central to the success of our Parish Council, and we thank him for his outstanding contribution.

Following a thorough recruitment process, we are pleased to announce that Hilary Gullen will succeed Nick as Parish Clerk & Responsible Financial Officer. Hilary, currently Electoral Services Manager at Richmond Borough Council and an East Horsley resident, brings valuable local government experience. She will start in mid-May, working alongside Nick for two months to ensure a smooth transition.

We look forward to Hilary’s leadership as our Parish navigates upcoming changes in Surrey's local government landscape.

We’re pleased to welcome two new councillors to East Horsley Parish Council: Chris Hampson and Anna Mitchell.

Chris Hampson

Chris has lived in East Horsley for over a decade and applied to become a councillor to help preserve the village’s semi-rural character, while recognising the importance of appropriate development across the wider borough.

Married with three children, Chris is also passionate about strengthening our strong sense of community. He brings a broad professional background in strategy, finance, operations, and procurement, and looks forward to supporting the Parish Council in its work.

Anna Mitchell

Anna and her family moved to East Horsley in the summer of 2024 and are thoroughly enjoying village life. She has a strong interest in all areas of the Parish Council’s work, with a particular focus on history, heritage, and sustainability.

As a committed sustainability advocate, Anna makes daily choices to reduce environmental impact and promote kindness to the planet. She enjoys gardening, running, walking, and spending time in nature. If time allowed, she’d be out horse riding or painting.

With a professional background in communications and marketing, Anna brings creativity, energy, and a positive mindset to her role on the Council.

Just ten months after its launch, the Horsley Repair Cafe has earned official recognition. Last Saturday at the County Club in Guildford, the team was honoured with a Mayor’s Award for Service to the Community.

Volunteer-in-Chief Alex Veys hailed the award as a resounding endorsement of all the hard work the volunteer team has put in since the Cafe opened in July last year.

With the first Saturday of the month approaching, the Repair Cafe will once again open its doors this weekend to residents of East and West Horsley. Locals are invited to bring in a wide range of household and garden items in need of repair, along with garments and other textiles that can be mended.

While repairs are underway, visitors can enjoy tea, coffee, and a delicious selection of homemade cakes and biscuits.

Free parking is available, as always, at Horsley Towers—courtesy of the management

Photo - Cllr Andrew Franklin, Cllr Aileen Aitcheson, Jonathan Hill, Carol Wilson, Cllr Sallie Barker MBE, Major of Guildford

On Tuesday 24 March, The Friends of Effingham Junction Station carried out work at Effingham Junction train station. They pretty much finished clearing the area next to the access road including clearing the soil off the road and clearing the old footpath. While the East Horsley Parish Council (EHPC) awaits the arrival of a new warden, George’s Garden Services, based in the village, have been busy deputising (funded by EHPC). The border of the access road to Effingham Junction Station car park has been transformed. Previously, a dense mass of overgrowth, it is now free of everything long dead. Additionally, the public footpath flanking the car park fence is now once again clear having been buried for many years.

Thanks to sponsorship from funeral directors James and Thomas, the gravestone of Frank and Ellen (‘Nell’) Chown, has been expertly restored. The grave, situated in St Martins Churchyard, had become almost unrecognisable thanks to years of sap and other detritus from a nearby tree. Now, thanks to the efforts of Chris Bertram, funeral arranger at the East Horsley branch and K and S Memorials, professional grave and monument restorers for James and Thomas, the gravestone is now looking splendid with the inscriptions clear and eminently readable.