CONTENTS

Introduction

Betchworth Castle and early Brockham

The beginnings of a church in Brockham

The establishment of Christ Church

Brockham in the late nineteenth century

Industry in Brockham

The expansion of the Village

Introduction

Brockham was originally named 'Brook Ham' from the establishment of a small hamlet on the River Mole and was a temporary watering hole for travellers between Dorking and Reigate. General distortion and colloquilisation over the years, along with a tenuous link with badgers in the local area have resulted in the modern day version of the name which was first officially used in about 1800.

Until the mid nineteenth century, Brockham was a rural community of agricultural workers and labourers. Additional employment was also provided by the large estates of East Betchworth, Wonham Manor, Aglond Moor and Brockham Manor in Betchworth Parish and the Deepdene Estate in Dorking.

The building of the railway in 1847 and mining in the Brockham Hills brought new workers and families to the area.

In 1927 the A25 was improved, housing developments grew and Brockham was welll and truly part of the 'commuter belt' around London.

Return to top

Betchworth Castle and early Brockham

The earliest accounts of Brockham concern Betchworth Castle to the north west of the Village Green.

It is believed to have been built by Richard FitzGilbert after 1066 on land granted to him by William the Conqueror. In exchange for this land Richard promised to provide William with sixty knights. In order to supply these knights, barons divided their land into smaller units called manors. These manors were then passed to men who promised to serve as knights. Richard built castles in Tonbridge (Kent), Clare (Suffolk), Bletchingly (Surrey) and Hanley. Richard was also known as Richard of Tonbridge, but adopted Clare as his family name after the large estates he owned in Suffolk.

In 1254, John FitzAlan, Lord of Oswestry (1246–1272), was granted a licence for a chapel by the Bishop of Winchester. It is not known where the house was but there was a private chapel in Betchworth Castle in 1457 indicated in the 1488 will of Dame Elizabeth Browne.

The Castle is a fortified medieval house situated on a sandstone spur overlooking the western bank of the River Mole. Physical historical records indicate that it dates to at least 1377, when Sir John Fitzalan, 1st Baron Maltravers and Marshall of England (c 1349 - 1379), was granted a licence to crenellate his residence there. Interestingly a licence to crenellate was also granted to the Brownes in 1449.

Dame Elizabeth (1429–1488), widow of Sir George Browne was a member of the famous Norfolk family of Paston. Sir George Browne, 1st son of Betchworth Castle and Sheriff of Kent, was executed in 1483 in London for supporting Henry VII. His father Sir Thomas Browne, of Betchworth Castle and Sheriff of Kent also suffered a similar fate, being executed on 20 Jul 1460 at the age of 46, after a battle in the War of the Roses. The link with the FitzAlan family is here with Sir Thomas who married Alainor FitzAlan, daughter of Sir Thomas FitzAlan (d 1431).

During the time that the Brownes lived at Betchworth Castle, until about 1690, the house underwent several alterations and redevelopment, including a major remodelling.

When William Fenwick bought the Castle at the turn of the eighteenth century he demolished most of it, turning what remained into a normal house.
In 1727 the English moralist, Abraham Tucker (1705-1774) bought Betchworth Castle where he lived for the remainder of his life.

Betchworth Castle was also subject to the work of Sir John Soane, renowned London architect. Soane was particularly keen to maintain classical themes in his work and using colour and local materials in innovative ways. In 1798 he made alterations to the home, then owned by Henry Peters. He refurbished the dairy there in black knapped flint set in dark mortar, with red brick and white Portland stone and converted the stables to housing. However, the dairy was demolished some time before 1860.

Only the north eastern end built of sandstone and brick survives today in a ruinous state to about 9m high, while the south western end survives largely underground.

Return to top

The beginnings of a church in Brockham

In the pre-Reformation days, before 1534, villagers worshipped at St Michael’s, Betchworth, where there had been a church on the present site for 900 years. St Michael's is referred to in the Domesday Book as being in the land of Richard, son of Count Gilbert and was worth £8.

A fragment of the stone Saxon church can be seen in a pillar of the south window of the tower. The south aisle chapel particularly always had a connection with the Manor of Brockham and there is a memorial to Gabriel Wright, whose family were Lords of the Manor of Brockham for two centuries from 1605. It became known as the Hope Chapel after Henry Thomas Hope bought the Manor in 1838.

Towards the end of the eighteenth century attendance at Betchworth by Brockham people must have declined because according to an old manuscript in the possession of the Strict Baptist Chapel, “the gospel in its purity was a new thing brought to the ears of the inhabitants”.
It appears a Mr Abel of Horton persuaded a Mr Bugsby, a Minister of the Gospel at Epsom, to preach in Brockham. On 3rd Jan 1783 he did just that for the first time. However there was no chapel in the village until the summer of that year and Mr Bugsby had to preach in the open air or in a barn depending on the weather. Even though Mr Bugsby was mocked and jeered a church was formed and this was the foundation for a larger church and the parish of Brockham.

It is clear that the Village Green was a centre for much activity and cattle and horses were let loose to de-pasture. However, local residents became increasing incensed with the damage that these animals were making to property and fences, not to mention the personal injury that others suffered and in 1812 Brockham Green’s own Act of Parliament was passed. “that all Rights of Common in, over and upon the same, shall from and after passing of this Act be for ever barred and extinguished except the Right which is now exercised for the turning of Geese and Poultry in, over and upon the same.” Any animals allowed to de-pasture on the Green were placed in the Pound.

Return to top

The establishment of Christ Church

In 1847, Christ Church was commissioned by Sir Henry Goulburn, Chancellor of the Exchequer under Wellington and Home Secretary under Peel as a memorial to his son Henry Goulburn. Built by Benjamin Ferry, Christ Church dominating the Village Green, rapidly became a focal point for village life.

Henry Thomas Hope (1808 – 1862) of the Deepdene Estate in Dorking donated the site for the new church. Hope was the youngest son of Lord Decies, became a director of the London and Westminster Joint Stock Bank and was magistrate for Surrey and Gloucestershire. He was elected as Tory MP for East Looe in 1830 and opposed parliamentary reform and factory legislation. Although he was defeated in the 1832 General Election, he returned to the House of Commons in 1833 when he was elected as MP for Gloucester and held the seat until 1841 and again from 1847 to 1852. He was a friend of Disraeli, who began his novel, Coningsby, at The Deepdene in 1842, and dedicated it to Hope.

Henry Hope owned the ‘Hope Diamond’ which he inherited from his uncle, Philip Henry Hope, in 1839 and which was said to have been made from the Tavernier, the largest blue diamond in the world. It was called after a traveller in the East, who had bought it in India and sold it to Louis XIV in 1668. The Tarvernier was one of the French crown jewels stolen in 1793. The Hope Diamond was supposed to have brought bad luck on the family and it was eventually sold in 1867, five years after the death of Henry.

As an interesting aside Henry Thomas Hope bought and improved the estate of Blayney Castle, Ireland in 1853 and ‘beautified’ the grounds into the bargain.

Return to top

Brockham in the late nineteenth century

Another, much remembered member of the Brockham community was Reverend Alan Benjamin Cheales who was read in on 8th May 1859 as incumbent at Christ Church. During the thirty three years he spent in Brockham until 1892, Revd Cheales and his family worked tirelessly in the Village.
Revd Cheales participated in the life of all the local schools including:

• the Infant School in Old School Lane (now Old School House)
• the Parochial School in Wheelers Lane
• a small Cottage Infant School at Root Hill where 25 children were under the care of Mrs Jutton

He ran Night Schools at the Parochial School and at Root Hill, while his wife was organist at the Church and managed the Children’s Shoe Club, the Clothing Club and the Coal Club.

His daughters, Edith and Sophie taught in the Night School on Brockham Hill, they taught needlework and singing in the day school and both had Sunday School classes. They were District Vistors with the responsibility for their own sections of the Parish. Miss Cheales held a weekly Young Women’s Bible Class in the school and Band of Hope meetings alternated with Missionary Working Classes in the Mission Room on Friday evenings. With their mother, the two sisters held prayer meetings during the dinner hour for workmen in the Brickyards and up in the Chalk Pits.

The Rev Cheales was a skilful rose grower and the Rev Alan Cheales Rose is named after him.

In 1859, Mrs Emmeline Way of Wonham Manor started the Reigate Home and Industrial School, in Wheelers Lane for poor orphan girls. Emmeline Way was born in 1808 and was the wife of Albert Way, who was a friend of Charles Darwin. Albert Way also founded the Royal Archaeological Institute and the Archaeological Journal.

The school now comprises four cottages – One, Two, Three and Four way Cottages.

In 1860 a bad winter prompted the opening of a Soup Kitchen for 4 days from 18th Jan to 22nd February. Nearly half the village or seventy families made use of the kitchen, which used almost £4 of meat, £2 of vegetables and 5 shillings (25p) on firing. In all 573 quarts (1146 pints) of soup were sold at 1d (less than 1/2p) per quart. In later years Soup Kitchens were opened at the School House and Elmgrove Farm.

According to the 1861 Census the population of Brockham stood at about 619 people living in 160 households.

In 1872 Mrs Way also established a home for 14 infants with a resident matron. This and the Industrial School eventually amalgamated under one matron.

Return to top

Industry in Brockham

Although largely agricultural, the impact of industry and the railways played its part in the development of the Village. The largely forgotten northern part of the Parish, the Brockham Hills, was heavily mined in the late nineteenth century and several industries grew there making bricks from clay, mining chalk to produce limestone and mining hearthstone.

The railways were introduced in about 1847 and by-passed Brockham until spurs off the railway were created to access the mines.

By 1866 the Crabtree Brickfield existed and was operated by Messrs Batchelar and Fenton and a lime works was operated by Messers Elsdon, Swan & Day.

The industries survived less than a hundred years. The Brockham Brick Company Limited worked the brickfield and hearthstone mines and finally wound up in 1911, while the lime works managed to keep going until 1936 when it finally closed.

Sand was also extracted from the local area and continues today with large excavations at Betchworth and Buckland.

From the 1881 Census, the population of the Parish of Brockham had increased to approximately 1,100 of which 121 were employed in service, 114 were involved in farming, 25 were employed at the brick works, 24 at the lime works and around 34 were general labourers.

The Village as a whole was much concerned in 1883 with the question of street lighting, a subject which has ruffled village calm on many occasions for almost a century. A meeting was held in the schoolroom and the Vicar took the chair. Mr Batchelar and Mr Belchamber proposed that steps be taken for the lighting of Brockham Green with lamps. It was decided to erect six lamps at £2 10s each to be lighted from dusk to 10.30pm for five months of the year at a cost of £16 for oil and attention for the season. The Lord of the Manor gave his approval and an appeal for funds was launched and at a subsequent meeting a management committee was elected.

Return to top

The expansion of Brockham

The main thoroughfare from Reigate to Dorking was the Reigate Road, passing through Betchworth and to the north of Brockham Village and it was not until 1927 before the new A25 was built which by-passed the Village of Betchworth and Boxhill Farm. This improved thoroughfare prompted new housing developments.

To the north of the Borough at the north west end of the Village towards the A25, a large development of individual, architect-designed 'executive' homes was established. While in the post war period a large private development to the south of the village established the Strood Green residential area and at about the same time a number of council-funded homes were developed in at Dod’s Park, to the south of the village green close.

The postcard above, contributed by Jacqueline Green, shows Brockham Green towards the Dukes Head.

Many of the village's original buildings are made of local materials. Lying, as it does, on the Weald Clay deposits, most buildings are brick based. Some of the older buildings around the original village centre include timber framing but there are few thatched properties now in the vicinity, most original buildings being roofed with clay tiles.
For hundreds of years Brockham only saw one or two buildings being erected each decade and therefore you will find many 'leaps' in design between neighbouring properties. The inter-war and post WWII periods saw the greatest increase in the number of buildings built.

The housing boom of the 1980s created a demand for 'homes in the country' which artificially inflated Brockam's land and house prices, and as a consequence, the village continues to try to balance the problems of meeting demand for new housing without spoiling the rural essence of the community and the associated quality of life.

Return to top