Surrey’s rich heritage & ancient folklore

We’ve written about Surrey many a time since relocating and becoming parents five years ago. Situated a stones throw from London, there’s a rich heritage that spans many thousands of years. It’s no stranger to ancient folklore either with ghostly sightings, highwaymen and dragons all forming part of its history. This beautiful county is home to all manner of tales from the weird and wonderful to the undeniably intriguing.

A white witch and her cauldron 

Back in the 17^th century, it was said a friendly white witch named Mother Ludlam used to live in a cave not far from Frensham. Rumour has it she’d lend local villagers anything they asked for providing it was returned within two days. Borrowers were requested to stand on a boulder at the entrance to the cave and state what they required, only to return home to find what they’d asked for on their doorstep. On one occasion, a man asked to borrow Mother Ludlam’s cauldron. She reluctantly said yes providing it was returned within two days. The man failed to do this and on hearing he was wanted by the old white witch, sought shelter in Frensham Church. Mother Ludlam’s cauldron remains there to this day.

The murderous highwaymen 

Renowned beauty spot the Devil’s Punchbowl had a dreadful reputation in the 1800’s due to local highwaymen. The stage coach that travelled to Portsmouth, along what is now the A3, was regularly robbed. The most unfavourable story from this time told of a sailor who was brutally murdered having met three men at a local pub. The perpetrators were caught, found guilty and executed with their bodies hung at nearby Gibbets Hill for three years as a lesson to other villains. A stone was erected to mark the spot where the sailor met his death with a Celtic cross at Gibbets Hill to banish fears and superstitions.

The strange case of Mary Toft and her rabbits 

During the reign of King George I, an English woman from Godalming was surrounded by huge controversy when she misled doctors into believing she’d given birth to rabbits! In 1726 a local surgeon was summoned to Mary Toft’s house where she was giving birth to rabbits. Although not alive or whole rabbits, the surgeon wrote to many about this strange phenomenon asking for help to investigate. Mary gave birth to more rabbits in the presence of two doctors sent by the King. Having performed various tests, it was decided no deception was involved and Mary became a national sensation. Her story began to unravel when witnesses claimed to have supplied her husband with rabbits. She confessed to the hoax when confronted by a famous physician. She was imprisoned but later released without charge.

A Major and his upside down grave

Box Hill lies within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Peter Labilliere located to the Dorking area around 1789 having spent time as a Major in the British Army – he often meditated at Box Hill. When he was 70, he spent three months with the Duke of Devonshire before returning to Dorking where he forecasted his own death. He told his landlady, he would die nine months later and she made a note of it. Exactly nine months later, in 1800, the eccentric officer died. It is thought he asked to be buried upside down on the basis the world was topsy-turvy and one day it would be right.

The dragon of West Clandon 

Located on the A246 at the West Clandon crossroads is the West Clandon Dragon. Cut into the embankment, it can only be seen from the westbound road towards Guildford. The 19m dragon was cut in 1977 for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and it’s made from very fine compact chalk. It was well looked after until 1989 although by the end of 1990 grass had grown over the top of it. The following year, efforts were made to restore the dragon although its appearance had changed. Legend has it that a dragon or serpent used to block this road in Clandon. It was first reported in 1977 that a soldier who had deserted the army entered the village with his dog and offered sanctuary for ridding the village of its dragon.

The Surrey Puma

Since 1959, there have been a number of reports of phantom cats appearing in Surrey. These have included a plaster cast of a paw print handed into Godalming Police Station and in 1966, a photograph of a longer than usual cat, taken by a former police photographer, in Worplesdon. There then followed an 18 year hiatus after which point there were reports of a puma hair sample found in Peaslake. Two decades later a video showed a big cat at Winkworth Arboretum, thought to be an Iberian lynx rather than the “Surrey Puma”. Various sightings were reported to the police and press until 2005.

The legend of the Silent Pool 

Newlands Corner in the North Downs is a well-known beauty spot boasting superb views of the Surrey Hills. Located nearby and also managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust, is the Silent Pool. This lake is fed from springs with the filtration leaving it crystal clear. In the nineteenth century, it became a popular spot to visit with one man using it to create a few legends – by using historial characters. Martin Tupper was a failed poet who wrote a story around King John finding a woodcutter’s daughter bathing in the Silent Pool. It is thought she attempted to save herself from the evil King by wading into deeper waters. Her brother also died trying to save her.

Ghostly sightings 

The historic town of Guildford with its cobbled streets is reported to have several ghosts in residence. From the Angel Hotel and its 19th century soldier and a nun on the staircase to the lights switching on and off in the rooms. A woman from Victorian times has been spotted in the grounds of Guildford castle with a phantom lady seen within the old stone keep and there’s been a sighting of a man shackled to a wall.

Painshill Park and the hermit 

The 18th century landscaped garden Painshill Park was the vision of the Honorable Charles Hamilton. Created between 1738 and 1773, it’s a tranquil landscape awash with follies, a lake and a vineyard seen as a romantic landscape to stimulate the senses. Follies include a ruined abbey, turkish tent, Gothic temple, Gothic tower and a crystal grotto – all of which have been restored by the Painshill Park Trust over recent years. This includes the redevelopment of the hermitage from the original drawings. Charles Hamilton had advertised for a hermit to work for him for seven years. While the story has no doubt been elaborated over the years, it is thought the hermit was sacked after being spotted in a local pub.

Witley Park and the underwater ballroom

We couldn’t end this post without mentioning the underwater ballroom at Witley Park. Created by James Whitaker Wright, Britain’s most extraordinary folly is located 40ft beneath the surface of a lake. Made from iron and glass, it’s accessed via a spiral staircase and situated at the end of a teardrop shaped tunnel and with a smoking room adjacent to it. A statue of Neptune is located at the peak of the domed ceiling, poking above the surface, giving the impression its walking on water. James Whitaker White committed suicide by swallowing cyanide in 1904 after being exposed as a fraudster. The original house at Witley Park (previously Lea Park) was gutted by a fire in 1952. All that remained were domestic buildings, stables and parkland including the lakes with their Grade-II listed buildings. The house has changed hands several times since and has been privately-owned for a number of years. The underwater ballroom remains empty.

Underwater ballroom photo credits: Forgotten Heritage, Large Pig, Dan Raven. All other photographs by Charly Dove. 

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