What is your Surrey icon?
Above: Hampton Court Bridge by Alec Kingham
Originally published in Surrey Life magazine November 2008
Following the release of a new book by Campaign to Protect Rural England, Icons of England, which saw Eric Clapton talk about his love of Newlands Corner, Surrey Life caught up with some of the county’s most famous faces to discover what it is that reminds them of home
HAVE YOUR SAYLet us know all about your icons of Surrey, favourite days out and views on the
Surrey Life forum
HAMPTON COURT BRIDGE by Michael Aspel, TV presenter There are so many aspects of Surrey that I love. Believe it or not, signposts to the county always give me a warm glow – that coming home feeling – and they remind me of all the pubs I love so much: The Prince of Wales, Oatlands; The Jolly Farmer, Weybridge; and Hare and Hounds, Claygate. Then there is Ruxley Towers in Claygate, which I could see from the window of the first house I bought in Surrey. But my main thing is bridges or, more specifically, rowing under them. I used to row at school and there is nothing quite like the sound of an eight going under a bridge. The Hampton Court Bridge is my favourite – that link between Surrey and Greater London. It was opened in 1933 by the Prince of Wales, which makes it the same age as me. I like it from that point of view. In that year, you got the bridge, the first sighting of the Loch Ness monster, Hitler coming to power and, well, me.
TADWORTH COURT by Phil Tufnell, TV personality My favourite building in Surrey has to be the Tadworth Court mansion in Tadworth. Now part of local charity The Children’s Trust, the mansion is magnificent and dates back to around 1700. I was given a guided tour and saw its architecture when I visited the trust to meet some of the children and have a quick game of cricket. It’s also a bit mysterious, though. At the top of the oak staircase leading from the main hall, there is a large painting known as ‘The Unknown Lady’. It’s a life-sized portrait of a woman in 17th century dress, standing in a woodland glade, and through the branches of a tree a face of another woman can be seen. Legend says that as long as the picture isn’t disturbed the mansion will be fine. It’s a bit spooky!
GUILDFORD CLOCK by Flavia Cacace, Strictly Come Dancing
I am torn between two icons. I love the clock above the High Street and would be quite shattered if that disappeared. Ever since I was 12, I have arranged to meet friends under the clock so it has many happy memories for me. But I also love the Millmead meadows and the pub there, which is now called The Weyside. I enjoy sitting there watching the boats going by on the River Wey and the people picnicking and walking the dogs. It’s a very relaxing and enjoyable place to be. It just needs to be a sunny day!
REIGATE HEATH by Nicholas Owen, newsreaderMy love affair with Reigate Heath began when we moved to our present house close by a quarter of a century ago. My wife and I so often walk the heath, in bright sunshine or pouring rain. There is the flat common-like part beside the A25 that used to be a racecourse. Go on through gently rising pinewoods via the golf course that dates from the 1890s and up to the windmill standing so proud at the heath’s highest point. Enjoy the breathtaking views, south-west and northwards in particular. There are riots of bluebells in the spring. Gorgeous silver birches sway gently through the summer days. Heather sprouts up almost everywhere. Mind the golfers, though. And that is how my love affair has matured. I have been a member of the Reigate Heath golf club for the last 15 years. My game is pretty erratic. Wonderful, actually, because it means I can scramble around, looking for those stray balls, and get to know almost every inch of this beautiful place.
BOX HILL by Eamonn Holmes, TV presenterI love the view up at Box Hill – it’s so beautiful and when you’re there it makes complete sense why so many people have been inspired by it. Jane Austen wrote about it and television pioneer John Logie Baird even conducted a few of his early experiments among the box trees after which the hill is named. How he didn’t get sidetracked by the view in front of him I’ll never know, but thankfully he didn’t – or else I wouldn’t have the job I have today! On a clear day, it’s easy to just stand there, slightly in awe with so much of Surrey spread out before you. Whether you’re one of the many cyclists or bikers who frequent the place, or just a humble picnicker, it’s a breathtaking experience. There’s greenery, trees and space, and it also reminds me of much of the landscape I grew up admiring back home in Northern Ireland.
GUILDFORD CASTLE by Vincent Simone, Strictly Come DancingI love Guildford High Street with all of its shops, and I especially enjoy Saturdays with the live music, but I guess my real favourite place is the castle and its beautiful gardens. I love to see the flowers full of colour and the castle with all its history makes for an interesting backdrop. It is very relaxing to just sit there and watch the world go by; sometimes, you forget how near it is to the High Street. Molto bello!
THE HARVEST MOUSE by David Shepherd, wildlife artist and campaignerI realise I am best known for the larger things in life – elephants and steam trains – but my favourite symbol of Surrey is the UK’s smallest mammal, the harvest mouse. I got to know and love these wonderful creatures through the British Wildlife Centre in Lingfield. These are the only British animals to have a truly prehensile tail and can sense vibrations through the soles of their feet, up the stem of the plant on which they are feeding – all that in a package weighing only six grams! It is a real miracle that they manage to survive today, coping with vast mechanised farm equipment and toxic pesticides.
CENTRE COURT by Max Clifford, PR guruAs a child, I grew up in Hardy Road, South Wimbledon. I played football nearby on Quicks Road recreation ground and swam just around the corner at Latimer Road baths. But I always dreamt of one day playing tennis on Centre Court, Wimbledon. Several years ago, I did just that, but only for a couple of minutes, as I was working with Pat Cash on a TV documentary when he was Wimbledon men’s singles champion. To me, it’s the centre of the tennis world, a magical place of great triumphs, history and sporting theatre. It attracts millions from all over the world to marvel at its setting, tradition and unique style.
THE SURREY HILLS by Penelope Keith, actress
The Surrey countryside is absolutely glorious and, as patron of the Surrey Hills, I am fully aware of how wonderful much of the county is. With its rich heritage of wooded slopes and rolling grassland, the Surrey Hills has provided inspiration for some of the country’s greatest artists and writers. It is truly an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for us all to respect, cherish and enjoy. I’d recommend a walk to Holmbury Hill Fort – you can see Gatwick to the left and Cranleigh to the right. It’s spectacular.
HAVE YOUR SAY Let us know all about your icons of Surrey, favourite days out and views on the
Surrey Life forum