M25 Titsey Park



Post to the east Titsey Eden Source
Post to the south Limpsfield
Post to the west Titsey Plantation


M25

Pilgrims Lane
St James Church. The original church here was in the grounds of Titsey House. It was replaced by a new church here in 1776.   The present church is a rebuild of 1860-61 for Granville Leveson Gower to the design of J.L. Pearson. This was the parish church, but in 1956 it was united with Limpsfield and declared redundant in 1973. It is now part of the Titsey Trust as a private chapel and contains some items from the previous churches. It is in dressed stone with a traditional shingled spire with a clock face.
Lych gate, and churchyard.
Titsey Court. 17th house with 18th front.  It is timber framed clad in red and blue brick with flint brick and rubblestone wings at the back. This was a farmhouse and said to be the home for the bailiff of the Titsey Estate.
Church Cottage. 16th cottage with 17th and 19th extensions. Timber framed with brick infill and knapped flint.  Plaque says “E/L/ 1673".
Titsey Estate Office.  This was once the Pineapple pub standing next to Church Cottage. It was closed down because estate workers went in there instead of going to church,
Forge Cottage. 16th cottage

Pitchfont Lane
A footpath/bridle way which runs from Titsey Road northwards around the western edge of the park
Pitchfont Farm. This was farmed by Titsey Company Farms until 1976 with herds of dairy cattle and the ‘Tyttsey’ pedigree herd of British Friesians. In the 1900s it was decided to disperse this and build up the Titsey Sussex herd.

Titsey Park
Titsey Place – the house and its history is in the square to the north
Titsey Place belonged to the  Gresham and then the Leveson Gower families and is a charitable trust. The wider estate of 3,000 acres along the edge of the North Downs is open to visitors. To the north it is sheltered by the steep wooded scarp of the North Downs and the park falls gently away to the south.
The main west drive. This enters the park south-west of the house and runs north and then north-east across the parkland
The east drive  This enters the park opposite St James' church and is tree-lined
The south drive. This  runs north and crosses the stone bridge between the lakes where it meets the south drive,
The Park This is now meadowland with lime, beech, and horse-chestnut dating from the early 19th.. In the mid 18th the earlier field system was removed and the road which crossed the park was diverted,
Lakes. The two small lakes south of the house were developed in the 18th from a series of ponds, probably fishponds;  A Pulhamite stone bridge spans the dam, between the two with a rockwork cascade. The northern lake is small and linear while the southern is larger and serpentine, with a small island. To the south of them springs and streams run southwards to meet the river Eden.
Roman Villa. This small villa on a rise was .excavated by Granville Leveson Gower in the 1860s; the site is now surrounded by trees. It has a good survival of archaeological remains relating to its construction and use. It  may be associated with the Romano-Celtic temple, and Roman Road nearby. Investigations uncovered patches of tessellated paving and sections of  along with pottery; glass, iron and bronze objects.  It appears to have been burnt down. There is also evidence of pre-Roman occupation

Titsey Road
The road crosses the baby river Eden by an invisible bridge alongside the pumping station. It then follows the course of the Eden downhill with the river on the west.
Howard's Lodge. This is the lodge on the east side of the park
Eden Water Pumping Station. This stands on the Eden, heavily fenced with no signage.
South Green. Grazing meadow, once called Sow Green
South Lodge  This was built in 1868 and designed by George Devey,  It stands on the west of the south drive

Vanguard Way
This is a long distance walk from East Croydon to Newhaven. The walk was developed in celebration of the 15th anniversary in 1980 of the Vanguards Rambling Club, who named themselves after returning from a walk in the guard's van of a crowded train. The walk runs diagonally across the park, and the square

Water Lane
Park Farm. Dairy Farm
Pitchfont Lodge. At the junction with Pitchfont Lane. This is at the main entrance to the park.
Limpsfield Lodge Farm.  17th timber framed and tile hung house. Use of local freestone.
Pitchfont Farm Cottages. 18th pair of red brick houses.

Sources
British Listed Buildings. Web site
Historic England, Web site
Parks and Gardens UK,. Web site
Pulham. Web site
Southwark Diocese. Web site
Tandridge District Council. Web site
Tatsfield, Titsey and Chelsham Pubs. Web site
Titsey herd. Web site
Titsey Place. Web site

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