Shere, Surrey: History, the Tillingbourne & Things to Do in the Surrey Hills

Shere lies on the little River Tillingbourne in the wooded Vale of Holmesdale, between the North Downs and the Greensand Ridge, about five miles east of Guildford. It is often called the prettiest village in Surrey, and when you stand by the ford watching the ducks, with timber-framed cottages all around, it is easy to see why.

Why Shere Is Special

Shere has kept its village character remarkably well. The A25 bypasses the centre, so the lanes around the square, the church and the stream are quiet, and there are old pubs, tea rooms, a small museum and a handful of independent shops.

It is also right in the heart of the Surrey Hills, one of the loveliest walking country areas within reach of London.

The History of Shere

Shere's history runs deep into the Middle Ages. Its parish once took in a scatter of early medieval hamlets, which in the 19th century were consolidated into the villages of Gomshall, Holmbury St Mary and Peaslake. In 1086 Gomshall was a royal estate, and in the 13th century the manor of Shere passed through some of the most powerful families in England.

The church of St James is in the Early English style, mostly built in the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries of ironstone rubble with sandstone buttresses, and it is Grade I listed. Its most remarkable story belongs to Christine Carpenter, who in 1329 petitioned to become the anchoress of Shere and was enclosed in a cell against the church wall. She left her cell and in 1332 applied to be enclosed again. A 14th-century quatrefoil window and squint by the north chancel wall still mark where her cell stood. There is also 14th-century glass in the east window.

Shere has a small place in cricket history, too: in 1671 a Shere man called Edward Bound was charged by the church authorities with playing cricket on the Sabbath, one of the earliest references to the game. Iron was once worked locally, and in the early 20th century great quantities of watercress were grown in the clear chalk-fed water.

Later, the beauty of the valley drew artists, among them the landscape painter Benjamin Williams Leader, who lived in the parish from 1889 to 1923. Many of the village's houses are older than 1830, some by several centuries. More recently Shere starred in The Holiday (2006) with Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet and Jude Law, and St James' church appears in the wedding scene of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004).

Things to Do in Shere

Visit St James' church through its lychgate and look for the anchoress's window, then follow the lane down to the ford across the Tillingbourne. Shere Museum tells the story of the village and the parish.

Stroll Middle Street and the square for the old pubs and tea rooms, then take one of the many footpaths up onto the hills.

A favourite short walk climbs from the village up onto the North Downs towards Newlands Corner, one of the best-loved viewpoints in Surrey, with views south across the wooded Weald. Gomshall, the neighbouring village a mile east, has an old mill and more pubs on the Tillingbourne.

Gardens, Countryside & Antiques near Shere

Box Hill and the North Downs are close: see Box Hill and the North Downs Way. Dorking, a short drive east, is one of the best antiques towns in Surrey, with Pilgrim's Antiques Centre and Talbot House Antiques Centre on West Street.

For gardeners, RHS Garden Wisley is under half an hour away, and Guildford has Farrow & Ball Guildford and Neptune for paint and interiors.

Shere Through the Seasons

Spring brings bluebells to the woods of the Greensand Ridge. Summer evenings by the stream are delightful, autumn colours the beech woods of the North Downs, and in December the village is at its most festive.

Getting to Shere

Gomshall station, about a mile from Shere, is on the line between Guildford and Redhill. There is a small car park in the village, but it fills quickly on fine weekends.

Shere: Questions & Answers

Which films were made in Shere?

Shere appears in The Holiday (2006), and St James' church features in the wedding scene of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004).

Who was the anchoress of Shere?

Christine Carpenter, who in 1329 was enclosed in a cell against the wall of St James' church; a quatrefoil window and squint still mark the place.

Our Advice

Our advice: Walk up onto the hills in the morning, come down to Shere for lunch by the stream, and save time for the church: the anchoress's story is one of the most extraordinary in any English village.