Bookham has been a settlement since at least 675AD. It is made up of
2 historic settlements, Great Bookham and Little Bookham, some parts
of which are still distinct and separated by Green Belt. In the
Domesday survey of 1086 Bookham was called “Bocheham”,
meaning “the hamlet of the beech trees”, because of the
beech trees which grew on the chalk downs to the South and it had a
church, a mill, and seven families. As a result the area has a number
of defined Conservation Areas and sites of archaeological potential.
See Appendix 1.
Bookham is located in Surrey to the south west of London and defined as two Wards in the District of Mole Valley. (See maps below).
The area was predominantly agricultural until the 20th Century but there are now only two working farms. Large areas to the north and south of the village are under the care of the National Trust.
Bookham has grown considerably since the arrival of the railway in 1885, rising to the present population of 11,375 (2011 Census).
The majority of the population is middle-aged or elderly. 80% of the homes are owner-occupied.
Crime rates are very low.
The village has a number of listed buildings and two conservation areas.
The village has a highly valued shopping centre with many independent retail businesses. There are four public houses and a bank. Other local businesses, mainly small, supply a wide range of products and services. Whilst there is some local employment, many residents commute to work outside Bookham.
The recreational facilities (both cultural and sporting) are good. There are four churches and sufficient local state and independent schools to satisfy the current demand. The Old Barn Hall and Little Bookham Village Hall are great assets and are heavily used by a large number of local organisations. There is a very wide range of community groups and organisations catering for interests for all ages and two much valued allotment sites.
The Bookham Youth and Community Centre is managed by a local volunteer committee. A second community centre – SPACE – has recently been refurbished and is also now under the control of local volunteer management. There are popular guide and scout groups.
The local doctors’ surgeries and dentists are generally well regarded and the village is served by bus and train services, although limited bus services operate in the evenings and on Sundays.
Residents and visitors alike often comment favourably upon Bookham’s village atmosphere and strong community spirit.
With this background it is probably not surprising that most residents believe that Bookham is a nice place: Bookham is a safe place: Bookham is a desirable place to live: Residents would generally like Bookham to stay much the way that it is. |
Community led plan
In June 2008, and in response to community wide interest, a new independent body, comprising local volunteers with relevant experience, was tasked to collect information that could be used to prepare a Village Plan for Bookham. The initiative was called “Bookham Vision”.
A large and comprehensive set of data was collected, much of which has been used in guiding the policies set out in this plan. The data collected reflected the views of the community and covered all aspects of life.
Further details of this project which ran from 2008 to 2010 can be found at Appendix 2
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