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{{Short description|Village and parish in Surrey, England}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{infobox UK place 
|official_name= Shere
|type = Village
|country = England
|region= South East England
|static_image_name=Shere Church.jpg
|static_image_caption=St James' Church
|area_total_km2=9.88
| population = 1,032
|population_ref=(2011)(relevant part of Civil Parish, whole parish had 3,630 people over 24.5&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)<ref name=ons>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk Key Statistics; Quick Statistics: Population Density] [[United Kingdom Census 2011]] ''[[Office for National Statistics]]'' Retrieved 21 November 2013</ref>
|os_grid_reference= TQ070479
|map_type= Surrey
|post_town= Guildford
|postcode_area= GU 
|postcode_district = GU5
|dial_code= 01483
|constituency_westminster= [[Godalming and Ash (UK Parliament constituency)|Godalming and Ash]]
|civil_parish=Shere
|shire_district= [[Guildford (district)|Guildford]]
|shire_county = [[Surrey]]
|coordinates = {{coord|51.2206|-0.4687|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
}}
'''Shere''' is a village in the [[Guildford (district)|Guildford district]] of [[Surrey]], England {{convert|4.8|mi|km}} east south-east of [[Guildford]] and {{convert|5.4|mi|km}} west of [[Dorking]], centrally bypassed by the [[A25 road|A25]]. Located on the [[River Tillingbourne]] it is a small still partly agricultural village chiefly set in the wooded [[Vale of Holmesdale]] between the [[North Downs]] and [[Greensand Ridge]]. As of 2011 the village had a population of 1,032.

The village gives its name to the larger civil parish of Shere, extending to the east and south into [[hamlet (place)|hamlet]]s founded in the early Middle Ages which officially, in the 19th century, were consolidated into three villages; [[Gomshall]], [[Holmbury St Mary|Holmbury St. Mary]] and [[Peaslake]]. This larger entity has a total population of 3,359 and area of {{convert|24.5|km2}} (as at the 2011 census).<ref name="census">[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination Census data]</ref>

==History==

===Domesday book and manors===
Shere appears in [[Domesday Book]] of 1086 as ''Essira'' and ''Essire'' in the ancient [[Hundred (county division)|hundred]] of [[Hundred of Blackheath, Surrey|Blackheath]].<ref name=odS>[https://opendomesday.org/place/TQ0747/shere/ Open Domesday Online: Shere], accessed Dec 2017.</ref> It was held by [[William the Conqueror]]. Its Domesday assets were: 1 church, 2 [[Mill (grinding)|mill]]s worth 10s per year, 14 [[plough]]s, {{convert|3|acre|ha}} of [[meadow]], [[woodland]] worth 50 [[hog (swine)|hog]]s. It rendered £15 per year [[feudal system|to its overlords]].<ref name=odS /><ref name=db>[http://www.gwp.enta.net/surrnames.htm Domesday Book – Surrey] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715015325/http://www.gwp.enta.net/surrnames.htm |date=15 July 2007 }}</ref><ref name=dmS>[http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/TQ0747/shere/ Domesdaymap.co.uk complete transcriptions (free)] with original excerpts</ref>

In 1086, when Gomshall was royal demesne, the [[villein (feudal)|villein]]s (villagers) there were exempt from the sheriff's jurisdiction; Gomshall Netley and Gomshall Towerhill manors had [[court baron]]. Eleanor, Countess of Ormond owning the Vachery manor, had [[view of frankpledge]] in Gomshall Towerhill. In 1281 William Braose was granted [[free warren]] there

In the 13th century Roger de Clare settled for a life-rent on the church and sold the manor of Shere to a grandson of [[Geoffrey Fitz Peter, 1st Earl of Essex]].  In turn his grandson divided the manor, according with the law of [[moiety title]] to his daughter Joan Butler who thus received the new manor of Shiere Vachery; while [[Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster]] ('the red Earl') received Shiere Ebor(acum).  Two other manors evolved.

Highlights of the often influential tapestry of powerful owners include (but are not limited to):
{|class=wikitable
|-
!colspan=4|  Powerful or nationally significant lords of the four manors
|- 
! width=25% bgcolor=#44EE88 | Shiere Vachery or Shere Vachery
! width=25% bgcolor=#44EE88 | Shiere Ebor or Shere Eboracum
! width=25% bgcolor=#44EE88 | Gomshall Netley
! width=25% bgcolor=#44EE88 | Towerhil
|-
| [[James Butler, 1st Earl of Ormond]] 
| [[William Donn de Burgh, 3rd Earl of Ulster]]
| [[Netley Abbey]]
| [[William de Braose, 1st Baron Braose|William de Braose]]
|-
| [[James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond]] ('the noble Earl')
| [[Philippa, 5th Countess of Ulster]] 
| Sir Edward Bray MP (Tudor)
| Rowland de Bloet
|-
| [[James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormond]] ('the white Earl')
| [[Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March]] and daughter [[Anne de Mortimer]]
| 
| [[Eastminster|Eastminster (or St Mary Graces) Abbey]], by Tower Hill (reversion accruing ground rent then full agricultural rent) 1350–1538
|-
|[[James Butler, 5th Earl of Ormond]] (Earl of Wiltshire)
|[[Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York]] and his widow [[Cecily Neville, Duchess of York]]
|
|
|-
|-
|Sir [[Reginald Bray]] (political advisor to [[Henry VII of England]] and statesman) to tenant: [[James Tuchet, 7th Baron Audley]]
|[[Henry VIII]] as dower property for wives until [[Katherine Howard]] hence alternative name, ''the Queens Hold''
|
|
|-
|[[Edmund Braye, 1st Baron Braye|Sir Edmund Bray MP]]
|[[Edmund Tylney]], [[Master of the Revels]] (or Queen's Revels)<ref name=m/>
|
|
|-
|[[Edward Braye|Edward Braye MP]]
|
|
|
|}

===Medieval to 19th century===
The [[Victoria County History]] (Surrey: 1911) cites numerous mentions in the [[Assize Rolls]], [[Patent Rolls]], [[Feet of Fines]] and the ecclesiastical records of Westminster and Lambeth Palaces.  Traditionally the parish included the areas of the current civil parish and measured about {{frac|4|1|2}} miles from north to south, and from 2 to {{frac|2|1|2}} miles from east to west and contained 6,400 acres of land and 12 of water.<ref name=m>{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42941 |title=Parishes: Shere |editor=H.E. Malden  |publisher=Institute of Historical Research |year=1911 |work=A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3 |access-date=7 November 2013 }}</ref>

The neighbourhood was for a time one of the wildest in [[Surrey]]: sheep-stealers, [[smuggling|smugglers]], and poachers found a refuge in these remote hills. Some of the cottages have, still existing, very large cellars (excavated easily in the sandy hill), stated by H.E. Malden to have been "far too large for any honest purpose, and were no doubt made for storing smuggled goods till they could be conveniently taken on to London".<ref name=m/>

In 1671, a Shere man called Edward Bound was charged by church authorities with "playing [[cricket]] on the Sabbath" and was exonerated, one of the sport's earliest references.<ref>Major J (2007) ''More Than a Game'', p.31. HarperCollins.</ref>

Iron was worked from the stone and into implements in centuries before the 18th century in Shere.<ref name=m/> In 1911 great quantities of [[watercress]] were grown which is no longer the case;<ref name=m/> the principal area in southern England for this being near [[New Alresford]] in [[Hampshire]].

===19th century===
[[Holmbury St. Mary]] up in the Greensand Ridge was a modern village term devised in 1878 for the two hamlets of Felday in Shere and Pitland Street in Shere and [[Abinger]], when the place became a civil parish and ecclesiastical parish. The [[Church of England]] schools were built in 1860 and enlarged in 1900.<ref name=m/>

== School ==
Shere Infant and Nursery School has been serving the local community since 1852, celebrating its 175th birthday in 2017. The school received a 'Good' status from the Ofsted inspection in December 2015.<ref>([https://www.shere.surrey.sch.uk/ School Website]).</ref>

==Landmarks==

===St James' Church===
{{see also|List of places of worship in Guildford (borough)}}
The church of St James is in the [[Early English Gothic|Early English]] style, most being 12th, 13th and 14th century.  It replaced an earlier Anglo-Saxon church mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]].<ref name=guide>{{cite book |last1=Austin |first1=Tim |title=History of St James' Church Shere |date=2005 |publisher=Shere parish}}</ref> Constructed of [[ironstone]] rubble with [[Bargate stone|sandstone]] buttresses, it was restored in 1895 by S. Weatherley.  By the north chancel wall there is a 14th-century quatrefoil window and squint – belonging to an [[Anchorite]] cell used by [[Christina Carpenter]] in the 14th-century. There is 14th-century glass in the east window and the chancel fittings were renewed in 1956 by [[Louis Osman]]. It is a Grade I [[listed building]].<ref name=church>{{NHLE| num=1377794|access-date=6 May 2012}}</ref>

===Other Listed Buildings===
Within the village centre conservation area there are 34 [[listed building]]s.

These are all older than 1830, in some cases by several centuries.<ref>[http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/mapsearch.aspx Map] created by [[Ordnance Survey]], courtesy of [[English Heritage]]</ref>

==Transport==
The village can be accessed for long-distance travel from the north and west from the [[A3 road|A3]] at [[West Clandon]] – from the east the [[M25 motorway|M25]] at [[Leatherhead]] and the [[A24 road (England)|A24 at Dorking]] followed by the [[A25 road]] provides a shorter alternative route than taking the first route; there are minor routes south however the nearest major route directly south is the A24 at Dorking.

[[Gomshall]] railway station is less than {{convert|1|mi}} away on the [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]] to [[Gatwick Airport|Gatwick]] line.  While 1614 people (65% of the parish) in 2001 for instance were economically active, only 178 routinely used public transport and 1037 used motor vehicles.  The average Shere commuter travels {{convert|20.3|km}} to work.<ref>{{cite web|title=2001 Census|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=800076&c=shere&d=16&e=15&g=490542&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1336399531233&enc=1&dsFamilyId=783|publisher=ONS|access-date=7 May 2012}}</ref>

==Economy, demography and housing==
[[image:The Shere Shop - geograph.org.uk - 1607980.jpg|thumb|''Shere Shop'' sign]]
The economy is a mixture of local and regional with the many shops and some farming within it.  A significant minority of the working population are London commuters, particularly in the civil parish at large.  The 2001 census shows the self-employed (including with employees) form 36% of the population, retirees form 16% of the population and employees form 48% of the population. 77% of the ward's population is Christian, of the remainder 22% are of no religion or not stated.<ref name=census/>

[[image:Burdens, Shere - geograph.org.uk - 527201.jpg|thumb|''Burdens'']]

[[Image:Footbridge, Shere - geograph.org.uk - 1094550.jpg|thumb|Footbridge by streamside village centre footpath]]
Within the civil parish are shops, four village halls, and three post offices.  Many walks radiate from the village, including a streamside walk, parts of the [[North Downs Way]] and the [[Pilgrims' Way]]. In the village are Millstream Press, a book publisher named after the Tillingbourne, a textiles-cum-boutique<ref>{{cite web|title=Mad Jak textiles, food and fashion| url=http://www.loosethreads.co.uk/html/mad_jak.html|access-date=6 May 2012}}</ref> and Surrey Hills Brewery.<ref>{{cite web|title=Surrey Hills Brewery address|url=http://www.misterwhat.co.uk/company/337438-surrey-hills-brewery-ltd-guildford|access-date=6 May 2012}}</ref>

The [[United Kingdom Census 2011]] considered the village as four relevant output layers, approximately a third of the [[wards of the United Kingdom|ward]] ''Shere'', the latter being used for elections to [[Guildford (borough)|Guildford Borough Council]].  All parts featured their single largest proportion of housing as either [[Two Family House|semi-detached]] or [[single-family home]]s and most of these with gardens.

In all 439 households (in slightly fewer homes) make up the village including its scattered farms and cottages.  The census boundaries drawn exclude central and eastern Burrows Cross due to is proximity to slightly larger hamlet Gomshall, being contiguous and due south Burrows Cross had census overlap of its output areas (E00155528 and E00155529) and was included within [[Gomshall]].

The proportion of households in three divisions of Shere who owned their home outright was at least 5% above the national average, in the fourth division this was 3% below, a central area including one of the two conservation area thoroughfares.  The proportion of residents who owned their home with a loan was between 2.8% and 11.3% lower than the national average.  The census shows that overall, Shere has a lower proportion than average of rented residential property and of [[social housing]] relative to the [[Surrey]] and national averages.<ref name=ons/>

{| class="wikitable"
|- 
|+ '''2011 Census Key Statistics'''
|-
!Output area !!Population !!Households !!% Owned outright !!% Owned with a loan!!hectares<ref name=ons/>
|-
|E00155527||220||100||39.0||30.0||165
|-
|E00155526||329	||144||35.4||23.6||87
|-
|E00155525||142	||51 ||51.0 ||23.5||677
|-
|E00155524||341	||144||27.1 ||21.5||59
|}

Across the whole parish the 2011 distribution of housing was:

{| class="wikitable"
|- 
|+ '''2011 Census Homes'''
|-
!Output area !!Detached  !!Semi-detached!!Terraced!!Flats and apartments!!Caravans/temporary/mobile homes!!shared between households<ref name=ons/>
|-
|(Civil Parish)||745	||	477	||	146	||	103	||	4	||	0
|}

The average level of accommodation in the region composed of detached houses was 28%, the average that was apartments was 22.6%.

==Local government==
At [[Surrey County Council]], one of the 81 representatives represents the area within the ''Shere'' division which includes Albury and (East and West) Clandon.<ref>[http://mycouncil.surreycc.gov.uk/mgWardMap.aspx Electoral Divisions] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202225249/http://mycouncil.surreycc.gov.uk/mgWardMap.aspx |date=2 December 2013 }} Surrey County Council. Retrieved 6 November 2013</ref>

At [[Guildford (borough)|Guildford Borough Council]] most wards of the borough are deemed appropriate to be represented under the current constitution of councillors by two to three councillors, which is the case for the ''Tillingbourne'' ward which has two.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Guildford Borough Councillors
!colspan="2"|Election
!Member
!Ward
|-
| {{party color cell|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|2015
|Richard Billington (Conservative)
|rowspan=2|Tillingbourne<ref>{{cite web |title=Your Councillors |url=http://www2.guildford.gov.uk/councilmeetings/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=WARD&VW=LIST&PIC=0 |website=Guildford Borough Council |access-date=29 December 2020}}</ref>
|-
| {{party color cell|Green Party of England and Wales}}
|2019
|Diana Jones (Green Party)
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Surrey County Councillor
!colspan="2"|Election!!Member<ref>[http://mycouncil.surreycc.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=188 Your Councillor] [[Surrey County Council]]. Retrieved 6 November 2013</ref>!!
Electoral Division
|-
| {{party color cell|Conservative Party (UK)}}
|2017
|Keith Taylor (Conservative) ||Shere
|}

==Notable residents==
[[File:Anchoress of shere.jpg|thumb|Anchoress of Shere]]
*[[Christine Carpenter (anchoress)|Christine Carpenter]] (of unknown year of birth and death) submitted a petition in 1329<ref>[http://courseweb.stthomas.edu/medieval/julian/petition.htm] University of Saint Thomas–Saint Paul, MN "Petition to Become an Anchoress", http://courseweb.stthomas.edu, 2003, 22 April 2012</ref> and consequently was granted permission to become the [[Anchorite|Anchoress]] of Shere Church<ref>[http://sheredelight.com/history.html] "History of Shere", sheredelight.com, 2011, 22 April 2012</ref> (aka. [[Grade I listed buildings in Surrey#Guildford|The Church of St. James]]).  She received her food and drink from friends and family through a metal grating on the outside wall.  In the interior of the church a [[quatrefoil]] shape was cut out of the wall through which she could receive the [[Eucharist]] and a [[Squint (opening)|squint]] (or [[hagioscope]]) for her use for prayer and reflection.  She left her cell and in 1332 she applied again and was granted permission to be re-enclosed.<ref name=guide />
*[[Benjamin Williams Leader]] (1831–1923), landscape artist. Lived in the parish from 1889 to 1923 at Burrows Cross, a large mansion which dominated its hamlet directly south-east of the village, designed by [[Norman Shaw]].
*[[Lewis Pinhorn Wood]] (1848–1918), landscapist and watercolourist, best known for his rural scenes of Sussex and Surrey. In the tradition of the Victorian era, his work depicted idyllic scenes of rural life across the home counties. He lived with his family in the parish in the 1870s and 1880s at 'Burnside'.
*[[Harry Edwards (healer)|Harry Edwards]] (1893–1976), spiritual healer, founded his "Spiritual Healing sanctuary" at Burrows Lea, a house in the east of the parish, in 1946; he went on to found the "National Federation of Spiritual Healers" (NFSH) in 1959.<ref>[http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/pdf/RedwoodEdwardsSanctuary1.6.05.pdf The Harry Edwards Spiritual healing Sanctuary] (Royal College of Psychiatrists).</ref>
*[[John Vere Hopgood|John "Hoppy" Hopgood]] (1921–1943), a pilot with [[617 Squadron]], the Dambusters. Flying as Guy Gibson's second in command, he was killed in the attack on the [[Möhne Reservoir|Möhne dam]]. "Hoppy" lived in Hurstcote House on Hook Lane which is now the site of Shere Court.

==In popular culture==
===Film location===
Since at least the early 20th century, the location and [[Tudor period|Tudor]] architecture has been a draw for artists and film-makers. The [[Victoria County History]], which was written for the county of Surrey in 1911, lavished more praise than on any other village:

{{cquote|Shere has often been called one of the most beautiful villages in England; certainly few can surpass it in Surrey for a combination of those qualities that go to make up the ideal village... Shere is, therefore, the haunt of painters, many of them residents in and around, and samples of their handiwork may be inspected in the ancient Black Horse Inn.<ref name=m/>}}

Films made in the area include:
[[Image:Shere Parish Millennium Trail - geograph.org.uk - 1640150.jpg|thumb|Shere parish millennium trail]]
* 1918, D. W. Griffith's silent film ''[[Hearts of the World]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Schnickel |first=Richard |year=1984 |title=D. W. Griffith and the Birth of Film|publisher=Pavilion|location=London|page=348 |isbn= 978-0-9075-1647-7 }}</ref>
* 1946, as Dr. Reeves’ village in [[Michael Powell]] and [[Emeric Pressburger]]'s [[A Matter of Life and Death (film)|''A Matter of Life and Death'']].<ref name=GBL_2016>{{cite news |title= Surrey Film Locations |date= 9 May 2016 |work= Great British Life |url= https://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/things-to-do/22584941.surrey-film-locations/ |access-date= 22 August 2023 }}</ref>
* 1964, ''[[The Earth Dies Screaming]]'', a [[science fiction film]] directed by [[Terence Fisher]].<ref name=GBL_2016/>
* 1965, ''[[Die, Monster, Die!]]'', loosely based on [[H. P. Lovecraft]]'s ''[[The Colour Out of Space]]'', starring [[Boris Karloff]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Filming Locations for Die, Monster, Die (Monster Of Terror) (1965), in Berkshire and Surrey. |url=https://www.movie-locations.com/movies/d/Die-Monster-Die.php |access-date=2023-08-19 |website=The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations}}</ref>
* 1972, [[The Ruling Class (film)|''The Ruling Class'']], starring [[Peter O'Toole]].<ref name=GBL_2016/>
* 2004, [[Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (film)|''Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason'']], in which St James's church features briefly in the final wedding scene.<ref name=Hughes_Rowlands_2021>{{cite news |last1= Hughes |first1= Seren |last2= Rowlands |first2= Robert |date= 26 January 2021 |orig-date= 12 December 2020 |title= The fairytale Surrey village in The Holiday, Wedding Date and Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason |work= Surrey Live |url= https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/whats-on/film-news/shere-holiday-bridget-jones-village-19448144 |access-date= 22 August 2023 }}</ref>
* 2005, ''[[The Wedding Date]]'' starring [[Debra Messing]] and [[Dermot Mulroney]].<ref name=Hughes_Rowlands_2021/>
* 2006, ''[[The Holiday]]'' starring [[Cameron Diaz]], [[Kate Winslet]] and [[Jude Law]].<ref name=Hughes_Rowlands_2021/><ref>{{cite web|url=<!-- http://icsurreyonline.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200surreyheadlines/tm_objectid=16707126&method=full&siteid=50101&headline=stars-arrive-as-village-becomes-a-hollywood-backdrop-name_page.html -->http://www.discoverkate.com/2006/02/16/stars-arrive-as-village-becomes-a-hollywood-backdrop |title=Stars arrive as village becomes a Hollywood backdrop|publisher=Discover Kate}}</ref>
* 2021, The music video for ''Zombie''! by [[Orla Gartland]].<ref>{{Citation|title=Behind the scenes of zombie! the music video|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssjIAjtYC-w |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/ssjIAjtYC-w |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2021-05-26}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===In literature===
''Anchoress of Shere'' by Paul L. Moorcraft.<ref>{{cite book|last=Moorcraft|first=Paul L.|title=The Anchoress of Shere|url=https://archive.org/details/anchoressofshere00moor|url-access=registration|year=2002|publisher=Poisoned Pen Press|location=Scottsdale, Arizona|isbn=159058028-1}}</ref>
 
''The Passionate Friends'', a social commentary novel by [[H. G. Wells]], places the protagonist's marriage here.<ref>{{cite book|last=Wells|first=H G|title=The Passionate Friends|publisher=Macmillan|location=London|isbn=9781275155701}}</ref>

[[image:Shere Lane - geograph.org.uk - 535233.jpg|thumb|Shere Lane, one of four relatively narrow streets]] [[image:Old Shere - geograph.org.uk - 656323.jpg|thumb|[[Listed building]]]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{subject bar|auto=y|d=y}}
* [http://www.thelocalchannel.co.uk/shere Shere Parish Council]
* [http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=5476 1933 Video of Shere]
* [http://www.sheredelight.com Shere Village website]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV2BErzmuZg Young Kuwaiti Man visits English Village of Shere, 1960s - Archive Film 1062116]

{{Geographic location
|title =   '''Nearest Settlements'''
|Centre    = Shere
|North     = [[East Horsley]]
|Northeast = [[Effingham, Surrey|Effingham]]
|East      = [[Gomshall]]<br>[[Abinger]]
|Southeast = [[Peaslake]]<br>[[Holmbury St Mary]]
|South     = [[Ewhurst, Surrey|Ewhurst]]<br>[[Cranleigh]]
|Southwest = [[Shamley Green]] 
|West      = [[Albury, Surrey|Albury]]
|Northwest = [[East Clandon]]
}}

{{Guildford}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cricket in Surrey]]
[[Category:English cricket in the 14th to 17th centuries]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Surrey]]
[[Category:Borough of Guildford]]
[[Category:Villages in Surrey]]