We are very please to see that footpath between the Cobham High Street and Cedar Road has now reopened now that much of the Cedar Road Shanley housing development has been completed. This gives pedestrians an easy way to get from the High Street to the Cedar Centre and Cobham Library.
You may have heard that Elmbridge Borough Council has opened a very important consultation as to how we can best preserve the Avenue of Remembrance at the Tilt. You will recall that we erected the granite monument there in 2009 to put into context the flowering cherry trees.
The Avenue of Remembrance of flowering Cherry Trees on the Tilt is both a well known local landmark and a registered war memorial. Because cherry trees only have a life of 40 - 60 years and because replacement trees are not thriving with the severely compacted ground, the Avenue has lost its impact and the community now needs to consider the best course of action for this important landmark.
Following consultation with the local ward Councillors and key community stakeholder groups including this Heritage Trust, it is now important that the Council officers understand your wishes as the residents of Cobham and Stoke d’Abernon. Please take the time to look at the report and the additional information provided and to make your views known via the Elmbridge Council website (click here to visit the website). It is important to note that the Council has secured funding for both the options outlined in the report and no decision has yet been reached. The Council looks forward to hearing your views by 30th September 2017. The consultation questionnaire only requires you to choose between two options and to add any comments you may want to leave and will only take a few minutes of your time.
The council have arranged two drop in sessions where officials will be available to chat to residents about the proposals: on Tuesday 19 September, from 17:00 until 19:00 at Cobham Library, Cedar Road and Saturday 23 September at Cobham Farmers Market, Hollyhedge Road from 09:00 until 14:30.
In addition, Ian Gayton, head of open spaces at Elmbridge and a great friend of the trust will be coming to our open meeting on Wednesday 27th September 2017 at 8pm at the Cobham village hall when he will be discussing the subject and will be answering your questions.
The Wisley planning appeal hearing, in respect of plans to build a new settlement of over 2000 homes on the Green Belt, will start on 19th September 2017. It is most important that as many people as possible attend the hearing, in particular on the first day, in order to impress the Inspector with the strength of opposition to the plans.
The hearing of the planning appeal by Wisley Property Investments Limited (WPIL), a Cayman Island registered company, against the refusal last year by Guildford Borough Council of their application to build over 2000 homes on the Green Belt will start on Tuesday 19 September 2017 at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford at 10 am. Cobham Conservation & Heritage Trust have an interest as a Rule 6 party, entitling it to cross-examine the WPIL witnesses. Other local interests such as the Wisley Action Group (WAG) and Parish Councils have appointed barristers to further the case against.
This planning appeal will last up to 20 days and while it will be heard at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre for the first four days, the hearing will then switch to the Council Chamber at Millmead House, Millmead GU2 4BB on Monday 26th September.
WAG are running a coach from Ockham on the first day (see details below) and you may wish to take up their offer of transport or find you own way to the hearing in time for the "polite demonstration" before it starts. Please contact them directly by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The message from Wisley Action Group:
WAG is arranging a coach from the Ockham Parish Rooms to take you to the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre where your support on Day 1 is crucial.
Please let us know asap by this Friday (15th Sept), at the latest if you would like a place on the coach at 8.15am to board, leaving promptly at 8.30pm
We will arrange the coach to return to the Parish Rooms from the Theatre at both 1.30pm and 4.30pm to give you a choice of return time
Please confirm preference
Thank you - This is for DAY 1 only
We will ask attendees to form a polite demonstration at the Theatre, with placards and banners
We ask that no one interrupts the proceedings inside
The Inspector will wish to see the numbers filling the Theatre in the first week, and DAY 1 is of prime importance
Thank you so much for your support and donations to date and all further donations are welcome
A nominal charge of £5 return ticket will be requested towards the coach cost, Thank you
WAG looks forward to hearing from you
Best wishes
Jan Lofthouse
Honorary Secretary
on behalf of Wisley Action Group
email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
web www.wisleyactiongroup.co.uk
facebook https://www.facebook.com/SurreyGreenbelt
twitter @WisleyActionGrp
Newcomers to the Cobham area often comment on the attractive avenue of cherry trees that line either side of the Stoke Road and the entrance to Mizen Way on the Tilt Green. Typically, they flower late April or early May.
These forty four trees have a special significance as they were planted as a memorial after the Second World War by the Cobham Village Women's Institute with each tree commemorating a life lost from Cobham during the Second World War, 1939-1945. The Dedication Service for the Avenue of Flowering Cherry Trees took place on Sunday 24th February 1946.
When originally planted each tree had a metal collar with the name of a serviceman. Over time some of these trees have died and although the tree has been replaced, most of these collars have been lost. We know all the names of those commemorated but we don't know for certain which name appeared on which tree. If you know which name appeared on which tree please let us know so we can complete the list shown below? Three serviceman did not have a tree.
Trees replaced more recently have not faired so well. Following an Elmbridge Borough Council public consultation at the end of 2017, it was agreed that all the trees would be replaced to make a uniform avenue once again in honour of the brave serviceman from Cobham who lost their lives in WWII. All the trees were replaced in February 2018.
On the 26th April 2009 the Cobham Conservation and Heritage Trust completed a project to add a memorial plinth as a lasting reminder of those local service people who lost their lives in the Second World War. This project was completed with the help and support of Elmbridge Borough Council, the Cobham Evening Women's Institute, Royal British Legion (Cobham Branch) and St Andrew's Church, Cobham. Further details of the unveiling of the memorial plaque can be found here.
Read more: The WWII Avenue of Remembrance - The Tilt, Cobham
Cobham Heritage has a number of publications which document the rich history of our local area.
These publications can be purchased at our open meetings, Cobham Heritage Day and other events with the profits being used to further our work. The "Cobham Tilt - A Guide and History", "Downside - A Guide and History" and "Church Cobham - A Guide and History" are also available from The Cobham Bookshop at a cost of £7.99 each.
The current publications are:-
Click on the publication to download an order form.
All publications subject to availablity. Post and packing at additional cost.
The Cobham Conservation and Heritage Trust completed another local project on Friday 5th May 2017, when the Cobham Village sign was unveiled by the Worshipful The Mayor of the Borough of Elmbridge, Councillor Mrs Tannia Shipley. The sign was commisioned by the Trust and made by Black Forge Art of Wittersham, Kent.
Please join us on Sunday at 2 pm, meeting by No. 44 Furniture & Fine Things shop on the corner of the Portsmouth Road and Between Streets, Cobham KT11 1HY. Please bring gloves and we will supply high-viz jackets and litter pickers.
Fresh produce farmers market held in Hollyhedge Road, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 3DG (4th Saturday of each month)
The Cobham Conservation and Heritage Trust (CCHT) was relaunched in November 2005 from the Cobham Conservation Group. You can find out more about the Trust on the About Us page.
We hope you enjoy exploring our website and find the information interesting and stimulating and if you are not already a member that this will spur you on to join and support us. Click on the Membership menu for more details.
The Cobham Conservation and Heritage Trust is a local charity which relies on vounteers to help run the Trust, promote local history and conservation issues and organise fund raising events such as our annual Cobham Heritage Day. If you think you might like to join us, visit our Volunteer Vacancies page to find out which roles you might like to get involved with. We always try to make it fun.
Green Flag Award
Open Spaces Award