About Send
Send is administered by Guildford Borough Council and Surrey County Council. Its parliamentary constituency is Mole Valley and the current MP is Paul Beresford, a Conservative.
It is bordered by the A3 and the Wey Navigation.
There is a mixture of housing, some listed and historical and others of varying ages through to very modern.
The Parish has two newsagents and a Post Office plus a number of other retail outlets, a fish and chip shop/ Chinese takeaway, an Indian Restaurant and a licensed cafe. There are two pubs, the New Inn beside the beautiful Wey Navigation, which is popular with passing narrowboats; and the Saddlers Arms in Send Marsh.
There are two play areas, one on the Send Road recreation ground, and the other in Maple Road, Send Marsh. Both are well-equipped and well-used.
There is a well-equipped medical centre and a petrol station. There are 2 churches, St Mary’s Church of England and the Evangelical Church. The RC church became disused in 2010.
There is a very busy village hall known as the Lancaster Hall, a Church Rooms and an affiliated Social Club.
Entertainment
For entertainment, there are theatres and cinemas, pubs, bars and clubs in both Guildford and Woking. As well as the Guildford Specturm, you can swim at the Pool in the Park in Woking. There is also a leisure centre, a skate park and crazy golf and tennis courts in Woking Park. Chessington and Thorpe Park theme parks are both within easy driving distance.
Local Places of Interest
North of Guildford, a little way downstream, almost encircled by the River Wey is the Tudor Sutton Place. Built in 1530 by Sir Richard Weston, a favourite of Henry VIII. Sir Richard Weston served on the jury that condemned Buckingham and was given Sutton Place on the day of Buckingham’s execution in the Tower. Sir Richard’s son, Francis Sutton was a lover of Anne Boleyn and lost his head over the affair. A couple of generations later, during the time of Charles I and Oliver Cromwell another Sir Richard Weston was responsible for turning the Wey into a navigable waterway. Sir Richard Weston was also an agricultural reformer and introduced a new three crop rotation of clover, flax and turnips. He also introduced into Surrey the grass Nonsuch. Within Sutton Place is the blood stained ruff of St Thomas More and a crystal pomegranate that once belonged to Catherine of Aragon.
Almost opposite, across the river from Sutton Place lies Send Church. The church has a 13th century chancel, 15th century tower and nave and a Tudor gallery.
To the east of Guildford, at West Clandon, is Clandon House, seat of the Onslow family. The present Palladian-style house (c 1730) was built for Lord Onslow. At nearby East Clandon is the Georgian Hatchlands Park (c 1750), built for Admiral Boscawen (who defeated the French at Lagos Bay, 18th Cent). The interior was designed by Robert Adam on his return from Italy and Dalmatia. It houses the Cobbe Collection, a fine collection of musical instruments.
One of the major attractions of the area is RHS Wisley. This is the show garden of the Royal Horticultural Society, which attracts visitors from all over the country. As well as the gardens, Wisley hosts an annual music festival, in June each year.
Beyond Wisley, in the village of Cobham, the grounds of Painshill Park (18th Cent) have been carefully restored to their former glory. Mathew Arnold lived at Pains Hill Cottage.
Send is situated in a rural setting within easy reach of Guildford and Woking (with excellent rail links), the M25, Heathrow and Gatwick airports. It is also in easy driving distance of the coast, either for day-trippers or to catch a ferry to France or even Spain. If you need petrol, you can buy it at the Burnt Common end of the village. So Send is a perfect base for visitors who are travelling by car or train. Walkers, cyclists and boaters are also well catered for.
To learn about the history of the village, see Send & Ripley History Society web site.
The remains of Woking Palace, which Henry VIII hunted deer from, (pictured right) are a short walk away in Old Woking.
Are you a newcomer to Send? St Mary’s Church offers a welcome pack for new residents. Email editor@sendparishchurch.co.uk for your free copy.
River Wey
The river Wey navigation runs through one end of the village. Traditional narrow boats can be hired in either Guildford or Farncombe for use on the 20 miles of Wey navigation canal, and the more adventurous can enter the river Thames by boat near Weybridge and travel on to, say, St Katherine’s Dock near Tower Bridge in London. The Wey navigation, which is managed by the National Trust and has quaint lockkeepers’ cottages at Worsfold Gates and Triggs Lock, is also used for rowing, punting, kayaking and fishing. The towpath, is perfect for walkers and cyclists (if a little bumpy at times!) In the summer, many wild flowers, including comfrey, yellow flag irises and cow parsley, grow along the edge of the Wey and attract butterflies and dragon flies. Coots, moorhens, mallards and swans live and nest along the banks, where bulrushes and bamboo also grow in abundance.
Walkers
The village and surrounding area are criss-crossed by footpaths. Walkers can also easily access the North Downs Way not too far away, for instance at Newlands Corner, which is a local beauty spot. The charming village of Shere and the mysterious Silent Pool are among other local attractions. A good start can be made with this useful guide to local walks in Send.
NEARBY PLACES
Ripley
Nearby Ripley was once a coaching stop between London and Portsmouth and there are still many pubs with related names – The Anchor, The Ship and the Jovial Sailor amongst them. Visitors can climb Chately Heath semaphore tower, in the Wisley woods. This was part of a chain of towers used to send messages from London to ships in Portsmouth.
Ripley has an upmarket feel, with shops selling gifts, antique and reproduction furniture and interior decorations; and estate agents for those looking for property in the Send and Ripley area.
Guildford
Surrey’s county town of Guildford is within 6 miles. Guildford was the home of Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass. Attractions of the town include the cathedral, the castle (where there is open air theatre in the summer), and excellent shopping and restaurants. The Spectrum Leisure Centre is one of the best in the country. It includes a swimming complex, ice skating and ten pin bowling. The Guildford Flames ice hockey team are based there. Its car park is the location for one of the Park and Ride services which operate into the town centre. Guildford is also the location for the University of Surrey.
For full details on Guildford you can visit the Visit Guildford website.
Woking
Send is slightly closer to Woking than it is to Guildford, although it is in Guildfrod borough. Woking has very good retail and eating outlets and an excellent rail service into London – quickest journey time under 30 minutes There is a frequent coach link from Woking station to Heathrow airport. There are also good train links to the south, for instance to Portsmouth, Southampton and Bournemouth. In fact the railway is one of the main reasons for the growth of Woking. When cemetery space became limited in London, trains ran to Woking to carry coffins and mourners to Brookwood cemetery, which was initially laid out in 1854. Since then, there have been in excess of 232,650 people buried within the cemetery, which is well worth a visit.
For full details on visiting Woking you look at the Places to Visit page on the Woking Borough website.