Buckland’s Three Greens
Catriona Martin
Unbeknown to many, Buckland has historically boasted not one, but three Village Greens: The Green, visible from the A25, Rectory Green the grassy area opposite Glebe House on Rectory Lane and Buckland Green which has undergone several name changes – on the east side of Lawrence Lane (Figure 1).
Figure 1 Location of Buckland’s 3 Greens
‘The Green’ with its pond and closely mown lawn, is the focal point of the village and it looks as if it has always been so, but this is not the case. The 1653 estate map shows both the pond and the grassy area surrounding it. In 1933 the Parish Council discussed the levelling of the Green to make it suitable for games, which was not done for lack of funds until 1936. In the late 1940s, residents recall that grass was still mown only twice a year for hay, and the meadow was full of poppies, clover and other wildflowers. From the 1950s until the school (now the Old School House on the left-hand corner) closed in 1981, an area of grass was cut to provide the school with athletics lanes in summer and a football pitch in winter. The Green only became a registered ‘Village Green’ in 1967 when the maintenance was transferred from the Buckland Estate to the Buckland Parish Council.
The Green, Buckland
Catriona Martin
Unbeknown to many, Buckland has historically boasted not one, but three Village Greens: The Green, visible from the A25, Rectory Green the grassy area opposite Glebe House on Rectory Lane and Buckland Green which has undergone several name changes – on the east side of Lawrence Lane (Figure 1).
Figure 1 Location of Buckland’s 3 Greens
‘The Green’ with its pond and closely mown lawn, is the focal point of the village and it looks as if it has always been so, but this is not the case. The 1653 estate map shows both the pond and the grassy area surrounding it. In 1933 the Parish Council discussed the levelling of the Green to make it suitable for games, which was not done for lack of funds until 1936. In the late 1940s, residents recall that grass was still mown only twice a year for hay, and the meadow was full of poppies, clover and other wildflowers. From the 1950s until the school (now the Old School House on the left-hand corner) closed in 1981, an area of grass was cut to provide the school with athletics lanes in summer and a football pitch in winter. The Green only became a registered ‘Village Green’ in 1967 when the maintenance was transferred from the Buckland Estate to the Buckland Parish Council.
The Green, Buckland
Rectory Green was previously known as Parson’s Green in 1653 & Parsonage Green c.1762. An archaeological dig of 2013 suggested that Rectory Green was in fact the centre of Buckland village from Domesday and before through to c. 1350 and it may have been the site for the first church in the area. Rectory Green is still largely intact with the Buckland Estate rough cutting it twice a year to optimise the opportunity for wildflowers to set seed – truly a glorious sight in mid-summer. This is particularly important as this area lies within the Surrey Hills Biodiversity Line (B-Line) shown in Figure 1.
Rectory Green at the end of Rectory Lane, opposite Glebe House
Buckland Green (Lawrence Lane) was formerly the site of the Workhouse until 1829 (now Orchard Farm) and a pub (now a house) called The Harvesters. Buckland Green was cut in two by the railway in 1847 and has now been turned over to farmland.
(Referenced and adapted from ‘Buckland 1000-2000’ Second Edition with permission from Duncan Ferns)