Coulsdon

History

The location forms part of the North Downs. The hills contain chalk and flint. A few dry valleys with natural underground drainage merge and connect to the main headwater of the River Wandle, as a winterbourne (stream), so commonly called "the Bourne". Although this breaks onto the level of a few streets when the water table is exceptionally high, the soil is generally dry. The depression and wind gap was a natural route across the Downs for early populations. Fossil records exist from the Pleistocene period (about 4,000,000 years ago). There is evidence of human occupation from the Neolithic period, Iron Age, Anglo-Saxon, Bronze Age, Roman and Medieval. In 675, Frithwald, an Ealdorman and viceroy of King Wulfhere of Mercia, gave land at Cuthraedesdune to Chertsey Abbey. It appears as Colesdone in the Domesday Book. In 1537, the dissolution of the monasteries passed ownership to the King. In 1545, Henry VIII granted two homes with land in Whattingdon and Coulsdon, Welcombes and Lawrences, to Sir John Gresham, the manor having been owned by Chertsey Abbey in the 8th century, when it was recorded as Whatindone. From 1782 to 1921, it was owned by three generations of the Byron family, who had already purchased the sub-manor of Hooley. In 1801, the Byron family moved to live at Hooley House. Then, having sold a large amount of land in 1838 to the 'London to Brighton railway company', they moved from Hooley House to Portnall's Farm. In 1850, Hartley Farm was demolished and Coulsdon Court was built by Thomas Byron. It was said to have been constructed of the last bricks to be made locally at Crossways (at Coulsdon Road, Old Coulsdon). In 1854, to avoid the court, he adjusted the paths of some local roads, and created a gated drive from the public road. In 1863,…

Most-observed species

• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  31,673
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  30,248
• Carrion Crow

  Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  29,253
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  28,373
• Meadow Brown

  Maniola jurtina (Linnaeus, 1758) · Insecta
  26,861
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  26,597
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  24,512
• Rose-ringed Parakeet

  Psittacula krameri (Scopoli, 1769) · Aves
  24,280

Most recent

• M 3.1 — 2020-09-22
  5 km N of Aylesbury, United Kingdom
• M 3.9 — 2020-09-08
  2 km WSW of Pitstone, United Kingdom
• M 3.3 — 2019-02-27
  3 km SE of Dorking, United Kingdom
• M 2.8 — 2018-07-05
  1 km S of Ewhurst, United Kingdom
• M 2.6 — 2018-06-27
  5 km W of Capel, United Kingdom
• M 2.7 — 2018-04-01
  4 km E of Holmwood, United Kingdom