The tiny village once home to a famous alligator closer to London …
Surrey is well known for its host of great towns and villages but that does mean some places get overlooked. While the Surrey Hills is (rightfully) shouted about as a wonderful place to live if you go to the edges of Surrey you can find some real hidden gems.
One such example is Tatsfield to the extreme east of the county which borders both Greater London and the county of Kent. Located just under 4 miles northeast of Oxted the town is actually closer to central London than it is to Guildford[1], Surrey’s largest town.
With a population of just under 1,400 people this tiny village has everything you could possibly want if you’re looking for a quiet life. At the centre of the village lies a pond and idyllic village green where the main amenities are including Tatsfield[2] Village Hall, a village store, a post office, a garage plus a decent food and drink offering.
Thick snow almost obliterates Ye Old Ship public house at Tatsfield, on November 30, 2010 (Image: Jan Bishop)
Chief among these is the Old Ship pub[4] and The Bakery Restaurant. Both are very highly rated according to Google reviews. The pub is great for a pint whatever the weather, with a beer garden out back, while the restaurant offers modern British and European cuisine at fairly reasonable prices.
While the nearest station is in Oxted[5] you’re not exactly cut off if you want to use public transport with the 464 bus taking you to New Addington in the London borough of Croydon. The village also contains a primary school, cricket club and golf club so Tatsfield ticks just about everything off the list.
While average house prices aren’t the cheapest, other villages in Surrey are definitely more expensive. The average property[6] sold for £549,263 over the past year which could be seen as bang for your buck given the proximity to London.
Famous faces and forgotten zoos
For such a small place Tatsfield has been home to many celebrities[7] over the years in a number of different fields. David Scarboro, best known for playing Mark Fowler in Eastenders, seven-time world motorcycle champion John Surtees and Jay Aston, lead singer of band Bucks Fizz, all called Tatsfield home at one stage.
Perhaps the most famous resident though was an alligator named Big Boy who appeared in the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die and lived at zoo Beaver Water World[8] until his death in 2006. For four decades this tourist attraction exhibited beavers, reptiles and birds until it was forced to close in late 2017.
Unfortunately the village has been home to tragedy in the past[9] too. On December 10 1935 an airline belonging to Belgian airline crashed at Tatsfield while flying from Brussels to Croydon with 11 people on board dying after the aircraft stalled.
References
- ^ Guildford (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ Tatsfield (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ The posh leafy Surrey village named among UK’s most desirable places to live (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ pub (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ Oxted (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ property (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ celebrities (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ Beaver Water World (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ past (www.getsurrey.co.uk)