Page 26 - Oxted Local June 2025

26 June 2025 • Oxted Local 
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On Saturday June 7th (the
time of Pentecost, formerly
known as Whitsun), St.
Mary’s Church is holding
one of its ever popular
Open Days with the theme
of Creation and Nature.
This coincides with the start
of the Churches Count on
Nature week. The church
will be open from 10.00am
until 5.00pm with a variety
of activities taking place
and displays laid on to
suit all ages in both the
church building and the
surrounding grounds.
The church is Oxted’s oldest
most historic building having
been mentioned in the
Domesday Book of 1086. It is
a Grade One Listed building
with many interesting
architectural features
including some stained glass
windows by Burne Jones.
On entering the church it will be difficult not to see
the beautiful flower displays occupying many of
the sills and nooks and crannies of the church and
provided by the church decorating team.
The old Baptism, Wedding and Funeral registers
will be out on display along with some old records
that will have been borrowed from the Woking
History Centre which looks after precious ancient
records. Some of these records will feature local VE
Day celebrations with some appropriate music at
intervals during the day. There will also be a rolling
display of scenes from Oxted both past and present.
At various intervals there will be guided tours up to
the top of the church tower, from where there are
superb views over Oxted
and extending as far as
Limpsfield, Hurst Green and
Tandridge. On the way up
there will be the opportunity
to see the intricate workings
of the church clock and
higher up the five bells that
hang in the tower. Later in
the afternoon it is hoped
that there will be a talk and
bell ringing demonstration
in the bell ringing chamber.
There will be various
activities for children
including games to
play, a name the rabbit
competition, a trail sheet
round the church and
grounds, decorating
biscuits, an art competition
with prizes and a
competition to see who can
make and decorate the best
cup cake.
One of the big attractions for younger members
is always the trip to see the sheep which graze
in the graveyards and to help feed them. There
are currently four adult sheep and one lamb in
a reduced flock as sadly two lambs were lost
earlier in the spring due to being attacked. The
sheep are Soay sheep -a rare breed of domestic
sheep descended from feral sheep on the St. Kilda
Archipelago in Scotland. They are a small hardy
horned animal with short tails with fine, generally
brown wool that doesn’t need shearing. Instead
in Spring time the wool starts to fall off in patches
giving the sheep an untidy somewhat unkempt
appearance. They are low maintenance, very
independent and eco friendly, leaving little impact
on the land.
Open Day at
St. Mary’s Church, Oxted