Tilt Green
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Tilt Green by Len Williams as part of the Geograph project.
The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
There are currently over 7.5m images from over 14,400 individuals and you can help contribute to the project by visiting https://www.geograph.org.uk
Tilt Green
Image: © Len Williams Taken: 4 Aug 2014
The Tilt Green was used for May Day celebrations with a Maypole and this custom continued until 1902, when complaints brought it to an end. Gypsies and showmen descended on the Green with "vans of all sorts and kinds with shows, these large steam merry-go-rounds etc.... They brought about 70 horses, which were a great annoyance to those living nearby, besides about a dozen wretched donkeys, quite new last year". Sufficient local opposition developed for an official poster to be printed saying fairs were not to occur on the common land. The Green was also used for cricket matches of a high standard (the Surrey County team played there regularly). Clearly there was considerable enthusiasm locally - the proprietor of the adjacent carriage works and the publican at the Running Mare offered £5 to any batsman who could break one of their windows !
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Image Location
Latitude
51.324401
Longitude
-0.401052