Tatsfield Village Pond

Image: © Sean Davis Taken: 7 Jul 2007

Deep pond on Westmore Green at Tatsfield. The village is perched on top of the North Downs in a small corner of Surrey with Biggin Hill and London to the north and bounded by Kent to the east. At 790ft above sea-level, it claims to be the highest village in Surrey and it is said its inhabitants saw London burn in 1666. In more recent times, during periods of extreme snowfall, the village has been completely cut off and had to rely on food parcels being dropped from the air. It has connections to many famous people, including Donald Maclean (1913 - 1983), was a British diplomat educated at Cambridge University. His father was Sir Donald Maclean, Leader of the Liberal Party and his mother was Gwendoline Hope, a descendent of Charles II. Whilst at Cambridge he was recruited into Soviet Intelligence by Anthony Blunt as part of what later was known as the Cambridge Five. Between December 1950 and May 1951, he lived with his wife and children in a house in Tatsfield. During this time he often frequented the Old Ship pub (just next to this camera position). On his 38th birthday, 25th May 1951, under suspicion and waiting to be interrogated by MI5 and the FBI, he fled to the coast with Guy Burgess, caught a ship to France and from there went on to live the rest of his life in the Soviet Union. John Surtees (born here on 11 February 1934) was Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula 1 driver. He is the only man to have won World Championships on both two and four wheels. Surtees' father (also named John) owned a motorcycle dealership here and thus developed an interest in motor sports. His first incursion into professional motor sports was at the age of 14, riding side-car with his father on three wheels, which they won but were subsequently disqualified as he was underage at the time. This is also on the route of the London Green Belt Way.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0