Wrecclesham
Wrecclesham is a village on the southern outskirts of the large town of Farnham in Surrey, England. Its local government district is the Borough of Waverley. Wrecclesham recreation ground caters for cricket, football, rugby and tennis clubs. This is where Jonny Wilkinson and Graham Thorpe started careers in their professional sports, as well as many sportsmen of some generations before such as Billy Beldham and Vic Cannings. It was once in the estate of Henry of Westminster and Blois the powerful 13th-century bishop who owned the majority of the fertile portion of the land, in what was then  Farnham and soon became the related parishes of Farnham and Frensham in Farnham Hundred. Farnham remains in use as Wrecclesham's post town. Wrecclesham acquired village status in 1840 when its first place of worship was built. Notable places. Wrecclesham's historic character is shown by the presence of the Farnham Pottery, one of the best-preserved examples of a working Victorian country pottery in England and is Grade II-listed. It serves as a cafe for locals. Just past Wrecclesham Hill is the hamlet of Holt Pound; what is now the Holt Pound recreation ground was one of the  chief cricket grounds in Surrey. It was used as the venue for three first-class matches between 1791 and 1809 as well as for a number of minor matches. Runwick. Runwick is made up of smallholdings immediately across the main road north of the large village on the Hampshire-Surrey border. The '-wick' part of the name meant ″hamlet″ and, from the 13th-century, ″farm″, and is still used in the far east of England to mean ″farm″. The ″run″ part of the name relates to an Anglo Saxon England owner, as in Runfold, which is a similar distance from  Farnham. Transport. The A325 road passes through Wrecclesham, connecting it to the garrison towns of Bordon in the south and Aldershot in the north. The A31, connecting Farnham to Alton, runs close by the village. Education. Wrecclesham has one primary school, St. Peter's C of E School on Little Green Lane. The presence of Weydon School in Wrecclesham makes it the major education centre of the area because there are no secondary schools in central Farnham. Facilities. St Peter's is the oldest church in the Parish and was consecrated in 1840 when the population was believed to be  around 800 inhabitants, significantly smaller than today.Grace Church is a newer Baptist church, founded in 2013, which meets in St Peter's School. Behind St Peter's church is the Leverton Hall, associated with it. This is rented for various occasions and by organisations such as the local karate and scout clubs. Wrecclesham also has many shops within its boundaries such as furniture stores, a post office and various restaurants and takeaways. One focal point of the village is the recreational ground in Riverdale. This is home to many clubs such as Wrecclesham Football, Tennis, Darts and Cricket Club  as well as Badshot Lea Football Club. Wrecclesham Cricket Club can be linked back to 4 May 1901, where an advert in the "Farnham Herald" was posted to find players willing to play and train in the game of cricket. The club moved to the recreation ground in Riverdale in the 1930s. Competing in the Farnham and District Cricket league, the club won its first honours in 1934 and 1936. Sport. Wrecclesham joined the I’Anson competition in 1953 and won it in 1956. The I’Anson league consists of six divisions (2014) and provides an entry level for cricketers. The first  team were relegated to the Division 4 of the I’Anson league in 2008. However, the club turned a corner and in the following 3 seasons, the club earned three consecutive promotions. The "Farnham Herald" recognised this achievement, publishing with the statement ‘there is no precedent for an established club winning three consecutive promotions as Wrecclesham have done’, praising the teams ‘high team ethic’. The introduction of a club identity was established in 2008 with a new club crest (understood to be the first ever registered by the club) of an owl over a pottery kiln. This came from the Farnham  Pottery which was widely known for its 'owl jugs' which were produced up to the 1950s. The nickname, 'The Owls' was then adopted by the club. The club started up a second team in 2009. The 2nd XI were promoted to Division 5 in 2011 and to Division 4 in 2014. In 2019 Badshot Lea F.C. Est 1904, Affiliated Surrey FA 1907 opened The Operatix Community Ground at Westfield Lane, adjacent to Wrecclesham Recreation Ground. The site previously used by Farnham Rugby Club (who ironically moved to the village of Badshot Lea to the south east of Farnham, in partnership  with David Lloyd Farnham). Badshot Lea FC first game at the Operatix Community Ground, was played against Aldershot Town F.C.of the Vanarama National League on 6 July 2019 with an attendance of 600+. Since earning promotion to the Football Association National Non-League Pyramid in 2007 - "The Baggies" had ground-shared at several clubs including Farnborough FC, Godalming Town and Ash United over an eleven-year period. The nomadic years prompted by FA Ground Compliance requirements at NLP level - unable to be met at Badshot Lea Village Rec, where the community football and cricket clubs shared the same space , for over one hundred years. Badshot Lea Men's First Xl compete in national competitions - Emirates FA Cup and Buildbase FA Vase both with Finals at The National Football Stadium, Wembley; and the regional Combined Counties Football League, Premier Division South - 2nd placed @24 Nov 21. Badshot Lea Ladies 1st Xl compete in the Thames Valley Counties Women's Football League Div 1 (First placed @24 Nov 21) and the Vitality Women's FA Cup. The club runs a Youth & Colts Division with over 35 teams from U8 to U16, boys and girls - playing in various league competitions in Surrey  and Hampshire. The U18s Youth team play in the midweek floodlit Allied Counties Youth League and the FA Youth Cup and are being developed as a feeder to the men's First Xl. In total, the club has over 500 playing, coaching & admin members, using sports facilities throughout the Farnham area during the football season - making it one of Surrey's largest sports clubs. Several footballers who have gone on to play at higher level Association Football clubs, have featured for Badshot Lea FC - including Joe Rawles (Cardiff City). The club has strong links with the British Army and many  past men's team players have come from the ranks of regiments within the Aldershot Garrison. Wrecclesham Football Club joined the Surrey County Intermediate League (Western) in 2007 and won its Premier Division in 2011. The club's top team opted to promotion to the top division of the Aldershot & District Football League where it has a second team who play some divisions below, being a multi-rung league. Wrecclesham Football Club folded at the end of the 2013/14 season. United Football Club of Farnham (UFC Farnham) became the only football club based in Wrecclesham from the 2014/15 season with  their first and reserve teams playing in the Guildford & Woking Alliance Football League Divisions Three and Five respectively. In May 2016 it was announced that UFC Farnham would merge with the Wrecclesham Social Club to once again become Wrecclesham FC, continuing the tradition of a club which was founded in 1904.