Horsell

Coordinates: 51°19′43″N 0°33′42″W / 51.3286°N 0.5617°W / 51.3286; -0.5617

Horsell is an ancient village in the borough of Woking in Surrey, England, located less than a mile northwest of Woking town centre. In November 2012, its population was 9,384.

Horsell has a close association with H. G. Wells' classic science fiction novel The War of the Worlds, the sand pits of Horsell Common being used as the site of the first Martian landing. Horsell Common has since been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Another landmark is the McLaren Technology Centre, built on the northern edge of the common in the early 2000s for the McLaren Group.

History

Horsell was first documented in the 13th century, although the parish church of St Mary the Virgin is believed to date from the middle of the 12th century. The name probably comes from the Anglo-Saxon horig scylf, meaning "muddy slope". This may refer to the hill now carrying the metalled track known as "Horsell Rise"; tricky for cars in winter conditions it is then very much enjoyed by local children who create toboggan slides down the centre of it.