Articles

Folklore

Thursley Common
Standing Stone / Menhir

Devil’s Jumps at Thursley.
[1799, Part II, p. 921.]

Thursley, or Thirsley, is an extensive parish in the county of Surrey and hundred of Godalming. The village is mean and straggling, standing in a dry, healthy situation, pleasant in summer, but, from its high, unsheltered situation, exposed to the north-east winds, very cold in winter. On the heaths between Thursley and Frinsham are three remarkable conic-shaped hills, called the “Devil’s Three Jumps,” the eastern hill (or jump) being the largest in circumference and height, the centre hill the least and lowest. They are composed of a hard rock, barely covered with a light black mould, which gives a scanty nourishment to moss and stunted heath. Their bases are nearly surrounded by a foss, which in some places appears to be artificial. In the fosses are constant springs of water, which assist in forming near them a large piece of water called Abbot’s Pond, formerly part of the possessions of the neighbouring abbey of Waverly.

The country people, particularly the aged, relate many tales of these eminences, and hold them in a kind of awful reverence (the revels of the fairies yet linger in the tales of the aged rustick). It was formerly customary for the country-people on Whit-Tuesday to assemble on the top of the eastern hill to dance and make merry.

From a collection of articles from the Gentleman’s Magazine, published 1883.

Miscellaneous

Thursley Common
Standing Stone / Menhir

A single rather stone known either as “Thor’s Stone” or “The Witches Stone” stands in the middle of this marsh. Allegedly it is a type of rock not found within a hundred miles of this location, but I don’t remember where I got this information from and I can’t guarantee it’s veracity.

The area is one of the only lowland peat bogs in britain and so an SSSI and nature reserve. The name Thursley, the village from which the common takes it’s name apparently derives from “Sacred grove of Thunor”

Sites within 20km of Thursley Common