: In 1862 the Reverend Archdall Buttemer purchased a site for a church and parsonage in the hamlet of Norney. The site was chosen as being equidistant from the villages of Shackleford, Eashing and Hurtmore. The church, designed by George Gilbert Scott, was consecrated in 1865 and dedicated to St Mary.
The accuracy of the location, being on one of the ten-degree rays, is extraordinary but there seems no evidence that the positioning can be anything but coincidental. Clutching at straws – Scott, as a famous architect, would almost certainly have been a freemason. Was there a secret knowledge of alignments? As I said – clutching at straws!
I to Hascombe Hillfort today to see if I could sight through the Wey gap at Guildford (with binoculars) all the way to Woking and Whitmoor Common Barrow. (as you can from St Catherine’s Chapel but from further away) I managed to climb a tree to better see out, there being so many trees in the way, but unfortunately visibility was bad. I did manage to see the hogs back and Guildford quite easily and a characteristic spire which I believe was St Mary’s
My apologies for not getting back to you sooner David but I am stacked out with work at the moment and the blog has had to take a back seat – and I am supposed to be semi-retired! It will probably be a couple of weeks before I get down to it again. Keep in touch.