West Horsley

West Horsley is a small village between Guildford and Leatherhead in Surrey, England. Neighbouring villages include East Horsley, Ockham, West Clandon and East Clandon. It lies on the A246, and south of the M25 and the A3. The Sheepleas Woods are located in the extreme south of the village, and stretch to 103 ha.

West Horsley appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Orselei. It was held by Walter, son of Othere. Its Domesday assets were: 8 hides; 1 church, 8 ploughs, woodland worth 20 hogs. It rendered £6.

The village's church, St Mary's Church dates from the 11th century; whilst West Horsley Place is a mediaeval house substantially developed between the 16th and 18th centuries. One of the victims of the railway murderers was killed in West Horsley in 1986, although Horsley railway station itself is in East Horsley.

The village lies equidistant between the railway stations of Clandon and Effingham Junction.

Beatrix Potter, famous for her children's books, used to stay at Tyrrellswood with her uncle and aunt, and did many of her paintings of animals and wrote some of her books there.