Nestled in between Aldershot to the west and Guildford to the east, sits the large civil parish of Normandy, occupying a vast swathe of greenland dotted with small hamlets, villages, and neighbourhoods. As is typical in these rural areas, the housing stock ranges from grand Georgian manors on offer for over £3 million, to chalet-style farmhouses, bungalows, and two-storey detached properties. As Normandy sits firmly in the Metropolitan Green Belt protection zone, the rural character of Normandy has been maintained over the years; and the area is now known for its pastoral and picturesque landscape.

Normandy’s history is unusual when compared to similar locales in the Surrey region. Normandy is not featured in the 1086 Domesday Book survey, although the nearby Wyke - a village within the civil parish - is, listed as ‘Wucca’. In fact, Normandy wasn’t recorded at all until the 17th century, and it has no connection whatsoever to the Duchy of Normandy nor the Norman conquest of the 11th century. Popular histories recorded by locals point to the origin of the name stemming from a few sources; the monks of the Abbey of Waverely who named it Normandy to pay homage to their homeland, or, in more recent history, histories claim that the area was named after the local public house ‘The Duke of Normandy’. Local historians and historians of British place-names alike are puzzled by this naming, and its origin is still up for debate!

But that’s not the only strange name found in the civil parish of Normandy. Beyond the smaller hamlet of Flexford, lying to the south of this region, there is a village known as Christmas Pie! However, this name is well recorded. It was the surname of a prominent local family, and records of this family date back to 1513 in the reign of King Henry VIII! The ‘pie’ element of the name is believed to originate from Anglo-Saxon, meaning ‘arable land’!

Although most known for its curious place-names this area is wholly unique in its organisation; being a collection of hamlets and villages rather than possessing one unique character. However, due to its firm location within the Metropolitan Green Belt, there are restrictions to developing land within this region, and developers must comply with local and governmental guidelines when constructing or developing property. Although, there are a wide range of properties on the market today, including manors with acerage, chalet farmsteads, farmlands and large detached properties!