West Horsley is a semi-rural village between Guildford and Leatherhead in Surrey, England. It lies on the A246, and south of the M25 and the A3. Its civil parish ascends to an ancient woodland Sheepleas Woods which are on the northern downslopes of the ridge of hills known as the North Downs in the extreme south of the village, and cover about a tenth of its area, 255 acres (1 km2). The bulk of West Horsley's land is north of the Surrey Hills AONB, the rest is within it. History West Horsley appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Orselei held by Walter, son of Othere. Its Domesday assets were: 8 hides; 1 church, 8 ploughs, woodland worth 20 hogs. It rendered £6 each year to its lords of the manor. Both Horsleys were burnt to the ground during the Norman Conquest of 1066 since its Saxon thane, Brixsi, was brother-in-law to King Harold and refused to submit. The village was part of the lands given to the Norman, Walter Fitz Otha, the new constable of Windsor Castle. The population fell dramatically during the Black Death and the land was given over to grazing, since the peasant population was insufficient for farming. In 1636, during a court case concerning a tithe dispute, a witness called Henry Mabbinck testified that he played cricket "in the Parke" at West Horsley, one of the sport's earliest references. Beatrix Potter, best-selling author of children's books, used to stay at a cottage in the village, Tyrrellswood, with her aunt and uncle, and created many of her paintings of animals and wrote some of her books there . Around the same time period, Helen Allingham painted an image of the village, "Children On A Path Outside A Thatched Cottage, West Horsley, Surrey". Bill Pertwee, who played the air-raid warden in Dad's Army, lived in East Horsley during the time of his role. He is locally famed for appearing in the local pub and the youngest person singing the theme tune Who do you think you are kidding, Mr Hitler? as he entered. Maartje Tamboezer, the second murder victim of John Duffy and David Mulcahy (branded the 'Railway Killers'), was killed in West Horsley in 1986, although Horsley railway station itself is in East Horsley. The bulk of West Horsley's land is north of the Surrey Hills AONB, the rest is within it. Amenities Church St