6th stop of the outing to Oxted and its environs: Such a shame no real ale on since the start of 2026 by all accounts. Looks so appealing from the outside in historic Old Oxted. Long before the railway arrived in 1884 and birthed "New Oxted," the heart of the community beat along a steep cutting of the A25 and known even then as Old Oxted. Its story begins in 862 AD as Acustyde, or the "Place of the Oaks." By the time the Domesday Book was compiled in 1086, it was already an established settlement of 250 people, supported by two mills and a local church. The High Street took its familiar shape during the 13th and 14th centuries, evolving into a vital waypoint for weary travellers trekking between London and the South Coast. Today, walking the street feels like moving through a living museum; it is lined with 15th and 16th-century half-timbered houses, including Old Oxted's historic pub, The Crown Inn, just visited on our 5th stop. As the centuries progressed, the architecture shifted. The 18th century brought The George Inn, constructed with striking purple bricks, while the early 19th century saw the addition of Shorters Row, a narrow passage of modest workers' cottages. For generations, this stretch served as the main A25 thoroughfare, a bustling hub where locals frequented the village butcher, dairy and wheelwright. It was not until the modern bypass was constructed in the late 1960s that the High Street finally traded its role as a major artery for the quiet, historic charm it retains today.