Windlesham. Life
The land is now held in Trust “as an open space and place of rest, recreation and entertainment for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Windlesham”. The Field is run as a Charity which is managed by a volunteer committee made up or representatives of local groups and organisations and members of the community.
In 1987 the Charity purchased the 7 acres of woodland, which is now known as Admiral’s Field, from The Admiral Cochrane Trust for £12,000 and the Field that we all know and love today was created. The Field, woods, and all the facilities, are maintained by the volunteer committee and the Charity is reliant on the fees and rents paid by the users and by public donations from the community.
The original Pavilion was a timber building which was donated by Mr Edward Lumley and transported to site from Windlesham Moor in 1953, along with the timber Cricket Hut which remained on the site until 2018.
The timber building was replaced by a brick pavilion in 1961; this building gave sterling service to the community for many years, as changing facilities for the cricket and football clubs, as a preschool, and the kitchen was extensively used in the summer months for the popular “Teas on the Field”.
However, by the start of the 21st Century the old building was starting to show its age; the facilities no longer met the modern needs of the majority of the users and the decision was made to replace it. After many years of planning and fundraising the old pavilion was demolished in August 2018 with help from local celebrity Brian Blessed. The new pavilion, renamed the Community Hub, was formally opened by Brian Blessed in January 2020.
The new building was financed by grants from the Football Foundation, Sport England and the London Marathon, by years of community fundraising, a “Buy a Brick” scheme and from generous private donations.
Over the years the field has hosted countless community events, football and cricket matches, and the annual Village Fete which is held on the second Saturday in June.
There has been a playground at the School Lane end of the field for many years and in 2007 it was rebuilt by an enthusiastic group of parents. It is believed this is the only playground in Surrey Heath that is looked after solely by volunteers and public donation.
In 2018 a Big Lottery Awards for All grant was received to enable the committee to install an Outdoor Gym at the far end of the field next to the playground.