The Blackheath Village Archive Group was established in 2008  to research and preserve the history of our village.

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Stories, images, maps and memorabilia form a collection that provides a unique story of a small village situated in one of Surrey's loveliest heathlands, and provides a well documented history of life in a rural village.

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The importance of recording the memories of of our senior residents has been paramount. Their contributions have helped us to achieve an archive that now contains over 500 images, and many interesting stories and  memorabilia.

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We are very fortunate to have long established second and third generation Blackheath families residing here. Their ancestors had the foresight to not only collect photographs, but to relay snippets of village life. The photographs have been digitalized and preserved from further deterioration.

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Blackheath has been home to many interesting characters over the years.  A few 'notables' include the author Virginia Wolf, and the crime writer Freeman Croft Wills. The day to day stories of the villagers and  their lives in this small community provides a social history from about 1840 to contemporary times.

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St. Martin’s Church, and the Blackheath Village Hall have for over 122 years provided space for all types of events. Both were designed by the Arts and Craft architect Charles Harrison Townsened. Local people have stepped over the thresholds of these buildings to attend a wide array of events from religious to social gatherings. This is still the case in 2022.

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Blackheath has been home to African lions, war evacuee's, and in 1943 thousands of Canadian and British troops were billeted on Blackheath in preparation of the D-Day invasion of France.

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