Parks and playgrounds directory

Location

Hooley, beside the Brighton Road on the edge of the Borough, the houses in Woodfield Hill and Hollymeoak Road back onto the area.

Area

60 acres 23.27 hectares.

Facilities

• Woodland and farmland which is closed to the public

History

Mill Stock on the Brighton Road was, according to local tradition, the site of the mill worth 30 shillings in the account of Chipstead in Domesday Book.  The mill would have been powered by water from a stream running through the Hooley Village which had the power to turn the mill‐ wheel.  However, the Bourne which is in this vicinity has been an underground stream for many years and the field has been farmed for centuries.  

The Council bought the meadow of Millstock (47 1/2 acres) in 1939 as part of the Green Belt Scheme and later purchased adjacent land which included woods.  The agricultural use has continued and the land is leased to a farmer.  

Millstock was in the Manor of Coulsdon and from time to time the Metes and Bounds of the estate were checked and records show this was done in 1346, 1496 and 1550.  The route taken was always the same and was a journey of some twelve miles which commenced at Purleestrete (site of what was the Royal Oak public house at Purley Oak). A more or less circular route included the Caterham side of Kenley Common and the main route was reached where the field Mullestok (Millstock) fronted it.  

Hunting in the Chipstead Valley was a very popular sport and no doubt hunts ran across Millstock many times.  Staghounds, foxhounds, harriers, beagles, and drag hounds all hunted over the Chipstead fields with many of the local residents following.  

Just before the Second World War clay was found underneath Millstock and a large pit was dug to extract it, this was subsequently filled with rubble from bombed buildings and the field was returned to agriculture.  

Millstock was one of several sites considered by the Coulsdon and District Urban District Council for a running track but although the site was large enough it was not used.