Simon Furber

5 days ago | bbc.com | Joshua Askew |Simon Furber

Why are there so many parakeets in Surrey? Joshua Askew & Simon FurberGetty ImagesJimi Hendrix is rumoured to have released parakeets in London in the 60s "Surrey is a prime parakeet county," says Oliver Fry from the Surrey Wildlife Trust. Standing in Meadowbank Park in Dorking, he tells Secret Surrey the bright green birds like tall trees, munching on blossom and drinking out of ponds.

2 weeks ago | bbc.co.uk | Simon Furber |Patrick Barlow

Image source, Cuckmere Valley ParishImage caption, Lullington Good Shepherd Church is one of the UK's smallestNestled in the South Downs and Cuckmere Valley, it would be easy to miss what is one of the smallest churches in the country. At about 16ft by 16ft (4.8m by 4.8m), Lullington Good Shepherd Church can host about 20 people at a time, whether they are members of the community, returning visitors or hikers who have stumbled across the site.

2 weeks ago | bbc.co.uk | Simon Furber |Patrick Barlow

Image source, Simon Furber/BBCImage caption, Albury's Catholic Apostolic Church remains sealed for the Second ComingMuch is shrouded in mystery about a Surrey church that is sealed for the Second Coming. For years, nobody has been allowed to peek behind the ornate stone walls and intricate rose window of the Catholic Apostolic Church in Albury. But historian Trevor Brook said the estate was kept in pristine condition to be "ready for use" when, in Christianity, Jesus Christ returns to the earth.

3 weeks ago | bbc.co.uk | Simon Furber |Craig Buchan

Image caption, A church in West Sussex is home to a scale replica of the Sistine Chapel's ceilingA church near the West Sussex coast contains an homage to one of Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo's most famous works. Within the unassuming exterior of English Martyrs Catholic Church in Goring-by-Sea is a scale replica of the Sistine Chapel's ceiling. The replica roof was created in proportion to the 16th Century original, which is located in the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City.

1 month ago | bbc.com | Zac Sherratt |Simon Furber

How a lord forced an entire Surrey village to moveZac Sherratt & Simon FurberJohn 1000000The village of Albury was once in a completely different locationVillages have been evacuated for many reasons over the years, including flood, fire and plague, but one Surrey village was emptied purely on the whim of a lord of the manor. In 1784, Capt William Finch bought Albury Manor and quickly set about forcing people from the homes on his land.