98-780: McLaren Group Limited ( / m ə ˈ k l ær ə n / mə- KLARR -ən ) is a British holding company based in Woking , England, which is involved in Formula One and other motorsport and the manufacture of sports cars . The group was founded by Ron Dennis shortly after his acquisition of the McLaren Formula One team in 1981 , as the TAG McLaren Group due to a partnership with Mansour Ojjeh 's TAG Group . The Formula One team had been established by New Zealander Bruce McLaren in 1963. McLaren Group
196-414: A disc barrow at Horsell are thought to date from the early Bronze Age . Pollen samples taken from the westernmost barrow suggest that the local environment at the time of construction was predominantly open heathland with some areas of deciduous woodland. Aerial photographs suggest that there may have been field systems on Horsell Common, Smarts Heath and Whitmoor Common in the same period, although
294-574: A Serenissima V8. In 1967 they tried two different BRM engines. For the 1968 season they switched to Cosworth Ford engines. These continued to 1983, apart from a couple of Alfa Romeo examples, and then the TAG-Porsche turbo came in. This was the start of the MP4 cars, and the first entire carbon-composite chassis. Honda engines took over in 1988, and then in 1993 the MP4/8 had a Ford HB engine. The next year
392-509: A World Championship race). Emerson Fittipaldi won the F1 world championship in 1974, and McLaren also took their first constructor's title at the same time. The 1976 title was taken by James Hunt, and then there was a gap until 1984. Then, Lauda took the title, and Prost took it the next two years running. The team took the constructor's title in 1984 and 1985. In 1988, the McLaren MP4/4 had
490-582: A consignment of timber to Woking, was made via the canal in 1947. By the mid-1960s, the canal was derelict, but between 1970 and 1976 it was purchased by Surrey and Hampshire county councils. Restoration of the canal was completed in 1991 and the canal is now open for navigation from the Wey to the eastern portal of Greywell Tunnel . The construction of the London and Southampton Railway began in October 1834 and
588-651: A crash. The team was saved by Teddy Mayer , who helped the team win their first Constructors and Drivers titles. After Mayer, Ron Dennis took over the McLaren Racing team and worked for the company until 2018. However, at the beginning of the 2009 season, Dennis handed over the F1 department to Martin Whitmarsh so Dennis could focus on expanding McLaren overall, and especially in the road car market. In 1966, McLaren suffered with reliability with their Ford 4.2-litre engine, and only scored one point after changing to
686-737: A junction in May 1845 when the branch to Guildford was opened. Three other railway stations were built in the present borough: Brookwood (opened in June 1864), Worplesdon (opened in March 1883) and West Byfleet (opened in December 1887 as Byfleet). The track through Woking station was quadrupled in 1904 and electrified in 1937. The London Necropolis Company was established by an Act of Parliament in 1852 to create Brookwood Cemetery . New burials had been banned in central London graveyards in 1850, and
784-496: A major railway junction as well as several Vickers factories making aircraft parts, made Woking an obvious target for enemy bombing. The most severe attack took place in January 1941, in which seven people were killed. By the end of 1944, the borough had experienced 58 air raids, during which around 25 houses had been destroyed and almost 2300 damaged. The final bomb attack on Woking, a V-2 rocket , fell on 2 March 1945. The town
882-511: A new factory, known as the Lion Works, on the site of the former Oriental Institute . By 1919, over 600 Buzzard biplanes had been produced in Woking, but following the end of the war, demand for aircraft declined, and the company closed in 1924. In 1926, the site of the Lion Works was purchased by James Walker, whose company specialised in the production of packaging materials. By 1939,
980-451: A royal property at the start of the 14th century. Edward II granted it to Piers Gaveston , but following Gaveston's downfall in 1312, it reverted to the Crown. Anne of Denmark , wife of King James I was the manor's last royal owner and thereafter it was held by a series of private individuals. The current manor house dates from 1686, but it was restored and extended in 1905. Pyrford
1078-667: A subsidiary of the McLaren Technology Group, merging the shareholding of the two companies and seeing the group revert to its original McLaren Group name. In May 2018, it was announced that Canadian businessman Michael Latifi had purchased approximately 10% of the group with an investment of £200 million. This left the shareholding at: Mumtalakat Holding Company 56.4%, TAG Group Limited 14.32%, Nidala (BVI) Limited (Michael Latifi) 9.84%, Favorita Limited 5.78%, Perlman Investments Limited 5.77%, McKal Holdings Ltd 5.24%, Acanitt Limited 2.65%. In 2024, Mumtalakat bought 100% of
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#17327727724811176-419: A total of 30 elected representatives serves on the council, each with a term length of four years. The Borough of Woking covers 64 km (25 sq mi) and had a population of 103,900 in 2021. The main urban centre stretches from Knaphill in the west to Byfleet in the east, but the satellite villages of Brookwood , Mayford , Pyrford and Old Woking retain strong individual identities. Around 60% of
1274-552: A very successful year. Not only did Senna win the title, but the car won 15 out of 16 races, and, apart from just 27 laps, led every single lap during the year. Prost won in 1989, and then left for Ferrari after clashing with Senna. Senna also won the title for McLaren in 1990 and 1991. The partnership between McLaren and Mercedes began in 1995 with McLaren choosing to use Mercedes engines. McLaren and Mercedes announced their intention to part ways in November 2009 as Mercedes had bought
1372-599: A visit to the Rolls-Royce factory where he saw engineers working with carbon fibre technology on the Rolls-Royce RB211 jet engine, Barnard saw the potential of this technology and convinced Ron Dennis to fund the design and build of a whole new car out of this new bodywork material. The chassis itself was built by McLaren using carbon supplied by American firm Hercules Aerospace in Salt Lake City on
1470-481: A wharf was provided at Horsell for the use of local farmers. In the first half of the 19th century, bricks were manufactured in the area now occupied by Goldsworth Road and were transported to London via a wharf adjacent to the Rowbarge pub. The canal declined sharply after the opening of the London and Southampton Railway in the late 1830s and traffic west of Woking had ceased by 1921. The final commercial delivery,
1568-503: Is derived from the Old English - ingas and means "people of" or "family of". The Borough of Woking covers an area of 64 km (25 sq mi) in northwest Surrey. Woking town, the main population centre, is surrounded by smaller, distinct settlements, such as West Byfleet and Byfleet in the east and Knaphill to the west. The villages of Brookwood and Mayford retain strong individual identities and lie just outside
1666-488: Is from Domesday Book of 1086, in which the manor appears as Wochinges . In the 12th century, it is recorded as Wokinges , Wokkinges , Wokinge and Wochinga . The "monastery at Wocchingas " is mentioned in a c. 1200 copy of an early 8th-century letter from Pope Constantine to Hedda, Abbot of Bermondsey and Woking. The first part of the name "Woking" is thought to refer to an Anglo-Saxon individual, who may have been called "Wocc" or "Wocca". The second part
1764-501: Is in the parliamentary constituency of Woking and has been represented at Westminster since July 2024 by Liberal Democrat Will Forster . Councillors are elected to Surrey County Council every four years. The borough is covered by seven divisions, each of which elects one councillor. The seven divisions are: "The Byfleets", "Goldsworth East and Horsell Village", "Knaphill and Goldsworth West", "Woking North", "Woking South", "Woking South East" and "Woking South West". Elections to
1862-471: Is named for the business owned by the Stedman family, which operated from the 1860s until the 1910s. Byfleet Brewery, the largest in the modern borough, was active for much of the second half of the 19th century, but production was moved to Guildford after the company was taken over by Friary Ales in the 1890s. The multinational brewing and beverage company, SABMiller , was based in Woking from 1999 until it
1960-644: Is one of the earliest unfortified houses in England. The Shah Jahan Mosque , constructed in 1889, was the first purpose-built Muslim place of worship in the UK. There are numerous works of public art in the town centre , including a statue of the author, H. G. Wells , who wrote The War of the Worlds while living in Maybury Road. Much of the novel is set in the Woking area. The earliest surviving record of Woking
2058-711: The 'Jackmanii' and the 'Belle of Woking'. By 1900, horticulture was one of the most important industries in the area, but following the end of the Second World War, most firms closed or relocated, and their land was sold for housebuilding. Heavy industry arrived in Woking during the First World War with the establishment of the Martinsyde Aircraft Works on Oriental Road. The founders, H. P. Martin and George Handasyde were unable to expand their existing factory at Brooklands and set up
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#17327727724812156-698: The Local Government Act 1894 , the Woking Local Board became an urban district council (UDC) . Byfleet, Horsell and Pyrford became part of the Chertsey Rural District, although the parish of Horsell was transferred into the Woking Urban District in 1907, It was not until 1933, when the Chertsey Rural District was abolished, that both Byfleet and Pyrford joined the Woking Urban District. The council
2254-650: The MP4 ) was a Formula One racing car produced by the McLaren team. It was used during the 1981 , 1982 and 1983 seasons. It was the second Formula One car to use a monocoque chassis wholly manufactured from carbon fibre composite, after the Lotus 88 (which never raced), a concept which is now ubiquitous. The MP4 was first entered in a Formula One race at the third Grand Prix of the 1981 season in Argentina. The chassis
2352-586: The Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area . Almost the entire town centre dates from the 20th and 21st centuries. Elsewhere in the borough, there are several historic buildings, including the ruins of Woking Palace , a royal residence of Henry VII and Henry VIII . Parts of St Peter's Church in Old Woking date from the reign of William I and Sutton Place , built for Richard Weston c. 1525 ,
2450-639: The Woking Convict Invalid Prison and Brookwood Hospital in the mid-19th century. Modern Woking began to develop between the mid-1860s and late-1880s, as the London Necropolis Company sold excess land that had not been used for Brookwood Cemetery. The High Street had been laid out by 1863, and a post office opened there in 1865. By 1869, the first houses had appeared on Ellen Street (now West Street), Providence Street (now Church Street) and Commercial Road. By
2548-468: The interwar period , and Old Woking is now contiguous with the main urban area of the borough. The majority of the borough is drained by the River Wey, which flows along the southeastern boundary of the borough, from Jacobs Well to Byfleet. The Hoe Stream, which joins the Wey near Pyrford Village , runs from Fox Corner through Mayford. The Basingstoke Canal runs from west to east, broadly following
2646-498: The layoff of 25% of its workforce as part of a company restructure due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The group announced in December 2020 that American investment firm MSP Sports Capital had purchased 15% of McLaren Racing, as part of a deal that would see them grow their stake to 33% by the end of 2022. The £185 million investment valued the team at £560 million. In April 2021, Global Net Lease announced that it had agreed to acquire
2744-897: The 11th Battalion of the South Eastern Home Guard . Training was carried out at Mizens Farm, Horsell, and included a mock battle with Canadian, Polish and Free French troops in 1941. Dedicated Home Guard units were responsible for guarding the Woking Electric Supply Company power station, the GQ parachute factory and the Sorbo Rubber Works. Woking railway station was defended by troops operating light anti-aircraft artillery. Air raid shelters were opened on Commercial Road and at Wheatsheaf Recreation Ground in 1939, followed in 1941 by further shelters, including at Victoria Gardens. The presence of
2842-420: The 1890s, most of the land to the north of the railway line had been sold, but the London Necropolis Company had been unable to find a buyer for Hook Heath, to the south. The company decided to develop the area itself and divided it into plots for large, detached houses. A golf course was built on part of the heath to attract residents and visitors. The first council housing in Woking was constructed following
2940-399: The 1944 Greater London Plan , Pyrford and Byfleet were identified as areas for overspill development and homes for 3,250 former London residents were expected to be built in the borough. In 1947, London County Council purchased 230 acres (93 ha) at Sheerwater and by 1951 had constructed 1,279 houses and flats for new tenants. In 1965, much of the remaining open space in the borough
3038-474: The Crown until 1189, when Richard I granted it to Alan Basset , who later received the manor of Sutton from King John . Woking was inherited by his descendants until it passed, through marriage, to Hugh le Despenser . It remained in the Despenser family until 1326 when it was granted to Edmund Holland, the fourth Earl of Kent . In the mid-15th century, the manor was inherited by Margaret Beauchamp . It
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3136-590: The London terminus was bombed. Construction of St John's , the only significant area where housebuilding was directly stimulated by the opening of the Basingstoke Canal, began in the first decades of the 19th century. In the 1790s, there had been a few scattered smallholdings and squatters' cottages to the south of Knaphill, but the opening of a wharf to serve the nurseries and new brickworks attracted new workers, requiring more extensive accommodation. By
3234-614: The McLaren Technology Centre in Woking for £170 million. The group sold McLaren Applied to Greybull Capital in August 2021. In March 2024, Mumtalakat Holding Company , the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Bahrain acquired all outstanding shares of McLaren Group and took full control of the company. McLaren originally entered Formula One in 1966 under its founder Bruce McLaren. However, in 1970 he died in
3332-670: The McLarens joining the BMW powered Brabhams as the only cars above 300 km/h (186 mph) through the Monza speed trap, faster than the longer developed turbo engines from Renault (also powering Lotus ), Ferrari and Alfa Romeo . Despite the straight line speed, teething problems with the new car and engine saw Lauda and Watson only qualify 13th and 15th respectively with Lauda over 4 seconds slower than pole sitter Riccardo Patrese in his Brabham BMW (Watson in his first race meeting with
3430-759: The Peace were expanded to take greater responsibility for law and order in the area. Following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 , the parish of Woking was included in the Guildford Poor Law Union, whilst the parishes of Byfleet, Horsell, and Pyrford were included in the Chertsey Poor Law Union. These unions then formed the basis for the rural sanitary districts established in 1872, which gradually took on more local government responsibilities. Surrey County Council
3528-687: The TAG/Porsche turbo engine. This infuriated Dennis and designer John Barnard, who had designed the MP4/2 specifically for the new turbo-charged engine, but now had to re-design his MP4/1 to "E" spec for the TAG engine. The MP4/1E was first driven by Watson, not Lauda, at the Porsche proving ground. It was competitive but the new engine was underdeveloped and had teething troubles. This made the car very unreliable, and it did not win any races. However, this car
3626-503: The Weye". The River Wey Navigation was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1651. Twelve locks (including two flood locks), and 9 mi (14 km) of new cuts were constructed between the Thames and Guildford , of which three are in the borough. The opening of the new navigation had a modest effect on the local area, and, by the 18th century, flour produced by watermills at Woking
3724-641: The World Championship, but he finished third behind Keke Rosberg and Didier Pironi , with 39 points. In the same year, however, it did take second in the Constructors' Championship, collecting 69 points. For the 1983 season, the car was then updated into the MP4/1C, and the season started with a 1–2 finish for the MP4/1C at Round 2 in Long Beach , in which Watson won from 22nd on the grid –
3822-548: The advice of McLaren engineer and former Hercules apprentice Steve Nichols , and quickly revolutionised car design in Formula One with new levels of rigidity and driver protection and its Carbon-Fibre-Composite (CFC) construction. Dennis and Barnard took Nichols' advice after being rejected by multiple British firms due to the ambitiousness of this method of chassis construction. Within months and subsequent years, carbon fibre started being used by all of McLaren's rivals. The car
3920-590: The area was the least populated part of the county in 1086. Between the mid-17th and mid-19th centuries, new transport links were constructed, including the Wey Navigation , Basingstoke Canal and London to Southampton railway line . The modern town was established in the mid-1860s, as the London Necropolis Company began to sell surplus land surrounding the railway station for development . Modern local government in Woking began with
4018-489: The borough council take place in three out of every four years. A total of 30 councillors serve at any one time, ten of whom are elected at each election. The council is led by an executive committee consisting of the Leader and six portfolio holders. Each year, one of the councillors serves as Mayor of Woking for a period of twelve months. The role of mayor is primarily ceremonial and the post has little political power. Among
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4116-475: The borough is protected by the Metropolitan Green Belt , which severely limits the potential for further housebuilding. Recent developments have included the construction of two residential tower blocks in the town centre and the conversion of former industrial buildings to apartments. There are six Sites of Special Scientific Interest within the borough boundaries, of which three form part of
4214-456: The borough on a daily basis. According to the 2015–2016 Annual Population Survey, 85% of the working-age population are in employment (compared to the Surrey average of 80%) and 14% are self-employed (compared to the county average of 12%). However, economic prosperity is not spread uniformly across the borough; two areas of Sheerwater are the most deprived parts of Surrey. In the mid-2010s,
4312-456: The company was able to purchase 2,268 acres (918 ha) of common land in the Woking area in 1854. The cemetery was consecrated by the Bishop of Winchester in November 1854. Coffins were transported to Brookwood by train and the cemetery was served by a short single-track branch line with two stations . The company ran funeral trains to Brookwood at least twice a week until April 1941, when
4410-552: The company. Woking Woking ( / ˈ w oʊ k ɪ ŋ / WOH -king ) is a town and borough in northwest Surrey , England, around 23 mi (36 km) from central London . It appears in Domesday Book as Wochinges , and its name probably derives from that of a Saxon landowner. The earliest evidence of human activity is from the Paleolithic , but the low fertility of the sandy local soils meant that
4508-410: The company. His attempts to do so ultimately failed, and in November 2016 he lost a court case against his fellow shareholders that saw him suspended from his position as chairman. Dennis' contract with McLaren expired in January 2017, and in June 2017 it was announced that he had agreed to sell his remaining shares in both the McLaren Technology Group and McLaren Automotive. McLaren Automotive then became
4606-561: The course of the partly culverted Rive Ditch, and the northern part of the borough is drained by the tributaries of the River Bourne . There have been major flooding events in Woking in 1968, 2000, 2014 and 2016. The strata on which the borough sits were deposited in the Cenozoic . The sandy Bagshot Beds are the main outcrop around the town centre and to the north. In the west of the borough, around Knaphill and Brookwood, are
4704-487: The creation of the Woking Local Board in 1893, which became Woking Urban District Council (UDC) in 1894. The urban district was significantly enlarged in 1907 when it took in the parish of Horsell , and again in 1933 when it took in the parishes of Byfleet and Pyrford . The UDC was granted a coat of arms in 1930 and Woking gained borough status in the 1974 reorganisation of local government . In 2022,
4802-478: The debut-season driver and constructor winning team Brawn . It was re-branded as Mercedes Grand Prix . Ron Dennis said one reason McLaren and Mercedes parted ways was because of his "ambitious plans to turn McLaren into a car manufacturer." Dennis insisted that in the "21st century to survive in F1 you need to have more than just a team". However Mercedes continued to supply engines to McLaren until 2014. Vodafone's title sponsorship deal, which began in 2007, ended at
4900-512: The early 21st century, Woking has a strong economy relative to the rest of the UK; the borough was awarded first place in the UK Vitality Index of Local Authorities, compiled by Lambert Smith Hampton in 2021, and was placed in the top 20% of all Local Authorities for economic vibrancy by Grant Thornton in 2016. University graduates comprise more than 60% of the workforce, although around 53% of all working residents commute out of
4998-532: The end of the First World War, and by the summer of 1921, around 100 families had moved into new properties in Old Woking, Horsell, Knaphill and Westfield. In the same year, Chertsey Rural District Council developed their own schemes in Byfleet and Pyrford, and, in the two decades to 1939, Woking UDC constructed a total of 785 houses. Following the end of the Second World War, the borough council began to build estates at Maybury, Barnsbury and St Mary's Byfleet. In
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#17327727724815096-466: The factory was the largest employer in Woking and, in the mid-1950s, 8% of the local workforce was working for the company. Manufacturing ceased in Woking in 1993, but the company headquarters is still based in the town. The factory site was redeveloped into the Lion Retail Park. The Sorbo Rubber Works opened in 1920 on the site of the former steam laundry on Maybury Road. It specialised in
5194-472: The farthest back on the grid a driver has won from in Formula One – and Lauda finished second from 23rd despite suffering from a worsening leg cramp. This car was used throughout most of the season but against the more powerful turbos of Renault , Ferrari and BMW , results with the outdated Cosworth V8 were becoming harder to come by, though Watson did finish third at the Detroit Grand Prix and
5292-684: The fastest naturally aspirated supercar ever. There are still few production cars with a higher top speed. Among those that are faster are the Koenigsegg Agera R , Bugatti Veyron , SSC Ultimate Aero , Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, the Koenigsegg One:1, and the Bugatti Chiron . In September 2009 McLaren announced the successor of the McLaren F1 was to be the upcoming McLaren P1 . Dennis said that parting ways with Mercedes
5390-870: The final race for the Cosworth car in Holland . During the 1983 season, McLaren worked with Techniques d'Avant Garde and Porsche to develop a turbocharged V6 engine built to John Barnard's specifications and the MP4/1D was the test mule. Later in the season at the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort the Cosworth-powered MP4/1C was replaced by the TAG-powered MP4/1E, which was essentially also a test mule that competed in only 4 races; according to Watson in an interview given in 2009 this
5488-571: The finish of the 2013 season. In 2014, the team's official title was McLaren Mercedes. In 2015, the team, under a new partnership with car manufacturer Honda changed its official title to McLaren Honda. In 2018, the team was powered by Renault , becoming McLaren-Renault until 2020, when the team switched from Renault back to Mercedes. In 1992 McLaren began producing its first road car, the McLaren F1 , which had many similarities to its F1 car. In total, 106 were produced from 1992 to 1998, and even though it has been out of production for 22 years, it remains
5586-430: The first train ran between Nine Elms and Woking on 12 May 1838. When it opened, Woking station was surrounded by open heath and was 2 km (1.2 mi) from what is now the village of Old Woking. Nevertheless, it quickly became the railhead for west Surrey and the main entrance was positioned on the south side of the tracks for the convenience of those travelling by stagecoach from Guildford. The station became
5684-431: The former Unwins' Print Works at Old Woking into the Gresham Mill apartment complex. Until the mid-19th century, the local economy was dominated by agriculture, although large areas of the modern borough were covered by infertile waste land. Acts of Inclosure were passed for Byfleet, Sutton and Pyrford in 1800, 1803 and 1805, respectively, allowing landowners to rededicate land for pasture and growing crops. Inclosure
5782-486: The group following McLaren's death while testing a Can-am series car in 1970. Mayer subsequently led McLaren to their first World Constructors' Championship in 1974 with Brazilian driver Emerson Fittipaldi , who also won the World Drivers' Championship that year. Between 1998 and 2011 McLaren built both the McLaren Technology Centre , a new headquarters and factory for the Group, and the McLaren Production Centre, in Woking, England. In late May 2020, McLaren Group announced
5880-403: The group over a period of two years. The shares were divided evenly between the remaining shareholders, with the Mumtalakat Holding Company owning 50% and Dennis and Ojjeh each owning 25%. Dennis had stepped down as CEO of McLaren in 2009, handing over the reins to Martin Whitmarsh, but returned to his post in 2014 under the condition that he would seek investment to take a controlling interest in
5978-404: The headquarters of the group, was formally opened by Elizabeth II in 2004. The 50 ha (120-acre) site, to the north of the town centre, includes the McLaren Production Centre, the primary manufacturing facility for McLaren Automotive . In 2013, McLaren was the largest employer in the borough. During the Second World War, the defence of Woking and the surrounding area was coordinated by
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#17327727724816076-405: The importance of manorial courts and the day-to-day administration of towns became the responsibility of local vestries . By this time, the modern Borough of Woking was divided between four parishes: Woking, Byfleet, Horsell and Pyrford. The vestries appointed constables, distributed funds to the poor and took charge of the repair of local roads. From the 17th century, the roles of Justices of
6174-425: The industries providing the largest number of jobs in the borough were information technology , food and beverage services , and motor vehicle design and manufacture . Woking also has a significant cluster of companies operating in the oil and gas industries , financial and business services industry , as well as the environmental technologies sector . McLaren MP4 The McLaren MP4/1 (initially known as
6272-406: The late 1830s, the new village, initially known as Kiln Bridge, was large enough to support the construction of a chapel dedicated to St John the Baptist . The chapel was replaced by a larger church , designed by George Gilbert Scott and consecrated in 1842, and the surrounding area acquired the name "St John's" at around the same time. Further expansion in the area continued with the opening of
6370-495: The local soils are relatively infertile and could not have sustained the farming practices of the time for very long. Roman occupation in the borough appears to have been concentrated in the Old Woking and Mayford areas. The sites excavated to date show evidence of low-status dwellings, possibly connected to iron working and pottery making. Roman tiles can be found in the lower part of the tower of St Peter's Church. The earliest documented reference to Woking suggests that there
6468-408: The manors had two mills and one church, and the settlement was among the largest 20% of those recorded in the country in 1086. Three other manors in the modern borough are listed in Domesday Book: Byfleet and Pyrford were held by the abbeys of Chertsey and Westminster respectively; Sutton was held by Durand Malet as lesser tenant and by Robert Malet as tenant-in-chief . Woking was held by
6566-421: The manufacture of rubber sponges but also made toys for children. Production moved to Arnold Road in 1922, and during the Second World War, the company made self-sealing aircraft fuel tanks for the Royal Air Force . The company was acquired by its competitors, P. B. Cow Ltd, in 1948. The first known brewery in the area was founded in Old Woking in 1715 and continued to trade until 1890. Brewery Road in Horsell
6664-523: The mid-1970s) the Nicholson DFV featured bigger pistons and valves than a conventional factory DFV, and thus could rev to around 11,500 RPM, producing around 510 BHP, enabling John Watson and Niki Lauda to all but match the factory Ferrari and Renault V6 twin-turbos in straight line speed during the 1982 season. The Nicholson DFV also used different castings to reduce frictional losses, as well as using MAHLE pistons rather than Cosworth's in house piston/con rods. Hercules Aerospace keeps John Watson 's car which
6762-407: The mushroom farms in Chobham or for the James Walker company. Many started their own landscaping or ice cream businesses. St Dunstan's Catholic Church in Woking holds masses in Italian. The Italian population in Woking, including second- and third-generation members, numbers between two and three thousand. There is a large Pakistani population in Woking, centred on Maybury and Sheerwater. In
6860-447: The north and south of the station, although the primary shopping and office spaces are between the railway line and the Basingstoke Canal. The two main shopping centres, The Peacocks and Wolsey Place, adjoin Jubilee Square. A second public space, Victoria Square, was completed in 2022 as part of a project to construct two high-rise residential apartment blocks and a 23-storey hotel. Old Woking , around 1 mi (1.6 km) south of
6958-517: The people and organisations to have received the Freedom of the Borough are Howard Panter , Rosemary Squire and the Army Training Centre Pirbright . Woking is twinned with: Amstelveen , Netherlands (since 1989); Le Plessis-Robinson , France (since 1993); Rastatt , Germany (since 2001). In December 2014, the borough council announced that it would establish a task group to explore potential twinning opportunities with towns in Brazil , Russia , India , China and South Africa . In 2021,
7056-522: The policy of the borough council has been to permit high-density residential development in this area, exemplified by two residential towers completed in Spring 2022 as part of the Victoria Square project. Elsewhere in the borough, the conversion of former industrial land to residential use is encouraged in preference to building on greenfield sites. Recent examples include the redevelopment of
7154-564: The population of the Borough of Woking was 103,900. According to the 2011 Census , 83.6% of the inhabitants were white , 11.6% were of Asian descent and 2.4% were mixed race . There has long been a large Italian community in Woking, most of whom originated from the Sicilian town of Mussomeli . The majority of the original arrivals worked in the Britax factory in Byfleet and others on
7252-522: The primary built-up area of the borough. Around 60% of the land in the borough is part of the Metropolitan Green Belt , which severely limits the potential for urban expansion. Of the six Sites of Special Scientific Interest , five are areas of heathland and the sixth covers the majority of the Basingstoke Canal . Woking town centre is around 23 mi (36 km) from central London. It covers an area of about 50 ha (120 acres) to
7350-761: The team through its Mercedes subsidiary for five years, Daimler AG exercised an option to buy 40% of the TAG McLaren Group. Dennis and Ojjeh each retained a 30% share. In August 2006 it was reported that Daimler was considering acquiring the remaining 60% of the McLaren Group. However, it was announced in January 2007 that the Mumtalakat Holding Company had purchased 15% each from both Dennis and Ojjeh. In November 2009, Mercedes bought Brawn GP (renaming it Mercedes GP ) and announced that McLaren would buy back Daimler's 40% share of
7448-508: The town centre, close to the River Wey, is the location of the original settlement of the manor of Woking. The village is thought to have grown as an unplanned settlement surrounding St Peter's Church , parts of which date from the 11th century. The basic street layout is likely to have been established in Medieval times, and there was a period of strong growth following the grant of a market in 1662. The settlement expanded northwards during
7546-543: The works expanded following the opening of a wharf at Kiln Bridge. Although the local soils were unsuitable for large-scale agriculture, nurseries were established on the Bracklesham Beds in the 1790s, to satisfy the increasing demand for ornamental garden plants from the growing middle class in London. The Clematis specialist, George Jackman , was among those who established nurseries at Mayford and Goldsworth Park. Cultivars first grown by his firm include
7644-661: The younger Bracklesham Beds . The Bracklesham Beds have a higher clay content than the Bagshot Beds, and brickmaking has historically taken place at Knaphill. The River Wey primarily runs across alluvium and the settlements of Old Woking and West Byfleet are built on river gravels. The earliest evidence of human activity in the Woking area is from the Paleolithic . Flints dated to c. 13000 years before present (BP) have been found at Horsell, and knife blades from c. 12000 – c. 11000 BP have been discovered at Pyrford. Two bell barrows and
7742-488: Was granted a coat of arms in 1930 and three years later it applied to the Privy Council for borough status , but without success. A similar request made in 1955 was also declined. It was not until the 1974 reorganisation of local government that Woking finally became a borough. The parishes within the borough were abolished at the same time, making it an unparished area . A civil parish council for Byfleet
7840-551: Was a "win-win situation for both sides". McLaren also produced the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren with Mercedes as a joint project. Former subsidiaries of McLaren Group are: Ron Dennis initially owned all of McLaren after buying out the remaining original shareholders after Bruce McLaren's death. In 1983 he offered Mansour Ojjeh the chance to purchase 50% of the team, with McLaren becoming a joint venture with Ojjeh's TAG Group . In 2000, after supplying engines to
7938-669: Was a Peugeot V10, and then the Mercedes era began in 1995, ending after the 2014 season. The team's first F1 race win occurred in 1968 when Bruce McLaren won the non-championship Race of Champions at Brands Hatch driving a McLaren M7A Ford. Later that year the team scored its first Grand Prix win when Bruce McLaren took the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps. By the end of the season Denny Hulme had won two further Grands Prix—in Italy and Canada (the team's first 1-2 finish in
8036-428: Was a car that was forced into appearing at the Dutch Grand Prix after political maneuvering by Lauda. He went to Marlboro executive Aleardo Buzzi (the man responsible for giving McLaren their primary sponsorship money), behind the back of the McLaren team and complained extensively to Buzzi about the uncompetitiveness of the team without a turbo engine. Buzzi then withheld money that had been committed to McLaren to develop
8134-532: Was a religious foundation in the area in the early 8th century. Around this time, the settlement was the administrative centre for northwest Surrey, with its western border as the watershed between the Rivers Mole and Wey and its southern border as the North Downs . By 775, there was a minster in Woking, which may be the forerunner of St Peter's Church and by the mid-late 9th century, the settlement
8232-520: Was being shipped to London from a new wharf at Cartbridge near Send . The Basingstoke Canal was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1778 and was intended to provide a route for the transport of farm produce and timber from Hampshire to London. The section between the Wey Navigation and Horsell opened in 1791 and the canal was finally completed in 1794. Although the route was too far from Old Woking for it to have an effect on its development,
8330-585: Was bought by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV in 2016. As part of the takeover deal, several former SABMiller brands, including Peroni and Grolsch , were purchased by the Japanese firm, Asahi Breweries . As of 2022, the UK headquarters of Asahi Breweries is in Woking. The McLaren Group was founded in 1981 by Ron Dennis following his acquisition of the McLaren Formula One team . The McLaren Technology Centre , designed by Foster + Partners as
8428-418: Was briefly held by the Crown before it was passed to her daughter, Margaret Beaufort , in 1466. On her death in 1509, Woking was inherited by her grandson, the future Henry VIII . James I sold the manor to Edward Zouch , but it reverted to the Crown in 1671. In 1752, it was bought by Richard Onslow, the third Baron Onslow and remained in his family's possession until the mid-19th century. Byfleet became
8526-458: Was created in 1990, but was abolished in April 2010. As of 2022, there are no parish councils in the borough. The unimproved River Wey is thought to have been used for the transport of goods and passengers from ancient times. In the early Tudor period, there was a wharf at Woking Palace and in 1566 there is a reference to a "certaein locke... between Woodham lands and Brook lande upon the water of
8624-466: Was designed by John Barnard , Steve Nichols and Alan Jenkins , with the car being powered by a Ford - Cosworth DFV engine. The MP4 was the first car to be built following the merger of the McLaren team and Ron Dennis ' Project 4 Formula 2 team; its designation was short for "Marlboro Project 4". The main engineer for the MP4 was John Barnard , who began drawing the car in late 1979. After
8722-465: Was destroyed in the 1981 Italian Grand Prix and shows it off to visitors after allowing them to view footage of the accident, highlighting how it was possible for him to survive in a carbon fibre car. John Watson and Andrea de Cesaris drove the MP4/1 for most of the 1981 season with Niki Lauda replacing de Cesaris for the 1982 and 1983 seasons. In 1982, the updated MP4B nearly brought Watson to
8820-496: Was established in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888 to operate as a higher-tier authority alongside the sanitary districts. In 1893 a separate local board was established for the parish of Woking, making it its own urban sanitary district, independent from the Guildford Rural Sanitary District. After elections, the first meeting of the Woking Local Board was held on 4 October 1893. Under
8918-502: Was far more advanced than any of McLaren's previous cars- including its predecessor, the M29 and M30 , and its design and construction were of a far more precise nature than before- just about at the level of fighter aircraft. The first few MP4/1 chassis were built in America and sent back to the McLaren factory as they did not have autoclaves at the time. From 1981 until late 1983 the MP4/1
9016-465: Was held by Westminster Abbey until the dissolution of the monasteries when it became the property of the Crown. Elizabeth I granted the manor to Edward Clinton, the first Earl of Lincoln in 1574 and it was sold repeatedly until the mid-17th century. In 1677, Richard Onslow, the first Baron Onslow purchased Pyrford, and it was owned by his family until 1805. Reforms during the Tudor period reduced
9114-435: Was not completed at Woking until the London Necropolis Company purchased the common land in 1854. No Act was passed for Horsell, and the large area of common land to the north of Woking remains free of development as a result. The opening of the Basingstoke Canal in 1794 enabled new industries to be established in the west of the borough. Brickmaking had been taking place on a small scale at Knaphill since at least 1709, but
9212-442: Was not really expected to win or even finish races. In total, the MP4/1 brought McLaren 6 wins, 11 other podium finishes and a total of 131 points. BBC commentator Murray Walker drove the MP4/1C at Silverstone in 1983. During qualifying for the 1983 Italian Grand Prix , just the second race for the TAG-Porsche engines, and with MP4/1E's available for both Lauda and Watson, the new modified car proved its straight line speed with
9310-482: Was placed into the Metropolitan Green Belt , restricting the potential for future development of greenfield land . Nevertheless, housebuilding continued in the 1970s, including the 20 ha (49-acre) Lakeview development and the construction of 440 homes on the former Inkerman Barracks site. Redevelopment has resulted in the demolition of the majority of the Victorian buildings in the town centre. Since 2012,
9408-489: Was powered by the 3.0 litre Ford - Cosworth DFV V8 engine , but in late 1983 the team switched to turbocharging, using a 1.5 litre TAG V6 engine built by Porsche . In both 1981 and 1982, McLaren International benefited from the exclusive use of a developed Nicholson-McLaren Cosworth DFV which powered the MP4. Developed and re-built in John Nicholson's Colnbrook workshops (an agreement with McLaren going back to
9506-535: Was renamed McLaren Technology Group in 2015. In June 2017 it was announced that Dennis had sold his 25% shareholding in the company to the other shareholders, in addition to his shares in McLaren Automotive. The group then merged with McLaren Automotive to form a new company using the previous McLaren Group name. Bruce McLaren started Bruce McLaren Motor Racing in 1963 and the team first entered Formula One in 1966. Teddy Mayer took over direction of
9604-565: Was the centre of a royal vill . Towards the end of the Saxon period, Surrey was divided into hundreds , of which Woking Hundred was one. Woking appears in Domesday book as Wochinges . In 1086, it was partly held by William I and partly by two lesser tenants of the Bishop of Exeter . Together the two holdings had sufficient land for 15 + 1 ⁄ 2 ploughteams, 46 acres (19 ha) of meadow and woodland for 160 swine . Between them,
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