94-611: Pyrford / ˈ p ɜːr f ər d / is a village in the borough of Woking in Surrey , England. It is on the left bank of the River Wey , around two miles (three kilometres) east of the town of Woking and just south of West Byfleet ; the M25 motorway is northeast of the edge of the former parish. The village sits on raised mixed heath soil, and has historical links with the abbey at Westminster , in whose possession it remained between
188-587: A pilgrimage to Spain . The church grounds and the surrounding lands are designated a conservation area , having special architectural and historical importance. Rowley Bristow Hospital, an orthopaedic hospital in Pyrford, was founded in 1928. It was formed from St Martin's home for crippled boys and the St Nicholas Hospital Home. Originally named St Nicholas' and St Martin's Orthopaedic Hospital Homes and Special School of Recovery, it
282-582: 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
376-552: A few such establishments quite close by. The Anchor pub, by Lock Lane, lies on land once part of Wisley parish. The Inn at Maybury is sited alongside the junction of Old Woking Road and Maybury Hill. The third location for drinking is The Yeoman , a Harvester pub-restaurant, on the Old Woking Road in the neighbouring village of West Byfleet. Instead, two social venues in Pyrford are the Pyrford Social Club,
470-737: 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
564-496: 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
658-578: A membership club, next to the cricket club and the Twisted Stone golf club situated on Pyrford Road and open to the general public. These are both licensed for alcohol. Pyrford has three golf courses: Pyrford Lakes Golf Course, Wisley Golf Course and Twisted Stone. It is also home to Pyrford Cricket Club. Founded in 1858, Pyrford is one of the oldest cricket clubs in Surrey, and has achieved success in recent years. The club has been promoted 10 times in
752-511: 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,
846-478: 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 the borough is protected by the Metropolitan Green Belt , which severely limits the potential for further housebuilding. Recent developments have included
940-451: 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
1034-481: 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,
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#17327801698191128-534: 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 the area was the least populated part of the county in 1086. Between
1222-501: 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
1316-541: 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 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,
1410-471: 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
1504-711: 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
1598-698: 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
1692-645: The Norman conquest in 1066 and the Dissolution of the Monasteries nearly five hundred years later. At the foot of slopes in the south of the area are agricultural flood plain pasture meadows bisected by the River Wey Navigation ; the actual border is the River Wey itself (though slightly inaccurate as based on meanders as they were before 1820). Roads passing through the village include
1786-639: 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
1880-897: 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
1974-538: 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 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
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#17327801698192068-420: 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
2162-399: 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
2256-460: The 1978 film The Cat and the Canary . In 1951 the civil parish had a population of 1760. On 1 April 1974 the parish was abolished. The River Wey Navigation, to the south-east and east of the village, marks the boundary between Pyrford and Wisley. The area has marked trails for ramblers . A public bridleway going east-west, connects the village to the canal, parallel to unpavemented Lock Lane on
2350-570: The B367 (Upshott Lane/Church Hill) and B382 (Old Woking Road). Open areas in the south and east of the village are designated Metropolitan Green Belt . The current village name 'Pyrford' is derived from the Saxon dialect of Old English combined term "Pyrianford", which scholarly research into Old English asserts means 'pear tree ford'. King James and Anne of Denmark stayed with Sir Francis Wolley at Pyrford on 10 August 1603. Famous residents include
2444-434: The B367 towards Ripley . Around 8,000 fans lined the route through Pyrford, the focal point being Pyrford Cricket Ground that hosted an Olympics themed fete. Hourly bus route 437 links Pyrford with Woking, West Byfleet and Byfleet; with a connection to New Haw and Addlestone . The service is financially supported by Surrey County Council . The Church of St. Nicholas is less than 1 ⁄ 4 mile (400 metres) north of
2538-474: 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
2632-590: 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
2726-517: The Mall. The course took the riders through or beside four Royal Parks and six London Boroughs. Most of the riders represented countries instead of trade teams; however, there were several, mainly British, trade teams in the race with England being classified as one of them. The race was won by 2011 Tour de France Green Jersey winner Mark Cavendish . Following the Olympic Games, an annual race
2820-759: 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
2914-594: The Pyrford Cricket ground. Twisted Stone Golf Club on Pyrford Road, offers locals a pay and play service. Membership is not required, and the golf course offers an 18-hole round. A public bridleway crosses the golf course linking Pyrford Road to the Wey Navigation Canal. On 28 July (men) and 29 (women), 2012, Pyrford hosted a section of the London 2012 Cycle road race. The race passed through on Coldharbour Road, up onto Upshot Lane and south east on
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3008-764: The Pyrford canalside enables people to hire and own boats; it faces the named public house. July 2012 saw Pyrford's inclusion in what has become the standard version of the London-Surrey cycle classic used in the Summer Olympic Games. The local school is Pyrford Church of England (Aided) Primary School an Academy that is part of The Newark Trust. The school is located on Coldharbour Road and has current Ofsted rating of Outstanding since last inspection in January 2013, with 480 students on roll. Owing to an old law, and covenants on land controlled by religious sects, Pyrford had no public house , but there are
3102-574: The Summer Olympics road race in 2012, however was slightly modified. In the week preceding the race London experienced a series of riots ; several football matches were called off, but the London–Surrey Cycle Classic was allowed to proceed. On race day British riders Liam Holohan, Kristian House and Tom Murray and Brazil's Cleberson Weber opened up a 6-minute gap in the breakaway before the peloton started to pull them back on
3196-503: 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
3290-543: The a section of the Box Hill area would be widened. As for the limited crowd of 3,400 on Box Hill, Jevans stated that she would look into trying to increase the capacity on that section as an estimated 100,000 people turned out to watch the event in total. Pat McQuaid, president of the UCI, was impressed by the spectator turnout. BBC Surrey received complaints about inaccurate signage and road closures that cut off large parts of
3384-489: 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
3478-403: 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,
3572-534: 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 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
3666-512: 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 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
3760-512: 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
3854-545: 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 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
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3948-432: 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 the local soils are relatively infertile and could not have sustained
4042-560: 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
4136-591: 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
4230-447: The event. However, in her debrief with the UCI she said she would look at comments from riders, the impact of the full road closures along the route and the crowd restrictions on Box Hill. Jevans said that consensus was that it was a 'fantastic' course which was 'technically challenging.' However, riders complained about parts of the first part of the course; Dumoulin commenting that it was "a little dangerous." The Director also noted that
4324-466: 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
4418-603: The far side of the golf course; following this the path connects to three others: one south via the Anchor to Wisley, to the north-east to Byfleet and to the north along the towpath to New Haw , Coxes Lock, Addlestone and a large island at Weybridge which connects with the pavement of Thames Street, in turn connected to the Thames Path . Pyrford marina by the Dodds Bridge footbridge, and with its own access road, on
4512-425: 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
4606-569: The final Box Hill climb. 2009 British road race champion House won the King of the Mountains award. The lead quartet were swept up in the final 9 kilometres as Great Britain and England controlled the pace. Kurt Asle Arvesen then made a bid for the win before being brought back. With 12 kilometres to go, Tyler Farrar suffered a puncture. After chasing furiously he reached the peloton with 2 kilometres to go, only to see his chance of
4700-430: 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
4794-492: 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
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#17327801698194888-483: 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
4982-405: 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
5076-434: 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 . London-Surrey cycle classic The London–Surrey Cycle Classic
5170-567: The last 10 years, and achieved an unparalleled treble promotion in 2008, with all three Saturday League sides achieving promotion from their respective divisions of the Surrey Championship. Well known former PCC players include former Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu , New Zealand wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins and Sky Sports presenter Charles "Got Him" Colvile . Pyrford also has an amateur football club, Pyrford F.C., who play at
5264-461: 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
5358-437: 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 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
5452-483: 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
5546-540: 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
5640-719: 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 the creation of the Woking Local Board in 1893, which became Woking Urban District Council (UDC) in 1894. The urban district
5734-577: 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
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#17327801698195828-413: The national Science Museum until Autumn 1958; these premises were finally demolished and redeveloped for new housing in the late 1980s. Pyrford Court was also listed as wartime Depot No. W40 and used for 'aircraft dispersal' - presumably for Vickers Wellington bombers moved there by road before completion and delivery to the Royal Air Force from Brooklands. Pyrford Court was used as the main location of
5922-448: The organisers of sexism. 2010 World Time Trial Champion Emma Pooley was also disappointed, stating "How much extra effort would go in to putting on a women's race? I'm sorry, but we have a sport as well, it kind of annoys me every time." To remedy the lack of racing on the course Cooke and Lizzie Armitstead followed the race in the team cars to survey the course. LOCOG's Director of Sport, Debbie Jevans declared herself pleased with
6016-762: 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,
6110-404: The poet John Donne , and Jack Brabham who used to live on Forest Road. Pyrford is mentioned in The War of the Worlds , by H. G. Wells , in which it is near the landing site of the third of ten Martian invasion cylinders. The Rowley Bristow Hospital from 1928 to 1992 was in Pyrford in the area now occupied by St Martin's Mews and St Nicholas Crescent. Early in World War II , due to
6204-404: 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
6298-402: 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
6392-412: The race were Tom Boonen of Belgium and American Tyler Farrar. The race gave one more leg than the previous year in Britain to the season-long UCI European Tour in 2011 by including not only the Rutland–Melton International CiCLE Classic and Tour of Britain but also this prototype long-distance circuit (taking in London twice and its large section within Surrey ). The course would also witness most of
6486-403: The risk of enemy air attack, the Vickers Armstrongs aircraft factory at nearby Brooklands had a dispersed facility known as Depot No. W95 in Lower Pyrford Road with two aircraft hangars used for 'aircraft salvage' purposes until at least 1944. Post-war, one of these hangars was occupied by a factory making electrical switches and the other was used as a temporary store for historic aeroplanes by
6580-679: The ruins of Newark Priory along a medieval lane, and was built around 1140. It is a fine example of a complete Norman church and is one of the significant minority of medieval churches in the United Kingdom in the top category of listed buildings . It is thought possible that Queen Elizabeth I might have worshipped at St Nicholas's Church. She reputedly donated a silver chalice to the church in 1570. Original frescoes , painted in red ochre, were uncovered during renovations in 1869 and 1967. There are two sets of drawings from different periods with subjects including scenes from Christ's Passion , and an illustration of pilgrims preparing to set sail in
6674-434: 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 , 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
6768-435: 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 a disc barrow at Horsell are thought to date from
6862-667: 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 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,
6956-415: The south ( Kingston upon Thames ) and then heading along the same roads the race used on its outbound journey back to the Mall. 138 riders from 19 national teams and 10 trade teams took part in the race. Mark Cavendish was the pre-race favourite and he was joined in the race by his HTC teammate, Australian Matthew Goss. Other Australians accompanying Goss were Heinrich Haussler and Stuart O'Grady. Also in
7050-532: 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 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 "
7144-746: The towns of Walton on Thames and the outskirts of Weybridge , then turned south, however unlike the Olympic course, took the town centres of West Byfleet , Woking and Guildford , before heading east on the A25 to Dorking . From Dorking the race headed north around the Box Hill loop, twice instead of the nine for the Olympics, taking in The Zig Zag road climb twice. From there the race headed north through Leatherhead and Esher on its return to London via Hampton Court before going through Richmond Park from
7238-418: The win wiped out as a crash occurred; according to Heinrich Haussler it was caused by two riders fighting. The crash split the peloton and in a group of just 20 riders Mark Cavendish beat Sacha Modolo of Italy and France's Samuel Dumoulin in a sprint finish on the Mall. Unlike the road race the following year, no women's event was held, which led the 2008 Olympic Champion Nicole Cooke to accuse
7332-543: 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
7426-488: 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
7520-551: Was a one-off, one-day bicycle race that served as one of three U.K. events in the year-long 2010–11 UCI Europe Tour and acted as the test event for the 2012 Summer Olympics . The race was part of the London Prepares series of events. The race was run over most of the Olympic course, starting in the Mall and heading into Surrey , where the riders completed two laps of the Box Hill loop before making their way back to
7614-532: 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
7708-520: 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,
7802-585: 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
7896-418: 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
7990-411: 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 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
8084-458: 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
8178-496: 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
8272-465: 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
8366-579: Was held on a similar course between 2013 and 2019 – part of the RideLondon cycling festival. The race started on The Mall then headed out of London, using the King's Road via Putney Bridge , part of Roehampton , Richmond Park , Richmond Hill , Twickenham and Teddington running towards Hampton Court (on the Greater London border). From Hampton Court the race continued southwest, passing
8460-435: 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
8554-482: 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,
8648-676: Was renamed in 1948 as the Rowley Bristow Orthopedic Hospital after a well known orthopaedic surgeon, and surgical director of St Nicholas, Rowley Bristow. At its prime it was considered a centre of excellence, but declined from a peak of 250 beds in 1948 to just 41 shortly before it closed in 1992. The orthopaedic department at St Peter's Hospital, Chertsey is now named the Rowley Bristow Orthopedic Unit. Borough of Woking Woking ( / ˈ w oʊ k ɪ ŋ / WOH -king )
8742-461: 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, 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
8836-565: 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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