Byfleet Heritage Society

Places in Byfleet

Binfield Hall

Binfield Hall in Binfield Road was taken over by the Salvation Army in 1925, from the previous Gospel hall occupants. Mr Stoop was a prime mover in getting them to come to Byfleet and Mr Tarrant presented them with a pedal organ. After WW2 it was used as a schoolroom annexe to St Mary's Church of England School. During the evenings and at weekends it was available for private bookings (birthday parties, wedding receptions, etc) and other events.

Brewmaster's House

On the corner of the High Road and the Willows. The former home of the owners of the Byfleet Brewery, which was where the Willows now stands and was replaced by the Sanway Laundry.

Broadoaks

A large house on the Parvis Road, now under redevelopment. Once the home of the Charrington family (brewers). See the BHS Journal for its history.

Byfleet Banking

The southern banked part of the Brooklands Race Track, still to be seen opposite M&S and Tesco.

Byfleet Boat Clubs

Byfleet had two boat clubs on the Wey Navigation beside Parvis Bridge. These were set up by Mr Stoop. The existing one was for 'the Village' whilst the original club was for the gentry and was on the opposite bank - often seen in old postcards. It became a private house after WWII.

Byfleet Corner

Not in Byfleet, in fact, but in West Byfleet. The junction beside the Church.

Byfleet Cottage

See Clock House, which was built on the the site of Byfleet Cottage.

Byfleet Fire Station

Close to the War memorial. Currently being restored. Closed as a fire station c1962

Byfleet Lodge

See Clock House - this was its former name.

Byfleet Mill

Formerly a mill producing a variety of products. This has also been a night club in its time and is now home to a family business. Once the home of Robert Bolt and Sarah Miles.

Byfleet Park

See Manor House

Byfleet Village Hall

Built to celebrate Queen Victoria's Jubilee on land donated by Hugh Locke King and financed by Mr Stoop of West Hall.

Clock House

At the junction of the High Road and Church Road. This once had another tower. Formerly called Byfleet Lodge, it was built on the site of Byfleet Cottage, and was for many years a charity providing housing

Essential Oil Factory

In the 19c there was an oil factory off the Pyrford Road. Presumably this gave rise to the name Rosemount Parade?

French's Farm

This farm was on the Western side of Chertsey Road

Gun Emplacement

There was a WWII gun emplacement on the Manor Farm. Other emplacements were within the Brooklands site and on the track.

John O'Gaunt

Not a pub, but a large house in West Byfleet, roughly in the area now occupied by the library.

Manor Farm

A former market garden off Mill Lane, now used for grazing by the Surrey Wild Life Trust

Manor House

Originally named Byfleet Park in Mill Lane. The site has a long recorded history, having had many famous owners including the Black Prince. The current Manor House dates from 1685. Has undergone extensive renovation in recent years, continuing as a private residence

Marist Convent

A Roman Catholic school on the Old Woking Road, west of West Byfleet on the junction of Sheerwater Road. The current building replaced an early building, once a house, which was further to the western side of the site. This site had earlier been a small private school whilst "[During the War the convent] school was in a house in Madeira Road that backed onto the railway. We moved up to the existing site in the Old Woking Road around 1945/1946 (Alan Fairlie)".

St Mary's Church

Historic church dating back to the early 14th century, replacing an earlier building mentioned in the Domesday Book. Extensively extended and modified in the 19th century. Contains a collection of memorial crosses from the battlefields of WWI

St Mary's Centre for the Community

The former primary school, replaced in the late 1960s. It was formerly opened as the Day Centre by Princess Diana

Park Barn Farm

On the banks of the River Wey beside the Manor House Bridge. Once the site of the Sheriff of Nottingham's castle for the 1950s TV series Robin Hood

Petersham House

Formerly the site of Lloyds Bank - note the partially visible grand window on the left hand side of the building. From maps it would appear that the original house, once the home of Sir John Whittaker Elliss MP, was a little further back on the site

Pound

The old Byfleet animal Pound was sited where the War Memorial now stands

Rosemount Parade

The parade of shops in West Byfleet on the Old Woking Road, opposite Waitrose. Presumably named after the Essential Oil Factory once nearby?

Sanway

Once the home of Sanway Laundry (which move to the Brewery site on the high Road in the early 20c) and another laundry. It is thought that the name is derived from Sandy Way and it is interesting to see how this route, now a road, links with other tracks and roads through and beyond the village

Vanners Parade

A parade of shops built on the site of Vanners Farm, an old (Elizabethan?) house demolished in the 1960s

Vickers housing

When Vickers became a significant employer at Brooklands they built Dawson Road and Caillard Road as workers' houses. Julian Temple Notes "Caillard & Dawson Roads - forming the new Vickers workers' housing estate built in WW1 and having checked the index of J D Scott's 1962 book 'Vickers - A History', these must have been named after two major figures in Vickers' history in the early 20th C. - Sir (Arthur) Trevor Dawson (1866-1931), originally a naval ordnance expert who effectively ran the Vickers company from 1900 and Sir Vincent Caillard, son of a judge, who became a Royal Engineer and expert on the Middle East who joined the Board in 1898 and soon became their multi-talented financial director."

Vickers Sports Ground

This was in Kings Head Lane and was of a very high standard, hosting a Surrey CCC Sunday League cricket match every year. It was the original home of the Vickers Miniature Railway which later merged with Mizens Railway and is now to be found at Barrs Lane, Knaphill.

West Hall

A large house on the Parvis Road and the banks of the Wey Navigation. Former home of local benefactor, Cornelius Stoop. Earlier owners were the Murray family, hence the name 'Murrays Lane' (also known locally as Conker Arch), which leads from the canal bridge towards St. Mary's Church. Now occupied by Anchor Homes as a care home, with three pods of accommodation for residents

White Cottage

An historic cottage at the original entrance to Mill Lane, along side the Clock House. Believed to have once been a small school. Thought have been called Chelsea Cottage in the past.

Blue Gates Hole

A large pool in the River Wey by a weir, formed where the waters of the river meet having flowed either side of the island home of the Mill.

Byfleet Brewery

The Brewery was on the site of the Willows and the Brewmaster's House is still standing. It was in existence by 1840 when owned by Henry Dennett. He was succeeded by the Holroyd family (of Byfleet Mill) and it grew into a successful business with a number of tied houses. It merged with the Friary brewery of Guildford and Healy's Chertsey Brewery in the 1890s and brewing finished by 1908. In the 1950s Friary, Horoyd & Healy merged with Meux of London.

Byfleet Park

See Manor House

Byfleet Park Farm

The farm associated with the Manor House, although bought by Mrs Rutson after she bought the house. Latterly a market garden and now Surrey Wildlife Trust's grazing grounds. Not to be confused with Park Barn Farm, which is on the opposite bank of the River Wey.

Common Meadow

Water meadows near to the River Wey, behind Manor Farm

Conker Arch

See Murray's Lane

Great Jacks

A field to the south of the High Road, bought by Lloyd Derisley. See also Little Jacks, which it was adjacent to.

Jericho's Hole

A pond in the Common Meadow

Little Jacks

A former field, bought by Lloyd Derisley to build his house and shop. Close to the War memorial. See also Great Jacks

Manor House Bridge

A footbridge over the River Wey, beside the Manor House in Mill Lane, leading from Byfleet to Wisley

Murray's Lane

Also known as Conker Arch. The former drive from West Hall to St. Mary's Church

Park Barn Farm

Actually in Wisley, this farm is on the opposite bank of the River Wey to the Manor House and should not be confused with Byfleet Barn Farm q.v.

Plough Bridge

Road bridge on the A245 Parvis Road over the River Wey, leaving Byfleet towards Cobham and Weybridge. Once a ford. Named after the Plough PH, which used to be alongside.

Brewery Lane

Reflecting the fact that Byfleet's brewery was once close to the start of this road, actually on the site of what is now The Willows.

Bruce Close

Commemorating a former local charity that owned land nearby. "Lady Magdalen Bruce's Charity held a few acres of agricultural land for the use of the poor in general, as bequeathed in a will dating from 1635. It was incorporated into Byfleet United Charities in 1905."

Caillard Road

Built, along with Dawson Road, by Vickers as housing for employees. It is believed that this was named after a director of the company of that era (Sir Vincent Caillard).

Conker Arch

Also known as Murray's Lane (qv) after the Murray family, one time owners of West Hall.

Dawson Road

Built, along with Caillard Road, by Vickers as housing for employees. It is believed that this was named after a director of the company of that era - Sir (Arthur) Trevor Dawson (1866-1931).

Digby Way

Built on the site of Digby's Stores.

Maitland Close

Presumably named after a major local landowner featured in the Inclosure, imaginatively named Maitland Maitland?

Mill Lane

A lane in Byfleet that leads to Byfleet Mill, as its name implies. It also leads to the Manor House and the footbridge over the River Wey, once a route to Ripley.

Murray's Lane

Named after the Murray family, one time owners of West Hall.

Oyster Lane

How did this Byfleet road get its name? The story is that oyster shells were found when digging the foundations, but is this fact or fiction?

Parvis Road

How did this Byfleet road, shown on one map as Parish's Road, get its name? We have recently heard of a Mr Parvis who left Byfleet for the USA in the 17th Century, suggesting an avenue for further research.

Rectory Lane

As it implies, the road that leads to Byfleet Rectory, however it was previously known rather less romantically as Workhouse Lane.

Rosemount Parade

The parade of shops in West Byfleet on the Old Woking Road, opposite Waitrose. Presumably named after the Essential Oil Factory once nearby?

Rutson Road

Named after Mrs Rutson, one time owner of Byfleet Manor House (c1895-1942).

Sanway Road

In the south of Byfleet, leading to the River Wey and Wisley. The Village sand pits, as specified in the Inclosure, were nearby and this suggests that the name may be a corruption of Sandy Way, or similar. All ideas and information are very welcome. Around the start of the 20th century there were two laundries in Sanway Road. This has been recalled by Frank Thurlow. Julian Temple says - "My recent early research on the Sanway area confirms that there were two laundries there - the main one on the site of the current Sanway Stores and the other roughly where the playground of the disused school is on the corner with Magdalen Cres."

Stoop's Lane

Named after the Stoop family, one time owners of West Hall - see also Murray's Lane.

Winern Glebe

Named loosely after its developers - Ernest Griffin and his wife Winifred. The name was reputedly invented when they were not allowed to use Griffin.

Workhouse Lane

Now Rectory Lane. Originally named after the Workhouse, which was on the site of Stream Close.