Addlestone

Coordinates: 51°22′10″N 0°29′24″W / 51.3695°N 0.4901°W / 51.3695; -0.4901

Addlestone
St. Paul's Church, Addlestone
Addlestone  Addlestone shown within Surrey
Population	16,657
OS grid reference	TQ052644
Civil parish	Addlestone
District	Runnymede
Shire county	Surrey
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Addlestone
Postcode district	KT15
Dialling code	01932
Police	Surrey
Fire	Surrey
Ambulance	South East Coast
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Runnymede and Weybridge
List of places: UK • England • Surrey

Addlestone is a town in the borough of Runnymede in the county of Surrey, England noted for its ancient 'Crouch Oak'. It is by Junction 11 of the M25 motorway, is served by Addlestone railway station on the Chertsey Branch Line and has a direct bus service to Heathrow Airport (bus 51). The M25 motorway passes to the west the town proper. Its main road is Station Road which has many shops, two supermarkets, a doctors' NHS surgery, the Aviator business park and the Eileen Tozer Day Centre and joins in to surrounding A-roads. Runnymede's council civic centre is also located on Station Road.^[1] Immediate surrounding towns and villages are Weybridge, Ottershaw, Chertsey and New Haw.

History

The name Addlestone probably means "Attel's Denu"; the valley belonging to a Saxon named Attel. In 1241 the place was listed as Attelsdene and by 1610 John Speede's map shows Adleston halfway between "St. Annhill" and "St. Georg Hill", just south of the Thames. Addlestone is mentioned in H.G Wells' book The War of the Worlds, in which the second of ten Martian invasion ships (called 'cylinders') landed at the Addlestone Golf Links.

Detail of the Crouch Oak. The tree is hollow, but still alive.

The Crouch Oak, an oak tree believed to have originated in the 11th Century, is an important symbol of the town. It used to mark the boundary of Windsor Great Park. Legend says that Queen Elizabeth I stopped by it and had a picnic.^[2] The tree is one of the main historic features of the town, and consequently several local businesses use its name in their title. In September 2007 the tree suffered an arson attack yet has survived.

Adam de Woburn lived at Woburn Park in 1260^[3] where famed gardener Philip Southcote chose to construct in the 1740s CE a two-storey house, also named Woburn Park, with an original ornamented farm ('ferme ornée) on Woburn Hill with fields for cattle or crops, decorated with statues, grotto, vases, temples, archways and other features, much of which survives as part of St George's RC College. The subsequent owners Woburn Park owners were:

• 1783 Lord Petre

• 1816 Vice Admiral Charles Stirling, listed in deeds as Admiral Stirling but Vice-Admiral

• 1834 Lord and Lady King, later Lord (Earl of and Countess of) Lovelace

• 1862 Lord (2nd Earl of) Kilmorey

On Station Road, a large Blériot aircraft factory was built in 1917 and the several hundred aeroplanes produced here were taken by road to Brooklands for final assembly and test flying. In the 1950s the site was taken over by Weymann to build buses and coaches who built the prototype of the Routemaster bus before ceasing trade in the mid 1960s. After, part of the site was used by Caddy's who built taxis. In early 1967, Plessey moved from Chessington and took over this factory. In 1990, the site was used by Marconi. All these companies were important local employers. By 2000 the site was derelict and has since been demolished and redeveloped as a business park called Aviator Park, reminiscent of its original use.^[4]

Education

There are two secondary schools in Addlestone: Jubilee High School and St George's College. There are also numerous primary schools, such as St Paul's C of E, and the Holy Family Catholic Primary School. A couple of nurseries are dotted around as well, e.g. Buckles and Bows.

Sport

The Crouch Oak Tree

Abbey Rangers F.C. is located in Addlestone Moor, on the Thames winter flood meadows (prior to the construction of the Thames Barrier next to the Woburn Arms and the athletics track in Woburn Park which is now St George's RC College. Abbey Rangers were formed in 1976 and continue to offer football for boys and girls as well as men and women.

Addlestone Victory Park Bowls Club was formed in 1931 and has played at the facilities maintained by Runnymede Borough Council since then. The club offers both indoor and outdoor short mat bowling facilities to members of all ages and levels of experience.

Culture

Addlestone Library is co-located with Runnymede Borough Council and Addlestone Police in the Runnymede Civic Centre, set in an award winning building^{[citation needed]} on Station Road, opposite Addlestone Health Centre.

References

1. ^ Runnymede B.C. website
2. ^ Addlestone Tourist Information
3. ^ Philip Southcote School about the grounds shared with St George's College
4. ^ Addlestone Historical Society

External links

• Historical society

v t e Towns, villages and hamlets in the Runnymede Borough of Surrey, England Addlestone Chertsey Egham Egham Hythe Englefield Green Longcross Lyne Ottershaw Thorpe Virginia Water