Banstead Village

Is that a picture of the Corn Stores ? facing onto the Reigate road on the Corner of the traffic lights ? Where new houses have been built ? Christine Davis

No. It's not the Corn Stores. It is on the southern side of Reigate Road but set back on the common. I cannot read the name of the pub on the postcard, but it was The Sheepshearers when it was pulled down. Those cottages were still lit by gas when they were demolished 1950s/early 60s? - I don't remember exactly when.
The pub is approximately where there is a sign looking like an old pub sign saying "The Green" looking at Google Streetview. It seems areas of the common now have houses on them and the common between them on the road is "manicured" and nothing like the heathy area it was.

Up until 1960, my grandmother Elizabeth Florence Brockway lived in one of the cottages with her daughter Doris and her husband George Bardot with their son Michael

Yes thank you Michael, it was the Sheepshearers Pub until it was demolished. We played on the Green at break-time from our School, Burgh Heath Methodist which was by the pond with not a Teacher in sight, until it was demolished in the early 1960's approx 1962.

The pub was The Sheepshearers my grandparents Maud and George Mitchell took it on in the mid 50's until approx 1968. My father Cyril (Mitch) Mitchell owned the racing stables next door to the pub until we moved to Epsom Downs in Sept 1966. The only family I can remember living in the cottages were Doris Blunden her mother Nanny Doll Costello and Doris's daughter Faye. I lived in Heath House (the stables) from 1950 until 1966. After we moved to Epsom in 66 the whole block, our stables, the pub and the cottages were demolished. The only cottages left were those along the bank of the pond by Privets Store. Miss Marshall and her mother lived in the last one which backed onto our garden.

Hello Lou I remember your family home(Heath House) very well.Before it was demolished my friends and I would play in the house and garden.I remember it had a swimming pool in the garden and if I remember correctly there was a spiral staircase in the house?Do you have any photos of the house and garden that you could upload to this site?

I am sorry Christine, I cannot access any at the moment, they are all in storage. If you played in the house when it was empty, the room up the back stairs (not really spiral) next to the bathroom was mine, the wall would have been covered with pictures of the Beatles and the Walker Brothers. My dad built the swimming pool with a friend who was a construction engineer, not bad for a DIY effort, we had lots of fun in it but it was always freezing.

My great great grandfather, Thomas Dudley lived in these cottages in 1861 with his wife, Anne and their daughter, Mary, who married my great grandfather, Eli Voice, in Bansteads All Saints.

Lou . I lived at the Corn Stores and use to play on the commoon and pond with i think was your brother Phillip. .

Yes Philip is my brother. When my dad retired he took over the stables on Epsom Downs. He has now moved to Lambourn to train. I loved living in Burgh Heath, it was an idyllic childhood.

This was the Sheep Shearers public house on the green at Burgh Heath run by Mr Mitchel. It had a little snug on the left as you entered which only held about four people. His son Cyril Mitchel owned the racing stables which were attached to the pub. Peter O'sullivan, the racing commentator, had horses in training there including Chinchilla, which was sold abroad and became a top brood mare. From the same stable, Heaven's Bequest won the Great Metropolitan. Also a horse trained there won the Great Military Gold Cup. Cyril's string of horses used to hack to Epsom Downs, through the estate every morning via Ferrier's Grange. His daughter had a little grey Shetland pony which was tethered on the green. He also had use of the stables at Can Hatch. I kept my horse, Flicka with Cyril Mitchell and took his daughter to a pony show in Langley Bottom, Epsom where she won her first rosette. So Many happy memories.

Memories came flooding back when I chanced upon this postcard.

I was apprenticed to Cyril Mitchell, and one of my early chores was to tack up Lindy and Phillip's pony's when they wanted to ride out. Lindy's was Silver King and Phillip's I have forgotten however I remember riding him at a gymkhana and winning some ribbons for the family.

Hello, Not sure you will remember me. I was riding your pony who was rearing on the common when your dad came out fuming and ordered me off! I lived down Oatlands Road and briefly went out with Philip before he went out and married my friend Edwina. I loved the common and your lovely mother. How sweet she was.

Does anyone have any photos of the cottages named eg 6 Greens Cottages.
I believe they have been demolished.
Thanks

Note from LNW: The Land Registry shows that 5, Greens Cottages was last sold in 2005, and 4, Greens Cottages last sold in 1997. Whether these are the original cottages or replacements with the same name, I am not sure, but no doubt someone will be able to tell us.
Banstead History have published a book called "Burgh Heath in Words and pictures" and that includes many more photographs.
You can get a copy from sales site ( https://bansteadhistorysales.square.site/)

Thank you for the prompt reply and suggestion of the book. It took me a long time to track my great aunt who was my great gran’s twin from Scotland. She came to work as a servant in a house called Mount Radford in Cheam to then settle in the family home of her husband William Spencer at number 6.

I remember counting harebells on the edge of the green next to the bridleway, and my dad played cricket once on the green. That would be about 1948.

Are the cottages shown here called Beall's Cottages?
One of the girls I am researching on picture 820 lived there till 1945.

Lou, I have emailed you separately.
LNW

Good Lord I remember you Diana Hatton and Robert Boyle you moved with us to Downs House to carry on working for my father and I think Philip when he took over.
Philips pony was called Wanders, my Silver King was a little bugger, he bit and kicked out at every opportunity which is why you were asked to tack him up, I was about 5 years old when we first had him. When I was eight he was sold to Chessington Zoo Circus to join their troop of White Shetland ponies - or that's what I was told, ha ha.

Hello, I remember Philip’s pony as a little bugger. He chased me out of the little paddock behind your house more than once so I learned to take a carrot down with me when I tacked him.

Robert ‘’Bobby’’ Boyle.

Does anyone remember the small pond just next to racing stables on the other side of the sloe bush?

I have a photo and a painting I did of it when I was 14 in 1963 so I didn't imagine it? The conservators of the common have no knowledge of it and its loss is a shame. When I visited a few years ago there was just a hollow filled with garden rubbish next to the New(ish)houses. I remember taking a singed frog from one of the heath fires, and it swum away to my delight.

Yes, we used to get fishing nets from the corn stores, and played there for hours.

I remember that small pond. Philip and I spent many days collecting frog spawn in jam jars, to take to school.

I think the pond might have been the one labelled 418 at the top of this map - maps.nls.uk/view/103315141. I remember a small pond in roughly this area and it was full of newts and their tadpoles in Spring and Summer. It was very good for "wildlife" much more so than the main pond. I haven't been to Burgh Heath for many years, but sadly all the heathland and rough grassland of then has gone and changed to woodland because of a complete lack of any management. Similarly the same with much downland eg Banstead Downs.

Did you have a sister Wendy? If so I was at Beacon Prep school with her.

There was also a pond at the back of the common adjoining Ferrier's Grange which had moor hens.
Jonquil Denham-Davies had a riding school there and a big chestnut horse called William of Orange and a little skewbald pony called Puzzle.

So glad you have memories of the 'wildlife' pond. I would add Walton Heath to the list of mismanaged heathland, where the old and beloved Tadworth County Primary was. It is now a wood.

Does anyone remember the base of the windmill opposite Walton on the hill pond?

My cousin went to Beacon School in Beacon Way, not my sister.

Yes I remember Tadworth County Primary on the A217 - well the building anyway.
I also remember the terrible accident there when 2 children were killed crossing the road. A policemen used to arrive daily on his Triumph motorbike and stay there to hold up the traffic when needed to let children cross A217 to school. (times have changed!) However one morning he signalled the traffic to stop, but one old driver apparently put his foot on the accelerator instead of the brake. The policeman managed to just jump clear, but 2 children tragically were killed. After that a bridge was built for the children. Both the school and the bridge have now gone when the road was made dual carriageway.
There was also another tragic accident in the same spot. I was coming home from school on the 406 - an Epsom race day I recall - and was sitting upstairs in the back seat of the bus when it stopped with an enormous jolt. My bag had been on the floor next to me, but I eventually found it right at the front. When we got off the bus we found that a car (Austin A90 Atlantic) travelling South from Kingswood Church had driven into the front corner of the driver's cab. The bus driver had climbed out of his emergency window and over the bonnet and was OK. Apparently the car driver was overtaking another vehicle when the steering failed. He and his wife were both killed, but their baby on the back seat in a carrycot survived. Eerily a radio still seemed to working. The next bus arrived soon so I could continue my journey, but still a haunting experience.

Looking for relatives of Spencer’s or Kauffman family with Ada Spencer associated or Cook family related to Nellie Cook/ Spencer/ Lester and Ada Goodchild/ Cook.

My great uncle lived at 6 Greens Cottage Burgh Heath and relatives lived in Banstead areas too.

Thanks.

Note from LNW: Karen, thanks for your new comment. Can you please confirm that the families you are interested in lived in Burgh Heath and are relevant to the image. Thank you.

I would really welcome any memories of the old Tadworth county primary. What a privilege to have a heath to run on at break times. I have only ever found one picture of the flint and stone, (brick) school.

There were flat steps up to the school and Rhododendrons made a tunnel to walk up. The first Headmaster was called Mr. Thomas and he was such a lovely man. I was very upset to start a new term and find he had had a heart attack and died. I think I was only 7 or 8 but it really affected me, along with the aforementioned accident where the two little girls died. I remember their names to this day but won't mention them here.

I also remember a dead rat under my desk, The caretaker, Mr. Killock, killing an adder by hitting over the head whilst keeping it still with a fork stick. I took it home after three days in a tin.

I also recall having turns with him in ringing the school bell, which was a proper bell like you have in a church, with a long colourful rope. I loved that school and its rural nature.

Were you there after or before the bridge over the A217 was built? I can't remember exactly when it was installed, but I should think about 1958.

Hi Michael

I am sorry I do not remember any bridge on the A217

I was there before and and after the bridge, unless I imagine going over the bridge. I will have started school about 1954.

Christine
Just to be clear Tadworth Primary School was situated on the west side of the A217 about midway between Kingswood Church and Chipstead Lane. The road was not dual carriageway then, and I would think the northbound carriageway traverses its location now. The school was not at Burgh Heath.

Heather
I can’t at the moment remember a base of a windmill opposite Walton-on-the-Hill pond but I remember the derelict windmill on Banstead Heath just south of the junction of New Road, Dorking Road and the appropriately named Mill Road.

I don’t know how to edit my previous message on the 26th May 2024 but my great uncle lived at 6 Greens Cottage Burgh Heath and relatives lived in Banstead areas too.

Note from LNW: I have added this to the original comment and will delete this one in a few days BUT what was your great uncle's name? You will get more assistance if you are more specific e.g. names, addresses, dates etc. Where individuals have two surnames, is one a maiden name and if so which one?

See picture #826 for a photo of Tadworth School. Please add any comments re the school to that image page.
LNW

I think the map reference 418 was probably not the wild life pond I was thinking of. It seems far too far over. The one I am thinking of was very near the racing stables.

Yes you are correct. We fished for slugs and tadpoles there with nets on sticks.

I remember a very good wildlife, but I don't recall quite how close it was to the acing stables.
Another map here maps.nls.uk/view/95750189, but it doesn't show more than the previuos one. I remember the rather aptly named Lonesome Ponds and the one at North Tadworth Farm.

Does anyone remember Kinloch's at, I think, Little Burgh at the edge of the common at the bend just along the road A240/A241 as it was then?

Yes
It was the old stables for the Colman's trotting horses and had an indoor arena.
I rented the field which adjoined Kinlochs and Waterer Gardens for some years. I left in 1979.

Yes, Michael, I remember Kinloch in Burgh Heath - quite a large grocery distribution centre. Their delivery trucks were dark blue and black, so far as I recall, and were a familiar childhood sight.

They occupied the site that's now Asda - and their memory is perpetuated in a nearby road name - Kinloch Road, between Marbles Way and Chetwode Road.

Kinlochs entrance was flanked by 6 or 8 anti tank bollards, concrete pyramids.

The indoor arena was used as a store, and the big sales warehouse was round to the right. A bridle path crossed the Reigate Rd at the edge of the green from Ferriers Grange over the Reigate rd and continued behind Waterer Gdns to join the Brighton Rd.

On the common to the right hand side of this was where Mr Deat's kept his pigs. Deat's daughter kept geese behind the Surrey Yeoman. They had common rights and the geese used to chase us. When Deat died she bought a large red Jaguar which she learned to drive on. She was not young and not a good driver and every one avoided her.

They also owned the old shop which stood on the common side of Brighton Rd. between the village shops and Cannon's Lane. It was the only shop open on a Sunday and we used to buy our fireworks and sweets there. Burgh Heath used to have a gigantic firework party on November 5th with the winner of the best guy competition being the selected one to top the bonfire. It was situated behind the large horse Chestnut trees between the corn stores and the Reigate Rd.

The Warning siren was situated between Robert's stores and the War Memorial Hall and was regularly tested after the war. I remember Mr Green in the Butchers. He had a large 7lb weight in the corner of his shop and sawdust on the floor. I remember paying with Ration book tokens.

Do you mean Bertha Deat who kept geese out the back and who ran the shop opposite St Mary’s Church?

picture #538 might be of interest to everyone following these posts.

Yes, I forgot here christian name. You are correct.

The butcher's used to have rabbits, wood pigeons, etc hanging on hooks around the walls of the shop.

There was also a fishmonger next door.

It was quite a vulnerable spot being directly opposite Reigate Road as there were sometimes crashes at the junction

Yes I remember a black dog being run over there in 1947.

Would all you Burgh Heath experts please take a look at picture #828 as we are struggling to identify where these properties were. Thank you. LNW

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