The Banstead Image Library
Banstead Tea Rooms
Banstead Tea Rooms, Junction of High Street & Park Road c1925. Now occupied by Cheyne Court.
Whilst I have no recollections of being taken into this tea room, I do remember seeing the construction of Cheyne Court in the early 1960’s. I have no knowledge of when the tea rooms were demolished.
I also recall the demolition of Well House opposite. I think that was a couple of years later. In those days we could happily attempt to ‘explore’ these sites, without threat of H&S ! I seem to remember Well House had been left as a ruin for many years.
Note from LNW : Good opportunity to remind you of my book! see picture #186
Picture added on 04 March 2015 at 13:25
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Public Houses
Public Houses
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Banstead History
Banstead History
Banstead
To the back was their orchard with the apple trees which were removed when Banstead Community Hall was built, and the car park covered our 'jungle playground'
Reply from LNW: Oddly, I have never seen any reports or images of damage to this building, and I will need to follow up. Maybe others remember what happened to it.
Certainly, The Woolpack was damaged sufficiently to have to be rebuilt, but the main blast took out the forge opposite the Woolpack and the houses behind as well as part of the dairy block. The memorial was undamaged.
UPDATE:
In December 1952 the council was planning to acquire the land containing ". . . approximately 1.85acres to the north of the High Street lying between Buff Avenue and Sutton Lane and having a frontage to the High Street, for development and the necessary road improvements and the diversion of Salisbury Road, and land south of the High Street containing approximately 3.4 acres (including Parker's Cafe, the buildings adjacent thereto and The Cottage, also "Chucks Meadow") such land to be used for development and public open space".
In 1955 the Banstead Urban Council minutes include an application for "the clearance of site and the erection of a block of 2 or 3 storey flats (24 or 36 flats) Corner House Tea rooms and 'The Cottage' at the junction of High Street and Park Road, Banstead." The application was refused.
The Cottage was the somewhat misleading name of a large house on the corner and to the left of the tea room as one looks at this image. It had been requisitioned during the war and records show it was still being maintained in 1950. It was released in May 1956.
I cannot find any mention of any significant war damage to these buildings, although the V1 did cause many ceilings to collapse, including as far away as Fiddicroft Ave.
The name Cheyne Court was allocated to the new flats in 1958 and the road adopted as a highway in 1960.
SOURCE: Banstead Urban Council District minutes
LNW