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Bookham
Bookham maps
Historic maps of Bookham and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Bookham maps
Bookham area books
Displaying 1 of 18 books about Bookham and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Bookham
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Bookham.
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Great And Little Bookham in The Late 1950s
In the late 1950s and early 1960s I lived in both the Bookhams. Firstly in the house attached to Bookham Railway Station and later in a flat at Maddox Park House. I worked at CERL in Leatherhead, cycling over the common and through Fetcham to get there. Steam trains still delivered trucks of coal to Wheal's coal yard. Whilst at the station house we had a black and white collie that I walked for hours on the commons. I had a large saloon Alvis motor car and friends locally had similar old motors. An Austin seven chummy, a Talbot, a Triumph, and 3 wheeled Morgan among others come to mind. I still own the Alvis 50 years on.
Surrey memories
All Saints Church, Little Bookham
This church is called All Saints' Church. It is next to the Manor House School to which I attended in the early 1990s. I was christened at this church and this weekend I will be getting married here. The history of the church dates back to the 1100s and it has one of the oldest trees in the south east in its grounds. All Saints is part of the parish of St Lawrence which is actually in the neighboring village of Effingham and I suspect if the borders were inspected closely the church would sit in between the two, Little Bookham and Effingham. I have very fond memories and I urge any visitors passing to pay their respects. It is just a shame that due to the local youths, the doors have to be kept locked.
Home
I lived in Great Bookham until 1955, then lived at Maddox Lane, Little Bookham. It was a lovely place to live by the common, but I had great friends in Great Bookham, I wonder if you know them. My memories are walking and cycling over the common and walking along the path at the bottom of the garden to Effingham by the railway track, we used to pick primroses etc and cowslips on the banks. It woud be geat to be in touch with anyone who lived there at the time.
Bookham Grange Hotel
I came to Bookham on the 23rd of Sept 1959 from Ireland. I started working at the Bookham Grange Hotel which was then owned and run by Leslie Colwill. Iwas 16 years old then and as green as the country I had come from. I joined the local youth club which was held at the Barn Hall, it was run by Mrs Harrison then and later by the village policeman Ken Strudwick, and Ron Batts. Bookham was a small village in those far off days and I loved the place. There was a beautiful outdoor swimming pool where I and many friends spent our summers, I remember we used to meet up in the Coffee Bar and walk to the pool. I often wonder if there's anyone out there who worked at or frequented the Grange Hotel in the early 1960s and who would remember me?
The Grange
I also remember the Grange Hotel mentioned on Little Bookham memories. In the late 1950s or early 1960s it must have been, I recall Sandy who worked behnd the bar. Leslie the boss used to get a bit miffed with some of us youngsters who used other pubs in the village (Great Bookham) in the early evenings and then when they closed at 10.30pm would all arrive at the Grange en masse for the later closing time drinks. Some of us called it Spooky Towers back then - it was well placed for that name on a single track road on Bookham Common - no other houses nearby and the lights loomed up in the dark out of nowhere as you rounded the corner on the lane. They held Oak Motor Club meetings at the Grange as well smaller meets in the Royal Oak in Gt Bookham High St where the club first started. Lots of ridiculously long 'treasure hunts' rallies were held if I recall - one finishing... Read more
Bookham Grange
Like many of my student friends from the area, we all worked at Booham Grange under the watchful eye of Jimmy Sale and his wife Valma, then later on the hotel was managed by his nephew Mike and his wife Jan. We worked on Probus lunches in the restaurant, and many, many weddings. It was a favourite watering hole of the local constabulary, as well as being ideal for the Christmas parties. Rotarac and Rotary used to meet here. The hotel had two superb residents one called Mr Rouse and the other called Mr Gray.
BOOKHAM OPEN AIR SWIMMING POOL
In the late 1950s my brother and I enjoyed many happy days at the open air swimming pool in Bookham. I moved out of the area in 1977 and returned in 2005. I was wondering what happened to the pool and where was it was located. Does anyone remember?
