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Dorking Town and City MemoriesSelected extracts and photosReturn to Book | Search for another Book | View all photos for Dorking | Dorking homepage |
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 Thebes, the Court of Shishak c1857 (ref. 1877) | ‘They [the fairs] were frequented by the younger members of the town. Early in the afternoon of Easter Monday, the road was thronged with groups making their way to the Punchbowl Fair’. |  Add your own Memory Add to your Album |
 Boxhill, the Entrance to Boxhill Station 1907 (ref. 57652) | 'in this town is a great plenty of cherries, particularly a wild cherry that Mr John Evelyn tells me, it makes a most excellent wine, little inferior to the best French claret, and keeps longer; and no where are finer Caves for the Preservation of their Liquor than in the Sand here'. | Add your own MemoryAdd to your Album |
 Boxhill, the Slopes, Box Hill 1906 (ref. 55712B) | The Lookout at the summit of Box Hill is due to the generosity of Mr Leopold Salomons of Norbury Park. It was given so that 'the public has the privilege of using the hill to view the southern part of the county, and counties beyond'; it is dedicated to the memory of George Meredith. Mr Salomons bought the land to be held in safe-keeping for the nation, and to save it from urban developers. He kindly presented it to the people to be managed by the National Trust. | Add your own MemoryAdd to your Album |
 Dorking, the White Horse Hotel c1960 (ref. D45072) | 'The one desire of every true Briton on first coming to Dorking is to follow Sam Weller as he descends from the Arundel coach to the Marquis of Granby. The Marquis, it is true, had no more life outside Dickens's brain than Sam himself, but its counterpart in our everyday world is said to have lain in North Street, the King's Head, a vast establishment in the 18th century, now vanished, like the Post Office that succeeded it'. | Add your own MemoryAdd to your Album |
 Dorking, Castle Mill 1909 (ref. 61414) | hen travelling south from Leatherhead, we pass on our right the fine house in Norbury Park; it is said to be one of the loveliest estates in Surrey. Preserved by Surrey County Council, it is most famous for its ancient yews. It was home to William Locke (1863-1930), born in Barbados, novelist, dramatist and architect. He ‘spared no expense to make it beautiful’, and later sold it to Dr Marie Stopes, the pioneer of birth control. To our left is the entrance to the Old London Road, which leads to Mickleham, one of Dorking’s neighbouring parishes. The village boasts many grand buildings. Box Hill School has become one of the dominant features of the village; it was erected by Edward Gardener in 1870, and was then named Dalewood. The Army requisitioned the building as headquarters for the Pay Corps during World War II. After the war, it became St Nicholas’s school. In 1959 a housemaster from Gordonstoun founded what is now Box Hill School, which accommodates approximately 300 boys and girls, both boarding and day pupils. | Add your own MemoryAdd to your Album |
 Dorking, South Street 1906 (ref. 54661) | n Victorian times Dorking was still a very rural town with a wide market place in the centre. The shops displayed their wares to the elements. The traffic was slower, but the pace was more fervent. The encouragement to buy was the most important thing of the day. At this time Dorking became a substantial trading town. There were the lime works, four working corn mills, the breweries, the cattle trade, a brick- works, and an iron foundry; Dorking also had its own water pumping station and gas and light works. The train, the motorcar and the bicycle brought changes to Britain's way of life, and they brought many townspeople out to Dorking's countryside. There were several bicycle repair shops in the town. Mr Oliver West maintained and repaired bicycles in Dene Street (originally called Ram Alley), and C S Fuller had his business in South Street. Mr Fuller was also the first resident of Dorking to own a motorcar. Fuller's are still trading in bicycle repairs and sales, and they also trade in baby-wear, sports and fishing equipment — fishing licences can be purchased at Fuller's. The Victorians brought enormous change to rural life and rural ways, but they also brought continuity as well. The role of the aristocracy and landed gentry remained crucial in rural affairs during the Victorian age. The British aristocracy was still predominantly country-based, and it was in their large country houses where they felt at home, and where most of their wealth and power was felt. There were many mansions in the Dorking area, but many are now lost, either through progress or just through the need for change. Tea-rooms were plentiful. Loyns tea-rooms on Pump Corner was established in 1749 (right of 55697 on pages 68-69 - trading as T G Rix) and survived for about two hundred and twenty years. There was also the Stone Roof Café (on the left-hand side of the road just before it bends, 54661, on previous page). Another tea-room in South Street was French's Tea Gardens, which adjoined the Stone Roof Café. The buildings have changed little over the last century. French's could accommodate quite a large number of clients; it catered especially for the cycling and touring clubs, and there were tables and seats in the garden at the back of the building. | Add your own MemoryAdd to your Album |
 Dorking, Horsham Road 1905 (ref. 53337) | n Victorian times Dorking was still a very rural town with a wide market place in the centre. The shops displayed their wares to the elements. The traffic was slower, but the pace was more fervent. The encouragement to buy was the most important thing of the day. At this time Dorking became a substantial trading town. There were the lime works, four working corn mills, the breweries, the cattle trade, a brick- works, and an iron foundry; Dorking also had its own water pumping station and gas and light works. The train, the motorcar and the bicycle brought changes to Britain's way of life, and they brought many townspeople out to Dorking's countryside. There were several bicycle repair shops in the town. Mr Oliver West maintained and repaired bicycles in Dene Street (originally called Ram Alley), and C S Fuller had his business in South Street. Mr Fuller was also the first resident of Dorking to own a motorcar. Fuller's are still trading in bicycle repairs and sales, and they also trade in baby-wear, sports and fishing equipment — fishing licences can be purchased at Fuller's. The Victorians brought enormous change to rural life and rural ways, but they also brought continuity as well. The role of the aristocracy and landed gentry remained crucial in rural affairs during the Victorian age. The British aristocracy was still predominantly country-based, and it was in their large country houses where they felt at home, and where most of their wealth and power was felt. There were many mansions in the Dorking area, but many are now lost, either through progress or just through the need for change. Tea-rooms were plentiful. Loyns tea-rooms on Pump Corner was established in 1749 (right of 55697 on pages 68-69 - trading as T G Rix) and survived for about two hundred and twenty years. There was also the Stone Roof Café (on the left-hand side of the road just before it bends, 54661, on previous page). Another tea-room in South Street was French's Tea Gardens, which adjoined the Stone Roof Café. The buildings have changed little over the last century. French's could accommodate quite a large number of clients; it catered especially for the cycling and touring clubs, and there were tables and seats in the garden at the back of the building. | Add your own MemoryAdd to your Album |
 Dorking, Cottage Hospital 1906 (ref. 54664) | he lost mansion of Deepdene, owned by Lord Francis Hope, once stood near the busy A24. The Howard family first owned the estate as far back as the middle of the 17th century. Henry Frederick, Earl of Arundel, Surrey and Norfolk left his estate to his fourth son, Charles Howard of Greystoke, when he died in 1652. Charles Howard landscaped the gardens in Cromwell's time; they were laid out in the form of an amphitheatre, with a garden terrace and an open-air conservatory of flowers and rare plants, and were visited with admiration by John Evelyn, who declared that 'the site is worthy of Cowley's muse'. (Abraham Cowley was a distinguished poet during the Civil War era). Thomas Hope (of the Hope Diamond fame), the son of a wealthy Amsterdam merchant, took possession of the mansion in 1808. He spared no expense in improving the structure, interior and grounds. In its later years, the house became a hotel, which was bought in 1939 by the Southern Railway Co. Although a Grade III listed building, it was demolished in 1969 to make way for offices and businesses. Henry Talbot created Chart Park in 1746. (However, in 1694, the Hon Charles Howard, owner of the land at Deepdene, had originally planted seven acres of the south-facing slope of the area as a vineyard. At this time, Charles Howard had a house built at the base of the slope known as the Vineyard). Talbot was a merchant, who had become wealthy from several voyages to China with the East India Company. Talbot built a substantial house, and created a hanging garden on the side of a hill. The mansion was demolished, and the land was sold by Thomas Hope in 1814. Much of the land purchased by Talbot is now occupied by Dorking Golf Club; the golf course was built and landscaped in 1897. In the photograph of Chart Lane, the steps on the left lead to The Temple in the Deepdene estate. | Add your own MemoryAdd to your Album |
 Dorking, Deepdene House 1891 (ref. 29567) | he lost mansion of Deepdene, owned by Lord Francis Hope, once stood near the busy A24. The Howard family first owned the estate as far back as the middle of the 17th century. Henry Frederick, Earl of Arundel, Surrey and Norfolk left his estate to his fourth son, Charles Howard of Greystoke, when he died in 1652. Charles Howard landscaped the gardens in Cromwell's time; they were laid out in the form of an amphitheatre, with a garden terrace and an open-air conservatory of flowers and rare plants, and were visited with admiration by John Evelyn, who declared that 'the site is worthy of Cowley's muse'. (Abraham Cowley was a distinguished poet during the Civil War era). Thomas Hope (of the Hope Diamond fame), the son of a wealthy Amsterdam merchant, took possession of the mansion in 1808. He spared no expense in improving the structure, interior and grounds. In its later years, the house became a hotel, which was bought in 1939 by the Southern Railway Co. Although a Grade III listed building, it was demolished in 1969 to make way for offices and businesses. Henry Talbot created Chart Park in 1746. (However, in 1694, the Hon Charles Howard, owner of the land at Deepdene, had originally planted seven acres of the south-facing slope of the area as a vineyard. At this time, Charles Howard had a house built at the base of the slope known as the Vineyard). Talbot was a merchant, who had become wealthy from several voyages to China with the East India Company. Talbot built a substantial house, and created a hanging garden on the side of a hill. The mansion was demolished, and the land was sold by Thomas Hope in 1814. Much of the land purchased by Talbot is now occupied by Dorking Golf Club; the golf course was built and landscaped in 1897. In the photograph of Chart Lane, the steps on the left lead to The Temple in the Deepdene estate. | Add your own MemoryAdd to your Album |
 Dorking, Chart Lane c1900 (ref. D45301) | 'The great sight of Dorking is Deepdene ... one of the loveliest places in England, with a splendid art collection and charming grounds. The Dene (from which the house is named) is an exquisite glade at the back ...' | Add your own MemoryAdd to your Album |
 Dorking, View from Ranmore 1888 (ref. 21321) | proposed line from Redhill to Dorking was suggested in 1845. Parliamentary approval was given on 16 July 1846. At first it was suggested that the railway station should be built adjacent to St Martin's Church in 'The Lordship' (see picture 53332A on pages 48-49), now known as Meadow Bank Recreation Ground. By 1849 the railway was running a service from east to west, and Dorking Town station was the first to be built at the edge of the town. The line was principally built for freight traffic. | Add your own MemoryAdd to your Album |
 Dorking, St Pauls Church 1903 (ref. 50964) | 'The large cellars or caves beneath the town, dug out of the sand rock, are highly curious. It is said that more than a hundred years ago a man was foolish enough to expend all his property in making the largest of these excavations'. | Add your own MemoryAdd to your Album |
 Dorking, the Reigate Road 1927 (ref. 79501) | t was said by many that 'Dorking lime is undoubtedly one of the finest quality of limestone in the county, if not England', and it was claimed that the chalk burnt into lime at Dorking was sought after by every mason and bricklayer in London. The West India and Wapping Docks were built with Dorking lime. In photograph 79501, right, we can see the white scar of the Brockham limeworks, worked at first by the Brockham Brick Company Ltd, and later by the Brockham Limes & Hearthstone Company Ltd. These works closed in 1925, and the land is managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust as a nature reserve. Important lime kilns survive at the Betchworth and Brockham sites, and are in the process of being Scheduled as Ancient Monuments. | Add your own MemoryAdd to your Album |
 Dorking, West Street 1903 (ref. 50957) | 'The large cellars or caves beneath the town, dug out of the sand rock, are highly curious. It is said that more than a hundred years ago a man was foolish enough to expend all his property in making the largest of these excavations'. | Add your own MemoryAdd to your Album |
 Dorking, from the Nower 1936 (ref. 87311) | he downs are mostly of chalk, and otherwise of sandstone, and each has its own special flora. The sandstone hills have their highest point in Leith Hill, 965ft above sea level, about five miles south-west of Dorking. From there they fall away in a picturesque series of steps, rising again to the same level as Leith Hill at Hindhead and Black Down. Leith Hill and its tower is a beauty spot not to be missed. With a good eye and on a clear day all the surrounding counties are visible. 'With the assistance of a telescope Windsor Castle, Frant Church, St Paul's Cathedral, Dunstable Downs, Ditchling Beacon and the spires and towers of forty-one churches can be seen.' (J S Bright, 1876). It has been said that a reflection of the sun on the sea has been noted. Richard Hull of Leith Hill Place built the tower in 1766 for his own delight, but also for that of his neighbours and everybody else. Richard was laid to rest beneath the tower, buried upside-down: he believed that the world would have turned on its axis before Judgement Day, and he 'wished to stand before his Maker right way up'. This area is part of the National Trust's holdings; the estate now boasts over 900 acres owned by the Trust, and another 300 are under protection. Box Hill has been called the most popular hill in the world, and Leith Hill most likely comes second. On each hill grow beeches, junipers, wild clematis and box, which delight the eye. The short, sweet, flower-starred turf is restful to the traveller. But there is a wilder, rugged air about Leith Hill and its approaches, which are clad in larch and fir and carpeted with scarlet and green whortleberry and purple heather. It has always been known as a rambler's paradise, for there are innumerable paths and bridle- ways that wind through the plantations and the heath. The area covering Box Hill, the Holmwoods, Ranmore, Leith Hill and Coldharbour contain some of the finest woodland and natural habitats in Surrey. Generous donations of land and money by many public-spirited contributors over the years have helped to ensure the upkeep of this fine and beautiful area. | Add your own MemoryAdd to your Album |
 Dorking, South Street and Pump Corner 1906 (ref. 55697) | his street forms the left fork of the junctions of the three main streets, and is the quietest of the three. On the corner stands the Bull's Head public house. Until just a few years ago the abattoir had its premises behind the pub, and here cattle were slaughtered on a regular basis. The White Lion stood exactly opposite until its demise. The Bull's Head is centre left and the White Lion is centre right in view 55697 on the previous page. Shops and houses stood where now the bus stops are. On this site once stood the Old Bandstand, which commemorated the lives lost in 1914-18. The bandstand was removed in the early 1970s. The memorial to the dead of the First and Second World Wars also stands at this spot. Opposite is the Spotted Dog public house. Further along South Street we find the Cricketers' Arms (last building on the right, 57641) and the Queen's Head (right, D45017) and the junction to Horsham Road and Vincent Lane. It was here that the old bus terminus stood until just a few years ago. Adjacent to Vincent Lane is Falkland Road. The Falkland Arms and the Prince of Wales both trade here. A few hundred yards along Horsham Road is the Bush Inn. | Add your own MemoryAdd to your Album |
 Dorking, South Street and the Wesleyan Church c1955 (ref. D45008) | Other local churches, claimed to be 'old and steady', are Shere, Leigh, Mickleham, Abinger, Wotten and Betchworth: they have stood for centuries. St Barnabas's on Ranmore sits 700 feet above Dorking on Ranmore Common. Sir Gilbert Scott designed it in 1859 as the estate church for George Cubitt, the first Lord Ashcombe. In the churchyard lie the founder of Denbies Estate, and his three grandsons, Henry, Alick and William, who lost their lives in the First World War. St Joseph's Catholic Church, designed by Frederick Arthur Walters, was erected in 1895 in Falkland Grove, off Coldharbour Lane. | Add your own MemoryAdd to your Album |
 Dorking, St Martin's Church 1890 (ref. 26762A) | A Wesleyan church stood in South Street but was demolished in the late 1960s. John Wesley visited Dorking in January 1764 on one of many visits that he made to the town. Meetings were first held at the Red Lion Hotel until a meeting house was established in Church Street; it still stands in the car park of the King's Arms. The Baptist church is in regular use in Junction Road. | Add your own MemoryAdd to your Album |
 Dorking, High Street 1900 (ref. 46016) | This is said to be the oldest inn in the town. Charles Dickens is reputed to have penned 'The Pickwick Papers' on one of his many visits to Dorking. The inn has changed little in its appearance over the last two centuries. A glass of ale can still be comfortably supped in front of the log fire, and the oak beams and carved staircase stand as they did in Dickens's time. A pleasant hour or two can still be spent in the cobbled courtyard on a sunny day. The inn enhances one of the most pleasant-looking town centres in the area. It stands on the old Stane Street, and has been known as a resting-place for travellers for perhaps nearly a thousand years. Early evidence of a building on this site dates from 1278. Some of the earliest parts of the old building can still be found under the foundations of the present site. | Add your own MemoryAdd to your Album |
 Dorking, Rose Hill 1906 (ref. 54666) | here were many public houses and inns in the town. Those still trading are the Surrey Yeoman (see 46016 overleaf), the Bull's Head (Rose Hill, which we can see in 54666, right, with its entrance on the corner of the High Street and just behind the Bull's Head), the White Hart, the Jolly Butchers, the Malthouse (formerly the Rising Sun), the Spotted Dog, the Cricketers Arms, the Queen's Head, the Pilgrim (formerly the Station Hotel), the Bush, the Windmill (now closed), the Stepping Stones, the Royal Oak, the Plough, the Falkland Arms, the Prince of Wales, the Star and the Old House at Home. The King's Arms, in West Street, opened as a coaching inn by Edward Goodwyn in about 1590 to catch the Guildford to London trade. Those that are no longer trading are the Ram, the Three Tonnes, the Market House, the Grapes, the Sun, the Wheatsheaf (now a bookshop), the Chequers Arms, the Bricklayers Arms, the Gun (the building remains), the Old King's Arms, the White Lion, the Arundel Arms (now housing), the Queen's Arms, the Rose & Crown (a lighting shop), the Bell (solicitors), the Pig & Piece of Pink String and the Beehive (now a private house). The rest have been demolished. The Red Lion, which was demolished in 1964, was a hotel, as is the White Horse, which sits in the centre of the town, and the Lincoln Arms, which stands in Lincoln Road at the entrance to the main line railway station; it was originally called the Star and Garter. Brewers and maltsters became established in the town during the 19th and 20th centuries: Griffen Beal of Westcott, John Young (1897) in West Street, and William Boxall who owned the Sun Brewery in the High Street. Boxall's was taken over by the Swan Brewery of Leatherhead in April 1907. Edward Lucock was also in the High Street, and James Cheeseman had his brewery in South Street. The Red Lion Brewery was also in the High Street. A large quantity of ale must have been consumed during business hours and on market days. The Spotted Dog was originally opened as a beer shop soon after the Duke of Wellington Beer Act. | Add your own MemoryAdd to your Album |
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