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Ashford
in Surrey (not to be confused with Ashford
in Kent) lies 15 miles south-west of London in the Borough
of Spelthorne.
The town,
once part of the former county of Middlesex, borders the London
Borough of Hounslow to the north-east and lies near Heathrow
Airport.
Archaeological
finds date back Ashford to the Bronze Age but the first settlement
here was probably Saxon. The village was mentioned in the
Domesday Book (commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086)
as 'Exeford'. St Matthew's Church dates from 1293.
Although
this is an ancient settlement, most of the houses in the town
were built between 1930 and 1960. The town lies to the south
of the A30 and is served by a railway line from Waterloo.
Because
of its proximity to the capital and its good transport connections
Ashford has developed as a popular commuter town for London
and the Thames Valley.
Locally,
BP International is a major employer and a substantial number
of the inhabitants of Ashford are employed at nearby Heathrow
Airport.
Most
of the Borough of Spelthorne lies in the Green Belt and Ashford
is almost surrounded by reservoirs. These reservoirs, originally
created by gravel excavation, form part of the water supply
network for London. The Staines Reservoir to the north-east
is a bird sanctuary, while the Queen Mary Reservoir is popular
for sailing.
Shortwood
Common between Ashford and Staines is still grazed by cattle.
The common contains one of the most important ponds in the
UK, now a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
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Ashford
