|
Weybridge
lies to the north of Surrey on south bank of the River Thames,
at the mouth of the River Wey (from which it derives its name).
The settlement
was founded as a river crossing in the 13th century and in
1537 Henry VIII built Oatlands Palace there. When the royal
palace was knocked down in 1650 its bricks were used to line
the lock walls of the Wey Navigation.
One of
the first rivers in Britain to be made navigable, this gave
Guildford, the country town, access to the River Thames and
London.
The village
began to develop rapidly after the London and Southampton
Railway opened a station here in 1838. Weybridge soon became
an attractive commuter town and today it is an affluent residential
suburb of London.
Large
houses were built on St George's Hill and this area remains
one of the most sought after in the London area. Weybridge's
transport links were further enhanced by the nearby A3 (London
to Portsmouth road) and the M25 orbital motorway.
At the
bottom of Monument Hill, near the town centre, stands a monument
to the Duchess of York, a popular royal resident who died
in 1820. Erected by public subscription in 1822, the monument
was constructed from the remains of the original Seven Dials
Monument that stood in St Martin's Lane in central London
until 1773.
The
Elmbridge Museum, in the heart of Weybridge, illustrates
the intriguing history of this Surrey borough to visitors.
Weybridge
lies close to beautiful countryside to visit. Nearby Weybridge
Heath, recently cleared of scrub by the Surrey Wildlife Trust,
is known for its rare insects and birds.
The Wey
Navigation flows through some unspoilt countryside and is
a tranquil oasis in this built up area of Surrey. The successful
waterway, dating from 1653, remained in use until well after
World War II and was donated to the National Trust in 1964.
The
Dapdune Wharf Visitor Centre in Guildford is the centrepiece
of the National Trust's River Wey & Godalming Navigations.
Just
south of Weybridge station lies Brooklands, the former race
track and aerodrome. Opened in 1907, Brooklands was the first
custom-built motor racing circuit in the world, famous for
its high banked curves. British Grand Prix racing was established
at Brooklands in 1926. Brooklands soon had an airfield for
visiting fliers and the workshops that built cars expanded
into making aircraft.
Weybridge
became the home of Vickers who designed and built some of
Britain's finest aircraft, including the Spitfire, Hurricane
and VC10. Today the racing curcuit and airfield are kept
alive at the 'Spirit
of Brooklands' museum. Opened in 1991, the museum stands
on the 30 acres of the original banked race track. Highlights
include the steepest section of the banked track and the 1-in-4
Test Hill. Many of the original buildings have been restored
including the Edwardian Club House and the Motoring Village.
The museum also has over 30 aircraft including the first production
British Concorde, which is currently being restored. Much
of the airframe of Concorde was manufactured by the British
Aircraft Corporation at Brooklands and in the 1960s and 1970s
thousands were employed locally on the production of the supersonic
aircraft.
|
the internet holiday and travel guide to the UK
Weybridge
