A walk around Laleham Village
(Written by Susan de Pear, on behalf of The Laleham Society, with acknowledgement to all the contributors to the two Laleham books from which the information is gleaned)IntroductionLaleham has a long history which has been well recorded in "The Laleham Common Place Book" and more recently in "Our Dear Laleham", written and compiled by the late Oswald Adamson. The word Laleham probably comes from "lael" meaning twig and "ham" meaning water meadow or village. It is thought possible that there was a 1st Century Roman marching camp on the field which is now part of The Matthew Arnold School, 5th Century Iron Age spearheads have been found in the Thames at Laleham Ferry. The village of "Laelham" is recorded on 10th Century charts, the foundations of our Parish Church of All Saints date back to the 12th Century and records show that in the 13th Century the monks of Westminster had their "Grange" and watermill on the banks of the Thames very close to the site of Laleham Abbey. It was in 1970 that the village of Laleham was designated as a Conservation Area in order to protect our heritage for future generations.The walkLaleham's western boundary is the River Thames and it has three main roads coming from Staines, Ashford and Shepperton which meet in the centre of the village at All Saints Church. This walk will, therefore, be based on three loops beginning and ending at this central point. Each of the three sections of the walk will take at least an hour and it is suggested that you take refreshment at one of our three village public houses (The Feathers, The Turk's Head or The Three Horseshoes) before attempting the next. Refreshments can also be obtained at Bloomingdales Garden Centre (Staines Road) and in Laleham Park. Also recommended for a more formal meal is the El Meson Restaurant (Ashford Road).Section 1 - The Broadway/Ashford Road/All Saints ChurchSection 2 - Staines Road/Thames Side/Blacksmiths Lane/War MemorialSection 3 - Vicarage Lane/Ferry/Laleham Abbey and Park/The Shops
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The Key
---- Conservation Area boundary
(1) Church Farm
(2) Village Hall
(3) The Limes
(4) Manor Farmhouse and Barns
(5) Cambridge Cottage and Red Cottage
(6) Laleham School
(7) The Turk's Head Public House
(8) All Saints Church
(9) The Tower
(10) Harris Boatyard
(11) The Old Forge and Cottage
(12) Plane Tree
(13) High Elms and Yew Corner
(14) The War Memorial
(15) Dial House
(16) Old Farm
(17) Little Ravenswell
(18) Laleham House/Abbey
(19) Thatched Cottage
(20) The Coverts
(21) Muncaster House
(22) The Shops
(23) Three Horseshoes Public House
(24) The Nursery/Orchard Wall
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Section 1 - The Broadway/Ashford Road/All Saints Church This walk begins at (1) Church Farm situated adjacent to the Church at the junction of The Broadway and Staines Road. It is an early 17th Century brick farmhouse with Georgian alterations. It is an excellent example of a central chimney house with a standard layout for such a house. On either side of the central chimney is a living room and the entrance is through a tiled two-storey porch, the stairs filling the space on the opposite side of the chimney. It once housed the Lucan's bailiff and was sold by the Lucan estate in 1966.
(1) Church Farm With your back to the Church walk past the entrance to the Recreation Ground, Cricket Club and allotments, past the Heritage Centre (once the Public Conveniences) and on to (2) The Village Hall. The land for this (and the Recreation Ground) was given by the Fourth Earl of Lucan in 1907 and the foundation stone laid by Lady Lucan in 1908. The original plans can be seen in the book, "Our Dear Laleham". It is here that The Laleham Players performed throughout the Forties, Fifties and Sixties and that now the W.I. and Darby and Joan Club meet regularly. It is in great demand for many other functions, both public and private.
(2) Village Hall Walking on towards Ashford you pass Home Farm Cottages (1876), similar to the School Cottages across the road, which will be described later. You will also pass The Feathers public House (1796) with its large forecourt, perhaps used long ago as a picking-up and dropping-off point for transport to and from London. The next house of interest is (3) The Limes, an early 18th Century farmhouse with double pile old tile roof. The front is stuccoed and the back is of yellowish field bricks. To the east of The Limes there used to be the beautiful old barns of Home Farm, with tiled roofs and huge beams. These were burnt down to make way for Grange Place in 1967. 
(3) The Limes If you wish to continue further towards Ashford you will have to cross the road at Grange Place. You will pass many charming 18th Century cottages (e.g. Nos. 81-85 and 91-99) before you reach El Meson, a restaurant, next to the water intake channel. This was built in the 18th Century as a private residence until Mr Albert King opened his house to serve teas about 40 years ago. It has since been owned by several people and run as a restaurant. A little further along the Ashford Road towards the area known as Greenfield Common is Greenfield Hall, once a small 18th Century farmhouse which was extended early this century. 
(4) Manor Farmhouse and Barns Adjacent to Manor Farm are a good pair of early 18th Century brick houses, now called (5) Cambridge Cottage and the Red Cottage, built under one roof. The porches were added at a later date. Inside both are many Georgian features including red quarry tiled flooring, panelling and shutters, stairs winding round a newel post and semi circular brick parlour fireplaces. The Red Cottage has deeds dating back to 1726. Cambridge Cottage was formerly an inn called the Generous Britain. Both have pleasant walled gardens at the rear.
(5) Cambridge Cottage & Red Cottage Walking back towards the School you pass Laburnum Cottage (1788), a few Victorian cottages, the former Broadway Store with its Victorian shop front and School Cottages (1873) with their pointed gables, diaper pattern brickwork and Lucan coats of arms. Laleham Church of England School (6) itself was opened in 1865, the land having been given by the Third Earl of Lucan. The New Junior School was built in the playground in 1959 and a further extension block was added in 1977. A detailed history can be found in "Our Dear Laleham".
6) Laleham School Next to the school stands Glebe House, built in 1865 as the vicarage. It stands on the site of Thomas Arnold's house and private school, demolished in 1864, the bricks being used for the new school. A little further towards the church is (7) the Turk's Head public house. The name may just refer to the knot, but it is more likely to originate at the time of the Crusades when returning soldiers brought back dried heads as trophies which, when exhibited in the ale houses of the time, attracted customers in large numbers! Its exterior has beautiful hanging baskets throughout the summer months. Adjacent are Wisteria Cottage and the Corner House, both listed buildings. 
(7) The Turk's Head Public House This section of the walk ends at All Saints Church (8), the oldest and most historically important of all our many listed buildings. For detailed descriptions of the wealth of heritage contained within its walls one must read the appropriate chapters in the two books on Laleham. 12th Century pillars and arcades still remain; a pre-reformation altar slab is preserved on the West wall; and medieval graffiti is to be seen in several areas. Stained glass windows, memorials, grave slabs and wall plaques all add significantly to the history of All Saints, telling us of the various families and personages of Laleham's past. (Our Parish Records, going back to 1538, were removed for safe custody to the Greater London Records Office in 1983).
(8) All Saints Church Looking at the Church from the churchyard one can see a very small amount of the original West wall dating back to the 12th Century. The Tower (9) built in 1730 to replace a wooden steeple, had to be extensively repaired and buttressed a hundred years later. Yet another hundred years passed before, on the removal of the ivy coverage, it was seen to need further renovation. On the North side is the Lucan Chapel with its red Tudor brickwork and as one walks around the churchyard towards the East the Lucan Memorial can be seen. It is here that the Earls of Lucan are buried. Both the North and the South walls were rebuilt and the geometrically designed windows restored in 1889. It is possible that the present porch was added at this time. On the South side is the grave of Matthew Arnold, his wife and three of their sons who died as youngsters.
(9) The Tower Section 2 - Staines Road/Thames Side/Blacksmith's Lane/War Memorial This section begins by walking North towards Staines for about five minutes, between the main entrance to Laleham School and Yew Tree (formerly High Elms) Lodge (with the ornamental chimney pots), passing the beautiful cedar tree in Cedar Court and up to the Water Intake Station. This is where 200 million gallons of Thames water is pumped along to the Queen Mary Reservoir every day. A little further along you can cut through to the tow path and if you have time walk upstream and see the activity at Penton Hook Lock (1815). On the opposite bank is Penton Hook Marina with berths for 500 boats, opened in 1962.Now retrace your footsteps downstream towards the village. Across the river you can see two Laleham boatyards; the first opposite Beechtree Lane, the second opposite Blacksmith's Lane. The latter has been owned by the Harris family for the past hundred years. Between the Wars the Harris Boatyard (10) built and hired out dozens of punts and skiffs and the yearly regatta was held here with a huge marquee on the lawn. The former Burway Rowing Club boathouse at the upstream end of the yard is now used by Jerry Sutton as a workshop where cars are made.
(10) Harris Boatyard As you look across at the Harris boatyard you should be in the vicinity of Town Quay, where once bundles of osiers from the opposite bank were unloaded before starting their journey to the furniture makers of London. In the 18th Century a Paygate charging a penny toll was situated here, earning an annual revenue of £35. In those days barge traffic was continuous. Goods carried included coal, timber, rushes grain, malt and slate. From 1197 until the middle of the 19th Century the City of London held jurisdiction over the lower Thames as far up as Staines and evidence of this can be seen in the City posts positioned along the Quay.It is now time to walk up Blacksmith's Lane (formerly Church Lane). Dolphins (formerly Virginia Cottage) on the south side, a tall red-brick Victorian building, was once a coachhouse with living quarters above. Perry Cottges remind us of the village builders who worked in the village for 300 years. Several of the older houses on the north side were part of the High Elms Estate and included the two under-gardeners' cottages, the head-gardener's house, the Forge and the smith's cottage (11). The Burchett family were the village blacksmiths for 400 years (1542 - 1955). (The Plough public house which once stood opposite the Forge was pulled down about a hundred years ago). 
(11) The Old Forge and Cottage Adjacent to the Forge in Blacksmith's Lane was the stables and laundry, now the house named Plane Tree (12). 
(12) Plane Tree Next door is the mansion itself, called High Elms (13). It is situated at one of the most prominent positions in the village but few realise that the front portico is on the north side of the building and it is the rear of the building we see at the War Memorial. It is, however, a fine Regency villa dated about 1820. Yew Corner, another fine house, was once joined to High Elms and was part of it. This large house was divided, in order to sell it, in 1929. The original estate stretched from Blacksmith's Lane to Beechtree Lane. 
(13) High Elms and Yew Corner We finish this section of the walk at the War Memorial (14) which remembers those villagers who fought and lost their lives in the two World Wars. The Second World War extension was unveiled by Dr Kay (son of the Rev. Arnold Kay, our vicar who died on V.E. Day 1945), in 1954.
(14) The War Memorial Section 3 - Vicarage Lane/Ferry/Laleham Abbey and Park/The Shops We begin this walk at the lychgate of All Saints (a memorial to a Mr Thornton of Vicarage Lane who died in 1908). Before crossing over Shepperton Road take a look at the Village Garage which once had two wings and an archway, housing a bakery and Post Office. The extensive workshop area behind was once stabling for Mr Hearsey's horse and cab service before it became a garage in the 1920s. Adjacent to the garage are the Old Cottage (18th Century with axial chimneys) and Dial House (15). The latter is a fine three-storey Queen Anne house with a sundial (dated 1730) blocking one of its central windows. Inside it has fine panelled rooms.
15) Dial House You now have to cross the road to Vicarage Lane. On the main road you will see the converted barn, once belonging to Old Farm. To reach Old Farm walk down the Vicarage Lane towards the river. On the left hand side of the road there was once a high wall against which peaches were grown and a large vine (at the Post Office end) covered with black grapes. In the first decade of this Century, the wall was demolished and a shop and 15 houses were built. When you reach Old Farm (16) and the adjoining Riverside cottages take a careful look. The roof, a Queen Post construction, is certainly older than the buildings below, which are of 18th Century type. Perhaps a barn was rebuilt as houses using the original roof? Old Farm was inhabited from the mid17th Century until 1941 by the Honnor family. At one time they had 30 cows in their dairy.
(16) Old Farm Next to Riverside is Little Ravenswell (17), which backs onto Town Quay. It is a fine example of a small Queen Anne brick house with a dentilled wooden cornice at the eaves and a projecting wooden hood over the doorway. This leads straight into the "hearth room", where the cooking used to be done. It has a semi-circular staircase round a newel post and a central chimney. The house has many Georgian features such as corner hearths with duck-egg fire baskets. From here walk downstream along the towpath towards the Ferry. 
(17) Little Ravenswell On the way to the Ferry you will pass Condor Road (formerly Cheese Lane) which was the locality of the former Lord of the Manor's Mansion house. Adjacent to it, on the river bank, was the Greyhound public house, much used in the 18th Century for meetings of the Court Leet, as well as being a favourite drinking place for the bargees and other river people. You will also pass The Barn, an unusual house built by Sir Edward Maufe in 1909 for the musical comedy star Marie Studholme. It was named after one of her hit songs, "The Little Dutch Barn". When you reach the junction of Thames Side and Ferry Lane you can see the small slipway that the ferry used up until George Knight's retirement in 1972, after 36 years as ferryman at Laleham. The ferry was mostly used by visitors to Laleham Golf Club (founded in 1903) which is situated on the Surrey bank of the Thames. An amusing history of the club can be read in "Our Dear Laleham".Walk on past our beautiful willows (reduced in number during the storm of 1987), observe the wildfowl and then cross the car park and walk on up into Laleham Park. On the right you will see the security gates of Laleham Abbey (formerly Laleham House). Laleham House (18) was built by Papworth (architect to the Prince Regent) in 1805 for the Second Earl of Lucan. It stands in 83 acres of parkland and has an imposing neo-classical style with a Greek Doric porch. The interior has marble floors and pillars, a beautiful semi-circular staircase and a cupola. Some time after the 5th Earl had sold the house in 1928 it was used by the nuns of the Community of St Peter (hence the name "Abbey"). In 1981 it was sold off as many different properties, having been restored and converted by a large development company.
(18) Laleham House/Abbey If you have time you can walk towards the Shepperton Road and you will see the old Ice House belonging to Laleham House. It appears as a large mound on the left hand side of Abbey Drive. [Alternately you could spend another hour walking downstream past the Burway Rowing Club, the Laleham Sailing club, the Camp Site and the Park to Chertsey Lock and Bridge (1780)]. Now turn back and walk towards Ferry Lane. Opposite the horse paddock in Abbey Drive is the Thatched Cottage (19), once the Lucan Estate Lodge and built at the same time as Laleham House (1807). It is a charming example of a "Cottage Orné" with ornate barge boards, a thatched roof and veranda supported on rustic posts, ornamental chimney stacks and cast iron windows with a lattice design.
(19) Thatched Cottage The Coverts (20) is the next house of historical significance that you will pass on your way to the junction with Ferry Lane. It is a fine example of an early 18th Century symmetrical house with a parapet surrounding three roofs. The elegant front door with its Doric pilasters is reached by a flight of stone steps and above the windows are flat arches of rubbed bricks which were fashionable at the time. The original kitchens are in the basement.
(20) The Coverts Next to The Coverts is Muncaster House (formerly Moorhayes House) (21), an early 18th Century stuccoed building with a parapet and pilasters, two wings at the rear, a fine tile roof and late 19th Century additions. It was famous nationwide in the early 19th Century as the first prep school in the country, started by the Rev. John Buckland when he and his brother-in-law, the Rev. Thomas Arnold, settled in Laleham. The house later became a hotel and is now divided into flats.
(21) Muncaster House Now walk up Ferry Lane towards the shops. The area behind the high wall on the left was once the Daisy Field with a huge oak tree. Some parts of the listed walls are left from the Lord of the Manor's house, which was located on the riverside at the end of Condor Road. With the death of the Earl of Lonsdale in 1803 the Manor (and much of Laleham) was bought by Lord Lucan, who built himself a new house as we have seen.We now turn our attention to the shops in Laleham (22). The shop at No. 21 Shepperton Road (built in the late 19th Century) was a teashop in the 1930s before it became a grocery store, sweet shop, newsagent and finally an antiques shop. In the 1950s there were two other groceries, one on the opposite side of the road (next to the present village shop) and the other opposite the Village Hall. The grocery at No. 12 Shepperton Road was demolished and was rebuilt at No. 14 in 1970. The last remaining of the original village shops is No. 23 Shepperton Road, now an antiques shop. It was once a butcher's shop.
(22) The Shops You are nearing the end of your walk through Laleham and you may like to recover by taking some refreshment in the oldest and possibly the best known public house in the village. The Three Horseshoes (23). A building is shown on this site on Norden's map of 1623. Part of the present building was used as an inn in 1624. In the 18th Century it was acquired as part of the Manor of Laleham by Sir James Lowther and was sold by auction a year after his death in 1802. There were numerous licensees over the years including William Clifton who ran the pub for 37 years (1886 - 1923). It is now Mr David Sword (formerly our Postmaster) who is in charge.
(23) Three Horseshoes Public House Before you leave the village it is worth driving or walking a little way along the Shepperton Road and stopping at the playground car park. Adjacent you will see the wall of the nursery. If you study it carefully (on the side nearest to the village) you will see a row of fireplaces built into the wall (24). These were once lit during cool periods of the summer months to help ripen the fruit in the adjoining orchard. As with other rare sights in Laleham, we are fortunate to have such a fine example of its history just waiting to be discovered.Laleham's listed buildingsIn the 1950s Building Preservation Orders were introduced to safeguard our country's heritage. Statutory lists giving legal protection to buildings considered to be of special architectural or historic interest were provided for Local Authorities who had to ensure that the legal requirements affecting "listed" buildings in their area were observed.Laleham has no fewer than 21 "listed" buildings, most of which have been mentioned and illustrated in the previous pages, They are:- Grade I
- All Saints Church
- Chertsey Bridge
Grade IIAbbey Drive:
- Laleham House
- Abbey Mews
- The Coverts
- The Thatched Cottage
The Broadway:
- Church Farmhouse
- High Elms
- Yew Corner
- Wisteria Cottage
- The Turk's Head Public House
- Cambridge Cottage
- The Red Cottage
- Manor Farmhouse
Ferry Lane:
- Muncaster House (Nos. 1 to 8 consecutively)
Shepperton Road:
- Dial House
- Dial House Garden
- Staines Road:
- The Corner House
Vicarage Lane:
- Old Farm
- Riverside
- Little Ravenswell
In addition the following are also listed:
- Boundary wall of Yew Corner to Staines Road
- Outbuildings adjacent to Manor Farmhouse and Barn
- Outbuildings to northeast of Barn at Manor Farm
- City Post at southeast of Chertsey Bridge
- City Post 200 yards north of Chertsey Lock
This walk was provided courtesy of Laleham Society. For further information about the organisation, contact Mary Coleman on 01784 462683.
