Wraysbury River - Yeoveney
Wraysbury River
The Wraysbury River flows south and south west
The County Ditch passes southwest wards through the area on the County boundary
Post to the east Staines Moor
Post to the north M25
Post to the south Lammas Lands and Egham Hythe
Post to the west Wraysbury and Runneymede, Bell Weir
Aqueduct
The aqueduct was completed around 1900 to take water from the River Thames, to the two Staines Reservoirs
M25
Junction 13. The section of motorway between here and Junction 14 is one of the busiest in Europe. This junction is part of the Runneymede interchange where the M25 crosses the Thames and also carries the Staines bypass.
Lakes alongside M25 and Staines by pass. Gravel extraction sites, extracted by Hall & Co.
Moor Lane
Church Lammas Lands. Registered under the Land Registration Acts 1925 and 1936 with rights to graze a horse or cows between 1st August and 12th March. There was a long history of disputes over commoners' rights and enclosure on Staines Moor throughout the 18th and 19th. Eventually in 1870 by an Act of Parliament Westminster Abbey had powers to sell the freeholds and some was sold to Yeoveney Farm and some, including the Manor of Yeoveney, to the Ashby family – but commoners rights remained. Ashby erected a fence along the road and a dispute ensued. The land was guarded by soldiers and one elderly parishioner. Thomas Wooster, was sent to jail for removing the fence. A crowd met Wooster on his release from jail and burnt an effigy of Ashby. However Ashby continued to only allow access to those with permission and the fences remained.
Wraysbury River. Off-take flow control structure which enables flood water to by-pass the downstream section of the river
Swan Inn. Pub now closed and converted to housing.
Moor Cottage. Plain rendered 2 storey 17th cottage
Moor Farm
Smallholder’s cottage. This was acquired by Middlesex County Council under their Act of 1892, which allowed them to buy large plots of land and sell off in parcels to small holders
Railway Line
The West Drayton and Staines Railway ran between the Wraysbury and Colne rivers and then bridged the Windsor line and ran south east parallel to it. A curve built in 1940 to link the West Drayton and Staines line from a point south of Yeoveney Station to the Southern Railway Windsor Branch at Staines Moor Junction. Removed, more or less unused, in 1947.
Wraysbury Road
Coal post on the north side and east of the County Ditch, which is the boundary between Berkshire, and Surrey, 50 yards east of Lammas Drive. This is on the county boundary but is not shown on old maps. It is speculated that this may be the post which was removed when Wraysbury Reservoir was built and which would now be underwater.
Obelisk. This Coal Tax marker was put here in 1979 from its place near Wraysbury railway station. On one side is the inscription:- This City of London Coal Duty Post originally erected in the mid 19th century near Wyrardisbury Station was re-erected here in 1979 by Meadhurst Club and Wraysbury History Group". On the other side the inscription reads:- "14&15 VICT CAP. 146." which refers to the enabling Act. Although this post has been moved it is near the County Ditch which is the boundary between Berkshire, and Surrey.
Greyhound Stadium. The track had a grandstand on the east side, and kennels. It also hosted stock car racing and speedway. This dated from around 1927 and had opened as Bell Weir Park. Site is now Queensmead Lake under water south of Wraysbury road and west of Lammas Drive. Queensmead Lake is owned by the water supplier (currently Affinity) and is used for fishing by their staff.
68 Kotan Lodge. Half timbered building which is shown as a lodge to the park which, presumably, preceded the greyhound track.
Yeoveney
Chapel – this was attached to Staines church. The site appears to lie under the Wraysbury Reservoir.
Yeoveney Manor Lodge with coach house and pineapple capped gate piers. 19th house with stucco exterior.
Sources
British Listed Buildings. Web site
Butterfield. They walked this way
Coal and Wine posts in London. Web site
Common Rights Assertion. Web site
Disused Stations. Web site
Hall & Co. A Century and a Quarter
Industrial Archaeology of Surrey
Middlesex County Council. History of Middlesex
Pastscape. Web site
Spelthorne Council. Web site
Surrey County Council. Web site
Wraysbury Parish Council. Web site
The Wraysbury River flows south and south west
The County Ditch passes southwest wards through the area on the County boundary
Post to the east Staines Moor
Post to the north M25
Post to the south Lammas Lands and Egham Hythe
Post to the west Wraysbury and Runneymede, Bell Weir
Aqueduct
The aqueduct was completed around 1900 to take water from the River Thames, to the two Staines Reservoirs
M25
Junction 13. The section of motorway between here and Junction 14 is one of the busiest in Europe. This junction is part of the Runneymede interchange where the M25 crosses the Thames and also carries the Staines bypass.
Lakes alongside M25 and Staines by pass. Gravel extraction sites, extracted by Hall & Co.
Moor Lane
Church Lammas Lands. Registered under the Land Registration Acts 1925 and 1936 with rights to graze a horse or cows between 1st August and 12th March. There was a long history of disputes over commoners' rights and enclosure on Staines Moor throughout the 18th and 19th. Eventually in 1870 by an Act of Parliament Westminster Abbey had powers to sell the freeholds and some was sold to Yeoveney Farm and some, including the Manor of Yeoveney, to the Ashby family – but commoners rights remained. Ashby erected a fence along the road and a dispute ensued. The land was guarded by soldiers and one elderly parishioner. Thomas Wooster, was sent to jail for removing the fence. A crowd met Wooster on his release from jail and burnt an effigy of Ashby. However Ashby continued to only allow access to those with permission and the fences remained.
Wraysbury River. Off-take flow control structure which enables flood water to by-pass the downstream section of the river
Swan Inn. Pub now closed and converted to housing.
Moor Cottage. Plain rendered 2 storey 17th cottage
Moor Farm
Smallholder’s cottage. This was acquired by Middlesex County Council under their Act of 1892, which allowed them to buy large plots of land and sell off in parcels to small holders
Railway Line
The West Drayton and Staines Railway ran between the Wraysbury and Colne rivers and then bridged the Windsor line and ran south east parallel to it. A curve built in 1940 to link the West Drayton and Staines line from a point south of Yeoveney Station to the Southern Railway Windsor Branch at Staines Moor Junction. Removed, more or less unused, in 1947.
Wraysbury Road
Coal post on the north side and east of the County Ditch, which is the boundary between Berkshire, and Surrey, 50 yards east of Lammas Drive. This is on the county boundary but is not shown on old maps. It is speculated that this may be the post which was removed when Wraysbury Reservoir was built and which would now be underwater.
Obelisk. This Coal Tax marker was put here in 1979 from its place near Wraysbury railway station. On one side is the inscription:- This City of London Coal Duty Post originally erected in the mid 19th century near Wyrardisbury Station was re-erected here in 1979 by Meadhurst Club and Wraysbury History Group". On the other side the inscription reads:- "14&15 VICT CAP. 146." which refers to the enabling Act. Although this post has been moved it is near the County Ditch which is the boundary between Berkshire, and Surrey.
Greyhound Stadium. The track had a grandstand on the east side, and kennels. It also hosted stock car racing and speedway. This dated from around 1927 and had opened as Bell Weir Park. Site is now Queensmead Lake under water south of Wraysbury road and west of Lammas Drive. Queensmead Lake is owned by the water supplier (currently Affinity) and is used for fishing by their staff.
68 Kotan Lodge. Half timbered building which is shown as a lodge to the park which, presumably, preceded the greyhound track.
Yeoveney
Chapel – this was attached to Staines church. The site appears to lie under the Wraysbury Reservoir.
Yeoveney Manor Lodge with coach house and pineapple capped gate piers. 19th house with stucco exterior.
Sources
British Listed Buildings. Web site
Butterfield. They walked this way
Coal and Wine posts in London. Web site
Common Rights Assertion. Web site
Disused Stations. Web site
Hall & Co. A Century and a Quarter
Industrial Archaeology of Surrey
Middlesex County Council. History of Middlesex
Pastscape. Web site
Spelthorne Council. Web site
Surrey County Council. Web site
Wraysbury Parish Council. Web site
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