Sweeps Ditch Staines

Sweeps Ditch
Sweeps Ditch flows south eastwards
River Ash flows south eastwards


Post to the west Staines and Egham/Staines The Hythe
Post to the south Staines
Post to the east Ashford
Post to the east Thorpe Hay Meadow

Birch Green
The road leads to a common, part of the registered commons in the area
Water House. This 19th house is alongside the River Ash
Metropolitan Water Board Houses. Housing for workers at the Staines Pumping Station to the north of this square


Budebury Road
Sweeps Ditch runs down the north side of the road in front of the houses


Gresham Road
Staines Preparatory School. The School was founded in 1935 by Cyril Burges & Betty Hanson. It was proprietary until 1987 when Staines Preparatory School Trust was set up as a charitable company. It was initially a boys' school but admitted girls in the Second World War. The school is on the site of what was Gresham Farm and Gresham Cottage.
Our Lady of the Rosary Roman Catholic Church. The church was opened in the 1890s. For a while there was also a convent here and a club.
School – this stood alongside the church. Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School was founded in 1893 and has been a location in a different part of Staines since 1967

Kingston Road
Staines Congregational Church. This was founded as an independent chapel in 1789 and became a member of the Congregational Union of England and Wales. That body became part of the United Reform Church in 1972 joining with other church. . Staines Congregational Church chose, on doctrinal issues, not to do this and became an Independent Congregational Church in 1966 and a founder member of the Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches in 1967. The present church was built in 1956 when the earlier church was demolished for redevelopment.
Knowle Green House.  This was connected to a medieval estate and manor called Grove Barns. In the 17th ownership of this had passed to a John Knowle. The manor-house became known as Knowle Farm or Knowle Green House by the 18th and since then it had a variety of owners. It was demolished in the 1950s.
United Glass. The company their offices moved to a new purpose built headquarters suite here in 1964
Compass Point. Since 2011 this office block has been used by Wood Group Kenny on the site once used by United Glass.
Kingston Road Primary School. This was opened in 1903 for boys and girls. It suffered some bomb damage in the Second World War and in 1948 all the seniors were moved to a different school and from thenceforth it was a primary school. Demolished 1997
42 Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints. This includes a Family History Centre and is Stake.
Knowle Green brewery. The brewery was owned by the Harris family in the 19th and was taken over by the Ashby Brewery in 1903. Brewing ended in 1914
Oast House Centre. 19th building associated with the brewery. Converted to an adult education centre which had now closed. It is a brick malting with a number of associated adjoining buildings which at one time were used as a library.  These buildings are also shown on some 20th maps as “Knowle Green Mill (corn)”
Staines Police Station. New Police station. This is on the site of what was the Salvation Army Citadel. That replace a Methodist chapel built between 1840 and 1865 and which was closed in 1890.
Methodist church. Built in the 1890s on the corner of Sidney Road. This was a Gothic building in red brick.  It was replaced by the building near the Memorial Gardens in 1987.
52 North Star Inn. Pub, restaurant and B&B
Railway Hotel. This stood on the opposite corner to the North Star but has been demolished.

Knowle Green
This area is the site of a number of modern civic buildings.
Surrey County Court
Spelthorne Leisure Centre
– swimming pools, squash courts, etc.
Fairways Day Centre
Council offices
– red brick with a tower plus a clock and an impressive civic shield over the front entrance. Possibly built by Brandon Jones in 1967
Knowle Green Day Nursery
Staines Health centre


London Road
Three Tuns. Pub
Bus depot. This was on the corner with Greenlands Road – now an office block.  In 1930 the first Staines bus depot was a corrugated iron shed which had been the Overground company garage at Potters Bar and acquired by Green Line Coaches Ltd. It was replaced by a new building in 1935 fronting onto Greenlands Road. The entrance featured circular structures with the LT logo above them.


Priory Green
Housing on the site of Sykes Engineering Works
W.E. Sykes was set up in Staines and, after beginning in a small works in 1927, built a larger factory here. They produced gear cutting equipment and military tooling during the Second World War both for home use and export. In 1951 they became Sykes Machine Tool Co with an international range. They were taken over by the 600 Group in 1966 and left Staines around 1970.

Raleigh Court
Leacroft Centre. Youth and community centre in old drill hall. It includes a rifle range in use by various bodies.


Shortwood Common
This is common land with grazing rights
Shortwood Pond. A shallow pond used for fishing

Station Approach
Staines Station.  This was opened in 1848 by the London and Windsor Railway and now lies on lines which serve Egham,  Wraysbury, Ashford on South West Trains. On South Western Trains it serves Sunnymeads, Dachet  Staines was opened on the line between Waterloo and Windsor was opened in 1848 by the Windsor, Staines & South Western Junction Railway-  later that became London & South Western Railway, then the Southern Railway and then Southern Region of British Railways. In 1856 Staines station became a junction when a branch to Ascot was opened, and later trains ran to Reading, Guildford and Weybridge by that route.   It had a third, bay, platform which has been removed .The station has had several names: Staines Central, Staines Junction, Staines Old and Staines. There were two other stations in Staines both of which have now closed.  It was rebuilt in 1930 for electrification.
Goods yard closed 1960s
Car Park - one the site of the now removed bay platform. Lines leading to it remained,

Wyatt Road
Wyatt Road Infants School. Converted from St.Peters Church Hall. Built 1896 as the first school erected by Staines School Board

Sources
British  History Online. Web site
Emerald Insight. Web site.
Evening Standard
Glazier. London Transport Garages
Jackson. London’s Local Railways
Middlesex County Council. History of  Middlesex,
Our Lady of the Rosary. Web site
Spelthorne Council. Web site.
Staines Congregational Church. Web site
Staines Preparatory School. Web site
Staines Station. Wikipedia Web site
Walford. Village London,
Wikeley and Middleton. Railway Stations. Southern Region

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