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Where Is This? No. 105
Published on: 15 Apr, 2014
Updated on: 15 Apr, 2014
By David Rose
A weighty electronic postbag full of replies to last week’s mystery images – thanks to you all.
The vintage view showed Chertsey Street seen from Martyr Road, and the war memorial is in front of St Nicolas Church.
I thank Chris Townsend for her detailed reply with information about both – in particular noting the row over the memorial. Click here to see last week’s post and all your replies.
Chris also has given details about Guildford Bowling Club and its website that tells of its history, relating to the vintage photo seen in number 104.
The Stanniforth brothers made a link between St Nic and Father Chrismas and his generosity for presents, ie prizes to our weekly quiz. I don’t know whether Santa is on email, but it wouldn’t do you any harm to get in now and write him a letter and post it up your chimney!
Here are this week’s…
Do you recognise this street scene?
The vintage photo shows a pair of buildings in Guildford town centre shortly before redevelopment. Can you name them?
Do you know where this stone plaque can be viewed?
The quirky photo is a stone plaque set in the wall of a building somewhere in the town centre. I know nothing about its origins, only that one of the churchwardens named – ‘F. A. Asher’ was a one-time owner of the Surrey Advertiser. How many newspaper proprietors or even editors volunteer as local churchwardens these days?
If you think you know the answers, and may be able to add some extra details, please leave a reply in the box below. The answers, along with the next pair of images, will be published about the same time next week.
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Responses to Where Is This? No. 105
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Chaz Folkes
April 16, 2014 at 8:57 am
The street scene looks like the bottom of North Street – the building on the left is now Robert Dyas and the one on the right is now White Lion Walk.
The plaque is on the side of Holy Trinity Church at the top of High Street.
John Lomas
April 16, 2014 at 12:22 pm
Arthur Sutton Valpy was Rector of Holy Trinity so logically that is where the stone is.
Shirley and Brian West
April 16, 2014 at 7:04 pm
The two buildings are the old pub the Vintners and Woolworths in lower North street.
The plaque is in the wall of Holy Trinity Church.
Ray Springer
April 17, 2014 at 3:40 pm
I think this is North Street and the two buildings are the Little White Lion pub and Woolworths (before they moved to Friary Street). Both buildings now demolished.
The stone plaque is in the Holy Trinity Church replaced apse built in 1888. The original 18th century church became a cathedral church in 1927 and remained so until the new cathedral was consecrated in 1961.
Lot more information available on their website http://www.holytrinityguildford.org.uk
Colin & Linda Jackson
April 18, 2014 at 6:14 pm
The first photo was lower part of North Street and the first building was originally a pub called the Little White Lion. On a Saturday men would come out of the door, without looking, and collide with the busy mums weighed down with shopping from the market. The building next to it on the right was Woolworths. Loved that shop as a child, you could buy anything you needed. There was a food hall and clothing plus hardware and gardening bits and bobs. It also had a cafe.
The second photo we believe is Holy Trinity Church High street. In 1869 the church was reordered, with plenty of alterations but in 1888 the church had been extended eastwards and maybe the wall plaque may be to do with this.
Peter Holt
April 20, 2014 at 11:46 am
The building on the left was the Little White Lion pub and the one on the right was the old Woolworths in North Street. White Lion Walk now stands on this site. I think the plaque is on the side of Holy Trinity Church.
Chris Townsend
April 22, 2014 at 7:53 am
The street scene shows North Street, opposite the junction with Commercial Road; the clue’s in the sign for Friary Bus Station. The left-hand building was the Little White Lion featured in “Where Is This? No.99”, while next-door was the back entrance to “Woolies”. That store closed in 1984, and White Lion Walk opened in 1986.
The stone plaque is set in the chancel extension at the east end of Holy Trinity Church. The builder’s excavated waste caused the mysterious mound in the churchyard. (One myth about it is that it was a burial place of plague victims.)
Alfred Bull (1834-1896) was born in Guildford and became partner and successor to Frank Apted at 25 High Street, now Guildford House. He lived there and carried on his business as tent-maker in a rabbit-warren of workshops in the former stables and outbuildings at the rear, on the site of the present Library.
Alexander Forsythe Asher (c.1839-1916), a Scot, was churchwarden for 17 years, and Mayor in 1902. Both he, Alfred Bull and Frank Apted are described in words and photos in Roger Nicholas’ excellent book about the Mount Cemetery and some of those buried there, “… And the Lord taketh away…”
Brian Holt
April 22, 2014 at 7:53 pm
The building on the left was the Little White Lion pub and F.W Woolworths & Co, North Street, next door.
This end of the store was the food hall and later the off licence.
The store was built where the Lion Hotel once was and today it’s the White Lion Walk shopping centre.
The next photo is Holy Trinity Church, High Street.