Where Is This? No.74

Published on: 10 Sep, 2013
Updated on: 10 Sep, 2013

By David Rose

Thanks once again to all who replied to last week’s post – many recognising the Women’s Royal Army Corp’s camp at Stoughton and the tree roots and wall being in Castle Hill.

See last week’s post and all the replies at the foot of it with extra details, such as the exact spot the vintage picture was taken, including Doug and Bill Stanniforth’s ‘hints’ about that prize of a speedboat. We’re getting into autumn now, surely you don’t want to be out on the water now the season is turning and summer’s finally over?

A mystery house in the Guildford area?

We have a real mystery in this week’s vintage picture. The image was emailed to Guildford Museum by Wendy Pelech who lives in Canada. She is doing some family history research and hopes someone may be able to identify this house.

She wrote: “My mother had surgery in the Guildford hospital sometime around 1950. For her recovery period she was sent to the house seen here. On the back of the photo she wrote the following: ‘This is the Convent of the ..(and I think the word is Anastase) It was a retreat house.'”

So, offering the photo to a wider audience, can anyone suggest where it is or was?

My guess is that it could be along the Portsmouth Road – perhaps in the Guildown area. But I am not sure. Take a look at the windows on the far left of the building. It looks as if it had its own chapel?

Any clues that may be given, I will pass on to Wendy and to Guildford Museum.

Do you know where this is?

And this week’s ‘quirky’ photo is a zoomed-in shot of a small crane. As a clue, it’s a National Trust-owned site and near water. So I am expecting some more speedboat prize jokes!

If you know the answers to this week’s, and perhaps have some comments to make, please leave a reply in the box below. All replies will be posted at about the same time next week, along with a new post with the answers to this week’s vintage photo and quirky picture, and the next pair of images.

Responses to Where Is This? No.74

ray springer Reply

September 11, 2013 at 11:27 am

The quirky photo of the crane is at Dapdune Wharf at the back of Woodbridge Road alongside the river
John Lomas Reply

September 11, 2013 at 12:04 pm

Hi
Could it possibly have been Mount Alvernia, during the war it was a hospital whether general or specialised I don’t know. (I was born there in ’42)
But looking for convents in the Guildford area I have found mention of it, so it would appear to have been a religious house at some time.
david & ann bailey Reply

September 11, 2013 at 2:00 pm

This is the old Masonic building of the Portsmouth Road which was a convent before the Masons took it over, it is know been turned into apartments.

The crane is at Dapdune Wharf
John Lomas Reply

September 11, 2013 at 3:47 pm

I don’t know where the crane is, but I am going to make a guess,
It looks like it could have orignially been for unloading barges and the building could be a lock keepers cottage.
So my guess is that it is at the Stoke lock keepers cottage .
Chris Townsend Reply

September 15, 2013 at 5:50 pm

The small crane is at Dapdune Wharf, well worth a visit.
Brian Holt Reply

September 16, 2013 at 9:44 pm

The second picture is The National Trust Dapdune Wharf.
Carol Norris Reply

September 24, 2013 at 10:54 am

Picture 1 : I wonder if this is the back of Merrow Grange School?