Where Is This? No.75

Published on: 17 Sep, 2013
Updated on: 17 Sep, 2013

By David Rose

Last week’s photos were a little tricky, therefore not so many replies.

Getting the modern quirky picture out of the way first, it showed the old crane that has been preserved at the National Trust’s Dapdune Wharf in Guildford – viewed from the towpath on the opposite bank, not far from the ‘seven arches’ bridge in Walnut Tree Close.

The vintage photo really is a mystery! And I thought we had a good contender for the location. Click here to see last week’s post and the replies at the foot of it.

I thought David and Ann Bailey’s suggestion that the former masonic building in Portsmouth Road might well be it. I had a phone call from former Guildford Museum curator Matthew Alexander who also wondered whether the picture featured that building.

They were referring to Weybourne House, built in 1897, and once used as a Roman Catholic girls’ school. In about 1937, this large detached building became Weybourne School and Children’s Guest House. The masons purchased the house in 1948 for use as a lodge.

If you read back to last week’s article, you will see that the photo was sent to Guildford Museum from a woman in Canada, whose mother convalesced there in 1950.

Sorry to disappoint, but here is a picture postcard view of Weybourne House. Many of the windows for example are different to the other house.

Weybourne House – looks different to the house pictured last time.

The mystery house? Probably not Weybourne House?

Any more suggestions? What about Mount Alvernia as suggested by John Lomas?

Which village is this?

Moving on to this week….. and an early 1900s picture postcard view of one of our local and attractive villages. Which one?

Which building do these windows belong to?

The quirky photo is a close-up view of three windows in a well known Guildford town centre building that had powerful beginnings and now is very artistic in nature. Do you know what it is today, and what it was before?

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.75

Ray Springer Reply

September 18, 2013 at 9:24 am

The village is Albury.
The brick building in Guildford is the Electric Theatre, once the 1913 Electricity Works.
Peter Bullen Reply

September 18, 2013 at 9:50 am

Albury village.
The Electric Theatre, formerly Guildford’s first power station.

As to last week’s mystery photo: I don’t think it could have been Mount Alvernia as the chapel was at the right of the building when viewed from the rear.
Bernard Parke Reply

September 18, 2013 at 10:32 am

1) Albury

2) Electric Theatre
David & Ann Bailey Reply

September 18, 2013 at 2:50 pm

The village is Albury recognized by the wonderful tall chimneys.

The building is Rodboro Buildings, which is now the arts and dance studio and Weatherspoons on the ground floor. It started life as Dennis Bros’ first motor factory.
John Lomas Reply

September 18, 2013 at 10:07 pm

Hi
I reckon the village is Albury.
Looking east-north-east should be a smithy behind the camera and another one in the distance on the right.
The buildings with the twisted chimneys are still there.
The building on the near right, behind the tree, is now a private house.
The phot is pre ’34/5 because that year’s OS 1:2500 shows a telephone call box at this end of the drive to that house, the previous map to the same scale ’15-’16 doesnot show the TCB.
Gay Wheeler Reply

September 19, 2013 at 8:05 pm

Looking at the chimneys my guess the village is Albury.

The windows I believe are on the old electricity works by the river, which is now the Electric Theatre
Chris Townsend Reply

September 20, 2013 at 9:18 pm

The postcard view is of Albury village street, with its distinctive Pugin-style chimneys. The scene is little changed, though the tree is long gone. The single-storey building in the centre was once a smithy; on the left were a number of shops, but now only the one with the awning is still a shop.

The three windows belong to the Electric Theatre, below the sign in brick “1913 Electricity Works” for the former electricity generating station.
Clitherow Kid Reply

September 23, 2013 at 11:35 am

The village is Albury.
The windows belong to The Billings in Walnut Tree Close.

I saw on TV you had a lot of champagne in Guildford at the end of the bike race. May I have four bottles for my prize this week. Thank You.
Brian Holt Reply

September 23, 2013 at 5:56 pm

The picture is The Street, Albury, taken from where the Drummond Arms is looking towards Albury Park.
The village has these elaborate chimneys on a number of its buildings.
They are by the architect Augustus Pugin (1812-52), whose other great work is the Houses of Parliament.

The windows are at The Billings bulding, Walnut Tree Close.
Doug and Bill Reply

September 24, 2013 at 5:00 pm

It’s Albury village and the windows belong to the Rodboro Buildings that was once a car factory but was rumoured to be a top secret speedboat factory!