Where Is This? No.80

Published on: 22 Oct, 2013
Updated on: 23 Oct, 2013

By David Rose

Not so many replies to last week’s images, but those who did all correctly identified the Bethel Chapel in The Bars (behind Martyr Road) and the golden boot as being above Russell & Bromley’s shoe shop in the High Street.

Click here to read all the comments at the foot of last week’s post. Thanks once again to Chris Townsend who has supplied some very interesting details about the Strict Baptist’s Bethel Chapel and its worshippers’ former building that was in Martyr Road and its own interesting history.

Where was this picture taken? A well known spot with some right royal history.

On to this week and a vintage photo that shows a rather forlorn looking woman sitting on a bench with an ancient wall behind. Do you recognise the scene? The picture is from the collection of wonderful old photos and other Guildford-related material at the Guildford Institute in Ward Street.

Where is this and what was it used for?

This week’s quirky photo shows something that can be found in several places along the Wey Navigations. Do you know where this one is and what it was used for?

Please note: this is a replacement picture for the first one I added when the post was first published on Tuesday evening. A couple of quick responders noted that the one I originally featured had been used before. I knew this would happen at some time!

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.80

Bernard Parke Reply

October 23, 2013 at 7:52 am

1) Guildford Caste. Plaque stating of the Borough’s purchase of the grounds.

2) Help to control the horses pulling the barges.
ray springer Reply

October 24, 2013 at 2:36 pm

The picture is of the Castle Grounds and probably taken from the adjacent bowling green.
The Castle grounds were opened to the public in 1888 to mark Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee the previous year.

The revised quirky picture is on the post of the bridge which is over the river at Millbrook (on the river side). I think it has something to do with the horse drawn barges and canal boats that used to frequent the river. These objects appear to occur at bends in the river
Eric Hill Reply

October 24, 2013 at 5:59 pm

Not certain of the first picture, but guess that it is somewhere within the castle grounds bearing in mind the ‘royal’ clue.

Second one is a rope roller and is on the Wey between the Rowing Club and whatever The Jolly Farmer is now called!

These were used to enable the towing horse to pull the boats round corners. There is another just upstream of St Catherine’s where the river takes a very long bend.
Sue Bushell Reply

October 26, 2013 at 9:12 am

Well I must admit to be being a bit clueless over the last couple of weeks photographs, but I believe the first photo was taken inside the Castle Grounds. Was it taken just as you come in from Castle Arch entrance?

As for the second I am afraid I haven’t a clue, shameful for a Guildfordian, and I thought I knew my town of birth.
David & Ann Bailey Reply

October 26, 2013 at 4:39 pm

This roller is by the Quarry Street foot bridge on the sharp bend opposite the Canoe club. It was used to help horse drawn barges around the corner.

The wall shown is near the Guildford Castle Keep entrance.
Chris Townsend Reply

October 27, 2013 at 5:50 pm

The ornate plaque is at a high point near the Great Tower in the Castle Grounds, commemorating their opening in 1888 by the Mayor, William Swayne. It lists a number of Guildford Aldermen and Councillors of the day. The site of the Castle and Bowling Green was purchased in 1885 by the Town Council from Lord Grantley, and laid out by Henry Peak, Borough Surveyor, as “Public Pleasure Grounds” “dedicated to the use of the public for ever”. Today the seats nearby are ideally placed for enjoying views across the Wey valley.

The quirky photo shows a towing rope roller, which was used to enable a bargee’s horse to pull a barge around a bend in the navigation.
Brian Holt Reply

October 28, 2013 at 9:13 pm

The picture was taken from the entrance to the castle, in the Castle Grounds.
The plaque is to mark the site of the ancient castle of Guildford, the grounds were declared open
on Coronation Day 28 June 1888, by the then Mayor, William Swayne, nd they are dedicated to the use of the public for ever.

The post is under the Shalford Road footbridge over the river, and was used by horse-drawn barges.
The rope from the horses would go around the post to keep the barges away from the bank.
As children we used to fish and play from under where the railings are. In those days it was clean and free of weeds etc, but there was a small amount of water there.