Bury Fields To Be Resurfaced, Repair To The Upper Mount Expected Next Year

Published on: 26 Oct, 2012
Updated on: 30 Oct, 2012

One of the worst road surfaces in Guildford

Bury Fields* is a street in Guildford that many nearby residents feel is one of the worst maintained in the town but notices recently erected inform passers by that resurfacing is imminent.

The road will be closed for two weeks from November 5th whilst the repairs are carried out.

One of the signs warning residents and road users of the two week closure

Bury Fields is the designated cycle route into town from the Godalming direction but the surface, which has been patched many times, is particularly bad for those on bikes

David Goodwin, the Lib Dem Surrey County Councillor and a Guildford Borough Councillor for the area, said: “I put forward Bury Fields, Millmead Terrace and Hedgeway, as priority cases for repair, at the beginning of this financial year and I am delighted to see that work is now about to commence.

“I am fully aware that there are other roads that need attention too. Last year with some monies left over from other projects I was able to get Upper Scillonian Road and the bottom half of The Mount repaired but I do know that the top half of The Mount is in bad shape too. I saw it just the other day and I am hopeful that a repair can be funded in the next financial year.”

*The road that runs from Bury Street, near St Nicolas Church, southwards to the bottom of Lawn Road. Most likely, the name ‘Bury Fields, despite the proximity to the church, does not come from any graveyard but from a corruption of ‘Borough Fields’, the fields that existed in this area at a time before the standardisation of spelling.

Responses to Bury Fields To Be Resurfaced, Repair To The Upper Mount Expected Next Year

Chris Townsend

October 27, 2012 at 10:32 am

Surely the name of Bury Fields was derived from the old word “Burh”, and referred to the town fields. “Bury Field” is marked as such on the 1739 Ichnography of Guildford. Also, Surrey History Centre holds a record as early as 1294 relating to “Lands held by Walter in Westenye and Bury Field in St Nicholas, Guildford”. (S.H.C. ref. LM/335/12)
- Martin Giles
  
  October 27, 2012 at 3:27 pm
  
  Thank you Chris for your comment. I thought I had read that the fields in this area once belonged to a Mr Bury but perhaps that was wrong, or I have not remembered it correctly.
  
  I was aware that they are so named on Harrison’s 1739 Icnography on which most fields take the name of the owner (some entitled ‘Mr’ and some not, presumably a class thing). There is also one called ‘Town Field’ so perhaps your theory is correct.
  
  I wonder if other readers can produce a definitive answer?
  - Martin Giles
    
    October 28, 2012 at 10:46 am
    
    Chris,
    
    I have referred this to Matthew Alexander, former Guildford Museum curator. He agrees with you.
    
    Thank you for pointing this out. I will amend the article.
    
    Martin Giles
Bernard Parke

October 27, 2012 at 3:33 pm

Yes, Cllr Goodwin was able to get Upper Scillonian Road resurfaced, but as this is a rat run and in common with the Upper Mount, not designed for heavy traffic. As a result, it was not long before our water main was fractured.

Again this was badly repaired and it has the beginnings of a brand new pot hole!

Is this repair work ever supervised?
Bernard Parke

October 28, 2012 at 10:30 am

Considerable damage was caused in the upper Mount area by heavy plant on its movement to the new builds in Green Lane.

Perhaps it would be wise to wait on the remedial work on this sector is postponed until the entire building work has been completed?