Museum Shines a Light on Victorian Send, Ripley and Pyrford

Published on: 10 Jul, 2025
Updated on: 12 Jul, 2025

The latest exhibition at Ripley Museum shines a light on the Victorian age.

Cyclists outside the Anchor, Ripley.

Hosted by Send and Ripley History Society, it says this was “a very important period in the development (or lack of development) of the two villages”.

Only one year into Queen Victoria’s reign, the railway arrived at Woking Heath, which was then in the middle of countryside – just try to imagine if the railway had come to Ripley or Send instead!

As well as this game changing moment, the exhibition considers changes in education, religion and sport plus highlighting a few famous Victorians connected to the area, such as Thomas Love Peacock, H. G. Wells, Ada Lovelace and local boy George ‘the Lion hitter’ Griffiths.

Arthur Joseph Munby.

The society is fortunate to have a publication which contains extracts from the diary of a Victorian visitor, Arthur Joseph Munby.

Pyrford looking towards St Nicholas Church.

This book follows his walk round Ripley and Pyrford and is illustrated in the exhibition with photos from the society’s collection.

The book is on special offer for £1.

The original Anchor inn beside the River Wey Navigation at Pyrford.

The exhibition runs until the end of September and is open every Saturday, 10am to noon, and at other times by arrangement with Clare, phone her on 01483 728546.

Ripley Museum is in the car park of the new Ripley Village Hall. Postcode: GU23 6AF.

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