Where Is This? No.21

Published on: 19 Aug, 2012
Updated on: 20 Aug, 2012

By David Rose

The Guildford telephone exchange building on the corner of Leapale Road and Leapale Lane. Was there an entrance here below the date sign?

Slight glitch on this appearing last week (I was also away on holiday). However, the mystery date that I featured last time appears on the Guildford telephone exchange building on the corner of Leapale Lane and Leapale Road.

I thought it might be a tricky one, but Chris Townsend added a reply noting that the clue was in the crown, which reminded him of old GPO vans. He wonders whether there was once an entrance on that corner, but now bricked up. Can anyone answer that?

The mystery photo of the cottages is Joseph’s Road – although not a long road, it has buildings from numerous centuries and in a variety of styles!

According to the late Lyn Clark in her book, Stoke Next Guildford, (Phillimore 1999), a J. Joseph is listed on an old estate map of the area dating back to 1798. Other records reveal that a William Joseph was living in the area in 1810, when he was 60 years of age. The record states that he was once an apprentice to his grandfather, “a wheeler” of Stoke parish. Later, William Joseph appears to have been appointed “pounder” as well as being the local constable. It’s him who the road is probably named after.

In the same book Lyn Clark notes that the cottages themselves form one of the oldest houses in the district and were once a single farmhouse. The oldest part dates back to the 16th century. In the 17th century it is thought to have been a inn, then reverting back to a farmhouse. By the 1840s it had been divided up into three cottages.

Click here to see the previous poser and all the replies at the foot of the post.

Where does this date appear?

The picture featuring this week’s mystery date I have cropped quite tightly, otherwise it would give the location, and what it is on, away too easily. Do you know?

Can you name this street?

The mystery picture seen here should have you thinking hard. There is a building further down the street on the right that is still there. The ones on the left, and on the right nearest to where the photographer was standing, have now gone. I’d say photo dates to about the late 1910s or 1920s – perhaps a decade or two before that telephone exchange was built!

If you think you know the answers, leave a reply in the box below. All replies will be posted at the same time in about a week’s time, along with a new post with the answers to this week’s photo and mystery date, and the next pair of images.

Responses to Where Is This? No.21

Bernard Parke

August 20, 2012 at 9:42 pm

i) The bridge from Walnut Tree Close into Bedford Road,

2) Haydon Place, looking down from North Street.
Ray Springer

August 21, 2012 at 12:13 pm

I think it is Haydon Place where the old Co-op store used to be. Still puzzled by the 1986 sign
Chris Townsend

August 22, 2012 at 10:52 am

The view is from Haydon Place, towards North Place, with Beverley Hall at the far end. The distinctive shop, now 40 Haydon Place, is on the corner of The Bars.

My grandfather, Alfred Parsons, was born in 1878 at Stevens Buildings, North Place, “next to the Live and Let Live”, as I was told. Those cottages are long gone. What a pity it would be if the pub were demolished too, but at least it appears that Beverley Hall will remain.
David Bennett

August 23, 2012 at 12:05 pm

This is looking down Haydon Place, Guildford from the North Street end with the Co-op (I believe it housed a restaurant) on the right hand side just before you come to Martyr Road. David
Brian Holt

August 23, 2012 at 9:22 pm

It is Haydon Place looking down from the North Street end.
The shops on the right belong to the Guildford Co-operative Society. There was a butchers, bakers, shoe shops, and their travel agents. The bakery was further down on the left.
I remember every Saturday going here to get the bread and milk tokens.
The shop further down on the right is now the hair salon which is on the corner of The Bars.
Ray Springer

August 24, 2012 at 2:48 pm

Found out where the bridge over the river (Wey) has the 1986 sign – the Walnut Bridge, I actually crossed it this morning