Where Is This? No.212

Published on: 1 Jun, 2016
Updated on: 1 Jun, 2016

By David Rose

The regular responders to this column had no trouble identifying last week’s mystery vintage picture, and likewise some others did too.

The view took in a number of buildings such as the Central Electricity Generating Board building between Bury Street and the Porstmouth Road, the former Cannon pub (now the Keystone), Westbury House and buildings that were once Ayres bakers, Jackson’s cycle shop, and so on. I think the photo was taken from the roof of what is currently the Standard Life Healthcare building, Wey House, in Farnham Road.

Read all the comments at the foot of last week’ post by clicking here.

The piece of public art as featured in the quirky photo proved a little harder. Margaret Cole got it and wrote: “The interactive light sculpture is named Cedar, outside G Live, it was inspired by Alan Turing and it relays text messages visually, using 26 lights embedded in the sculpture that represent the letters of the alphabet, changing colour every 24 hours similar to the German Enigma Code.”

See Dave Middleton’s comment as he adds a web link all about it.

I was told a few months ago that the lights were not working – does anyone know whether they have been fixed now?

Taken from the top of a church tower. Where and what can be seen? Click to enlarge a bit in a new window.

Staying with views from above, here’s this week’s vintage picture. It is a tiny snap and as a clue it was taken from the top of a church tower in 1955.

Which one and what can you see?

Can you name the road bridge?

The quirky picture is a plaque with a date and can be found on a road bridge a little way our from the town centre. Do you know where this is?

If you know the answers to this week’s mysteries, please leave a reply in the box below – and include extra details if you have them.

They will be published along with two more mystery images at about the same time next week. Good luck.

Responses to Where Is This? No.212

Dave Middleton Reply

June 3, 2016 at 2:39 pm

I believe the large building in the main picture is the power station that was on Woodbridge Road, where Faraday Road now stands.

The building on the skyline to its left is the incomplete Guildford Cathedral.

From the angle of the photo, I wonder if it was taken from the roof of the Friary Brewery perhaps?

The power station featured in Where Is This, number 15, viewed from the opposite direction.

The 1926 bridge plate is on the road bridge over the River Wey, adjacent to Stoke Mill on Woking Road, Guildford.
Brian Alexander Reply

June 4, 2016 at 2:32 pm

The building in the middle distance is the Guildford power station in Woodbridge Road.

Is the second photo of the bridge over the Wey near the Surrey Ad building on the Woking Road?
Chris Townsend Reply

June 6, 2016 at 2:50 pm

The vintage view is from the tower of Stoke Church.

The blot on the landscape on Woodbridge Road is the power station, of which Power Close and Faraday Road are reminders today.

On Stag Hill to the left is the cathedral, not yet complete.

In the foreground are the old houses on Joseph’s Road, and Stocton Road beyond that.

Middle right are the stands of Guildford City football ground.

Is that white building right of centre Woodbridge House?

The plaque is on one of the Stoke Bridges, right beside the Surrey Ad offices at Stoke Mill.
Brian Holt Reply

June 7, 2016 at 2:02 pm

The picture was taken from the tower of St John’s Church, Stoke Road.

At the bottom of the picture you can see graves in the churchyard opposite the church.

Halfway up on the right-hand side you can see the old Guildford City Football Club’s Joseph Road ground. It was sold off for housing, with the last game played there against Folkestone on 12th February 1974.

I was one of the 625 supporters who turned up for the last game which City won 2-0.

You can see a goal in front of the stands at the Woodbridge Road end of the ground, with a tea hut to left of the stands.

Behind the tea hut is a large white building, which was Woodbridge House, in Woodbridge Road.

The big building was Guildford Power Station, built in 1928, closed in 1968, and demolished in January 1969.

Behind the gantry on the left of the power station you can see Guildford Cathedral.

The plaque is on the Woking Road bridge over the river, it’s the bridge nearest Stoke Mill.
Bill and Doug Staniforth Reply

June 8, 2016 at 1:42 pm

Picture 1 is difficult but we think it could be a view of the old power station on Woodbridge Road taken from Stoke church tower.

This former power station site includes houses named as Power Road (they’ve obviously left out the word ‘boat’).

Picture 2 is the Woking Road bridge by Stoke Mill.

[Ed: Surprised you only fitted in one mention of a speedboat. Technically, you could probably launch one from the slipway near Stoke Bridges!]