Where Is This? No.22

Published on: 27 Aug, 2012
Updated on: 25 Aug, 2012

Last week’s mystery date appears on the bridge over the River Wey linking Walnut Tree Close and Bedford Road.

By David Rose

Well done once again to those who recognised the locations of last week’s mystery date and vintage photo.

Click here to see the comments of those who sent a reply. The date appears on the footbridge over the River Wey that links Walnut Tree Close and Bedford Road, near to the Odeon cinema.

The vintage photo is a rare picture postcard looking down Haydon Place from North Street. On the right are buildings that once formed part of the Guildford Co-operative Society’s shops and related premises. The old Co-op in Guildford is now a fading memory. It was a large store indeed – and further down Haydon Place, beyond the Live and Let Live pub, was the Co-op bakery.

Coming soon on this website is a story looking at the history of the Guildford Co-operative Society, that also had its dairy and milk delivery branch at Woodbridge Meadows.

To the left of the photo now is the more modern part of the telephone exchange. Does BT still call these buildings telephone exchanges, I wonder?

Moving on to this week’s puzzlers. But first, anyone who regularly follows this page may well be wondering just how many signs and plaques there are around Guildford with dates on them. I thought we would be struggling to find additional ones by now. However, I nipped around the town centre recently taking pictures of two examples that I already knew about, but found two more that I didn’t even know existed! So, we’ve got enough for a few more weeks yet. Remember, if you know of one that I have not yet included, send me an email to drosedragon@gmail.com.

Can you name where this memorial plaque is with a date of 1904?

For this week’s I have included the whole plaque and not just cropped into the date on it. Reason being that it is a bit hard to find! Perhaps a number of you will prove me wrong and give the exact location? Any ideas on the plaque’s manufacturer?

Where’s this then?

The mystery photo (above) dates to about the early 1960s, I’d say. It is from a series of photos that I copied few years ago that belong to Ron Heathorn. He worked in the motor trade in Guildford. Anyone know where this was?

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.22

Chris Townsend

August 27, 2012 at 12:03 pm

The plaque, made by Compton Pottery, is in the Castle Grounds, to the left of the entrance to the ornamental tunnel leading up to the bowling green area. I wonder what the letters R d indicate. The name of the potter, perhaps?
David & Ann Bailey

August 27, 2012 at 12:43 pm

The plaque is in the Castle Grounds, in the tunnel between the bowling green and the dry moat, where all the flower beds are.
The picture was taken in Walnut Tree Close where the car showrooms are now.
Bernard Parke

August 27, 2012 at 2:41 pm

1) The Castle grounds

2) Walnut tree close
Ray Springer

August 27, 2012 at 8:06 pm

Found the location of the wall plaque this morning. It is in the Castle Grounds in a walkway from the lower level up to the bowling green, as you say well hidden in a recess in the wall.

I think that the Mann Egerton building was in Walnut Tree Close.
Ken Fuller

August 29, 2012 at 9:33 am

I think that the plaque is in the Castle Grounds at the bottom of the path leading up to the bowling green.
Tony Bullen

August 29, 2012 at 9:46 pm

The plaque naming Murray Mark Boxall and Gilbert Smith is in a passage way below ground in the Castle Grounds.

I recall my grandfather showing it to me as he was a pal of Murray. Who, I wonder, paid for the plaque?
David Bennett

September 2, 2012 at 9:28 am

The plaque is situated on the wall of the passage and tunnel which links the lower gardens of the Castle Grounds to the upper gardens and bowling green.
Brian Holt

September 2, 2012 at 5:33 pm

The plaque is on the wall of the tunnel in the Castle Grounds.
When you enter from the castle side it is on the left as you go towards the bandstand and bowling green.
My family was only looking at this recently and we remember the tunnel being used as a air-raid shelter with wooden seats on the side to sit on.
The Mann Egerton Parts centre was at the bottom of Walnut Tree Close on the right where the CCP Cleaning Services are now.