Where is This? No.279

Published on: 18 Nov, 2017
Updated on: 18 Nov, 2017

By David Rose

The cafe at Newlands Corner was the vintage picture featured last time. Past names of it have included The Barn and Squirrel Hill, according to some of the replies.

The question was also asked why is it named Newlands Corner? I have tried to discover that. I read somewhere years ago it may have come about after the area was cleared of trees – so became a “new land”. But it sounds doubtful. Any suggestions?

The quirky picture last time showed the “office” and presumably waiting area at the Onslow park and ride site, near the Surrey Sports Park. The Stanniforth brothers have named it the Bernard Park and Ride site – great name!

The view shows St Martha’s Church, but where was the photographer standing? Click to enlarge pictures in a new window.

This week’s vintage picture is a different kind of mystery as it obviously includes St Martha’s Church on the hill within the view.

I can’t work out where the photographer was standing when the picture was taken. A road can be seen and a number of buildings. Is that Chilworth?

The caption says “St Martha from the Downs, Guildford”. That seems a bit misleading, but I could be wrong. Can readers help answer this one?

Do you know where this is and where it leads to?

While the quirky picture this time was taken by Martin Giles and shows a passageway between two more modern buildings through to some older houses. Very close to the town centre. Where was he when he took the picture?

If you know the answers and perhaps can add some more details, please leave a reply in the box below. I’ll give the answers in two week’s time with the next two images.

Responses to Where is This? No.279

Bernard Parke Reply

November 18, 2017 at 8:18 pm

In replying to the previous week’s quirky picture and the comments.

“Bernard Park Ride Site”. Very good, we are both failures!
Dave Middleton Reply

November 19, 2017 at 2:17 pm

The town centre passageway is from Sydenham Road into Oxford Terrace, opposite the multi-story car park, to the side of the Blue Sardinia restaurant.

The old photo of St Martha’s shows the north-west aspect of the church, so the photographer must have been looking south-east when he or she took it.

I think the cluster of houses in the trees is the end of Longdown Road (where virtually every house has a tennis court in its garden!), which would put the photographer in the area of the high ground just south of Warren Farm, off Warren Road.
Mike Williams Reply

November 19, 2017 at 8:49 pm

Let’s stick with the script ‘from the Downs’ for a mo, and consider the photo is of the north side of the hill and church, taken from White Lane (say).

This would make the buildings Tyting Farm, and the road Halfpenny Lane? The other clue is St Martha’s itself and the longest bit of the church is to the right (or west) of the tower.

Martin’s photo is of Oxford Terrace opposite the multi-storey car park. Poor Oxford, we gave your grand city a couple of very ordinary streets to be named after you.
John Lomas Reply

November 20, 2017 at 7:32 am

The orientation of St Martha’s shows that the picture was taken from either the south-east or the north-west.

I’m going for the north-west and somewhere between One Tree Corner where One Tree Hill Road starts and the start of Longdown Road.

The view is not necessarily from the road but the terrain west of that should have given a similar view back then.

buildings above the word photographer are probably Tyting Farm, if I have the direction of view correct.

See https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/502514/148487/12/101151

Martin was stood on Sydenham Road with his back to the multi-storey car park entrance looking up the passageway next to Britten’s restaurant.
Albert Robinson Reply

November 20, 2017 at 8:43 pm

I guess the view of St Martha’s was taken from somewhere near the Percy Arms pub at Chilworth.

I suspect the view of the hilly street, near to the town centre was taken from Sydenham Road towards Oxford Terrace. You cannot get much closer to the town centre.
Charles Folkes Reply

November 21, 2017 at 9:22 am

The long part of the church nave is the wrong way around for the photograph to be taken from Chilworth so it’s most likely taken from close by the top of Halfpenny Lane which is the road in the picture. That would make the buildings Tyting Farm.

The passageway leads from Sydenham Road to Oxford Terrace.
Chris Townsend Reply

November 21, 2017 at 8:39 pm

St Martha’s Church appears to be viewed from the north-west. That leads me to think that “the Downs” means Pewley Down, some of the buildings belong to Tyting Farm, and the road is Halfpenny Lane.

I’d say Martin was in Sydenham Road, by the entrance to the Castle car park, when he took the quirky picture of Oxford Terrace. It leads to Pewley Hill.
Ron North Reply

November 23, 2017 at 3:47 pm

Looking at the aspect of St Martha on the hill, I suggest the village is Albury and the photo was taken from Blackheath.

The quirky was taken from Sydenham Road (near the ugly car park) looking into Oxford Terrace.
J E davey Reply

November 23, 2017 at 7:48 pm

The view of Saint Martha’s would have been taken from Longdown Road, or where Longdown Road is now. (The reference to Chilworth is a bit of a red herring!)

The quirky picture is the path from Sydenham Road to Oxford Terrace, possibly taken from the first level of the Castle Car Park.
Doug and Bill Stanniforth Reply

November 28, 2017 at 12:25 pm

We think it was taken near White Lane Farm, Guildford Lane.

The quirky photo is Sydenham Road looking towards the dreaming spires of Oxford Terrace. (If M Giles was pretending to be Inspector Morse looking for pubs he was facing the wrong way).

We await moderation.