Where Is This? No.35

Published on: 26 Nov, 2012
Updated on: 26 Nov, 2012

By David Rose

Seems like all the regular readers know their local pubs rather well, as all who replied to last week’s mystery photo correctly recognised it as featuring the Royal Oak in Wood Street Village.

Click here to see last week’s post and all the replies at the foot of it. Doug Staniforth can have his speedboat by way of a prize (better check that with Bully, first!), but unfortunately we don’t have any wrapping paper large enough at the moment, so he’ll have to wait! Might be a long time.

Located on the brow of Oakhill, the original Royal Oak pub on that site was built in 1851 and was one of the tied houses of Guildford brewers G. W. & F. A. Crooke. (The brewery was next to the river opposite St Nicolas’ Church – now the car park by the George Abbot pub).

The Royal Oak came into the ownership of Hodgson’s Kingston Brewery in 1929. The original pub was then demolished and the one seen in the photo and still there, was built. It later became a Courage pub.

The mystery clock can be seen on the tower of Holy Trinity Church in Guildford High Street. Again, it appears to have been a fairly easy one to recognise.

A fleet of lorries lined up on a patch of land. Where is it and what’s there now?

This week’s mystery photo shows a fleet of lorries from the Guildford haulage firm of Rackliffe. Does you know where it was taken and what’s there now?

I have some good photos of vehicles from this firm that also had a coach business. I know a little of its history (such as it celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1971), but if anyone can supply further details, please get in contact.

Do you know where this is?

The mystery clock, photographed by Alistair Fulton, is a bit harder this week. It’s on a church in what was once a separate village but now connected to Guildford. There’s a pub next to the church – if that’s any help, with a horse racing connection.

If you know the answers please leave a reply in the box below. All replies will be posted at about the same time next week, 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.35

Bernard Parke Reply

November 26, 2012 at 7:12 pm

1)The Law Courts.Site of the old Gasworks

2) Stoke Church
Ray Springer Reply

November 26, 2012 at 8:44 pm

The clock is on St. Johns church at Merrow. The pub next door is the Horse & Groom. I believe the racing connection is that some time ago there was horse racing in Merrow (on the downs)
David & Ann Bailey Reply

November 29, 2012 at 11:14 am

We think the lorry park is on the land now used as the access to the A3 from Woking Road. The Row Barge Pub, on Riverside, can be seen in the background.

The clock is on the church of St John’s in Merrow, on the corner of Trodds Lane
Doug Staniforth Reply

November 29, 2012 at 3:39 pm

I think this is the ground opposite the Row Barge pub
on Riverside. The photo was probably taken from Woking Road where the A3 bridge is now. Rackliffe’s yard was on Weyside Road.
The church clock is St John’s in Merrow

with all this info Ithink the speedboat should have a big engine so get some more wrapping paper
John Schluter Reply

November 29, 2012 at 7:42 pm

It is St John the Evangelist in Merrow
brian holt Reply

November 30, 2012 at 7:28 pm

Rackliffe lived in Mangles Road,And that was the address of the business,
The photo of this yard, is where the used Furniture
Store is now in Woodlands Road, Slyfield Green.
The yard would have covered part of area where the old Market site was in Slyfield.

The clock is Merrow Church, which is on the corner of Epsom Road and Trodd’s Lane.
Ken Fuller Reply

November 30, 2012 at 9:37 pm

I think it is where the northbound sliproad on to the A3 from the the A320 now is. The land was also used as a site for the funfair and the circus
Chris Townsend Reply

December 1, 2012 at 2:52 pm

I’m not certain, but my guess is that the Rackliffe’s lorries are parked on the site vacated by Guildford City Football Club in the mid-’70s, before houses were built there (Langley Close). Would that be Stocton Road on the right of the photo, and the tower of Stoke Church just visible on the left, with houses on Joseph’s Road?

The clock is on the parish church of Saint John the Evangelist, Merrow, across Trodd’s Lane from The Horse and Groom.
Mark Chapman Reply

January 12, 2014 at 10:26 am

My father drove for Rackliffe’s for 29 years. The main yard was in Mangles Road. This was one of the pictures from the company calendar used in 1967/68 I think. I believe it was taken as others have said on the site of the northbound A3 on-ramp. This used to be a lorry park in the 60s and 70s.

I hope this is of help.
Gina Coleman (nee Rackliffe) Reply

March 10, 2014 at 3:01 pm

I agree completely with Mark Chapman’s comments he is absolutely correct in recognising where my father who took this picture of his fleet of vehicles, for the company’s annual calendar. Yes his father ‘Speedy’ is well remembered too.
- Neil Jackson Reply
  
  March 25, 2021 at 12:42 am
  
  To Gina Coleman (nee Rackliffe) – this may be a bit of a strange message but I believe you are Gina married to John Coleman.
  
  If I’m correct and if you read this, my mum Val Logan (now Bailey) from Stone, Staffordshire has been trying to contact you and John. I do hope you are the person I think you are. I’m not quite sure how to get hold of you from this as I don’t think we can add personal contact details, we looked for you but couldn’t find you on Facebook either.
  
  Editor’s note: The Dragon will help facilitate contact.