Where Is This? No.67

Published on: 23 Jul, 2013
Updated on: 23 Jul, 2013

By David Rose

The view see here last week prompted some interesting replies – not all of them correct. It showed a view across Burpham of fields that was once Bowers Farm, now the houses of Weybrook Park and the Sainsbury’s store. Well done to all those who identified it correctly. You can read all the comments at the foot of the post, click here to see.

And the piece of public art can indeed be found with other wood sculptures at Woodbridge Meadows, off Walnut Tree Close. They form the work of the Treepirates that was created in 2008.

Where is this street near Guildford town centre?

This week’s vintage mystery photo is not the best of quality, but those who know Guildford’s back streets as they once were will no doubt work out which road is featured. Can you add some details about the shops and businesses featured?

I think I have run out of the very best of pubic art / sculpture photos, so the theme is changing slightly to include what are best described as odd or unusual views of Guildford as they are today. I will be out and about taking more photos soon.

Can you work out where this is?

To begin with, here is a view that presented itself to me a year or so ago. Be warned, it is not all that it seems. Do you know where it is?

If you know the answers to this week’s, and perhaps have some comments to make, 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 vintage photo and sculpture / statue picture, and the next pair of images.

Responses to Where Is This? No.67

Norman Hamshere Reply

July 24, 2013 at 8:21 am

South Street, Stevens fish and chip shop on the left next to Hope’s newsagents. Roofless square building in centre looks as though it is being dismantled.
Bibhas Neogi Reply

July 24, 2013 at 10:06 am

The top picture is Haydon Place looking towards the North Street from its junction with Leapale Lane.

The other one is of St. Nicolas in the background and the picture taken from behind the White House Pub, Millmead.
Peter Bullen Reply

July 24, 2013 at 5:50 pm

The first photo is of South Street, where the Castle multi-storey car park is now. The first shop sold fish and chips and next to it was Hope’s the newsagent and I think the shop on the corner of Holy Trinity Churchyard was a tailors. Opposite was Bullen’s (no relation, alas!) sweet shop in the centre of a terrace of houses. Most of my small quantity of pocket money was spent in Hope’s buying the Wizard, Hotspur, Champion, or Adventure comics which had few illustrations but long, gripping, serial stories about characters like Wilson the Wonder Athelete or Rockfist Rogan the RAF pilot. Bullen’s would serve you with a paper twist of lemonade powder for just one old penny. You dipped your finger in the powder and put it in your mouth – delicious! – and ended up with a bright yellow finger and thumb.

I think the second photo is of the solicitors’ office that is now the White House pub by the High Street bridge.
Caroline Reeves Reply

July 25, 2013 at 4:03 pm

I think the first might be Sydenham Road, before everything was knocked down!
The second is the reflection of the White House pub in the windows of the St Nicolas parish hall windows.
John Lomas Reply

July 25, 2013 at 5:51 pm

I think that the old photo is Castle St above the Chapel St junction.
One of the buildings on the right would therefore be the indoor swimming baths.
Adrian Oliver Reply

July 25, 2013 at 6:46 pm

Looking up Sydenham Road, just beyond Tunsgate.

The ‘lovely’ multi-storey car park was built in place of these buildings…
Chris Townsend Reply

July 26, 2013 at 7:41 am

The old photo shows South Street, now Sydenham Road, before road widening about 1959 and the building of the car park, itself now replaced. On the right is the foot of Oxford Terrace with Jessie Bullen’s sweet shop just up the street. On the left is Stevens’ Fish Cafe and Mr. Hope’s general store. Between the shops and the cottages in the centre was the entrance to Trinity Churchyard. Beyond the cottages, the Royal Oak and the adjoining cottages facing the churchyard lost much of their gardens.

The modern view shows St Nicolas Church in the background, and the memorial to Dr John Monsell. So the image of the White House is a reflection in the glass wall of the parish centre opposite.
Jo Dwyer Reply

July 26, 2013 at 1:48 pm

Just found this site – looks interesting!

I think the first picture is Park Street looking towards the Portsmouth Road with the old brewery on the left. I don’t think I’m old enough to remember it quite like that. If I’m right though, the parade of shops on the left contains the newsagent that burnt down in the 80s sometime. I remember the whole town being covered in smoke.

The second pic is a reflection of the White House in the St Nicolas Church hall building. Great picture!
Brian Holt Reply

July 28, 2013 at 9:31 pm

This is Sydenham road, looking from near Oxford Terrace and would be where the multi-storey car park is now.
I knew these shops in the late 1940s as I went to Holy Trinity School, just around the corner.
The first shop was Stevens’ fish and chip shop. Mrs Stevens served in the shop, her son Michael attended Holy Trinity School, and then the Royal Grammar School. He was also a choirboy at St Mary’s Church.
The next shop was Hopes the newsagents, then there was a shoe repair shop, and then the entrance to Holy
Trinity Churchyard.
The next building must had been demolished by the time of the photo, because there was a gents hairdresser shop, where we used to have our haircuts. He was a nice elderly Canadian gentleman.
Opposite the newsagents was Bullen’s sweet shop. Mrs Bullen served in the shop, as her husband was a postman.