We are more than just our working selves, much more. I believe it is very important to understand where we have come from in order to make sense of where we are going. So, with that in mind here is a small compendium of interesting local (Guildford, Surrey, UK) history tid-bits. I hope you enjoy!

The Chilworth Gunpowder factory complex

Dating from the early 16th century, this fascinating site which at it’s peak employed over 600 men, was once opperated by the East India Company and later by both the King’s Cavalier and parliamentary Roundhead civil war armys. It was the reason for the Wey navigation tillingbourne extension (there fewer explosive accidents on the water than on bumpy road carts!), the reason the former St.Martha’s church collapsed (accidental explosion in 1760), it was instrumental in making the Guildford Guy riots infamously fervid in the later half of the 19th century, and it played an important role in arms manufacturing for the Great War before finally closing in 1920. Nearly 400 years of history from nature spot to heavy industrial centre and back to nature spot.

Photo’s courtesy of Caroline at Flickeringlamps

old road names can tell a story

In 1862, Thomas Jenner Sells, a prominent Guildford doctor, purchased a large plot of land at the south-eastern end of Guildford. He commissioned a large villa for himself, and at the same time 20-30 artisan’s cottages. the rent from which would then subsidise the cost of the villa.To plan the road layout and necessary infrastructure, Dr Sells worked with Henry Peak (before he was Mayor) to design Guildford’s first housing estate. Two parallel roads Sydenham Road and Harvey Road were linked by a series of smaller roads such as Bright Hill and Cheselden and Jenner Road. South of Harvey Road, Addison, Chesham and Bailie Road linked up with Cooper and Cline Road.Thomas Sells named the area after his wife, Charlotte, and all the roads were named after famous physicians. For example Addison after Thomas Addison a famous 19th-century physician at Guy’s Hospital, Cline after the famous surgeon Henry Cline and Cooper Road after Astley Cooper surgeon to George IV, William IV and Queen Victoria.

Photo’s courtesy of the Surrey History Centre

WARTIME DISPLACEMENT

If you’re a Guildfordian you probably know someone who works/or has worked for Allianz over the years (my dad and brother included), but until recently I didn’t know why Cornhill (Allianz Insurance) ended up in Guildford in the first place… They moved their HQ here (from ‘Cornhill’ in the Square Mile) in 1938 to escape the war, moving to a decrepid manor house in Shalford (Shalford House, built 1610) that had only recently been aquired by GBC. Apparently many of the Cornhill workers were living there too because they couldn’t get from London to Guildford everyday. By the mid fifties Cornhill had moved to a new HQ but obviously stayed in the area. ‘Shalford House’ lasted another decade as a furniture shop and was eventually demolished in 1968 to make way for the new water works (still on the site today).