Saxon Times

In Saxon times the village was named Stede. This means site or homestead.

It's not known when the name became Ashtead, however the name means homestead among the Ash trees.

Roman Ashtead

The Chichester to London road passes through the South-East part.

The road was called stane street. If you want to visit this road, part of it is now called Pebble Lane, which passes Northward from Tyrells Wood to Thirty Acre Barn.

Anglo Saxon Ashtead

It is beleived that only about fifty people lived in Stede but next to Ermin Way. A lot of dismembered skeletons have been found.

Middle Ages

We all know of the Battle of Hastings, after King Harolds death Ashtead was given to William's half brother who had the interesting name : Odo Bishop of bayeux.

After this Ashtead was owned by many people including the Warenens, Earls of Surrey, and in the Thirtenth century by the de Montforts.

Black Death

Over the next few years the village increased its population fourfold with most the people working on farms.

The 19th Century

In 1801 just over 500 people lived in Ashtead which was still mainly made up of a group of farms. By 1901 the population had increased to over 1,800.

Due to import of cheap grain from America the farms started to decline in
the late 1800's. At the time the village was small and half a mile away from the centre, stood Ashtead Park Mansion and the church of St Giles.

The former was where the Lords of the Manor lived. The Howards owned virtually all of Ashtead, including 7 of the nine large farms. The main crops : were grains plus turnips and peas.

In 1879 after the death of Mary Howard the estate was put up for sale.

This was at the time of the agricultural depression, poor harvest and cheap imports ruined many.

As Ashtead was near to London property developers moved in. Records show the land was purchased by eight large and many small buyers.

A Map of Ashtead

The eight areas are described below.

* NorthWest Barnet wood lane, the Woodfield, the common and the
boundary of Leatherhead.
* Lower Ashtead
* Copthorne Estate John Hackblock purchased the area in the SW
* South Area
* The Village Central Area
* The North East From Epsom Road to the Common, NE of Woodfield Lane
* Ashtead Park
* North Field The area between Woodfield Lane, Skinners Lane
Barnet Wood Lane and Leatherhead Road

By 1911 nearly 3000 people lived in Ashtead.

After the First World War, 62 Ashtead men had been killed in action. In 1920
the War Memorial was erected. The names of the dead can be seen at St Giles

The Church

By 1931 nearly 5,000 lived here. As many commuters moved in, this doubled by the outbreak of World War 2.
The first bombs hit on 26 August 1940. The first fatalities occurred during the next bombings which killed 5, many were injured as bombs hit St Giles school and nearby.

The first doodle bugs hit Ashtead in 1944,

70- Ashtead names were added to the War Memorial.

9500 residents in 1946 increasing to 13,500 in 1996

Travel

Road

The first service which passed through Ashtead was the Leatherhead post which in 1793 left Leatherhead at 10 pm nightly to London.
In the early 1800's coaches ran through Ashtead one day, returning from London the next.
70 years later many coaches passed through Ashtead

Ashtead became busy as excursions by bus and rail were offered from London

Rail

Ashtead railway was opened 2 February 1859, although the station was nearly not built, due to economics but as two of the Directors of the Epsom & Leatherhead Railway Company lived nearby, the station was built.

The station is a long way from the village as Mary Howard wanted it to be far from the Park.
She also asked for the subway, not a bridge for her private use from Craddocks to the Common

By the end of 1860 trains ran from Brighton to Waterloo and London Bridge.
The late afternoon train taking 33 minutes to reach Waterloo. Not much different to today.

1866 the single track was doubled and 1874 the station masters house was built.

The earlier siding was added to in 1885 by two others. And excursion trains from London brought families to Ashtead Common for a day-trip out.

On 2 February 1901 Queen Victoria's funeral train passed through, late.

July 12 1925 the first electric train arrived at Ashtead.

The goods yard closed in 1961 and all sidings removed by 1964. The rush hour train which started at Ashtead stopped as did the excursions.

Ashtead's station was replaced in 1969 by a model based on school classrooms and factory built. A new footbridge was added. Barriers replaced gates at the level crossing in 1975.

Churches

St. Giles Parish Church

Until restoration in 1830. St Giles was not very attractive.

St. George's Church

The first church, an iron one was built in 1882, replaced in 1905 and refurbished recently.

Ashtead Free Church

Founded in an iron church in 1895 by the Ashtead Gospel Mission the worshippers were originally the servants and working people. It became the Ashtead Free Church in 1913 and moved from the Constitutional Hall a few metres west in 1924.

St Michael's Catholic Church

Opened October 1967 as the First Catholic Church in Ashtead.in 1967. Until 1942 Catholics had to go to Leatherhead or Epsom, but in that year the Constituional Hall was used and in 1944 moved to its present site in Woodfield Lane. It takes its name from the curate of Leatherhead Fr Michael Costello.

Schools

Ashtead Church of England School (St Giles' Primary)

In 1852 Mary Howard had the school built in Dene Road, previously called School Lane.
Mainly for the poor and christians. In 1944 it changed the name to St Giles

Barnett Wood Infants' School

Built in 1906 to alleviate crowding at The C of E School and called Ashtead council School.

Greville School

Opened in January 1958 named after Mary Howard's husband Sir Fulk Greville at Stonny Croft.

West Ashtead School

Opened 1964 in Taleworth Road

Arts

The Ashtead Players

Ashtead Choral Society

St George's Singers

Ashtead Singers

Ashtead Potters

Started in 1923 but failed in 1935 due to the Depression. The Pottery was in West Hil now Lime Tree Court

Pubs

The Leg Of Mutton & Cauliflower

This is in the village centre and in 1802 was also a farm of nearly 14 acreas

Although there were no beds, the Inn was used as the coroner's court and temporary holding of felons.

In the 1870's the farm had increased to over 70 acreas and boasted 7 bedrooms

The Brewery Inn

The site was a beer shop in 1839 and ale and porter, was brewed at the rear.

The Woodman

Another beer shop

Away Trips

Many day visitors came including gypsies, costermongers and undesirables and by 1859 the Steward of the Manor stopped stalls, rides and vehicles and tents. The tearooms next to the railway continued to do good business
however to try to reduce drunkenness the Woodman was not allowed to become fully licensed.

Many older people remember the Floral Ponds. An old claypit developed by
Henry Weller. It had a diving platform

The Village Club

Founded in 1887 in the Street in a coffee room, it soon moved to its present premises in the Street. It was a corrugated iron building and was for men only.

Damaged during the War women were allowed in as Associate Members in 1959.
The present premises were built in 1968.

Youth Centre

Opened in 1970 in Barnetwood Lane

Scouts

A troop was in existence in 1911 and soon became well known when in 1911, Frederick Hampton saved 2 boys from drowning. Stopped during the war it restarted in 1920 as 1st Ashtead. In 1930 became known as Pelham, after its first leader Pelham Douglas Maitland. The Troop with official badge of a pelican used the former iron church. The new
Headquarters replaced it in 1957,opened by Sir Ralph Reader and only remains of the church was the bell and some wood.`

In 1949 The 2nd Ashtead were formed, based at City of London Freemans.
Closed in 1987.

In 1954 3rd Ashtead formed as St Giles' School.

Guides

Ashtead Hospital

Ashtead Park

Ashtead Cricket

Sir Thomas Lucas the Squire lent the land in Woodfield Lane to the cricket club in 1887.

To celebrate Edward V11 coronation non 9 August 1902 sport was played on the field.

In the May of 1902 the club played the Football club at cricket . The Flannelled Fools beat the Muddied Oafs

The first village fete was at this venue in 1907.

It was also used in August 1919 to celebrate peace as the villagers watched mass bands, played sports, took part in fancy dress, listened to concerts and watched fireworks.

Colin Cowdary played his first ever game on it , age 10.

Ashtead Football Club

Started 1894 and in 1898 moved to the Cricket Ground.
The club continued until the Second World War and were reformed in 1945, playing at Ashtead Recreation Ground Barnetwood Lane.

Ashtead Tennis Players Club

Formed in 1981, a clubhouse was built in 1991 and floodlights added reecently.

Ashtead Squash Rackets Club

In Skinners Lane formed in 1937.

Ashtead Bowling Club

Formed in 1920

Peace Memorial Hall

Fund raising activities in the 1920's allowed the foundation stone to be laid on 21 June 1924 and Sir Roland Blades officially opened it on 3 November 1924.

To visit the club websites above click here.