Pyrford
Encyclopedia
Woking
Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
and two miles west of the M25 London orbital motorway
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
, near Jct 10. Adjacent villages are West Byfleet
West Byfleet
West Byfleet is a village in Surrey. Forming part of the Greater London Urban Area it lies in the stockbroker belt just outside the M25 motorway, 19 miles from Charing Cross, 8 miles from London Heathrow. The village grew up around the station on the London & South Western Railway. The...
, Wisley
Wisley
Wisley is a small village in Surrey, England. It lies between Cobham and Woking. It is the home of the Royal Horticultural Society's Wisley Garden. The River Wey runs through the village....
and Ripley
Ripley, Surrey
Ripley is a village and parish in Surrey, which grew on the main A3 road from London to Portsmouth. The road was renumbered as B2215 when a bypass was built. The village is situated close to the M25 motorway and southeast of Woking, northeast of Guildford and some southwest of central London...
.
Pyrford is bisected by the River Wey Navigation. Roads passing through the village include the B367 (Upshott Lane/Church Hill) and B382 (Old Woking Road). Open areas in the south and east of the village are designated Metropolitan Green Belt
Green Belt (UK)
In United Kingdom town planning, the green belt is a policy for controlling urban growth. The idea is for a ring of countryside where urbanisation will be resisted for the foreseeable future, maintaining an area where agriculture, forestry and outdoor leisure can be expected to prevail...
.
Pyrford is mentioned in The War of the Worlds, by H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
, in which it is near the landing site of the third of ten Martian
Martian
As an adjective, the term martian is used to describe anything pertaining to the planet Mars.However, a Martian is more usually a hypothetical or fictional native inhabitant of the planet Mars. Historically, life on Mars has often been hypothesized, although there is currently no solid evidence of...
invasion cylinders.
The current village name 'Pyrford' is derived from the Saxon name 'Pyrianford', which is believed to mean 'Pear Tree Ford'.
Famous residents include "Bobo", formally known as Alex Fleming and the poet John Donne.
The Rowley Bristow Hospital, 1928–1991, was located in Pyrford, in the area now occupied by St Martin's Mews and St Nicholas Crescent.
Leisure
Pyrford Common, offers a large open space to relax and play in, offering ample car parking and a safe play ground for children. The common is surrounded by a large wooded area which offers hours of adventure for young and old.
Sports
Pyrford has three golf courses: Pyrford Golf Course, Wisley Golf Course and Traditions.It is also home to Pyrford Cricket Club. Founded in 1858, Pyrford is one of the oldest cricket clubs in Surrey, and has achieved remarkable success in recent years. The club has been promoted 10 times in the last 10 years, and romantically achieved an unparalleled treble promotion in 2008, with all three Saturday League sides achieving promotion from their respective divisions of the Surrey Championship.
Well known former PCC players include former Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu
Tatenda Taibu
Tatenda Taibu is a Zimbabwean cricketer. He is a wicketkeeper and batsman, and can also bowl right arm off spin. On 6 May 2004, he became the youngest Test captain in history, when he captained his team against Sri Lanka....
, New Zealand wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins and Sky Sports presenter Charles "Got Him" Colvile
Charles Colville (commentator)
Colvile is a cricket commentator, interviewer and journalist for Sky Sports, especially for English domestic matches.-Education:Colvile was educated at Westminster School, an independent school for boys in London.-Life and career:...
.
Pyrford also has an amateur football club, Pyrford F.C.
Pyrford F.C.
Pyrford Football Club is an English amateur football club based in Pyrford, near Woking, Surrey. As of the 2011–12 season, they play in the Surrey County Intermediate League Division One, having been relegated following a 13th placed finish in 2010-11.The club was among the founder members...
who play at the Pyrford Cricket ground
Transport
Hourly bus route 437 links Pyrford with Woking, West Byfleet, New HawNew Haw
New Haw is a village in Surrey, England about 25 miles to the southwest of London. It is located near the communities of Byfleet, West Byfleet, Woodham, Weybridge, Addlestone and Ottershaw....
and Addlestone
Addlestone
Addlestone is a town in the borough of Runnymede in the county of Surrey, England.Immediate surrounding towns and villages include Weybridge, Ottershaw, Chertsey, and New Haw. It is near Junction 11 of the M25 motorway and is served by Addlestone railway station on the Chertsey Branch Line. It also...
. The service is financially supported by Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Surrey in England. The council is composed of 80 elected councillors.The council is controlled by the Conservative party.The leader of the council is David Hodge....
.
St. Nicholas Church and Conservation Area
The Church of St. Nicholas in the medieval settlement area of Pyrford was built around 1140 and is a fine example of a complete NormanNorman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
church.
It is thought likely that Queen Elizabeth I would have worshipped at St. Nicholas Church. She reputedly donated a silver chalice
Chalice (cup)
A chalice is a goblet or footed cup intended to hold a drink. In general religious terms, it is intended for drinking during a ceremony.-Christian:...
to the church in 1570.
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es, painted in red ochre, were uncovered during renovations in 1869 and 1967. There are two sets of drawings from different periods
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
s preparing to set sail in a pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
The church grounds and the surrounding lands are designated a Conservation Area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
, having special architectural and historical importance.
The area surrounding is believed by local folklore to be haunted, there are many stories involving locals and happenings!
Rowley Bristow Hospital
Rowley Bristow Hospital, an orthopedicOrthopedic surgery
Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system...
hospital in Pyrford, was founded in 1928.
It was formed from St Martin's home for crippled boys and the St Nicholas Hospital Home. Originally named St Nicholas' and St Martin's Orthopaedic Hospital Homes and Special School of Recovery, it was renamed in 1948 as the Rowley Bristow Orthopedic Hospital after a well known orthopedic surgeon, and surgical director of St Nicholas, Rowley Bristow.
At its prime it was considered a centre of excellence, but declined from a peak of 250 beds in 1948 to just 41 shortly before it closed in 1992.
The orthopedic department at St Peter's Hospital, Chertsey is now named the Rowley Bristow Orthopedic Unit.