Spelthorne
Encyclopedia
Spelthorne is a local government district
and borough
in Surrey
, England
. It includes the towns of Ashford
, Laleham
, Shepperton
, Staines
, Stanwell
and Sunbury
. Boroughs adjacent to Spelthorne include Runnymede
and Elmbridge
in Surrey, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
, the London Borough of Hillingdon
to the north, as well as the London Borough of Hounslow
and the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
to the east. The borough is home to a number of large reservoirs, including Queen Mary, Staines and King George VI, all important bird reserves as is Staines Moor, designated an area of outstanding scientific interest.
of 1086 as Spelet(h)orne, in Middlesex
. Spelthorne was a hundred
, an administrative area, where local leaders met about once a month. The Spelthorne hundred
also covered East Bedfont
, Feltham
and Hanworth
, all now in the London Borough of Hounslow
in Greater London.
The borough was formed in 1974 from Staines Urban District
and Sunbury-on-Thames Urban District
. The urban districts had originally been part of Middlesex
; however in 1965 when much of the rest of Middlesex was absorbed into Greater London
these two were instead transferred to Surrey. Its boundary changed in 1995 when Poyle
was transferred to Slough
in Berkshire
. The borough remained inside the Metropolitan Police District
, and was not transferred to Surrey Police
until the boundary was realigned to Greater London in 2000.
seats, 6 Liberal Democrat
seats and one Independent
.
and Shepperton Studios
are both located in Spelthorne. Staines is both the largest town in the borough and its administrative centre, at Knowle Green.
was headquartered at the Cirrus House in the London Borough of Hounslow
,, near Stanwell
and Staines
in Spelthorne.
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
and borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It includes the towns of Ashford
Ashford, Surrey
Ashford is a town almost entirely in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne in England, with a small part falling within Greater London. It is a suburban development situated 15 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in London and forms part of the London commuter belt...
, Laleham
Laleham
Laleham is a village in the borough of Spelthorne, in the county of Surrey in South East England and adjoins Staines. It is within the historic boundaries of Middlesex. To its south is Laleham Park by the River Thames, across green belt farmland to its north and south east are Ashford and...
, Shepperton
Shepperton
Shepperton is a town in the borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, England. To the south it is bounded by the river Thames at Desborough Island and is bisected by the M3 motorway...
, Staines
Staines
Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and Greater London Urban Area, as well as the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in...
, Stanwell
Stanwell
Stanwell is a suburban village in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne. It is located 15.7 miles west south-west of Charing Cross and half a mile from the southern boundary of London Heathrow Airport and the London Borough of Hillingdon...
and Sunbury
Sunbury-on-Thames
Sunbury-on-Thames, also known as Sunbury, is a town in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne, England, and part of the London commuter belt. It is located 16 miles southwest of central London and bordered by Feltham and Hampton, flanked on the south by the River Thames.-History:The earliest evidence of...
. Boroughs adjacent to Spelthorne include Runnymede
Runnymede (borough)
Runnymede is a local government district with borough status in the English county of Surrey. It is a very prosperous part of the London commuter belt, with some of the most expensive housing in the United Kingdom outside of central London, such as the Wentworth Estate.Runnymede is entirely...
and Elmbridge
Elmbridge
Elmbridge is a local government district and borough in Surrey, England. Its council is based in Esher. The district has only one civil parish, which is Claygate...
in Surrey, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is a Royal Borough of Berkshire, in South East England. It became a unitary authority on 1 April 1998.It is home to Windsor Castle, Eton College, Legoland and Ascot Racecourse....
, the London Borough of Hillingdon
London Borough of Hillingdon
The London Borough of Hillingdon is the westernmost borough in Greater London, England. The borough's population was recorded as 243,006 in the 2001 Census. The borough incorporates the former districts of Ruislip-Northwood, Uxbridge, Hayes and Harlington and Yiewsley and West Drayton in the...
to the north, as well as the London Borough of Hounslow
London Borough of Hounslow
-Political composition:Since the borough was formed it has been controlled by the Labour Party on all but two occasions. In 1968 the Conservatives formed a majority for the first and last time to date until they lost control to Labour in 1971. Labour subsequently lost control of the council in the...
and the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is a London borough in South West London, UK, which forms part of Outer London. It is unique because it is the only London borough situated both north and south of the River Thames.-Settlement:...
to the east. The borough is home to a number of large reservoirs, including Queen Mary, Staines and King George VI, all important bird reserves as is Staines Moor, designated an area of outstanding scientific interest.
History
Spelthorne appears in Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 as Spelet(h)orne, in Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. Spelthorne was a hundred
Hundred (division)
A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...
, an administrative area, where local leaders met about once a month. The Spelthorne hundred
Spelthorne (hundred)
Spelthorne was a hundred of the ancient county of Middlesex, England. It contained the following parishes and settlements :*Feltham*Hampton*Hanworth*Staines*Stanwell*Sunbury*Teddington...
also covered East Bedfont
East Bedfont
Bedfont is a small suburban town in Greater London, some to the west of central London and only from Heathrow Airport. It straddles the Staines Road at the west of the London Borough of Hounslow from Baber Bridge on the River Crane to the Surrey boundary at Ashford.-Origins and Mediaeval...
, Feltham
Feltham
Feltham is a town in the London Borough of Hounslow, west London. It is located about west south west of central London at Charing Cross and from Heathrow Airport Central...
and Hanworth
Hanworth
Hanworth lies to the south east of Feltham in the London Borough of Hounslow. The name is thought to come from the Anglo Saxon words “haen” and “worth”, meaning “small homestead”....
, all now in the London Borough of Hounslow
London Borough of Hounslow
-Political composition:Since the borough was formed it has been controlled by the Labour Party on all but two occasions. In 1968 the Conservatives formed a majority for the first and last time to date until they lost control to Labour in 1971. Labour subsequently lost control of the council in the...
in Greater London.
The borough was formed in 1974 from Staines Urban District
Staines Urban District
Staines was a local government district from 1894 to 1974 around the town of Staines. Apart from Staines itself, it also covered Ashford, Laleham and Stanwell....
and Sunbury-on-Thames Urban District
Sunbury-on-Thames Urban District
Sunbury on Thames - also known as Sunbury - was a local government district from 1894 to 1974 around the town of Sunbury-on-Thames, also covering Littleton and Shepperton....
. The urban districts had originally been part of Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
; however in 1965 when much of the rest of Middlesex was absorbed into Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
these two were instead transferred to Surrey. Its boundary changed in 1995 when Poyle
Poyle
Poyle is a village and suburb in the unitary authority of Slough, in South East England. It is situated immediately west of the M25 motorway and 16.8 miles west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
was transferred to Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. The borough remained inside the Metropolitan Police District
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
, and was not transferred to Surrey Police
Surrey Police
Surrey Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Surrey in the south of England.The force is led by Chief Constable Mark Rowley and has its headquarters at Mount Browne, Guildford, Surrey...
until the boundary was realigned to Greater London in 2000.
Politics
The 5th May United Kingdom local elections 2011 results produced 32 ConservativeConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
seats, 6 Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
seats and one Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
.
Districts
The borough is a mix of leafy suburbs (mainly towards the river Thames) and suburban housing. Kempton Park RacecourseKempton Park Racecourse
Kempton Park Racecourse is a horse racing track in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England, which is a western suburb of London 16 miles from the city centre. The site is set in of land....
and Shepperton Studios
Shepperton Studios
Shepperton Studios is a film studio in Shepperton, Surrey, England with a history dating back to 1931 since when many notable films have been made there...
are both located in Spelthorne. Staines is both the largest town in the borough and its administrative centre, at Knowle Green.
- StainesStainesStaines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and Greater London Urban Area, as well as the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in...
- Sunbury on Thames
- SheppertonSheppertonShepperton is a town in the borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, England. To the south it is bounded by the river Thames at Desborough Island and is bisected by the M3 motorway...
- AshfordAshford, SurreyAshford is a town almost entirely in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne in England, with a small part falling within Greater London. It is a suburban development situated 15 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in London and forms part of the London commuter belt...
- LalehamLalehamLaleham is a village in the borough of Spelthorne, in the county of Surrey in South East England and adjoins Staines. It is within the historic boundaries of Middlesex. To its south is Laleham Park by the River Thames, across green belt farmland to its north and south east are Ashford and...
- Kempton ParkKempton Park, SurreyKempton Park is a locality in the Spelthorne district of Surrey, which is the location of Kempton Park Racecourse.Kempton Park appears on the Middlesex Domesday Map as Chenetone. It was held by Robert, Count of Mortain...
- StanwellStanwellStanwell is a suburban village in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne. It is located 15.7 miles west south-west of Charing Cross and half a mile from the southern boundary of London Heathrow Airport and the London Borough of Hillingdon...
- Stanwell Moor
- Upper HallifordUpper HallifordUpper Halliford is a small village, a part of Shepperton, in England. It benefits from the presence of Upper Halliford railway station. The village lies to the south of the M3 within the circle of the M25...
- CharltonCharlton, SurreyCharlton is a village in Surrey.Charlton appears in Domesday Book as Cerdentone. It was held by Roger de Rames. Its domesday assets were: 5 hides; 1½ ploughs , meadow for 4 ploughs, cattle pasture. It rendered £1 10s 0d....
- LittletonLittleton, SpelthorneLittleton is a village in Surrey in the borough of Spelthorne, in the United Kingdom. It lies between Shepperton Green to the southeast and Laleham to the west. It also lies along the southern edge of the Queen Mary Reservoir.Littleton is the home of Shepperton Studios. Littleton was home to the...
Economy
At one point British Mediterranean AirwaysBritish Mediterranean Airways
British Mediterranean Airways Limited, trading as BMED, was an airline with operations from London Heathrow Airport in England. It operated scheduled services as a British Airways franchise to 17 destinations in 16 countries throughout Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia from London...
was headquartered at the Cirrus House in the London Borough of Hounslow
London Borough of Hounslow
-Political composition:Since the borough was formed it has been controlled by the Labour Party on all but two occasions. In 1968 the Conservatives formed a majority for the first and last time to date until they lost control to Labour in 1971. Labour subsequently lost control of the council in the...
,, near Stanwell
Stanwell
Stanwell is a suburban village in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne. It is located 15.7 miles west south-west of Charing Cross and half a mile from the southern boundary of London Heathrow Airport and the London Borough of Hillingdon...
and Staines
Staines
Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and Greater London Urban Area, as well as the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in...
in Spelthorne.