Nick Pollard

In this view of Cemetery Lane (now called Forge Lane), off Green Street Sunbury, a horse can be seen halfway down the narrow road. It’s no doubt being shoed at the blacksmith’s forge, which had been run by the Swabeys, father and son, for over 100 years.

With the new BBC adaption of the ‘War of the World’s by H.G. Wells being released, I thought it would be interesting to look at the local places mentioned in the original novel, first published in 1898.

The regatta at Sunbury had not taken place since 1913 due to the First World War, the 1914 fixture having been cancelled as it was due to take place a couple of weeks after war broke out.

This month’s picture shows a group of people in front of the Three Fishes public house in Green Street, c1930. Above their heads a sign proudly advertises the products of the Isleworth Brewery, who had acquired the pub in 1889, but in fact by the time of the photo this brewery had been taken over by Watney Coombe Reid of Mortlake.

This photo shows what were known as the French Nurseries, Upper Halliford. The name does not derive from the nationality or even the name of the owner, who was a Mr.

The most impressive house in the village, Sunbury Court was built in 1723 by John Witt. The building stood in extensive grounds of more than 100 acres, which used to extend down to the Thames and included Sunbury Court Island.

I have mentioned William Schaw Lindsay in a previous article about the great flood of 1877, but I thought I would outline a bit more of his very full life. He was Lord of the Manor of Shepperton from 1857 until his death 20 years later, and during that time did much to reform the village. Perhaps his most lasting achievement was to bring the railway to Shepperton in 1864, after the collapse of Walton Bridge made access to the nearest station at Walton problematic.

The ‘Lendy Lion’ is today a well-known centrepiece of the Walled Garden in Lower Sunbury, but this in is fact its third home. As seen in this photo dating from about 1905, it was originally erected beside the Thames, just opposite St. Mary’s Church.

This fascinating view of Upper Halliford from the air was taken sometime in the late 1920s. At the centre is the Goat public house, with Charlton Lane winding away behind it to the top left of the photo. This road was of course cut off from the centre of the village by the Halliford Bypass in the early 1960s.

Rivermead House is seen in this attractive postcard of Thames Street, Sunbury, dating from about 1910. The house stood just west of the junction with French Street, facing Rivermead Island across the road.

I am indebted to Bill Lindsay, great-great-grandson of William Schaw Lindsay, Lord of the Manor of Shepperton from 1856 to 1877, for the inspiration for this month’s article.

The Sunbury and Shepperton area has been home to many famous actors and actresses over the years, but in her time, none was more famous than the now little-known Alma Taylor.

This photo was taken looking across the frozen Thames at Dockett Eddy, Shepperton in January 1940, and shows the Thames Conservancy tug Thames battling its way upstream through thick ice.

‘The Season’s Greetings’ reads the message printed at the bottom of this postcard of Thames Street and the Magpie hotel, dating from about 1910.