Woking

Woking is a large town in the west of Surrey, England, about 30 minutes by train from London. Woking was formed around the railway station built over 150 years ago at the junction between trains to the south coast, the south-west of England and the necropolis railway to Brookwood Cemetery. This cemetery was developed by the London Necropolis Company as an overflow burial ground for London's dead. Later, Woking was home to the first crematorium in the United Kingdom (St Johns) and the first mosque in the UK (on Oriental Road).

History

Woking's History starts in 673AD or CE.

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Woking begins around about this time as a settlement of a Wessex tribe followers of Wocca?

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The name has been corrupted and was spelt as Woccingas, Wochinges, Wokynge, Wochynghe at different times.

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775

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Local Excerpt from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles - Remember that the year and data may be inaccurate ......

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:"In the days of this same Offa was an alderman, of the name of Brorda, who requested the king for his sake to free his own monastery, called Woking, because he would give it to Medhamsted and St. Peter, and the abbot that then was, whose name was Pusa. Pusa succeeded Beonna; and the king loved him much. And the king freed the monastery of Woking, against king, against bishop, against earl, and against all men so that no man should have any claim there, except St. Peter and the abbot."

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1272

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Woking Royal Palace first recorded.

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1485

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Henry VII (7th) was King of England. (1485-1509)

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His mother (Lady Margaret Beaufort) lived at Woking Palace and Beaufort School in Goldsworth Park is named after her.

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1490

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Treaty of Woking signed by Henry VII with Austria at Woking Palace.

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1620

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Woking Palace ownership passed by James I to Sir Edward Zouch and it stops being a royal palace.

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1651

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Wey Navigation opened for traffic from Guildford to the Thames.

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1661

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James Zouch, grandson of Sir Edward Zouch, obtained the Market Charter for Woking.

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1669

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James Zouch from Woking was Sheriff of Surrey (1669-1670).

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1760

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James Turner bought from the Earl of Onslow, owner of Woking Manor, some land in the "Tithing of Goldings".

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1791

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Canal from the Wey Navigation to Basingstoke opened as far as Horsell.

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1792

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Basingstoke Canal opened as far as Pirbright.

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1830

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In Woking Parish there was civil unrest.

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1834

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Guildford (affecting Woking parish) and Chertsey (affecting Horsell parish) Poor Law Unions formed.

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Parish rates on average drop due to economies of scale.

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1838

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London and Southampton Company railway opened as far as Winchfield.

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Woking Common Station opened (now called Woking Station).

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1839

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London and Southampton Company renamed London and South Western Railway.

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1849

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Necropolis (Cemetery) first proposed for Woking Parish by the Board of Health.

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1851

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Surrey Constabulary began policing rural Surrey.

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1854

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Brookwood Cemetery opened.

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1856

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First building in the 'New Woking', the Albion Hotel was built.

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1862

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Royal Dramatic College opened in Maybury (The current occupier of this site is the Lion Retail Park).

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1864

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Guildford (affecting Woking parish) and Chertsey (affecting Horsell parish) Highway Districts formed.

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1872

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Guildford (affecting Woking parish) and Chertsey (affecting Horsell parish) Rural Sanitary Authorities formed.

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1874

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Woking School Board formed.

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1877

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Royal Dramatic College closed.

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1879

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Woking Crematorium built.

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1884

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First cremation in the UK is performed at St. Johns, Woking Crematorium.

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Oriental Institute opens on the site of the Royal Dramatic College.

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1887

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Woking Police Station opened.

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1889

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Woking Football Club was formed.

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Surrey County Council formed and was under Conservative Control.

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Woking Mosque (alleged to be the first purpose built in the UK) opened.

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1890

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Woking obtained Electricity.

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1892

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Woking obtained Gas.

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1894

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Woking Local Board formed, first met in Goldsworth Hall with 18 councillors representing these wards, Knaphill, St Johns, Mayford, Sutton, Brookwood, Old Woking, Maybury and Central.

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'Woking News' newspaper first published from offices in Chertsey Road, each copy cost 1 penny.

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1895

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Woking Urban District Council, replacing the Local Board (affecting Woking parish) and Chertsey Rural District Council (affecting Horsell parish) formed.

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Gustav Friedrich Wermig is the 1st Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1895-8.

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Horsell Parish Council is formed.

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Woking Fire Brigade is formed.

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Electric Street lighting in Woking.

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'Woking Mail' newspaper first published from offices in Goldsworth Road, each copy cost 1/2 penny.

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It later merges with 'Woking News' to become the 'Woking News and Mail'.

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1898

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George Harris is the 2nd Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1898-1903. H. G. Wells wrote his book The War of the Worlds whilst living in Woking and many scenes from the story are set in Horsell, Woking and around.

Related Topics:
H. G. Wells - The War of the Worlds

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1899

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Woking obtained sewerage system.

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Victoria Hospital opened.

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Oriental Institute closed.

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1900

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The original Woking Open Air Swimming Pool was opened around this time.

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1902

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Gas Street lighting replaced Electric in Woking.

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Guildford and District Motor Services started a bus service in the Guildford and Woking area.

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Woking and Bagshot Light Railway proposed that would have run over what is now Goldsworth park on the Woking side of the Woking/Horsell parish boundary.

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By 1910 the project died out.

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1903

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William Christopher Higgins Burne was the 3rd Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1903/4.

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1904

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Henry William Gloster was the 4th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1904/5.

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1905

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Patrick Herbert White was the 5th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1905-9.

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1907

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Brooklands opened.

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Horsell merged into the Woking Urban District Council.

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1909

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Horsell obtained sewerage system.

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Sparkes Cornelius Knight was the 6th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1909/10.

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1910

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William Aird was the 7th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1910/1.

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1911

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James Hutchinson Driver was the 8th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1911-3.

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1913

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Henry Alfred Whitburn was the 9th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1913/4.

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1914

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Albert Hamilton Godfrey M.B.E. was the 10th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1914-20.

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First World War starts (called at the time the Great War).

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1915

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Guildford and District Motor Services bought by Aldershot and District Traction Company who eventually took over its services in the Guildford and Woking area.

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Martinsyde Aircraft factory built on the site of the Oriental Institute to increase production.

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1917

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Martinsyde Aircraft moved its head office from Brooklands to the Woking Factory.

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1918

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First World War finished.

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1920

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Harry Trevor Wilson was the 11th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1920/1.

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First Woking council house.

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Devastating fire at the Martinsyde Aircraft Factory, aircraft production stopped, though motorcycle production continued.

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In the 1920s/30s, on what was later to become the Goldsworth park playing fields, thousands of flint tools were found. Left probably by a small group of people, settled in the valley of Parley Brook (though there may be a small chance that the actual original location may have been somewhere else, if they had been moved by glacial ice).

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1921

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Albert Broderick was the 12th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1921/2.

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1922

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Frederick Rice was the 13th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1922/3.

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Martinsyde 1922 Woking Built 678cc Motorcycle.

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1923

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Alfred Hardy was the 14th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1923/4.

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Southern Railway formed. Ran most routes through Woking Station.

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Martinsyde stopped making motorcycles.

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1924

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'Woking Offers' free paper advertising local traders started.

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Assets of Martinsyde Aircraft passed to Air Disposal Company (Airdisco).

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Waterer's Park was left to Woking U.D.C. by Mr Anthony Waterer of Knaphill Nursery.

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Knaphill Football Club started in 1924 playing there.

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Philip Warren C.M.G was the 15th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1924/5.

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1925

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Henry Quartermaine was the 16th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1925/6.

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1926

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Martinsyde Factory Site passed to James Walker Engineering, and later renamed 'Lion Works'.

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William Harker was the 17th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1926/7.

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1927

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Walter Mathews Lt. Col. T.D. was the 18th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1927/8.

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1928

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'Woking Offers' renamed 'Woking Outlook'.

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Albert Foord was the 19th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1928/9.

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1929

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Woking Library opened.

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Seymour Price-Williams M. Inst. C.C. was the 20th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1929/30.

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1930

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Henry Quartermaine J.P. was the 21st Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1930-2.

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Woking Civic Arms granted, the motto "Fide et Diligentia" means "By Faith and Diligence".

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1931

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Street lighting back to Electric from Gas in Woking.

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1932

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Arthur Campbell B.Sc., L.C.P. was the 22nd Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1932-4.

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1933

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'Woking Outlook' renamed 'Woking Review', which is believed to be the oldest free newspaper in Britain.

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Chertsey Rural District Council abolished.

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Most of Byfleet and Pyrford Parishes and part of Woodham tithing in Chertsey Parish and part of Bisley Parish were joined with Woking Urban District Council.

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1934

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Philip Easton Lt. Col. C.B.E., D.S.O. was the 23rd Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1934-6.

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1935

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The second Woking Open Air Swimming Pool was opened.

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Woking Swimming Club was formed.

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1936

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Small part of Byfleet, around the Mill, that had been joined with Walton and Weybridge in 1933, placed with Woking Urban District Council.

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(The new W.U.D.C. boundary in 1936, was mostly the same as the current Woking Borough boundary).

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1938

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Conrad Samuel J.P., C.C. was the 25th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1938-41.

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1939

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Second World War started for the UK, as it declares war on Germany.

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Woking Fire Brigade placed under the wartime control of Surrey County Council.

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Southern Railway placed under Government control due to the war.

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Surrey was divided into two emergency control areas.

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The West Emergency Area, comprised these councils, Bagshot RD, Caterham and Warlingham UD, Chertsey UD, Dorking UD, Dorking and Horley RD, Egham UD, Farnham UD, Frimley and Camberley UD, Godalming RD, Guildford B, Guildford RD, Hambledon UD, Leatherhead UD, Reigate B, Walton and Weybridge UD and Woking UD.

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East Emergency Area (later called = Group 9 London CD), comprised these councils, Banstead UD, Barnes B, Beddington and Wallington B, Carlshalton UD, Coulsdon and Purley UD, Croydon CB, Epsom and Ewell B, Esher UD, Kingston B, Malden and Coombe B, Merton and Morden UD, Mitcham B, Sutton and Cheam B, Richmond B, Surbiton B and Wimbledon B

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CB=County Borough, B=Borough, UD=Urban District and RD=Rural District

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1941

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Frederick Sowden was the 26th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1941-3.

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1942

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Reigate, Guildford and Surrey Constabularies all joined the Surrey Joint Police Force.

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1943

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Edgar Cook M.B.E. was the 27th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1943/4.

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1944

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Harry Herbert was the 28th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1944/5.

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1945

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Charles May M.C. was the 29th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1945/6.

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V2 rockets launched by Germany, one landed on Woking.

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1946

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Henry Cawsey C.C. was the 30th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1946/7.

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1947

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Professor C J Wrigley was born in 1947.

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He later attended Goldsworth School.

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Graham Wilson Capt., D.S.O., R.N. was the 31st Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1947/8.

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Surrey Fire Brigade formed.

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Southern Railway became part of British Railways.

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Kenwood started in Woking.

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Navigation on the Brookwood Canal stopped.

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1948

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Bertram Ralph-Brown was the 32nd Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1948/9.

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1949

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Guy Pritchett was the 33rd Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1949/50.

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1950

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Harold rett was the 34th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1950/1.

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1951

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Thomas Leam was the 35th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1951/2.

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1952

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Gerald Colpoys Capt. R.N. was the 36th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1952/3.

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1953

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Surrey Plan foresaw a Woking Urban District population of about 67,000 in the mid-1970s, but the 1961 Census figures exceeded that amount.

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Walter Darby was the 37th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1953/4.

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1954

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Robert Beldam M.A., A.C.A. was the 38th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1954/5.

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Woking Squash Club was formed.

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1955

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James Terry M.A. was the 39th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1955/6.

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1956

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Arthur Campbell B.Sc., L.C.P. was the 40th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1956/7.

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1957

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Frederick Sowden J.P. was the 41st Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1957/8.

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1958

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Leslie Cheeseman was the 42nd Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1958/9.

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1959

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Stanley Higgins was the 43rd Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1959/60.

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1960

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Dorothy Gale was the 44th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1960/1.

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James Walker Engineering opened a new site in Old Woking.

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1961

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Thomas Leam C.C. was the 45th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1961/2.

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1962

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Marjorie Richardson was the 46th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1962/3.

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Kenwood moved from Woking.

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1963

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Rhoda McGaw was the 47th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1963/4.

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The Winter of 1962-3 was the coldest on record since 1740.

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The Rolling Stones played a concert at the 'Atalanta' Ballroom in Woking.

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Mclaren Racing Team formed.

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1964

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Victor Pearmund was the 48th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1964/5.

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Cranley Onslow (later Lord Onslow) was elected as Woking's Member of Parliament (1964-1997) replacing Harold Watkinson.

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1965

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Thomas Leam J.P., C.C. was the 49th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1965/6.

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Revised Plan foresaw a population of 97,000 by 1981 and proposed building 3 new housing schemes, one of which was known as 'Slococks', to be built on nurserylands owned by the Slococks.

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1966

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Bernard Robinson Cdr., R.N. was the 50th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1966/7.

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1967

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Ivor Gibson was the 51st Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1967/8.

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1968

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Bernard Emmett was the 52nd Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1968/9.

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Woking Archery Club was formed.

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Guildford flooded after heavy rain.

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1969

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Eric Bucksey was the 53rd Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1969/70.

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1970

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Land Commission abolished by the Conservative Government.

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New Ideal Homes and Woking Council agreed to a partnership to build 'Slococks'.

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Margaret Marshall C.C. was the 54th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1970/1.

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1971

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David Boorman was the 55th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1971/2.

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Wolsey Place Shopping Centre opens.

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About this time Centre Halls, Centre Pool and Woking Centre Library opened.

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Aldershot and District Traction Company renamed Alder Valley.

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1972

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Harry Keat L.R.I.B.A., A.R.I.C.S. was the 56th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1972/3.

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Cranley Onslow (Woking's MP) was given ministerial office (1972-1974) under Micheal Heseltine.

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1973

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Plan to build housing estate approved by the Government.

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Project first called 'Goldsworth Park'.

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Work started in Goldsworth Vale (phase one was Wilders Close e.t.c.), Planned to build approx. 4,500 homes for approx. 15,000 residents.

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It also planned for a lake, sports facilities, golf course, shops, swimming-pool, library, industrial estate, youth centres, pubs, churches, fire station and social facilities.

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David Robinson was the 57th and last Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1973/4.

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The new covered Woking Swimming Pool was opened (called the Centre Pool), near to where Toy's R Us and Peacocks Corner are now on the A320.

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1974

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The Jam played the first gigs in Woking.

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Woking Borough Council was formed, replacing the Urban District Council and is under Conservative Control.

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First home completed and first buyer moved in to Goldsworth Park!

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Christopher Mitchell was the 1st Woking Mayor for 1974/5.

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1975

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Terence (Terry) Molloy was the 2nd Woking Mayor for 1975/6.

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1976

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Ian McCallum was the 3rd Woking Mayor for 1976/7.

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British American Tobacco moved into Export House Tower.

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1977

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Around this time Marjorie Richardson (the former 46th Woking Urban District Council Chairman for 1962/3) opened a centre in Woking for retired people.

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Anthony Allenby was the 4th Woking Mayor for 1977/8.

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1978

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Gordon Brown was the 5th Woking Mayor for 1978/9.

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1979

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William Greenwood was the 6th Woking Mayor for 1979/80.

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1980

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Margaret Gammon was the 7th Woking Mayor for 1980/1.

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1981

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Francis Spanton was the 8th Woking Mayor for 1981/2.

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1982

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Dorothy Butler was the 9th Woking Mayor for 1982/3.

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Cranley Onslow (Woking's MP) was given minister of state at the Foreign Office (1982-1984) under Francis Pym.

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1983

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Woking twinned with Amstelveen in the Netherlands, though the Charter of Friendship was signed in 1989.

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Paul Blagbrough was the 10th Woking Mayor for 1983/4.

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Woking Civic Offices opened?

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1984

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John Jewson was the 11th Woking Mayor for 1984/5.

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1985

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Patricia Bohling was the 12th Woking Mayor for 1985/6.

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1986

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British Rail Southern Region rebranded as Network South East.

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Woking Borough Council switched from Conservative to No Overall Control.

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Anne Payne was the 13th Woking Mayor for 1986/7.

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1987

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Margaret Gammon was the 14th Woking Mayor for 1987/8.

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Great Storm.

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1988

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Alexander Grayson was the 15th Woking Mayor for 1988/9.

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1989

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Anne Cartwright was the 16th Woking Mayor for 1989/90.

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The second Woking Covered Swimming Pool was opened at Pool in the Park.

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Byfleet Parish Council re-formed.

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1990

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Alder Valley South Buses sold to London Country.

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Rhodney Lofting was the 17th Woking Mayor for 1990/1.

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1991

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Brookwood Canal formally reopened along its whole length following renovation by volunteers.

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Richard Williams was the 18th Woking Mayor for 1991/2.

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1992

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Peacocks Shopping Centre, Library, Town Gate, Cinema and New Victoria Theatre and the Leisure Lagoon at Pool in the Park opened.

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Centre Halls, Centre Pool and Woking Centre Library had been demolished to make room for them.

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London Country bus services from Woking renamed Guildford and West Surrey.

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Woking twinned with Le Plessis-Robinson in France, though the Charter of Friendship was signed in 1993.

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Woking Borough Council switched from No Overall Control to Conservative Control.

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Leslie Pescodd was the 19th Woking Mayor for 1992/3.

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1993

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Rosie Sharpley from Goldsworth Park was the 20th Woking Mayor for 1993/4.

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14 December - An explosion on the railway lines between Woking and West Byfleet disrupted rail traffic and forced the closure of 9 stations in the area.

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Surrey Constabulary renamed Surrey Police.

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1994

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Woking Football Club won FA Trophy.

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Woking Borough Council switched from Conservative to No Overall Control.

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David Thornton was the 21st Woking Mayor for 1994/5.

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Woking's STD telephone code changed from 0483 to 01483 along with most areacodes in the UK on Phoneday.

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Between 1989 and 1994 it had changed from 04862 to 0483 (If you can remember the actual year please email us).

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The original reason for this was that 04862 was a RING code of GUILDFORD and actually meant 0GU62.

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British Telecom decided to move most UK RING codes to their related CORE codes (Guildford CORE code 0483 actually stood for 0GU3).

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1995

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Woking Football Club won FA Trophy.

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Neville Hinks was the 22nd Woking Mayor for 1995/6.

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1996

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The Planets Entertainment complex was completed.

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John Coombe was the 23rd Woking Mayor for 1996/7.

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South West Trains won the franchise for most rail routes through Woking Station (the former BR Network South East/South West Division).

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Guildford and West Surrey Buses sold to Cowie Group (Arriva).

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1997

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Woking Borough Council News Archive for 1997

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Woking Football Club won FA Trophy.

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Irene Matthews was the 24th Woking Mayor for 1997/8.

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Humfrey Malins was elected as Woking's Member of Parliament. Cranley Onslow is made Lord Onslow.

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1998

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Woking Borough Council switches from Liberal Democrat to No Overall Control.

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Rosemary Johnson was the 25th Woking Mayor for 1998/9.

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1999

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Woking Borough Council Wards changed.

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Ian Fidler was the 26th Woking Mayor for 1999/2000.

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Woking twinned with Rastatt in Germany, though the Charter of Friendship was signed in 2001.

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Surrey History Centre officially opened by HRH Charles, The Prince of Wales.

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Ian Eastwood became Deputy Mayor.

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McLaren to build new Mercedes SLR.

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South East Regional Assembly set up covering Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

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2000

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Elections for the new wards in Woking Borough Council.

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Ian Eastwood from Goldsworth Park was the 27th Woking Mayor for 2000/1.

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2001

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Woking twinned with Rastatt in Germany in 1999, though the Charter of Friendship was signed in 2001.

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Barry Pope was the 28th Woking Mayor for 2001/2.

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C+A closed its Swiftflow distribution depot on Goldsworth Park Trading Estate.

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Telewest moved into Export House Tower.

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2002

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Arriva's Woking (Goldsworth Park Trading Estate) Bus Garage closed.

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Mehala Gosling was the 29th Woking Mayor for 2002/3.

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2003

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A new bigger warehouse was built on the site of the old C+A warehouse in Kestrel Way.

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Richard Sanderson was the 30th Woking Mayor for 2003/4.

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2004

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Graham Cundy was the 31st Woking Mayor for 2004/5.

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2005

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Ian Johnson is the 32nd Woking Mayor for 2005/6.

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