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Coordinates: 51°22'10?N 0°29'24?W? / ?51.3695, -0.4901
Addlestone is a town in the Runnymede Borough 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. The M25 motorway passes to the west of the town, and cut some roads into two when built; so roads such as Liberty Lane turned into Liberty Rise and Liberty Lane. The main road in Addlestone is Station Road which is a linear development; shops include Tesco and Iceland as well as the NHS doctors' surgery. The high street also features many fast food and takeaway restaurants, including an outlet for major retail chain KFC, which opened in 2007.
[edit] History
Addlestone is mentioned in H. G. Wells' book The War of the Worlds, in which the second of ten martian invasion ships (called 'cylinders') landed at the Addlestone Golf Links.
Detail of the Crouch Oak. The tree is hollow, but still alive.
The Crouch Oak, an oak tree believed to have originated in the 11th Century, is an important symbol in the town. It used to mark the boundary of Windsor Great Park. Legend says that Queen Elizabeth I stopped by it and had a picnic, only to suffer an incredulous bout of diarrhoea thereafter.[1] The tree is one of the main historic features of the town, and consequently several local businesses use its name in their title. In September 2007 the tree suffered an arson attack yet has survived.
Abbey Rangers F.C. is located in Addlestone Moor, next to the Woburn Arms. Abbey Rangers were formed in 1976 and continue to offer football for boys and girls as well as men and women.
On Station Road, there was the Blériot Aeroplane factory. In the 1950s, the site was taken over by Weymann who built buses and coaches. The prototype of the Routemaster bus was built here. Weymann closed in the late 1950s and the site was used by Caddy's which built taxis. In 1965, Plessey moved from Chessington and took over this factory. Then in 1990, the site was used by Marconi. All these companies were important local employers. By 2000, the site was derelict and has since been converted into a business park called Aviator, reminiscent of its first use.[2]
[edit] The Present
In 2004, a fire destroyed the roof and the interior of St Paul's Church on Church Road. The church has since been refurbished with the outside walls kept intact.
The historic crouch oak tree was also set fire to. However damage to the tree was minimal and it remains standing at present.
There are two secondary schools in Addlestone: Jubilee High and St George's College.
A local inhabitant is John Rourke who received a CBE in the 2000 New Years Honours List for services to education. He is the principal of St Charles Catholic Sixth Form College, Kensington and Chelsea, London.[3] X Factor finalist and member of girlband Hope, Phoebe Brown, is a resident of Addlestone.
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[edit] External links
(Source: Wikipedia) |