Changes
This page describes various changes that have occured in Bagshot, and will be of particular interest to ex-pats.
| I also have a page dedicated to Memories of Bagshot past and others to questions and answers, and local people. |
Paddy, a former resident who moved away in the 1970's had written to me and, as well as making some nice comments about her "virtual" return to the village, asked about the current situation of some of the things she remembers. This, and similar enquiries from others, prompted me to prepare this page, especially for those who remember Bagshot a few years ago. Please use the message pad below to add your memories or question.
Waterers Nurseries has closed. It was taken over by Notcutt's and for many years traded as Notcutt's Garden Centre and Waterer's Nurseries. But Notcutts decided to consolidate their nursery activities elsewhere, leaving Bagshot as just a sales centre. The little wooden building that used to be the sales point became an office/store and a huge new covered sales area been built behind it. But Notcutts progressively pulled out of the whole site as described below.
Pantiles closed in 2007 to be demolished and replaced with sheltered retirement housing. In latter years Pantiles night club had become a bit quieter than it used to be - that may in part have been due to better soundproofing, but I understand that trade had been diminishing as 'night life' in Camberley increased. The owners had rebuilt an old tythe barn next door and used it as a restaurant. A separate page discusses the former Tennis Club and Swimming Pool (both of which are long since gone) and the Badminton Hall that went at the same time as Pantiles.
The various cafes have all seen changes.
The Guildford to Bracknell Road (A322) has skirted the village since the late 60's. Coming south from Bracknell the road passes under the A30, wiggles to pass over the railway and crosses the line of the original Guildford Road at what used to be known as Stone Hill. An intersection with the M3 motorway was built just off the line of the original Guildford Road, leaving detached bits of Guildford Road on either side of the motorway. The new road rejoining the Guildford Road as it entered Lightwater. 'Mojo' remembers it prior to this realignment: "the road from Bracknell used to meet the A30 at a tee junction with traffic lights. I have stood at those lights in the early hours waiting to thumb a lift into Bracknell after having a late night out in Camberley." [8076.908]
Stonehill Crescent was an arc of houses on the Lightwater side of the motorway (but would have been on the parish boundary until the realignment following that road's building). Circa 1970 they were re-numbered as part of Guildford Road. [Sep 17]
About 1970 a new telephone exchange was build a few yards from the old one. Later the old exchange was demolished and replaced by an office block with an unusual circular tower for a fire escape.
The tip at the end of Swift Lane closed and the area was later developed as a site for travellers, together with a domestic refuse collection site comprising lots of large skips..
Elsewhere, Parnell's hardware on the bypass has been redeveloped as a small estate of offices; as has what used to be Kemp's coal yard on Guildford Road. The Hero of Inkerman pub at the bottom of Church Road got closed down and later burnt down. It was replaced by an outlet of a bar/restaurant chain, thus maintaining the ridiculously large number of pubs in the village (more here).
A lot of housing has been built in the last 45 years. The "nursery estate" was built about 1970 on nursery land in the triangle between Guildford Road, the railway and the new route of the A322. Yaverland Drive housing estate was started in the mid-1970's. From College Ride and the top end of Higgs Lane, Yaverland cuts straight through to the A30 with lots of houses off it. Higgs Lane has been closed off at its junction with London Road.
More recently the Connaught Park estate was built on land behind Connaught School sandwiched between the M3 motorway and the railway line, and a small estate has been built built on Station Road and continuing along behind Pantiles (a bit more about that here).
After several years in the planning, and approval stages, 2010 saw the start to work on a large housing development on the former Waterers nursery site on the A30. The new estate surrounded the remaining Notcutts Garden Centre sales site. But soon after this site was redeveloped with a new Waitrose supermarket and what was intended to be a Notcutts outlet - but Notcutts never moved in and the facility remained empty untill 2017.
The Council Offices in Manor Way were demolished in the 1980's, some years after Bagshot Rural District Council was merged with Camberley & Frimley UDC to form Surrey Heath Borough Council (the council building new offices in Knoll Rd, Camberley to replace those at Bagshot and London Road, Camberley). Sun Microsystems built a large office on the site. They moved out and Steljes had their headquarters there for a while. After several year left empty as on 2018 there are plans to convert the existing building into flats. The very old council building in the narrow part of the High Street houses the library and a gent's hairdressers.
Hall Grove Farm that used to lie between Bagshot and Windlesham is now a golf course, with some of the buildings turned into a small industrial estate. Hall Grove house is a private school.
The Police Station on the A30 is now the Archaeology Centre.
Parker's Garden Centre on Guildford Road just south of the railway viaduct has gone and been replaced by a housing association's flats. The old mill building in Church Road has been converted into housing and further flats built behind it.
Kim reminds us that Parker's Garden Centre was never a garden centre. I am Fred Parker's granddaughter and originally Parker's was a wood merchant specialising in logs, later on it became a wood and stone merchants, then branching out into landscape gardening. When my Grandfather died in 1967 my uncle continued with the business until he passed away.
Duncan Hamilton's classic car business on The Square closed and the site is now divided into three businesses: a restaurant, a building society branch and a second carpet retailer for the village. But the building society decided to abandon us and closed down the branch.
Sharon recalls: In 1979/80 I was on a Christian Leadership course at Bagshot Park with the Chaplains. I was recovering from a nervous breakdown and I think the Army was trying to break me back in gently (!), and I seem to remember a car salesroom in the High Street / The Square that had 'special' cars. I vaguely remember the most wonderful Jensen Healey Interceptor. Memories are a little foggy, but I know the lads and I drooled profusely over these cars, and ached to drive them!As Sharon says: cars to drool over. My abiding memory is of a racing car quite literally hung on the wall!. I have no pictures of Duncan Hamilton's to illustrate the point. Zak agrees: "When I was little my Mum would go shopping in Gateways and I would go and would spend the time day dreaming in Duncan Hamiltons. Do you have any pictures of the square from that era (late 70's early 80's)?" 8029.508
John Coombs : I can recall Duncan Hamilton's car showroom in the Square. I can remember, at least I think I can remember he, Hamilton, had the occasional 'Celebrity Car' on display. I'm sure he had Fab 1 from the Thunderbirds puppet show there on one occasion and I believe there was a James Bond car on display there too - if I am wrong, please forgive me as age plays tricks with the memory these days! Also, whilst doing my paper rounds before school each morning, I think I can recall delivering papers to a famous Motor Racing Company up on the A30 just passed the old Police Station in Bagshot. I recall seeing various body shells of racing cars 'lying' around with tyres piled up, and engine parts also. [Mar 18 xx]
Ron Frost recalls The Square from the 1940's: Duncan Hamilton's premises in Bagshot Square was for many years Mason and Stennets clothes, shoes and haberdashery shop. In the square was also the International Stores, where everything was hand served, butter, sugar, flour etc were all wrapped in brown paper and none was lost. Then came Barclays Bank and then Chapmans shoe shop. Cross Park Street and you came to Greens the Butcher and then Papworths radio and electrical goods. Next came the Cinema and then a sweet shop. ref 612.0106
Peter Summerton recounts that by the 1950's the butchers was trading as Leonards. It was still Leonard's in the 1970's and later became the Little Butcher and Baker. The premises are now a café. We have to go the George Arthur in Lightwater to find a traditional butcher.
Chapman's closed their Bagshot show shop in 1999, and later also their Camberley branch.
The Institute and Cinema burned down (about 1960) and was replaced by an office block above two shop fronts.
Barclays' Bank closed and the building divided into premises for a bookmaker and a fast food outlet. I assume that the former makes good use of the old strong room!
The various garages (including Moore's, Shell, Heron, Total, Texaco, Hart Dene and Murco) are now described on a dedicated, illustrated, page. Only the filling station on the site that was Moore's on the A30 remains.
The former Morris' removals business' yard behind Hart Dene garage has been replaced by retirement flats. More about Hartdene here.
The Catholic Church built an extension on the front to provide extra space. The Bagshot Evangelical Church has renamed itself the Brook Church in recognition of the fact that they serve the whole of the Windle Brook area, not just Bagshot. St Anne's Church has built a new Church Centre behind the church, the old Parish Hall continues to be available for community use, though it has not been used much for dances for a long time.
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