On the face of it this 1950s postcard of Shepperton War Memorial doesn’t look a lot different to the present day, but closer inspection reveals quite a few changes.
The war memorial itself sits on a much larger island than now. At the time this was a triangular piece of land, which was converted to a roundabout when Renfree Way, the Shepperton western bypass, was constructed in the 1980s. The building of the bypass also meant that Lord’s Bridge, which can be seen on the left, was demolished. This narrow bridge carried the footpath over the stream which is now known as Black Ditch, and which frequently flooded the area.
The bridge and its predecessors were mentioned as far back as the 17th century, and presumably the name came from the Lord of the Manor, who must have had the original built.
At the far end of Lord’s Bridge is a large tree which stood here for centuries, alongside the old village lock-up and animal pound. In later years the trunk was entirely hollow- I can remember hiding in it as a child. This corner has recently been nicely landscaped by volunteers as an attractive entrance to the High Street.
‘Old Photos of Sunbury and Shepperton’ will be the subject of a short talk by Nick Pollard, following the Annual General Meeting of the Sunbury and Shepperton Local History Society, at 8pm on Tues 17th February at Halliford School, Russell Road Shepperton. All welcome.