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The
A322 viewed looking north toward Bagshot. The old Wheatsheaf
is centre-left, Brentmoor road is just beyond. On the
near-right by the bus-stop is where the Jubilee Gardens were
located. |
Here was West End's fast
growing shopping centre, in reply to those situated around the Hare & Hounds in
Brentmoor road. The buildings opposite what was once the Wheatsheaf pub
were erected over
a period of time around the turn of the 20th century on meadow land once belonging to the
eighteenth century Vine Cottage. The current Post Office used to be a builders and
Wheelwrights, while further down were to be found a confectionery shop which served teas
and snacks. Also a General Store (which doubled as a furnishers and tailors), the villages'
first Doctor's surgery and another builder and carpenter (later a plumbers also) were
sited. On the opposite side was a grocers. Shops were prevalent
around this time in the village, one was even to be found in Benner Lane
whose business was later moved to its final location in Beldam Bridge
Road (now closed up). Today a row
of more modern shops is found next to the old Wheatsheaf (now re-named
for the New Century) while the modern doctors'
surgery is found by the roundabout with Fellow Green and Fenns Lane.
In 1935, King George V's
jubilee was celebrated by the building of Jubilee Gardens in both Chobham and West End.
The latter's' was on the small patch of
grass opposite the Post Office. Flower beds, trees, a memorial seat
and a bus shelter were put in alongside the War Memorial which was
still in its original position. The gardens were effectively removed
with the installation of a new mini one-way traffic
scheme, plus the car parking space put in for the Working Men's
Club. The Memorial was re-sited to its current home on the
western edge of the recreation ground near Holy Trinity
church. Two large
trees are all that remain of the West End Jubilee Gardens today; Chobham's is still intact.
Behind were the Working Men's' Club and Institute, initially
separate buildings until
combined in the 1950's. The cricket club plus the football club (formed around
that time), used it as their
changing room until the sports pavilion was completed by Benner Lane in
1968.
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Looking
past Holy Trinity church,
toward the Workingmens' club |
The
"Inn @ West End" public house was
originally named the Jolly Butcher before becoming the Wheatsheaf in the mid-1800's. In
the early 20th century it also took orders for merchants G. & H. Gosden who also ran a
delivery service to Brookwood station. The end of the last century also
saw the end of an era when a new landlord took over the Wheatsheaf and
re-invented it. It
emerged ready for the 21st century as a "gastropub" and bore
the more modern name of "Inn
@ West End". |
