MERROW

St John's Church Merrow dating back to the 12th Century.

The Horse and Groom dates back to the 15th century.

The church and the pub stand sentinel at the cross roads in Merrow either side of Trodds Lane which goes via Newlands Corner over the Downs to Dorking. It was once the main road.

The road East to West at this junction goes from Guildford to Epsom hence named the Epsom Road.

Garden Cottage is directly opposite the Horse and Groom. It was once used as the school house.

Taken from a 1934 map with revisions 1938. Showing Merrow Downs.

At one time there was a race course on this side of the Downs between 1701 to 1870 and to the West of the Downs there was a prison of war camp during the last war 1941 to 1942.

Directly opposite the Church and at the top of Merrow Street is an area of allotment gardens. Merrow Street was the main road from the Downs to the main London Road now replaced in part by the A3.

Proceeding down Merrow Street this is the entrance to The Cedars.

Merrow House was once the home of Miss Thrupp. Her father was Rector of St John's Church. The Thrupp family owned most of the land either side of Merrow Street and lower down what is now known as Old Merrow Street. The original road being dissected by a road into a housing estate.

Merrow House is now split into flats and part of the Sunset homes. There are other modern flats too built in the grounds next to the house.

Merrow House Cottage

Evergreen Cottage

1 &2 Appletree Cottages

Michaelmas Cottage

Spring Cottages on the right with a new development mirroring Spring cottages, Wentworth Cottage and Orchard Cottage

Coxhall

1 Coxhall Cottages

2 Coxhall Cottages

Looking back up Merrow Street the hedge on the right of the photo is the boundary of Bushy Hill School. On the left is Rectory Close leading into a group of houses built in the grounds and on the site of the old rectory.

This was an old drovers way and bounds the school hedge.

This development was on land that belonged to Bushy School, now called Merrow Place the houses have been built to replicate much of the character of the older houses.

There was strong opposition over loosing the character of Merrow Street and this hedge, hence these houses Hawthorn Place were tucked away behind the hedge.

Looking down Merrow Street.

Treetower House

Merrow Infants School a church school. Miss Thrupp was responsible for the building of this school to replace the little one opposite the Horse and Groom. It was extended in 1901 about the time some of the houses were built.

Yew Tree cottages

1 &2 Salisbury Cottages

This is the style of several of the houses built around 1900 as farm labourers cottages and many of them were named after the Africa Wars.

1 &2 Garnet Cottages

A section of map updated since the Merrow Park development which started early 1980's. The church is at the bottom right at the junction and at the top of the map Merrow Street ends in a cul de sac where Kingfisher Drive crosses into the estate.

Across Kingfisher Drive into the next section of the old road this is now known as Old Merrow Street.

Great Goodwin Farmhouse

1 Alma Cottages

2 Alma Cottages

1 Peace Cottages with its majestic chimneys. There was previously a building on this site which was the old bake house. When it was demolished the bricks were reused in building these.

2,3 &4 Peace Cottages originally three cottages they have been sympathetically extended on the left to make a larger cottage and on the right to build a fourth cottage.

Pound cottage. The Pound was once in the garden and this is where stray animals would be brought. Pound Cottage was at one time used as the Laundry.

1 Orange Cottages

2 Orange Cottages

1 Gateside Cottages

2 Gateside Cottages

This is the next section of the map showing where Kingfisher Drive crosses at the bottom and the railway in the top corner. The bottom of old Merrow Street is also now a cul de sac and the new road replaces this lane.

At the top right this side of the railway is where the old brick works used to be. The bricks from there were used for building many of the cottages.

Of course there are several other modern houses scattered in amongst these old cottages.

More information on Merrow can be found through visiting Merrow Residents Association website.