CHERTSEY

'Chertsey' is a town in Surrey, England, on the River Thames, and its tributary rivers such as the River Bourne. It can be accessed by road from junction 11 of the M25 London orbital motorway. It shares its borders with Staines, Laleham, Shepperton, Addlestone, Woking, Thorpe and Egham. It lies within the Godley hundred.

Contents

History

Thorpe Park

Celebrated residents

Chertsey in literature

References

External links

History

Chertsey is a town of historical importance hence giving the title of 'The historical town of Chertsey', having grown around 'Chertsey Abbey', founded in 666 by Eorcenwald, Bishop of London. It is one of the oldest towns in England.
In the 9th century it was sacked by the Danes and refounded from Abingdon Abbey by King Edgar of England in 964.
Chertsey appears in Domesday Book as ''Certesi''. It was held by partly by Chertsey Abbey and partly by Richard Sturmid from the abbey. Its domesday assets were: 5 hides; 1 mill and 1 forge at the hall, 20 ploughs, 200 acres of meadow, woodland worth 50 hogs. It rendered £22.^[2]
The Abbey grew to become one of the largest Benedictine abbeys in England, supported by large fiefs in the northwest corner of Sussex until it was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1536. The King took stone from the Abbey to construct his palace at Oatlands, and the villagers used stone for raising the streets, and by the late 17th century, only some outer walls remained.
Today the history of the abbey is reflected in local place names and the fishponds that still fill with water after a heavy rain.
The eighteenth century Chertsey Bridge provides an important cross river link, and Chertsey Lock is a short way above it on the opposite side.
In the 18th century Chertsey Cricket Club was one of the strongest in the country. Chertsey regatta has been held on the river for over 150 years.

Thorpe Park

The town is also notable for being the location of the popular tourist attraction Thorpe Park. This thrill seeker's paradise was originally a gravel pit before being converted into a lake and becoming the UK's first theme park. The park now serves massive numbers of visitors every year and brings many jobs and visitors to the area.

Celebrated residents

England cricketer Ashley Giles and England Footballer Robert Green were born in Chertsey. The eighteenth century landscape designer Richard Woods also came from the town.
Renowned 19th Century chemist, explorer and magician Oliver Van Hoogstraten resided in the town for a number of years before his death.
Keith Moon, drummer with rock band The Who, lived in Chersey whilst Robert Green the Norwich and England goalkeeper was born in the town in 1980.
Justin Hawkins, lead singer of The Darkness rock group was born in the town.

Chertsey in literature

Chertsey was visited by Charles Dickens to make notes for Oliver Twist, and the poem "The Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight" by Rosa Hartwick Thorpe was written in the town.
In H. G. Wells' book ''The War of the Worlds'', Chertsey was destroyed by attacking Martian fighting-machines in the early afternoon of 8 June, 1902.
Abraham Cowley, the 17th Century English poet, lived in Chertsey after his return from exile. The Abraham Cowley Mental Health Unit of St Peter's Hospital (UK), Chertsey, was named in his honour.

References

1. Census data
2. Surrey Domesday Book

External links

★ Chertsey Abbey

★ Chertsey Local History

★ Aerial photographs of Chertsey