IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Godstone Road, WHYTELEAFE, CR3 0GP

These Commercial Union offices by the A22 were demolished and replaced with flats and a Travelodge Hotel some time after this photo was taken in 2003. The developed area is now called Well Farm Heights.

This raised bed was in the forecourt of the empty and now demolished Commercial Union offices off the Godstone Road at Whyteleafe. The area, now called Well Farm Heights, has been developed for housing and a Travelodge hotel.

Beside the A22 Godstone Road.

Whyteleaf House is currently being demolished. Beyond the trees in the background is a railway line between London and Caterham.

This bridge carries the railway line between London Bridge or Victoria and East Grinstead or Uckfield. The Caterham line runs on the other side of the A22 main road.

Well Farm Road goes beneath the Oxted railway line. The underline bridge name plate gives this as "SCU1 structure 507 Tuzos". The name must be related to the local family of Tuzo - see https://www.balh.org.uk/news-tuzo-tales-when-researching-a-history-of-whyteleafe-2020-12-10 . The bridge is also shown at Image The hanging strands of ivy appear to have been arranged symmetrically.

Narrow lane under a bridge carrying the railway line from Oxted to London.

The first proposals for a railway along the Caterham Valley came in 1836 with the object of building a new London to Dover line through a mile long tunnel under the North Downs. It proved too costly and the existing line via Redhill was used. Instead Caterham received a branch line, built by Caterham Railway, a private company, and opened in 1856. The original purpose was to provide a convenient method of transporting the valuable building stone from the quarries at Godstone to London. Soon though the original purpose was overtaken by wealthy Victorian commuters using the line as the Caterham Valley developed. There were early frustrations for these commuters, for example, in the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway arranging for the connecting train at Godstone Road (now Purley) station to leave one minute before the Caterham train arrived. The Caterham branch was increased from single to double track by January 1st 1900. Whyteleafe South station opened at the same time as the line but was called Warlingham until 1956. There are three railway stations in the village of Whyteleafe, the others being Whyteleafe, and Upper Warlingham on the Oxted Line. This view looks down the line towards Caterham across Salmons Lane level crossing which is at the southern edge of the station.