IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Church Square, SHEPPERTON, TW17 9JY

The view of the square of Old Shepperton showing the Anchor public house and the church of St Nicholas. The church of St Nicholas was mentioned in documents in 1157 but appears to have been severely damaged by the flooding of the Thames in 1574 and was rebuilt in 1614. For further details refer to picture Image

The Anchor Hotel, Shepperton, was a coaching inn, established in the 16th Century and was originally a timber framed building. This building was replaced in the 1800s with the brick built building which forms the present hotel. One famous resident was the Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli.

Two old pubs stand on either end of the Square. Nell Gwynne is said to have lodged in the Kings Head, and Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton to have visited the Anchor Hotel. The square is well known for illegal bare-knuckled fights being held here in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Through the years many famous people have lived (or stayed) in the village, including Charles Dickens, H G Wells, Jerome K Jerome, Gilbert and Sullivan, Judy Garland, Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor and Charlie Chaplin are just some of them. A statement in the entrance hall of The Anchor reads, "Through these Portals have passed The Rich, the famous. Prime Ministers, Statesmen, Politicians. Notorious Personages of dubious character, Wenches, Pugilists, Visitors from the Colonies (including the Americas), Sporting Gentry, Vagabonds, Glamorous Artistes from the World of Motion Pictures, - But the Most Important of Them All is You!" The Anchor Hotel dates back over 400 years. It was a haunt of highwayman Dick Turpin. This may explain why after one of his visits a pistol was found in the rafters inscribed “Dick’s Friend”. It is also claimed to be the place where Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor’s romance first blossomed. They stayed here in 1963 whilst filming “Cleopatra” at the nearby Shepperton Film Studios. The hotel has also been used as the setting for many TV dramas.

A cyclist heads through the old part of Shepperton on a road that has now been by-passed.