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TW18 4TN

On London Road.

This is one of three Renshaw drain covers in News Street. John Enoch Renshaw started his Iron Foundry around 1903 at Mill Mead. Now the aptly named the Renshaw Industrial Estate. The foundry closed in the mid-1970s. However, there are still some other examples of its street furniture within the town.

This Roman Frieze on London Road is just next to the Old Police Station. London Road is on the route of the old Roman Road from London to Silchester. It depicts the Roman era in Staines, when the town was known as Ad Pontes (by the bridges). An inscription on the sculptor states: “This panel is based on a Samian pot in the style of the potter “Cornutus” AD 125 found on this site” Other inscriptions on the frieze are AD Pontes AD XLV, Giorgio Fanelli Facit MMII, Hadrian’s Wall CXXII. So I suppose these represent AD Pontes AD 45, Giorgio Fanelli Facit 2002 (possibly maker and date), Hadrian’s Wall 122 (the building of the wall began in AD 122).

Old locally made Johnson & Sharp Manhole in New Street at Staines upon Thames. This tiny street has many old examples of street furniture made locally. Johnson Iron Foundry It’s unlikely for a town such as Staines to have its own ironworks as there is no locally sourced iron ore to smelt or coal to power the furnaces. However, Staines had more than one foundry over the years. The local foundries did not use iron ore, they made their products from pig and scrap iron. It seems likely they used smaller “Cupola furnaces” fuelled by coke which was readily available from the Staines and Egham Gas & Coke Company, on The Causeway, just over the River Thames. On the High Street just east of the Blue Anchor was the site of Johnson & Sharp’s Iron Foundry. This started here in a small ironmongers founded by the Ashby Family in 1790. In 1800 the premises were owned by Edward Ashby. His tenant was Thomas LeFevre who at the time was the only listed ironmonger in Staines. By 1835 the business was run by Ashby in his own name. After he died in 1869, it was bought by the Right Honourable Jesse Collins who had a number of managers and business partners over the years. One manager was a Mr Johnson and he named the business Johnson & Company (1889 – 1894). When managers and partners changed he would also change the name, first to Johnson & Smith, then back to Johnson & Company, later Johnson & Sharp (1905 – c1910) and finally Johnson & Clark. The products produced were mainly street furniture, such as man-hole & metal drain covers, seats and lamp posts.

A London Country bus on the south London orbital 725 route between Gravesend and Windsor via Swanscombe, Northfleet, Dartford, Crayford, Bexley, Sidcup, Chislehurst, Bromley, Beckenham, Addiscombe, Croydon, Wallington, Sutton, North Cheam, New Malden, Worcester Park, Kingston, Hampton Court, Sunbury, Ashford, Staines, Egham and Englefield Green. RF221 - an AEC Regal, deputising for an AEC Swift that would normally be operating on this route in 1976 - is on the eastbound run, on Kingston Road. Behind the bus was Staines police station - recently replaced by a new building further along Kingston Road. The ironwork on the roof carried the air raid siren. The front of the old police station can be seen in Image by Ray Stanton. The old station and the building to the right of the bus appear to have been converted into offices. The traffic lights behind the bus are at the junction with London Road / High Street. The parade of shops opposite the junction have been demolished and replaced with an office block.

From the end of Kingston Road

This Shell Petrol Station, on London Road, Staines has been here for many years as you can see from https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1781714

Lots of interest in this 1976 view of a number 90 bus arriving from Richmond. The vehicle is an AEC Swift with Marshalls bodywork. Although dual entrance, in 1976 these vehicles had their centre doors sealed and additional seating installed and they were recoded from SM to SMD. They operated the route for only 2 years in this form before being withdrawn and replaced by Leyland Nationals. The stop is a rare example of a dual logo bus and coach stop and is still mounted on the old cast iron pole rather than the standard concrete stop that was introduced in the 1940's The shops on the left include a London Co-Operative Society (LCS) store complete with clock. The fronts of the stores here have all been rebuilt along with the roofline. The LCS is now Camberley Auto Factors. The line of trees behind the bus on the right of the shot still exists, but Staines Methodist Church on the corner of Sidney Road - the spire of which is visible above the bus - has been demolished and replaced with housing. The old church was demolished sometime after 1987 when a new building was erected in Thames Street. Info regarding the church supplied by Ian Sankey.

A view of London Road (A308) as it was in 1976. Very little has changed building wise - the white fencing around the service station forecourt appears to have gone and the associated vehicle maintenance facility appears to have changed name. The dual carriageway sign has gone though. The bus on the 216 is RF449 an AEC Regal. It is in its last few months of service from Kingston garage and was withdrawn in October 1976. It saw subsequent use in a non-psv role until being scrapped in 1985. Information from Ian's Bus Stop at http://www.countrybus.org/rf/RF4a.htm