Staines is an urban area in the Borough (Hundreds) of Spelthorne (Spelethorne). The main towns in Spelthorne are Staines (Stanes), Ashford (Exeford), Stanwell (Stanwelle), Shepperton (Scepertone), Sunbury (Sunbarie). Staines is the administrative centre of the Borough and has the largest shopping area. Spelthorne is a district of London, that has a population of approximately 90,000, and covers 21 square miles.

(words in brackets are from the Doomsday Book. c.1086.)

The White Lion was said to be in existence at least since Elizabethan times. It was on a part of the road that was very narrow, and so from one end of the High Street it was always visible. Even though it had been given 'listed building' status in 1953, disgracefully, it was demolished to make way for the widening of the road (and eventually the one way system) in 1956. In this photo the buildings to the right were still old and ramshakled., so pre the bigger buildings of Woolworths days.

The White Lion No wattle and daub or timbers in these days. I think this photo has to be prior to the Town Hall being built as I can't see the clock tower over the shops in the distance. If so then it will be before 1880.

The White Lion was not only a Public House and Inn, it had it's own cells and Court room for the Petty Sessions.
So the powers that be could keep people locked up until it was time for them to go before the Judge.

It also had a very large public meeting room that was used for social occasions. One was in 1906 when some shop workers in the town, (who were called the Staines Early Closing A.C.) Staines always closed for half day on a Thursay afternoon, (Chertsey and Ashford half day closing was a Wednesday if I remember correctly!) dressed up in, what we today would call 'Halloween costumes' but they called 'Komic' dress, and then had a football match on the Lino Sports Club ground, to raise money for the 'Nurses Fund'. They raised £16 on this particular day! Afterwards they went to a 'capital tea and smoking concert' at the White Lion.

This photo has no Pub sign on it. It is also not the black and white style that we remember.
You can see the Ashby (later Barclay's) Bank further along the road, but not much more in between. Stabling for horses would have been around the back. I have no idea how many horses they had room for but I would think a large amount. The 'Angel & Crown' used to stable un to 200 a night.

 

I found this small photo showing the White Lion from the High Street, it has to be after 1848, after the railway came to Staines.
This photo is showing the bowed shaped Iron Bridge to the left, (it was altered prior to 1926 so that double decker buses didn't have to drive under the middle of it. It became a straight bridge both sides, see photo 2 down.) and what looks like it could be the High Street Station (1884 - 1916) on it. Anyone recognise the station from this angle? They do say that there isn't any photos of it, but I did come across this one from the Station itself.

I know people had to walk up on one side of the bridge and come down on the other side of it. One was in Factory Path. It was said that there were covered platforms as well, which I believe can be seen in the photo above.

This photo of the Iron Bridge is from the Garibaldi side (Mill Mead) where one of the entrances to the (above) High Street station was. sadly this station closed during the First World War.

Back to the White Lion
Here is a drawing of the White Lion pub in 1934. I can't read who drew it though but the copyright is theirs.

The right side view is the one that we see from the other end of the High Street in all of the old photos. Good to see a closer view of it.

The later 1930's: A 117 bus is approaching us, put your hand out it may stop for you!
Woolworths moved into 101-103 High Street in 1926, Marks & Spencer came in in 1933. Woolworths had been in different premises before that date.

Here are the two name signs on the top of the buildings, for Marks & Spencer and F. W Woolworths,

The 1950's. This is the last in the series of photos. This has to be just before it was demolished. You can see that the timbers and windows are the same as they were back in the 30's photo.
The Woolworths frontage had altered from the previous photo, this is the frontage I remember the one I entered when I worked in the office there back in the 60's. The building next to Woolies ended up being Boots for a long while, and strangely the brickwork on the Dunn's building has changed from the previous photo. It now has the 'Dunn's' signage built in to the wall. (see the Artwork page for a closer look at that.) It is still there today, even though Dunn's are not.
You can just see the corner of the Mumford & Lobb shop on the left, this was also torn down during this throw away time period of the 50's. The actual Mumford & Lobb warehouse was pulled down in the 60's, it was behind the High Street, and was like an aeroplane hanger. I worked in the office of Woolworths when it was being demolished and we watched from the window each day as it dissappeared. Until there was nothing left of it. Now South Street runs through where it was.

I still feel very sad that we lost this historic building, along with others, who were a part of the evolution of the High Street.

Churches