Ashford (Surrey)
51.432166666667 - 0.45694444444444Koordinaten: 51 ° 26 ' N, 0 ° 27 ' W
Ashford is a town that belongs almost entirely to the district of Spelthorne County ( County) Surrey in southern England. The approximately 15 miles west-southwest of Charing Cross near the Heathrow airport located place, one of the many commuter towns around London, has about 25,000 inhabitants.
In reference books, the city is often referred to as Ashford, Middlesex apostrophized, to distinguish them from the big city Ashford in Kent. Middlesex is the name of the historic county, belonged to the Ashford; Since 1965, when Middlesex County Council was dissolved, the City of Surrey County Council is administered, and a small part of which belongs to London, the London Borough of Hounslow.
Urban Development
Archaeological finds date Ashford to the Bronze Age, but the first recorded settlement is probably Anglo-Saxon origin. The first mention of the village is in the Domesday Book of 1086; on the map it is listed there as " Exforde ".
End of the 18th century Ashford counted 400 inhabitants. The connection to the railway network by the London and South Western Railway in 1848 caused the population to continue to grow, which eventually gave rise to be built by the renowned architect William Butterfield, a larger church, which was consecrated in 1858 and completed in 1865. In 1873 it was decided then to build a parsonage. At this time, Ashford had 1,019 inhabitants, and a further increase was already marked with the opening of the West London District School in 1872.
Because of its proximity to the capital and good transport links to Ashford developed in the 20th century to a popular residence for commuters. So today's cityscape is a mixture of villas and castle-like buildings, which are mainly in the period from 1930 to 1960. The main shopping street is Church Road, where also the Ashford Campus of Brooklands College, located Ashford Library and a monument to the dead of two world wars.
Main employer in Ashford itself is the energy company BP International. A significant number of residents working at Heathrow airport; many others are busy in London or have jobs in the area west of London, also known as Thames Valley ( " Thames Valley " ) is known.
The largest part of the Borough of Spelthorne is part of the Green Belt area of London and is interspersed with gravel pit lakes that are part of London's water supply today. The Staines reservoir in the northeast is designated as a bird sanctuary, while the Queen Mary reservoir has become a popular sailing area.
In Shortwood Common area called between Ashford and Staines gutted still the cattle. The pond is located there with the surrounding area is one of the last refuges for a diverse regional animal and plant life and therefore became a Site of Special Scientific Interest ( SSSI ) is explained.
Parish Church of St Matthews
Shortwood Common
Sons and daughters of the town
- Ray Dorset, frontman, vocalist and songwriter of the band Mungo Jerry.
- Norman Willis, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC ) 1984-92 and President of the European Trade Union Confederation 1991-93.
- Bobby Davro, actually Robert Nankeville, actor and comedian.
- Lynda Chater, novelist.
- Russell Grant, astrologer and residents of Staines, Lord of Ashford since 1996.
- Robert Evans, politicians and parliamentarians of the Labour Party.
- Spelbound, acrobats troupe, 2010 winner of the talent show Britain's Got Talent.
- Tony Doyle, former racing cyclist.