Claygate

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Claygate is a large village in the English county of Surrey, part of the borough of Elmbridge, approximately 16 miles south west of London.

It has a population of about 6,500 residents. It is primarily a residential and commercial centre, with two shopping areas, a supermarket, five pubs and numerous restaurants. There are a number of schools and churches of several denominations.

A significant number of Claygate's residents commute to the capital using the direct train service; the journey to central London takes just 25 minutes. This has resulted in Claygate and the surrounding areas having some of the most expensive property prices in the UK.

Although steadfastly regarded by its residents as a village, Claygate could arguably be seen as an outer-outer-London suburb. It is separated from the urban sprawl by only a very narrow strip of green belt; Claygate is served by buses operated by London Transport, and properties right on the village boundary have been assigned the outer-London telephone code.

1 Etymology and history
2 Commerce
3 Miscellaneous
4 External links

[edit] Etymology and history

Claygate took its name from the clay pits that used to be in the village, providing bricks for a large surrounding area including most of Hampton Court Palace. The village lies at the start of the broad belt of clay deposits around London - it was, literally, the "GATE-way" to the "CLAY".

Claygate is mentioned in the Domesday Book, albeit with a different spelling. For many centuries Claygate was a largely agricultural area, but significant commercial development began in the late 1800s with the coming of the railway. The new line between Guildford (the county town of Surrey) and London passed through Claygate, ensuring its rapid growth over the following years. There was significant house-building particularly during the 1930s and 1960s.

[edit] Commerce

The biggest employer in Claygate is the retail sector. There is a large and diverse selection of shops, with two main centres known as The Parade and The Old Village. Of these, The Parade is the largest, adjacent to Claygate railway station. There are also shops in St Leonards Road and Hare Lane, with other neighbourhood shops at various locations.

Many of the shops in Claygate are family-run, independent businesses with long histories. One of the oldest is likely to be The Game Larder, which opened in the early 1960s as a butcher's shop called "R.E. Grimes". A local Indian restaurant, opened in the early 1970s and still operated by the same family, is believed to be one of the oldest Indian Restaurants in the area.

Claygate also has its own supermarket, two Post Offices and a vast number of specialist shops. There are four estate agents to cater for the vibrant and lucrative local property market. As well as the five pubs, there are several restaurants.

[edit] Miscellaneous

Local newspapers covering Claygate include The Esher News & Mail, The Surrey Comet and The Herald, and two freely distributed newspapers, The Informer and The Guardian. Claygate is in the editorial area of BBC Southern Counties Radio, although its proximity to London means most of the capital's radio stations can be heard.

Claygate is in the Parliamentary constituency of Esher and Walton, which is seen as a relatively safe seat for the Conservative Party.

The main Anglican church is Holy Trinity, built in 1840, which is of architectural significance for having two spires.

Previous celebrity residents of Claygate include Terry Jones and Michael Aspel.

There are a large number of local clubs, community groups and sports teams. One of the biggest annual events is the Claygate Flower Show which takes place on the Recreation Ground in late July each year.

The BBC TV situation comedy Wyatt's Watchdogs was filmed in Claygate. It starred Brian Wilde and Trevor Bannister and was about a Neighbourhood Watch group. A sketch for The Two Ronnies was also filmed in Claygate, as was a shampoo commercial.