Stoneleigh, Surrey

Stoneleigh is located in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, with small parts in the north of the suburb in the London Borough of Sutton. Stoneleigh is centred around Stoneleigh railway station and Stoneleigh Broadway. Much of the area was open fields prior to the early 1930s when most of the area was developed. It is now largely populated by semi-detached housing. The red brick Anglican church of St John the Baptist, next to the station, was built in 1939.^[3] Stoneleigh comprises Stoneleigh Ward and Auriol Ward, both in the Borough of Epsom and Ewell.

History

In the 17th century, the area where Stoneleigh now lies was part of the Great Park of Nonsuch Palace. In 1731 the Nonsuch estate was sold off and the Great Park, by then known as Worcester Park was divided up and turned into farmland. Bowling Green and Coldharbour farms in the north of the park were run jointly and in 1860 were acquired by John Jeffries Stone. He had a large house he called 'Stoneleigh', close to the Bowling Green Farmhouse, which gave its name to the district. Farming was at its peak at the start of the 20th century when there were nearly 20 farms, but the number reduced rapidly after the First World War, as there was great demand for housing it became profitable to sell off the farmland for development.

Between the world wars, demand for houses on commuter routes into London meant the area grew rapidly. Stoneleigh railway station was opened in 1932 and the estates of Stoneleigh, Auriol and Ewell Court were developed around it during the remainder of the 1930s. Stoneleigh railway station was originally to be named 'Stoneleigh Park' due to its proximity to local fields, but this did not happen, possibly due to the next three stations on the line all being called 'Park' (Worcester Park, Motspur Park and Raynes Park).{Alan A Jackson; 'Semi-Detached London', Second Edition, Wild Swan Publications 1991)

Geography

Stoneleigh comprises the residential areas either side of the railway including Stoneleigh Broadway. It is generally accepted as extending as far as the Kingston Road (A240) in the south, Nonsuch Park to the east, Cuddington Recreation Ground to the north and Auriol Park to the west. Some of the Auriol Ward, may be considered part of Ewell or Worcester Park.

Demographics

At the time of the 2001 Census Stoneleigh Ward had a population of 4,700 people,^[1] an increase of 3.6% from 1991, with 2,378 females compared to 2,322 males. Auriol Ward is the smallest in the Borough with a population of 3,687 people in the 2001 Census,^[2] a decrease of 19% from 1991, with 1,858 females and 1,829 males. This decrease in population is because of the area lost to the Ewell Court ward, where the population increased by 19%.

Famous Residents

Playwright John Osborne, who lived in Clandon Close. He recounts extensively his experiences as an adolescent living in 1930s and 40s Stoneleigh and Ewell in his 1981 autobiography, 'A Better Class Of Person'

External links

• Stoneleigh and Auriol Residents' Association

References