Surbiton Past

SURBITON, Tolworth, Hook and Chessington all have rich, individual histories, each of which is explored in depth in this lively new book. It dispels many of the old stereotypes about the district as a faceless, suburban outgrowth of London in a well-researched and remarkably well-illustrated narrative. The four communities were merged into the Borough of Surbiton in 1936, during a period of rapid growth, and the author brings their history up to 1965, when Surbiton Borough amalgamated with Kingston.

Tolworth and Chessington were both Domesday Book manors, while Surbiton was a village by the 12th century, if not before. The district’s past includes Civil War battles, Surbiton’s 18th-century reputation as an exotic pleasure resort, 19th-century expansion after the coming of the railway in the 1830s and explosive growth in the 20th century. The author has unearthed many surprising stories and previously unpublished photographs and he devotes a separate chapter to the impact of the Second World War.

All who know the area will welcome this entertaining book which reveals in a new way the depth and diversity of the histories of Tolworth, Hook, Chessington and Surbiton-Queen of the Suburbs’