History on your doorstep: 8. St. Ann’s Hill
Welcome to the third in my series. This time I’m showcasing my top ten favourite historical stories and features, selected from our ‘Greenspace on your doorstep’ directory.
At number 8 is St. Ann’s Hill in Surrey…
This 1820 view of St Ann’s Hill from Egham Hill depicts an open Surrey landscape, including heathland, 85% of which has since been lost, much of it to woodland, particularly to pine trees introduced to the South of England from Scotland, Northumberland and Cumbria.
Engraving by W. Woolnoth after J. Hakewell
St Ann’s Hill was once in danger of becoming inaccessible to the public. This is what happened, courtesy of Chertsey Museum’s website…
“The hill remained in the Holland family until July 1925 when Stephen Powys, Lord Lilford the great-great-great nephew of Charles James Fox (1749-1806) Britain’s First Foreign Secretary, auctioned the estate. Approximately 20 acres of land was bought by the West Surrey Water Society to add to an area it already owned on the summit where they had built a reservoir. Concerns were raised locally that, after more than a century of public access, visitors would be banned. Local resident Sir William Berry purchased more than 16 acres of the land from the Water Society together with a further seven acres and presented them both to Chertsey Urban District Council for use as a public recreation ground. As a local resident, Sir William knew how important St. Ann’s Hill was to the people of Chertsey, and he financed further improvements to the park. Areas of shrubbery were cleared to open up vistas across the Thames, and additional landscaping took place. Under the supervision of renowned landscape gardener, Percy Cane, a terrace with a stone balustrade was added, along with further seats, so that it was ready to be officially handed over by Lady Berry on 13th June, 1928.”
St Ann’s Hill affords a superb view across Northeast Surrey including, in the near foreground, the flooded gravel pit where, in 1975, the World Water Ski Championships were held and where, in 1979, Thorpe Park was opened.
For directions, information and more photographs, go to the St. Ann’s Hill entry in ‘Greenspace on your doorstep’.
Warden Mike
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