Did you know that...
The old name of Byfleet was Byeflete. In the 11th century, the Domesday Book records Ulwin from Chertsey Abbey as the person in charge of this KT14 area. The settlement started to develop during the medieval ages. There are some 16th and 17th-century buildings on the main Byfleet street. High Road is also home to several historic pubs. St Mary’s Church dates from the 14th century. The watermill and two tombs in the churchyard are listed landmarks. Notable burials include motorcyclist Bert le Vack, aviation pioneer Harold Barnwell, and local businessman Ebeneezer Mears.
Actress Sarah Miles is one of the famous Byfleet residents. Former London mayor, Sir John Ellis, also lived in the area. He is best known as the founder of the Byfleet Fire Brigade. Byfleet Fire Station is a Victorian building dating from 1885. It closed in 1963. The building was renovated over the years. It has Grade II listed status. TV presenter Harry Dodson, engineer J. G. Parry-Thomas, and historian Joseph Spence are other notable residents. This South West London area was part of the London 2012 Olympic Games road race.
After the Vickers factory opened in 1911, the number of residents doubled in just 10 years so a nearby railway station became a necessity. Byfleet & New Haw is the railway station that serves this South West London area. Architect James Robb Scott designed the station that opened in 1927 as West Weybridge. The current name is used since 1962. The British triplane bomber Tarrant Tabor by W G Tarrant Ltd based in Byfleet was the largest plane built in the UK in World War I. In 1962, the first Vickers VC10 jet airliner took off over this area. Byfleet witnessed a number of crashes such as the Vickers Viking piloted by Australian aviator Ross Macpherson Smith.
