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Staines

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Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and part of the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and 17.2 miles (27.7 km) west south-west of Charing Cross.

Contents

History

Early history

The name Staines is thought to derive from Old English for 'stones', due to a long-lost site of monoliths in nearby Stanwell. Others believe the name to derive from 'St Anne's in the Thames'.

There has been a bridge since Roman times (hence the Roman name of the town Pontes). Claudius led the Romans into Britain in 43 AD and they settled in Staines the same year. Soon after this invasion the first Staines Bridge was constructed to provide an important Thames crossing point on main road from Londinium (London) to Silchester, near Reading.

A border stana, or stone, on the bank of the River Thames, dated 1280, still remains, indicating the western limit of the City of London jurisdiction over the Thames. (Although familiarly known as 'the London Stone', it is not to be confused with its more famous (and probably more ancient) namesake located in Cannon Street in the City of London).

The situation of Staines as a major crossing point over the River Thames, its position on the main road from London to the south-west, and its proximity to Windsor has led to the town being involved in national affairs. The barons assembled there before they met King John at Runnymede in 1215, and Stephen Langton held a consecration there shortly after the issue of Magna Carta. Sir Thomas More was tried in 1535 in a Staines public house, to avoid the outbreak of plague in London at that time. Kings and other important people must have passed through the town on many occasions: the church bells were rung several times in 1670, for instance, when the king and queen went through Staines.'Staines: Introduction', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3: Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington (1962), pp. 13-8. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=22225. Date accessed: 04 February 2006.

During the period 1642–48 there were skirmishes on Staines Moor and numerous troop movements over Staines Bridge during the Civil War.

Modern history

A statue to the Linoleum factories of the 19th Century
Enlarge
A statue to the Linoleum factories of the 19th Century

Staines was the major producer of linoleum, a type of floor covering, after the formation of the Linoleum Manufacturing Company in 1864 by its inventor, Frederick Walton. Linoleum became the main industry of the town and was a major employer in the area up until the 1960's. In 1876 about 220 and in 1911 about 350 people worked in the factory. By 1957 it had some 300 people employed and in 1956 the factory produced about 3,200 sq yd. of linoleum each week. The term 'Staines Lino' became a world-wide name but the factory was closed around 1970 and is now the site of the Two Rivers shopping centre. A bronze statue of two lino workers in Staines High Street commemorates the Staines Lino Factory. The Spelthorne Museum in Staines has a display dedicated to the Linoleum Manufacturing Company.

Staines was the site of the Staines air disaster in 1972, at the time the worst air crash to have occurred on British soil.

Economy

The proximity to London and Heathrow have attracted a number of companies: BUPA (medical insurance) and LogicaCMG (telecommunications and IT consultants) have major offices, NDS (conditional access and DRM provider) and Siemens Building Automation Division have their national headquarters here.

Culture

Staines is the home of the fictional character Ali G and rock band Hard-Fi.

The administrative offices of Spelthorne Borough Council are located at Knowle Green. The town has recently unveiled a revitalised Thames-side with landscaping and sculptures. The Town Hall (now a bar) is a pleasant Victorian blend of Italian and Flemish influences set in a small square. Some well preserved Georgian town houses line Clarence Street (named after the Duke of Clarence). Church Street and The Lammas house some lovely Georgian and Victorian properties clustered around the parish church of St Mary. Most housing in the town is middle class in nature with plenty of green spaces (Staines Moor, Shortwood Common, Knowle Green, Leacroft, The Lammas and Laleham Abbey to the immediate south). Staines Bridge spans the Thames with a graceful three arch structure. Until the 14th century Staines was the tidal limit, now downstream at Teddington.

Thorpe Park, an amusement park with several distinctly themed areas, is near to the town.

In June 2006 Staines hosted the European Trabant owner's club 2006 rally with over 4,500 Trabants and 14,000 enthusiasts in attendance.

Shopping

Staines has a fairly compact town centre mainly focused on a wide pedestrianised High Street, housing most familiar names such as Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, TK Maxx and Monsoon. Smaller independent units can be found in Church Street, Clarence Street and the eastern end of the High Street. A market in the pedestrianised High Street is held every Wednesday and Saturday. It is one of the largest and busiest street markets in Surrey. A moderately sized shopping centre (Elmsleigh) is directly behind the High Street. A pleasant retail park was opened in 2002 called Two Rivers which is bisected by the confluence of the rivers Wraysbury and Colne. Retailers include Waitrose as well as a Vue cinema, gym and cafes.

Transport

The nearest station is Staines mainline station serving Waterloo, Weybridge, Windsor and Eton Riverside and Reading. Taxis are available from the station. The bus station is a five-minute walk from the railway station.

Famous residents

Staines Urban District

In 1894, the Local Government Act 1894 created the Staines Urban District of Middlesex. In 1965, under the London Government Act 1963, most of the rest of Middlesex became part of Greater London while Staines Urban District was transferred to Surrey. In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, the Staines Urban District was abolished and its area combined with that of the former Sunbury-on-Thames Urban District to form the present-day borough of Spelthorne.

Chronology

Local media

A number of local newspapers are available in Staines, these include:

References

External links

 

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.

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