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(2.8 miles approximately)
This walk is taken from a booklet of 12 walks entitled "Walks Around Shepperton" by V R Brooking. The book is available from the Sunbury and Shepperton Local History Society and its outlets. Some additional footnotes on points of historic interest have been added.
Manor Park(1) car-park is east of Church Road 100 yards from the War Memorial roundabout. Leaving the car-park turn right and at the roundabout cross to the bottom of Shepperton High Street. Almost immediately turn left into School Lane(2) in front of "The Three Horseshoes". Where the road bends right carry straight on, a signposted public footpath to the left may be taken or in muddy conditions continue on the asphalted parallel path. This ends at a back entrance to St Nicholas school. Continue along the unsurfaced path with the school grounds on the right. This soon joins the footpath mentioned earlier. Soon there is a track on the left which crosses a little brook and leads to a playing filed. Continue straight on past backs of houses in Shepherds Close and cross the footbridge over the M3. From here is a good view of gravel pits on the left. Laleham Road bridge is not far away to the right. Continue along the path to Sheepwalk(3) behind houses in Jessamin Terrace.
At Sheepwalk turn left. The road re-crosses the motorway and provides a closer view of gravel workings. At the south end of Sheepwalk turn left into Chertsey Road. After 100 yards this turns right signposted to Church Square, Shepperton. Unitl a few years ago this road carried traffic which now uses Renfree Way by-pass; reduced traffic makes walking through the oldest part of Shepperton much more pleasant. Church Square is reached after passing several residential roads on the left and Ferry Lane on the right. If time permits stop to look at St Nicholas church built in 1614 with a tower added a century later. The building incorporates material from an older church rendered unusable when the river altered course after heavy floods. Parts of the Rectory(4) predate the church but it has had changes and additions over the years. Ferry Square is reached by walking to the right of the church. The earliest ferries plied from here. The wharf was a busy spot until the 19th Century when water transport was replaced by rail. This is part of a conservation area, besides the church and rectory, listed buildings include Old Ferry House, Warren Lodge and The Kings Head(5).
At Church Square Chertsey Road bends left and becomes Church Road. Continue along here for 50 yards then turn left into Cemetery lane. On reaching the cemetery(6) follow the main path to the right; at a gap in the ivy-covered wall turn left; a newer section of cemetery lies ahead and ruins of a mortuary are on the right. At the end of the left path pass beyond a hedge and turn right (here is a public footpath sign). The path now skirts a lake formed by old gravel working bounded by a chainlink fence. On reaching a field continue by the fence to Renfree Way. Go through a kissing gate, cross the road and through a similar gate opposite. Turn right and follow the track to a bridge over the brook outside "The Three Horseshoes", and back to the car-park.
1 Manor Park was part of the Manor House grounds. It was given for public use in the 1960s. If a short detour is taken across the park to the riverside a view of the Manor House may be obtained.
2 This lane leads through to Poole End and used to be known as "New Road", a name now attached to the road in Charlton.
3 The derivation of the name Sheepwalk is clear and relates to the name Shepperton, or as it was in Domesday times "Scepertone". The habitation of Shepherds.
4 Shepperton Rectory is in part a timber framed structure. Do not be misled by its appearance as a brick building. The frontage was hung with "mathematical tiles" in the 18th Century. These are thin brick like tiles hung on the structure to make it look like a more fashionable brick house. While at the Church look at the grave to the left of the porch. This is the resting place of the infant daughter of Thomas Love Peacock and bears a poem by Peacock which is mentioned in "Three Men in a Boat".
5 This group of buildings date from the late 18th Century but no doubt some replace earlier buildings.
6 As you enter the cemetery a large tomb in front is that of W S Lindsay, Lord of the Manor who brought the railway to Shepperton in 1864. Further north on the extreme right is the dilapidated table tomb of the poet and novelist Thomas Love Peacock.
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