|
|
WELCOME TO
ADPONTES-STAINE5 ~ The HISTORY Pages
PART 1 -HOW OLD IS STAINES? |
[ Waypoint 1 - The Water Guardian ]
How Old Is Staines?
The Stone Age
Neolithic (New Stone Age) people settled in what is now called Spelthorne between about 4,000-3,000 BC.
Human remains of lake or pile dwellers were discovered in 1926 when the new Sunbury Lock was constructed.
[ Flint Arrowhead at Yeoveney ]
A flint leaf-shaped arrowhead was found during archaeological
excavations at Yeoveney Lodge, Staines. The flint used to fashion the
arrow head was probably brought into the area by merchants or traders.
Other flint tools were also found. Perhaps the flint merchants used the
Ridgeway path (to the north of Staines) and then the Colne or other
rivers to travel into the area.
The Stone Age people of Staines were almost certainly well organised
and lived in groups like villages and even probably farmed the area
collecting reeds for roofing and shell fish and birds to eat.
They would use the wood from the Yew tree to make bows and the
arrow heads were made of the flint. The river Thames was very
likely to have been a sacred place to these people. It brought safety
and security because it formed a defensive 'partition' from their
enemies and also brought them food and house-building materials. But
the river was also a destructive force and could overflow its banks and
flood the houses of the river-dwellers and drown animals in the
meadows.
The River Thames like other large and important rivers (The Nile or The
Ganges) has been associated with 'spirits' or 'gods'. One type of
river-goddess were river sprites - youthful female water-based
creatures that were life-giving ... but could also be dangerous and
spiteful at times. The River has also always been associated with
an older male type spirit we know as 'Old Father Thames'. This spirit
or god was a wise and mature creature who has long flowing beard and
hair and is a cool and level-headed deity. Together, the female sprites
and the male 'father' describe the various moods of the life-giving
river.
Etymologists seem to agree that the name 'Thames' is derived from an
ancient Sanskrit word 'Tamasa' meaning 'dark river' or 'dark water' and
that the use of this word spread from India through the Celts to
Britain.
The river was certainly known to the Romans as Tamesis
and it is fairly noteworthy that they considered the name to be worth
preserving- possibly because of its numinous properties. The Romans
gave the extra 'tail' to the old word, including the name 'Isis'
into its magical name. This is intriguing because the ancient Egyptians
and later the Romans worshiped a very powerful female goddess named
ISIS from whom, it was said, all beginnings arose. The
Egyptian Isis was also known as the "lady of bread, of beer, and
of green fields" so she seems oddly relevant to the history of
Staines. The Roman Isis was also formally known as 'the Queen of
Heaven' and was respected by notables including Julius Caesar (who
launched the first invasion of Britain) and Titus Flavius Vespasianus
(Vespasian) who was the 'general' in charge of the second invasion of
Britain and probably was directly responsible for creating the first
bridge at Staines. It is likely, therefore, that a temple was
created for Isis in or near the town.
[ One of the 'nine stones' ]
We know that of the Stonehenge and the ring of stones there but there
is also a suggestion that there was a large ring of stones at Staines.
If this is so, it would have been the only ring of stones in the Thames
Valley. It is thought that this ring of nine standing stones
stood at the edge of the Chertsey Abbey lands and these nine
stones (the Ningen Stones) were a significant boundry marker.
In fact, there are very many boundry markers (stones) to be seen around
the river at Staines as you walk the paths. Stone markers seem to to be
a feature of Staines from Neolithic times right up to today. Some
historians believe that STAINES is named after these nine very
ancient upright stones- the Saxon word for stones is 'stana'. The
word Staines and the word Stones are not dissimilar and could easily
have become corrupted over time.
-------------
THE FIRST STAINES BRIDGE
Staines
Bridge
"COLONIA CLAVDIA VICTRICENSIS"
The area we now know as Staines is built on gravel deposits. This meant
that a bridge or causeway could easily be constructed at this part of
the river because the gravel could firmly hold and support posts or
even stone pillars. Further upstream the river began to weave and
became 'braided' with silts and mud deposits and regular flooding.
Downstream the river was mudded and the banks slippery and the
waters wide. Staines was, therefore, a perfect crossing point. It was
also the 'tidal limit' of the River Thames and this meant that small
vessels could be literally 'floated up' to Staines on the tide.
It is highly likely that the neolithic people, and later the
Celtic settlers in the area, used the shallow gravel base at Staines to
cross the waters when the river was 'low'.
The river was also considerable a natural barrier and was used to
defend and seperate the Celtic tribes. To the North of the river were
the Catuvellauni who had a capital at the place we call St Albans. to the West were the Atrebates and they had a tribal base at Silchester. To the South of the river was a confederation fo tribes known to the Romans as The Regnenses and at London on the North bank of the Thames were the Trinovantes.
But the first real bridge at Staines owes its existence to the Romans. In fact, the original
name for the area we now know as Staines was Ad pontes-
'at the Bridges'.
The Roman invasion of Britain, commanded by General
Aulus Plautius on behalf of Emperor Claudius, came about after an
appeal from an ousted tribal ally-the exiled King Verica of the British
Atrebates. At that time, Britain was governed by Celtic tribes like the
Atrebates but the Catuvellauni were more dominant and started to threaten the weaker tribes. Although the tribes
already had strong trading and political links with the Roman Empire,
tensions were growing and inter-tribal conflict meant that the Romans
could use the excuse to invade Britain and set up a government.
[ Celtic Tribes at the time of Roman invasion of Britain 43AD ]
The tribes had always been aware of the importance of a river crossing
at the area we now know as Staines (the 'stones') where the Thames
meets the Colne. The river itself connected with the important trading
routes of the Icknield Way and the Ridge-Way and so could be used for trade
and safe transport. The tribes knew that whoever had control over the causeway at 'the stones' would have
the Thames Valley, with its flat and easy travelling country, open to
them.
[ London
to Bath Roman Road ]
After the initial invasion at Kent and in the Thames Estuary, General
Aulus Plautius quickly made progress with four legions (one
commanded by the future Emperor 'Vespasian') and the British defending
forces were pushed back to the Thames.
Eleven tribes of South East
Britain surrendered to Claudius and the Romans prepared to move further
West in the same year, taking the crossing point at the stones (Ad
Pontes) at Staines. They quickly established a fortified settlement at
Ad Pontes to protect their new bridge. It is generally thought that this
first Roman 'Pont' was probably a rough earthwork causeway supported by
stone.
The Roman 'Ad Pontes' bridge soon became a vital and integral part of
the Roman Road
that connects London to the West and was recorded as an important
'station' by military planners. Although this road does not have
a
common name ( unlike, for example, 'Stane Street' that runs to
Chichester) it does connect, in a straight line, a route from Staines
to the London Wall via Hounslow, Brentford, Shepherds Bush and Holborn.
If you have driven down the A30, A315 or even Oxford Street, you have
used the old Staines Road- the Roman route. The road also
connects to Silchester alleva Atrebatum (the Atrebates capital) and then onto Bath Aquae Sulis.
[ Claudius
denarius ]
How long the first Roman bridge survived is not known but the position
of a river crossing-point on this important main road from London to
the southwest, and its proximity of the settlement to Windsor and the
seat of sovereign power, led to the town being involved in national
affairs (not least the signing of the Magna Carta.)
_________________________________________________________________
|
STAINES HISTORY
* 4000 - 4000 to 3000 BC Neolithic settlement of
the Thames Valley
* 1700 - Bronze Age burial ground-
Sunbury
* 750 - Iron age
settlement of area
* 10 -
British tribe Atrebates rules the area
* 43 -
Claudius invasion of Britain to help King Verica of the Atrebates
*
43 - First Staines Bridge built by the
Roman Army
* 406 - Roman
occupation ends
* 600 - 400 a.d. to
600 a.d. Saxon migration to area
* 1086 - Domesday Book mentions Staines
* 1215 - King John at Runnymede to sign
the Magna Carta
* 1228 - First annual fair held in
Staines- granted by Henry III
* 1285 - The 'London Stone' mark boundry
of City of London
* 1603 - Sir Walter Raleigh was
committed at Staines
* 1642 - and 1648 skirmishes in Civil
War on Staines Moor
* 1671 - Staines bridge destroyed in
Civil War and replaced with ferry
* 1791 - a new stone bridge was built
* 1803 - The Lucan (Lord Lucan) family
moved into Laleham
* 1815 - Penton Hook lock constructed
* 1832 - Modern Staines Bridge
officially opened by King William IV
* 1848 - Railroad arrives in Staines
* 1851 - Staines Boat Club established
* 1864 - Opening of the Staines Linoleum
Company
* 1890 - Staines Hockey Club was formed
* 1892 - Staines Town Football Club
formed as Staines Albany
* 1894 - St. Peter's Church was built
* 1902 - Twin back-to-back Staines
Reservoirs built
* 1906 - The British car maker Lagonda,
was founded
* 1925 - Queen Mary Reservoir opened
* 1935 - Le Mans 24-hour race won by a
4.5 litre Lagonda car built in Staines
* 1955 - Queen Elizabeth II opens
Heathrow Terminal 2
* 1956 - Vulcan bomber crashes at
Heathrow
* 1965 - Staines West Railway station
closed
* 1969 - Staines 'supershow' in the lino
factory with Led Zeppelin
* 1972 - British European Airways
Trident One jet airliner crashed on 18 June
* 1975 - Staines FC plays in Rome in
front of a crowd of 70,000
* 1980 - The Elmsleigh Centre shopping
complex opened by HM The Queen
* 1985 - Staines section of M25 opened
* 1990 - Spelthorne Leisure Centre in
Knowle Green, Staines opened
* 1996 - Planning permission granted for
new "Two Rivers"
* 2002 - Ali G Indahouse filmed in
Staines
* 2005 - Hard-Fi's debut album
-----------------------------------------------------
Life in Staines has long been refreshed and cleansed by two sparkling
young rivers and the wiser and older waters of the Thames. Prosperity
has been generated first from an early ponticello (a
bridge of stones- and an arterial passage for Roman armies) and then
from fishing, milling and fermenting along the banks.
The mute swan is an exalted emblem and a powerful of symbol of Staines.
The swan invokes, at once, the sensibility, peace, calmness and the
purity of the townsfolk.
Sprites of the river emerge from the crystal waters of the Wraysbury
and the Colne supporting life and vitality in Staines for posterity.
Moreover, nypmhs rise from those abundant waters and safeguard the life
and the prosperity of all those whose lives are, forever,
twinned
and entwined with the life of the river. All along, Old
Father
Thames smiles benignly >>>>
|
From the tranchets to villeins, and from the cottars and serfs to the
burgesses, Staines has had an industrial beginning.
Among the original free tenants were 68 gavelmen who worked
the boons and various rolling mills.
Lammas land and the Staines demesne was largely agricultural and laid
to hay but even by the 13th century there were two working brewhouses.
Fullers and mills were operating successfully as well as a dyeworks in
Yeoveney.
The famous Ashby’s Staines brewery was working by 1783 and
coaching inns brought increasing prosperity to the town >>>>
By 1848 and the arrival of the railroad, Staines
was transforming
itself into an industrial centre. In 1864 the Linoleum Manufacturing
Company was formed in a previously successful calico works. This soon
became the town’s principal industry. A second very large
brewery
and also a candle-making factory were also operating around this time.
Paint and varnish makers and mustard millers were attracted to the
town. Mineral water works and large laundries also arrived by the mid
19th century.
The Staines Linoleum Company stayed in the town right up until the
1970's and the Lagonda car works, Candle Factory, Ashby Brewery, and
the Harris Brewery placed Staines firmly on the industrial map. >>>>
|
___________________________________________________________________
|
|
__________________________________________________________________
|
GUY FAWKES- The STAINES connection
In about March 1605, three conspirators hired a cellar beneath
Parliament and Guy Fawkes
was made responsible for filling the cellar-room with barrels of
powder. But who came to foil the plot? Who had betrayed the
conspirators? And what is the STAINES connection? >>>>
|
__________________________________________________________________
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
![P.S. I Love You [2008]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FN4PqRbYL._SL500_SS60_.jpg)
![Gavin And Stacey : Complete BBC Series 1 [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512FOL6EQGL._SL500_SS60_.jpg)
![The Golden Compass [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2BkTzME3xL._SL500_SS60_.jpg)
![I Am Legend [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51mXDdRR1sL._SL500_SS60_.jpg)
![Prison Break - Season 3 - Complete [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51f%2BXNQN7AL._SL500_SS60_.jpg)
