The Knaphillian

Earlier in the year Peter Godfrey contacted The Knaphillian concerning the location of Princes (or Prince) Hill, which was included in an address on a postcard to Butts Cottages.

The area round Hill View was given as a likely candidate and I am now 99% certain that is correct. The clue came from two baptisms in the St John the Baptist Parish registers which I have transcribed in the last few days. The first was on 5th August 1917, the address given as Kiln House, Princes Hll, St. Johns. The second was on 30 September 1923 and the address was given as 2 Prince Hill Cottages, Robin Hood Road.

Although neither Kiln House, nor Prince Hill Cottages are named on the OS maps, the 1921 Woking Directory gives the following description for Robin Hood Road "From Kiln Bridge to Knaphill, terminating at east entrance to barracks". Left Side:

Daphne House, St Johns Garage, Kiln House, Hill View, The Kitchener Club, Soldiers Home, Hill Cottages 1-6, Gas Works Cottages.

The Gas Works and east entrance to the Barracks are clearly visible on the 1896 OS map and Hill View is named on both the 1916 and 1934 OS maps. Just beyond Hill View is a group of connected buildings which may have been The Kitchener Club and/or the Soldiers home and just beyond that is a row of 6 buildings which must be 1-6 Hill Cottages, but known locally, in my opinion, as Prince Hill Cottages (as mentioned in the baptism from 1923).

On the left side of Robin Hood Road, moving away from Kiln Bridge, the 1921 Woking Directory gives the following order of properties:

Uncle Tom's Cabin Shaving Saloon, 1-4 Martyrs Cottages, Prince of Wales Inn, Orchard Nursery, Brookwood Farm, 1-2 Knaphill Cottages, Long Lane Cottages, Strange Meadow, 1-2 Robin Hood Cottages, Robin Hood Inn, 4-1 Rose Cottages, Hyde Cottages.

There is a reference as early as 1901 for Butts Cottages in the baptism registers for St John the Baptist, when Charles and Alice Jackman were living at No 10.

So I think Prince (or Princes Hill) was a very local, unofficial name for the area broadly enclosed now by the triangle formed by Barrack Path, Robin Hood Road and Amstel Way but probably extending out of this area, as evidenced by the address of Butts Cottages Princes Hill on Mr Godfrey's postcard, depending on individual local preference at that time.

Nick Kurn

Why didn't you just reply to the comment instead of starting a new "subject"?