Sheerwater

Sheerwater
Surrey
Boats on the Basingstoke Canal
Location
Grid reference:	TQ025605
Location:	51°19’48"N, 0°31’48"W
Data
Population:	3,603  (2011)
Post town:	Woking
Postcode:	GU21
Dialling code:	01932
Local Government
Council:	Woking
Parliamentary constituency:	Woking

Sheerwater is a village transformed and redeveloped in the twentieth century as a residential neighbourhood or small suburb of Woking, in Surrey. It stands between West Byfleet and Horsell.

The effective northern boundary of Sheerwater is a gently winding part of the Basingstoke Canal, and its southern the South West Main Line which passes from cutting level to that of an embankment.

The village has a business park and light industry at its south-western end. The whole area is linear, includes diverse green spaces to north and south, and covers 227 acres.

History and geography

Albert Drive

Sheerwater or Sherewater, Pyrford

Sheerwater was also spelt Sherewater until about 1900. Since the Norman Conquest it was a high sandy heath with a notable pond:

Sherewater Pond, on the borders of Pyrford and Chertsey parishes, was an extensive mere on the high Bagshot Sand, drained and planted at the time of its inclosure, 29 September 1815. On enclosure it was allocated into private hands from public common land; a farm was created. John Aubrey then Edward Brayley, confused Sherewater with a pond by the Guildford road (the A3) on Ockham and Wisley Commons, drained by Peter King, 7th Baron King, the Whig politician and writer, rather earlier. Sherewater Pond is marked on John Rocque's map (an 18th-century cartographer).

Transformation by planned development

Sheerwater was designed as a new neighbourhood by the London County Council and approved by the local Urban District Council, allowing nearly 1,300 homes to be built in the early 1950s and over 5,000 people to settle in the neighbourhood.

In April 2017 Woking Borough Council approved the first phase of the redevelopment of the central part of Sheerwater. The first phase will comprise the construction of a leisure centre in the grounds of the Bishop David Brown School and the construction of a number of new homes on the land currently occupied by the athletics track.

Churches

• Church of England: St Michael's, on Dartmouth Avenue, is shared by congregations of the Church of England and the Methodist Church.
• Roman Catholic (church closed in 1995)

Amenities

Dartmouth Avenue is the main parade of shops which include two convenience stores, several fast food outlets, a café, a post office, a pharmacy and a glass/glazing business. A large superstore opened on Albert Drive in October 2014.

Sheerwater had one pub, The Birch and Pines. This closed in April 2017.

Society, sport and leisure

Part of the cleared towpath beside the Basingstoke Canal

Sheerwater Recreation Ground was created as part of the development of the area by London County Council in the 1950s. Ownership was transferred to the Urban District Council of Woking on 26 September 1961 with the covenant that the land be used only as a recreation ground, children's playground or public open space. Part of the area is now an international size oval running track, home to Woking Athletics Club.

• Scouts: Sheerwater Scout Group
• Athletics: Woking Athletics Club
• Football: Sheerwater F.C., who play on the Sheerwater Recreation Ground
• Sheerwater Gardening and Allotment Association

The towpath of the Basingstoke canal is on the Sheerwater side, which provides a traffic-free pedestrian and cycle route to Woking town centre in one direction and to West Byfleet in the other.