Grange History

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"Walking through the halls and various rooms of the spacious Grange, gives a wonderful sense of an amazing heritage set within a culturally rich landscape. The Life Works venture is deeply attuned to this heritage and wishes to convey these feelings to all..."

Arnold Phillip, 2003, The Grange, High Street, Old Woking, Surrey GU22 8LB

The Grange In A Changing Landscape

by Jerry Jerrems

Life Works Community Ltd. is located in The Grange, a grade II Listed historic building in the Old Woking Conservation area. The Grange is surrounded by an incredible number of historic features including the Hunting Palace of King Henry VIII, St. Peters Church with vestiges of Saxon and Viking roots, ancient ruins of the Newark Abby, a Roman encampment, and residences built in the late 15th century with a very rich historic background. Life Works shares an important niche in Old Woking as it has served as the gateway to the community for nearly 1300 years. The following is a quick synopsis of the fascinating story abbreviated in chronological order.

43-350 AD: Between these two monuments, along the River Wey, a Roman structure was discovered, excavated and reported in association with pottery, an iron key, nails a spindle and fragments of a quern-stone.
672: Historically, Woking was first recognized as an estate carved out of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of the Woccingas tribe, which ultimately resulted in the creation of the Peterborough abbey. Later recognized as St Peters church, located at east end of Old Woking, the original abbey was believed to have been destroyed by Danes in the 9th century.
1086: The Doomsday Book records the Woking Manor, not necessarily as a residence but as a tract of land inclusive of the Grange location. The Norman conquerors began construction of St Peters church probably shortly after the year 1066 (Battle of Hastings). Evidence of Viking symbolism still exists on one of the churches doors.
1272: The Woking Manor, which would become a royal Palace, records its first residence, a building with no description.
1307-27: At the time of Edward II the Woking Manor was described as a "capital messuage surrounded by moats" with two chapels, lodging rooms for knights, treasurers and others, even a drawbridge.
1416: Ownership, of what might now be called the Woking Palace, becomes that of Margaret Beaufort, Duchess of Somerset, mother (grandmother?) of Lady Margaret Beaufort, great grandmother of Henry VIII.
1485: Lady Margaret began permanent residence at the Palace conducting business affairs of the kingdom, particularly charitable works and education. During this period of time Henry VII was anticipating going to war with France and wishing to form a non-aggression pact with Germany, creating the Treaty of Woking in 1497.
1509-47: During the reign of Henry VIII, Woking Park, the palace, was extended over an area of 600 acres, completely enclosed by a fence 5.5 miles long, providing a large hunting reserve for the Royal Family and friends, including two fishing ponds at the Palace proper. Henry considered the Palace to be one of his favorite secluded places, particularly for hunting. Protected by a moat and two drawbridges, this elaborate compound was able to dock barges at the wharf for deliveries of building materials and supplies of various sorts.
1541: Officially a cottage was noted at the present location of the Grange, which appears on the Norden Plan of 1607 as the 'Towne Gate,' and was surely preceded by a gatehouse to the palace as early as the times of King Edward I. Today there is evidence that parts of a Tutor structure still exist within the Grange, particularly as evidenced by Tutor-brick walls, low undulating timber-framed ceilings, and a repeatedly reworked chimney.
1620: Soon after Henry's reign the Palace went into disuse and began to collapse. King James I, being a bit short on money, gave (sold) the property to Edward Zouch, who quickly allowed the further dismanteling of the buildings for the creation of several farm residences. The Grange was undoubtedly part of one of these farms.
1709: The Holmes map shows a distinct L-shaped building where the Grange currently exists.
1810: The Onslow Estate map of 1810 shows no building on the property at all, but this may be a simple omission, or the buildings at this time were in such disrepair that they were not included. In any event the Grange was constructed in a distinct Georgian style of the late 18th or early 19th century.
1841: It was not until the publication of the Tithe map of 1841 that the present day configuration of the Grange could be clearly seen, including the Old Coach House. The records indicate that a Reverend Charles Bowles and family inhabited the premises along with three servants.
1851: In 1851 the establishment was referred to as the Vicarage.
1869: This year marked the greatest transformation of the Grange into a school for boys known as the Woking College. The college closed in 1895, but is presently evidenced by an Indenture document of 1893 and The Woking College Regulations, which hang on the walls of the Grange.

Download a more extensive flyer about the history of the property. (PDF file 1.6 MB)

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Grange History

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The Grange In A Changing Landscape