Banstead Village

I am trying to place the Tudor Tea House on the High Street. From memory was there a similar house between the Woolpack and Police Station which became a builders merchant possibly called Garcombs?

Note from LNW: that might be The Banstead Press in front of it but I need to check.

Val Randall in his "Focus on Banstead" 1971 booklet wrote
'Another delightful spot for light refreshments and evening meals
was the Tudor Tea House, run by a Mr. and Mrs. Buckle and
their two daughters Rene and Loma. Situated in the High Street
directly opposite Highview Path, this quaint old cottage (its appear
ance somewhat marred by a completely out-of-place glasshouse11type foyer)
was backed by a huge secluded garden in which rustic
chairs and tables were set out among the shrubbery and trees. It
was a charming spot, truly peaceful and rural, especially tranquil at
eventime. In addition to salads and a la carte dishes, a popular
speciality of the house was the evening al fresco fish supper, but
although the majority of the customers assumed that this dish was
prepared on the premises, each order was in fact hastily obtained
by one of the young Mistresses Buckle who would dash over to
Pikes' newly-opened fish and chip shop opposite. Somehow Pikes'
fish and chips, although always appetising, tasted even better in the
rustic evening serenity of the Tudor Tea House garden. The Tudor
Tea House was also a popular venue for small local functions, and
the first meetings of the Banstead Chess Club took place there in
September 1934. Mr. A. E. Marcus, a prominent member of the
Banstead Village Association, was one of the organisers of the first
Chess Club meeting.

Apart from catering and social events, the Tudor Tea House
was also utilised for a function that was distinctly less attractive—
that of dental treatment. The combination of a restaurant with a
dental centre may sound utterly incongruous, but it was none the
less a fact, for once a week the main dining room was transformed
into a dental surgery where Mr. Philpott, a Balham dentist, was in
attendance every Thursday afternoon. It should be emphasised that
the dental chair and instruments were judiciously hidden away in
a cupboard and only brought out during surgery hours.

Note from LNW: Thanks Stuart. Highway path still exists and is immediately opposite the Tesco store just along from the Waitrose Car park entrance. The Tudor Tea House previously known as Downsend, and later as The View Cafe, was replaced by the row of shops between Waitrose and the church. The small building in front of it was at one time Greenhayes Studios/ The Banstead Press.

Can’t help with the Teahouse but I am sure the dental surgeon, Mr George Philpotts of Balham was my grandfather. His surgery was in Trinity Road Balham - I have fond memories of sitting in his dental chair in the mid forties being entertained - if there is any further information about him it would make his grandson, an octogenarian, very happy.

The Tea House was west of the school but not immediately west. I remember a big house between it and the school. Tall trees, Sycamore??, stood in the garden. On the left of the picture it looks like the start of the railings on top of the wall around the house are visible although I think the wall was higher nearer the school.
What I can't quite picture is where Coles, the fishmonger, and the shop that sold bedding plants stood in relation to the Tea House. They would either have been (partially) in front or to the West.
When did the Tea House close? Did it stand derelict?
When I was at school, up the driveway next to the house there were a few panes of abandoned glass which some of us naughty boys helped to break!

I remember Garcombe's between the police station and the Woolpack, but was the shop a brick building? I seem to recall it or some of it being a yellow structure.

I think the big house you remember was Down View - I have images of this property. According to Piles Directory (1938) to the south west of this house was - Flint Cottage, The Tudor Tea Rooms, A. Clark - upholsterer, J. Taylor - stationer and newsagent, R. W. Wesson - fishmonger, H. N. Smith - ironmonger.
I am not sure when the Tea Room closed.
Garcombes was a single story brick built shop that is now a snack bar.

I think the picture www.bansteadvillage.com/picture/number403.asp answers my question of where Coles Fishmongers was in relation to the Tea House. It shows the wall to the Tea Shop immediately on the left. LNW states for number 403 "The bakery was sited immediately past the telegraph pole on the LHS where the double pavement indicates that the bakery was set back from the rest of the shop fronts." The Fishmongers and other shops were set back from the pavement and therefore must have been at this location.

I don't remember the name of the big house. However looking at this picture www.bansteadvillage.com/picture/number26.asp I think Garcombe's was in the building with railings over the front extension. I don't recall the railings being there, and I think any yellow may have been the fascia board, but maybe I'm wrong. What was it previous to that?

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