Banstead Village

Woodbrae Sutton Lane, Banstead

Looking for any information on this property. Year estimated as 1929

The image was sent to us by Peter from Canada. The only information provided was that the property was/is in Sutton Lane, Banstead. It was built for his wife's grandfather, George Simpson Taylor who later moved to Vancouver in the early 1930s.

A walk down Sutton Lane confirms that nothing like it exists, however, a fortuitous meeting with a local gentleman led me to a property at the back of the Whiteoaks estate off Beechfield.

Sure enough, there was the property, almost unchanged from this image. I spoke with the current owner who believed the house was originally number 36 Sutton Lane. He also told me that there was a second house built to exactly the same design but that was demolished and replaced with the newer properties, now 2a and 2b Whiteoaks situated immediately behind 32 Sutton Lane.

Number 36 was originally called TRELUSWELL and I believe that the second property, number 34, and closest to Sutton Lane, was WOODBRAE.

Through various records, I have confirmed that Mr Taylor lived at WOODBRAE so the relative from Canada who hopes to come and see it would be disappointed, albeit they can view an exact replica . . . unless you know different. If you have any memories of the property, or photographs, or even when it was demolished, do please add a comment.

The architect was a Harry Holland of 5 Mulgrave Road who in the 1921 census is shown as living in the same property at the Taylors, Denbeigh in Brighton Road.