Have you ever heard of a place where Henry VIII built a palace he intended for his fourth wife? This is Weybridge, and right here, on Monument Green, stands the York Column, a grand tribute to the Duchess of York. The Duchess, Princess Frederica Charlotte of Prussia, called Oatlands House her home, a mansion constructed on the grounds of Henry VIII’s former palace. The column itself, originally stood at Seven Dials in London’s heart. It was commissioned by Thomas Neale, a wealthy man, in the 1690s as the centerpiece of his housing development near Covent Garden. But in 1777, it was dismantled and the stones were purchased by the architect James Paine, who resided in Addlestone. Ten years after the Duchess of York’s death in 1820, the monument arrived in Weybridge as a memorial to her. The column stands today, a silent sentinel, its dialstone, badly weathered by time, now rests beside Weybridge Library, a final reminder of the duchess’s legacy. And as you stand here on Monument Green, just a few steps from the York Column, you can almost hear the echoes of a bygone era, of royals, architects, and a story that spans centuries.
Southfields Methodist Church
Curiosity stirred within the heart of Southfields as a new chapter began. Southfields Methodist Church held its first public service