Ever wondered how a place could sound like berries but mean something totally different? Welcome to Berrylands a residential neighborhood in Surbiton. It is a place with a name that might trick you.
Berrylands is not really about berries. Its name comes from the Old English word “beorg”. This means “hill” or “barrow”. So, Berrylands actually means “land on a hill”. The name was first written down long ago. It appeared as Berilendes in 1126 and as Berulind in 1148. Later, it was called Barrilands in 1378. This shows that the name comes from “beorg”.
Berrylands started as a settlement in Anglo-Saxon times near the River Thames. However most of the houses you see here now were built in the 1930s. Before that, this area was mostly farmland. Old maps from the 1860s show very few buildings here. There were just some small paths and farm buildings. The main building was Regent House. It stood on Berrylands Farm.
In 1933 Berrylands Station opened. This helped the area grow. The houses built here all look similar. That is because they were all built at about the same time. Regent House was torn down to make way for new houses. The street where it used to be is now called Regent Road. Some gardens still have parts of the old building’s foundation.
Once there was a lido called Surbiton Lagoon here. It opened in 1934. Sadly it closed in 1980. Later it was torn down. Now there is a park called Berrylands Park. A small part of the area was used to build houses. This new area is called Meldone Close.
Today Berrylands is mainly a residential area. Many people who live here commute to London for work. They use the train from Berrylands Station. It takes about 24 minutes to get to London Waterloo. There are also buses that connect Berrylands to other places. These include Surbiton and Tolworth.
You can find four groups of shops in Berrylands. They are on Alexandra Drive, Berrylands Road, Chiltern Drive and Surbiton Hill Park. Chiltern Drive is the main shopping area. It has many businesses and a pub called The Berrylands. Locals call it “The Berry”.
Berrylands has some nice green spaces. There are two large parks called Fishponds and Alexandra Park. Also close by is Green Lane Park. The Hogsmill River runs along the edge of Berrylands. There is also a small stream that flows through the nature reserve.
In Berrylands there are two main schools. These are Christ Church Primary School and Grand Avenue Primary School. Each summer the local scout group holds a festival in Berrylands Park. It is a fun event for the community.
So next time you are in Berrylands remember its history. It is a place that grew from farmland into a lively suburb. Its name tells a story of hills and ancient times. Berrylands offers a peaceful place to live with easy access to London and lots of local amenities.