The Earl of Onslow owned a parcel of land in the southern part of Pyrford. This land was sold in 1905 to George Robins and Sparrow for £404-16-6 and the development that re
sulted was called Aviary Road owing to it’s connection with Robins and Sparrow!
Aviary Road is an L shaped cul-de-sac on the southern side of Pyrford that exits onto Engliff Lane. It is a residential road with twenty-three large, detached, houses on both sides of the road, developed over the period 1909 to 1912. Those on the south side of the road having gardens backing onto open fields and with distant views of the North Downs.
There are two large and mature trees at the entrance to Aviary Road and mature trees in the front gardens of some of the houses. The road is quite wide with tarm
ac and grass edged pavements on both sides, having a pleasant and open character.
All the houses are on large plots with generous space between them. They have established hedges on the front boundary with either hedges or timber fences separating dwellings. All houses are individually designed with pitched roofs, some having exposed front gable ends. All the windows are white painted timber, mostly casements but some have sliding sashes. Walls are generally red brickwork, many with white or cream rendered sections and mock Tudor boarding. The later houses have attached garages.
The overall appearance has a spacious, light and Edwardian character. In 1976 Aviary Road became the larger part of a Conservation Area including 8 properties on the south side of Engliff Lane and encompassing 31 dwellings in total. Woking Borough Council currently describe the conservation area in the following terms:
“This Conservatio
n Area is comprised of Aviary Road, together with part of Engliff Lane from the Pyrford Centre (former Village School) up to Sandringham Close. Aviary Road contains high quality Edwardian suburban housing which have remained virtually intact with only some very limited infilling at its eastern end adjacent to Sandy Lane path. The development which dates from 1910-1912 is very distinctive in character and is a good example of Edwardian period housing. Although all the properties are of individual design, the suburban form of the estate is very unusual for the Pyrford area which had very little development at this time, apart from larger properties in secluded plots in the vicinity of Coldharbour and West Byfleet. It is likely that the adjacent development of the ‘St. Nicholas Waifs and Strays Home’ by E.J. May in 1906 (formerly the Rowley Bristow Hospital) greatly influenced the form of development in Aviary Road.”
Pauline de Marco – March 2024