Description
The small hamlet of Hook became a separate parish from Kingston in 1839 and in that year the first church was built. It became too small and had damp problems so a larger church was built on a site to the north and consecrated on St Paul's Day in 1883. The WWI War Memorial stands near the site of the original church. The churchyard was extended in 1900. A Garden of Remembrance was created in 1948 as a WWII memorial, at the instigation of the vicar. Among those buried in the churchyard is the Australian pioneering aviator, Harry Hawker, who died in an air crash in 1921.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Hook Parish Church |
|---|---|
| Site location | Hook Road |
| Postcode | KT9 1PF |
| What3Words | ///drum.engine.mental |
| Type of Site | Churchyard |
| Borough | Kingston |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Rail: Chessington North. Bus: 71, 465, 467, K4. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Hook was a hamlet on the Leatherhead Road recorded in documents soon after the Domesday Survey. It was originally called 'La Hoke', so-named due to its long thin shape. The area began to be developed as Surbiton town grew up, particularly following the coming of the railway. The village of Hook merged with Surbiton Borough Council in 1894. Hook had become a separate parish from Kingston in 1839 and the first church was built in that year, paid for by a bequest of Mrs Savage, wife of the vicar of Kingston. She had died in 1833 leaving £1,000 in trust towards building a new place of worship in Hook. The church later had damp problems and had also become too small so further land to the north was purchased for £100, formerly a close or orchard on land belonging to Elizabeth Pyne. The new church was built to the north of the old church and was designed by Carpenter and Ingelow; its foundation stone was laid in 1882 and it was consecrated on St Paul's Day in January 1883. The old church was then demolished; the 1914-1918 War Memorial, unveiled in 1920, is close to the site of the original church.
The churchyard had been extended in 1900 with further land purchased from Mrs Pyne. Behind the church at the west end a small walled Garden of Remembrance for cremated ashes was created in 1948 as a WWII memorial. It was the idea of Revd John Selwyn Taborn, whose ashes were interred here in 1984, even through he had retired to Devon. The lych gate was erected in 1914 in memory of James Cundy, Emily Clayton and Francis Stephen Clayton. St Paul's Centre was built on the north side of the church in 1983 to celebrate its centenary. Among those buried in the churchyard are the Australian pioneering aviator, Harry George Hawker, MBE, AFC, who used to live opposite the church and died in an air crash in 1921 while testing the Nieuport Goshawk near Hendon; and John Selfe and his family, who built Selfe Park, which later came to be called Surbiton Park. Harry Hawker was the chief test pilot for Sopwith and was involved in the design of many of their aircraft. After WWI he co-founded Hawker Aircraft, which was responsible for producing successful military aircraft.
The churchyard had been extended in 1900 with further land purchased from Mrs Pyne. Behind the church at the west end a small walled Garden of Remembrance for cremated ashes was created in 1948 as a WWII memorial. It was the idea of Revd John Selwyn Taborn, whose ashes were interred here in 1984, even through he had retired to Devon. The lych gate was erected in 1914 in memory of James Cundy, Emily Clayton and Francis Stephen Clayton. St Paul's Centre was built on the north side of the church in 1983 to celebrate its centenary. Among those buried in the churchyard are the Australian pioneering aviator, Harry George Hawker, MBE, AFC, who used to live opposite the church and died in an air crash in 1921 while testing the Nieuport Goshawk near Hendon; and John Selfe and his family, who built Selfe Park, which later came to be called Surbiton Park. Harry Hawker was the chief test pilot for Sopwith and was involved in the design of many of their aircraft. After WWI he co-founded Hawker Aircraft, which was responsible for producing successful military aircraft.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ179647 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Diocese of Southwark |
| Site Management | Church |
| Dates | 1839 |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Kingston |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Formerly private land in agricultural use, the site was reserved for public open space when the small hamlet of Hook was growing as a result of the new railway line serving Surbiton in the C19th. Originally called Hook Recreation Ground, it was opened in May 1901 and renamed for the new King, Edward VII. In 1935 an adjoining plot of land to the north was donated and laid out as a rose garden commemorating George V's Silver Jubilee.
Once the southern part of Surbiton Common, on the 1838 Enclosure map what is now Causeway Copse was marked as Gooseberry Hill, prior to which it had been known as Gosborough Hyll or Gosbury Hill. The woodland was owned by Merton Priory, and in 1537 was leased to William Saunders, requiring high standards of management. It remains partly wooded and is now a small park with a playground, surrounded by housing, reached through a narrow path from The Causeway by Durbin Road.
Church Fields Recreation Ground was laid out on fields adjacent to Chessington Parish Church of St Mary to serve the expanding population of the area in the C20th. At the end of WWII, VE Day Services were held in the recreation ground. It is largely open fields with scattered trees, the grass left long in parts and otherwise used for sports with a playground, playing fields and a bowling green leased to a club. Shrubs and trees are on the perimeter and there are small nature conservation areas.