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Spotlight on Wraysbury - our estate agent’s view

Friday, September 15, 2017

Spotlight on Wraysbury - our estate agent’s view. Wraysbury has had more than its fair share of famous residents over the years – so just what is it about Wraysbury that attracts the glitterati? Actors and musicians have been drawn by proximity to both Pinewood and Shepperton Studios and the surrounding areas have often been used as film locations. A riverside lifestyle, access to London, its theatres and all that the capital offers also lure both stars and mere mortals alike.

The railway came to Wraysbury in 1848 and this tranquil village now has 2 stations – Sunnymeads and Wraysbury - both on the line from Windsor to London Waterloo. With easy access to the M25, M4 and M3 and overseas via Heathrow, Wraysbury is ideal for city commuters and international travellers, yet retains its village charm and riverside appeal.

Between the wars, Wraysbury's four miles of picturesque riverside began to attract Londoners who built riverside bungalows, usually of timber construction (but sometimes consisting of old trams, buses or railway carriages) for weekend leisure and relaxation. Few of these original bungalows still exist, having since been demolished and replaced with more permanent, grander houses.

History and romance are inextricably linked in Wraysbury’s heritage. Evidence of an Anglo-Saxon settlement covers a period of some 400 years and includes pottery and a Saxon coin from 700 AD. The ruins of a Benedictine nunnery from the reign of Henry II and the Ankerwycke Yew tree (believed to date back to the Iron Age) can be found on National Trust land perfect for gentle riverside strolls. The area is also reputed to be the place where Henry VIII courted Anne Boleyn, and the real site in 1215 of the sealing of the Magna Carta which forms the basis of the UK’s constitution and civil rights.

For foodies, Tripadvisor’s top 3 restaurants in Wraysbury all boast a Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence. Reflecting the history and heritage of Wraysbury is The George, a 14th century Grade II listed coaching inn which has been fully refurbished and is one of the most popular gastropubs in the area. Its head chef, who trained under Heston Blumenthal, produces “simple food, expertly cooked” using fresh, local ingredients. The Perseverance, also Grade II listed, is a friendly pub in the heart of the village, offering delicious fresh food and fine local cask ales in an atmosphere that's warm and inviting. Adding some heat to the menu, Spice Lounge is a family run restaurant that provides a great selection of Indian favourites.

During the 1930s, gravel pits and lorries became a commonplace but unwelcome sight. Ironically those unwanted gravel pits have become the beautiful lakes for which Wraysbury is known, where open water swimming can be done and where sailing, fishing, diving and bird- watching can be enjoyed throughout the year. Liquid Leisure, in nearby Datchet, is Europe’s Largest Aqua Park with a giant inflatable obstacle course, wakeboarding, waterzorbing and paddleboarding. Wraysbury Dive Centre, London’s inland dive site, is a 15-acre lake used by many schools and clubs in the South of England for training. It has all the facilities you need, is open 7 days a week and provides a heated building for the use of divers. All you have to do is turn up, pay your entrance fee and dive all day!

If watersports are not your thing, Wraysbury FC is increasingly attracting the support of the local community, sponsored by The Frost Partnership from 2014 – 2019. There is also a thriving local bowls club located in the shadow of one of Wraysbury’s quirkiest properties- Splash Mill, named after the ford which used to run through the village. Built by Glyn Larcombe in 1996 as a house, it was styled after Lacey Green mill, an old smock windmill, partly due to his love of large agricultural buildings, but also in protest against the loss of local heritage within Wraysbury. The smock mill consists of a sloping, weather-boarded tower, usually with six or eight sides. It is topped with a cap that rotates to bring the sails into the wind. Although of modern construction, the internal staircases at Splash Mill are over 200 years old!

From quirky windmills in the heart of the village to riverside family homes, Wraysbury boasts a wide variety of property in this village steeped in history and romance. For more information about the area or to see properties for sale or to let in this historic village please click here.