Surfleet Then and Now

Thanks to Paul Matten for taking the “Now” pictures and the explanations of Surfleet locations (click on the picture to enlarge)

These picture are looking at the River Glen along Station Road nearly opposite the Church. Again, the original was a bit of a puzzle, with the two gabled houses on the left. They must have been demolished around 1900, as Glen Villas now stands at the left hand of the picture and is a very typical late Victorian Mausoleum! However, the barn building in the original still stands, and that was the crucial bit in locating the original.

These pictures are opposite the Cod Squad – the building is identical to the original postcard, where it appears to be a general store. The cottages in the original have long gone, being replaced by a bungalow and the industrial buildings. The original must pre-date 1920, as there is no War Memorial at the side of the Village Hall.

These pictures are at the Riverside Hotel on the site of the old railway line, looking West. The original puzzled us for a while, with it being a Batemans Pub with dark brickwork. However, a close look showed a Level Crossing gatepost on the right of the picture, and a small railway keepers hut, so the picture had to be near the old railway. Sure enough, at the end of Station Road, we found the pub, and unbelievably the gatepost still standing! The Riverside Signboard still hangs where the Batemans Sign was! Date wise, probably early 1950s, looking at the flat bed truck, and also the Electric Power Line Poles.

These pictures are Surfleet Road looking North. The Mermaid Inn is on the left just after bridge, but the row of houses in the original postcard have long since gone, and the area is now outside seating for the Mermaid.