Rodborough Buildings / Dennis Brothers

"Punks" in the seventies, looking over too the backside of Rodboro Buildings.

I took this pic in around 1970. Do you recognise any of the Punks?

Dennis Bros. Ltd, was established by John and Raymond Dennis from North Devon.

The "Dennis Works" used to operate from the Rodboro Building built, by the Dennis brothers, and were constructed in nineteen hundred and one. The factory soon became one of Guildford's biggest employers.

The works were enlarged two years later during nineteen hundred and three, though this also became too small, when they started manufacturing Buses.
Surrey Fire Stations History

During nineteen hundred and five the works was slowly moved to Woodbridge Hill, named after the original wooden railway bridge that crossed at, "Woodbridge Hill".

The works were situated on what is now the Middleton Industrial Estate, at the intersection of Woodbridge Road and Middleton Road, just under the railway bridge.

Sometime during nineteen hundred and eight Dennis's started to manufacture their world renown fire engines and completed their move from the old Works in Bridge Street in nineteen eleven.

The motor works in bridge street were kept on until nineteen eleven as offices and show rooms. In nineteen thirteen Dennis's stopped the manufacturing their cars.
                                                                                                                Classic Buses
(I loved riding in the old single deck Lancet buses as a kid. I'd sit and watch as the driver would double de-clutch while changing gears, and some drivers would crash the gears.

The distinct sound of the whirring back axle and the throbbing sound of the engine like, some kind of giant sowing machine, as the bus would wait at the bus stop. Good memory's.)

The old Dennis Works were bought by the Rodboro Boot and Shoe Co in nineteen eleven and it is obvious that this is where the building got its name. Dennis Coachbuilders have moved again to westfield road in the Slyfield Industrial Estate. Log Live our Dennis legacy!

The Buildings have been used by various businesses since nineteen twenty eight, rite up until nineteen eighty four, when it was bought by the local council and was left to carry on rotting...

There was talk of pulling it all down to make way for a "lovely" new building... Yeah Rite!

When I was a kid my mum would take my brother my sister and I to look at the animals in the pet shop, at Rodboro Buildings. I wanted a monkey or a Parrot! I just got to have a look. Not surprising rally.

It used to be just out of the picture to the right, and the Tobacconists were just inside the picture, under the inscription "Freehouse". Mother would buy 1/2oz of loose tobacco. That's how they sold it back in the day. I remember the smell of the Tobacco it was a lot sweeter than the pet shop...

Wetherspoons run from the Rodboro Building and in December nineteen ninety eight an overall sum of £3.3 million was spent on refurbishments.

One hundred and forty five piles were driven in to stabilise the foundations. A reinforced concrete ground floor slab was also laid at the same time. Should last another hundred years then?

The building is a very important part of the town's history, and I'm glad it was saved. It now has the protection of a grade two listing.

I loved the sounds of the old Dennis Lancet. But there we are, boys will be boys!

Some More Dennis Heritage