Facts about Stanwell
Stanwell History
There are two theories regarding the origin of the name Stanwell. One is that it was named after St Ann(e)’s well in the village, but according to all known records the parish church has always been dedicated to St Mary. The second is that it means ‘stone well’, referring to stony soil or the adjoining street to the south.
In 1603, Thomas Knyvet was granted the manor of Stanwell. Knyvet was the man who arrested Guy Fawkes in his attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament. He was created Lord Knyvet in 1607, and in his will left money to found a free school in Stanwell, which was established in 1624. The building is no longer a school and now belongs to a housing association.
General Info
Stanwell is a suburban village and civil parish in the Borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, approximately 16 miles west of central London. Historically part of the county of Middlesex, it was transferred to Surrey in 1965. The village is to the south of the cargo-handling area of Heathrow Airport and to the east of the Staines Reservoirs.
The boundaries of the civil parish were redrawn twice in the 20th century. The first land was taken by Heathrow Airport and then, in 1995 after the completion of the M25 motorway, the settlement of Poyle was detached and reassigned to Colnbrook, Berkshire.
