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Ashford is a town almost entirely in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne in England, with a small part falling within Greater London. It is a suburban development situated 15 miles (24 km) west south-west of Charing Cross in London and forms part of the London commuter belt. It is often referred to as Ashford, Middlesex to distinguish it from the larger town of Ashford, Kent, but mainly because it is geographically located in the ancient County of Middlesex. Since 1965, when Middlesex County Council was dissolved, it has been administered by Surrey County Council and the London Borough of Hounslow. History
Ashford appears on the Middlesex Domesday map as Exeforde. It was held by Robert, Count of Mortain. Its Domesday Assets were: 1 plough, meadow for 1 plough; a separate manor in 1066, it was part of the manor of Kempton in 1086. It rendered (in total): 14s 0d. The settlement was most likely founded in Saxon times. Bronze Age artefacts have been found in Ashford (at 51.432708N, 0.485174W), and a henge may have been present in Bronze Age times. The present parish church of St Matthew[1] was built in 1858 with financial assistance from the Welsh School (now St David's School) which had just moved to Ashford. For long a village, Ashford was always associated with Staines, its nearest neighbour. StatusIn 1894, under the Local Government Act 1894, Ashford became part of the Staines Rural District of Middlesex. In 1930 the rural district was abolished and Ashford was added to the Staines Urban District. In 1965, under the London Government Act 1963, Middlesex County Council was abolished and the urban district was transferred to Surrey. In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, Staines Urban District was abolished and its area combined with that of Sunbury-on-Thames Urban District to create the present-day borough of Spelthorne. Research Tips
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