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| Welcome to the Chessington Explorer History section! Here you can find out how Chessington has developed over the years, with an in depth look at old, and new Chessington! Below you can access the menu on every page to help you find your way around, the main page contains a piece on Chessington's Progress, the timeline gives you a quick look at key fates over the years, while the menu below cover's every year since Chessington has been open as a theme park, with in depth pictures and maps from nearly every year. |
| Brief History and Timeline (taken from the year book) Before Chessington became the best place to come for the ultimate family day out, it was a farmstead, a wayside alehouse and it's even been said that it was an archery school. It was around the time of the civil war (1642-1660) that Burnt Stub Mansion was being used as a farmstead. Unfortunately it was burned to the ground by Cromwell's forces and was left in ruin for many years. When the war was over, it was re-built and used as a wayside alehouse (pub). After that, it went back to being a farmstead and generations of owners added to the house and made it grander until it became known as Burnt Stub Mansion. Its believed that the name comes from the fact that oak trees in nearby fairoak lane were being chopped down to build a palace for Henry VIII and the stubs were burnt out to stop them re-growing. Then, in the early 20th century a man called Reginald Goddard brought Burnt Stub Mansion and turned it into a Zoo. It was a great success from the minute it opened. Over the last 60 years or so the Zoo has grown to add attractions like a railway and circus, as well as expanding the Zoo to the size it is today. This is before in 1978 Tussauds purchased the park, and shortly after planned for the transformation into a theme park. In 1987 Chessington World of Adventures opened its doors, and has grown ever since, to what you see in the park today. TIME LINE 1348 - Burnt Stub Mansion was built. 1370 - 1529 - After re-build it became the home to a medieval settlement. 1533 - 1603 - An Archery Scholl was established by Queen Elizabeth. 17th Century - Burnt Stub becomes a wayside Alehouse. 18th - 19th Century - Burnt Stub once again became a Farmstead. 1931 - Reginald Goddard purchases the land, and opens Chessington Zoo. 1945 - Through the popularity, the Zoo had expanded to now include a Funfair, Railway, and Circus. 1946 - Reginald Goddard Dies and the Zoo is taken over by Pearsons. 1978 - The Tussauds Group purchases the Zoo. 1981 - Planning for the Theme Park begins. 1987 - Chessington World of Adventures opens to the public. |
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