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Seafooed stew, Ko Gu Ryo restaurant, Staines, UK.
Town Hall bar, Staines, Middlesex, UK.
The George pub, Staines, Middlesex, UK.
Proprieters, Ko Gu Ryo restaurant, Staines, UK.More to it than you might think.
"Some history, now mainly a suburb."
Staines lies essentially Southwest of London, about 40 minutes by train from London Waterloo, and is now effectively a dormitory comuter town. It does, however, have a more interesting history than that.
The name itself may derive from the old English word for the stones, commemorating a monolith at Stanwell. What is more certain is that the Romans settled here c. 43AD and built at least one bridge over the river Thames. The present day bridge is still an important crossing point.
Later the place was mentioned in the Domesday Book as Stanes, and later, in 1215, the barons assembled here before the met King John at nearby Runnymede where the historic Magna Carta was signed.
Later the town was famous a a producer of linoleum, as commemorated in the statue in the pedestrian precinct in the centre.
Without being unkind, it is not really the place a tourist might choose to visit, although it is a pleasant enough place to spend a day, with well defined river walks, a couple of shopping centres, and a disproportionate amount of excellent restaurants which you can read about in my tips.
