Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
1 Introduction
An important theme that runs through the 120-year history of the University of
Surrey is the institution's strong links with industry and business. This long tra-
dition has been important in steering the plans for the development of the Surrey
Research Park because the University has been able to use its cultural heritage as a
foundation for this project.
Battersea Polytechnic Institute was a purpose built college in the South London
district of Battersea. It was founded in 1891 and opened in February 1894. The
Institute took on a more scientific and technical leaning from 1920, leading it to be
renamed as the Battersea College of Technology in 1957. In 1966 it became the
University of Surrey and moved out of london to premises in Guildford in 1968.
The original purpose for the Polytechnic was to provide higher education for
the poor and offered courses primarily focussed on engineering, building trades
and physical sciences as well as some arts subjects. During the years 1927-1939
the Polytechnic consolidated with a growing emphasis on science, engineering and
metallurgy.
During the mid to late 1800 a number of advanced technology companies of the
day begun to move to the area of Battersea situated along the south bank of the
River Thames in West London. These companies, which included the brewing
company Guinness, Garton's Sugars, the Unilever company Prices and the heavy
industrial company Morgan Crucible, all needed engineers to develop, manage and
operate their respective complex plants. The links between Battersea College and
these industrial complexes established an early foundation to the strong links that
have endured between the University of Surrey and industrial companies which
eventually led to the creation of the Surrey Research Park in order to extend these
linkages in the modern era.
In 1966 nearly three quarters of a century after the foundation of Battersea
College of Technology was transformed into the University of Surrey through a
Royal Charter. which let to a move to Guildford which is the County Town of
Surrey that lies just 50 km southwest of Battersea.
This transformation was in response to the growing numbers of young people
who were part of the post 1939-1945 World War peak in birth rate and the
national need for an increase in the number of in full time higher education (The
Robbins Report
1963
) and the need to find a larger site on which to develop.
Guildford also has a long history as it has been a settlement of over 1,000 years
during much of which it relied on its location as a cross roads between significant
traffic travelling from London to the south coast naval port of Portsmouth and
more minor traffic following an east west route across south of England as part of
the Pilgrims Way. Although primarily a market town in the early twentieth century
Guildford attracted some automotive manufacturing and established the first
purpose-built motor vehicle factory in Britain however, in the middle of the late
1950s and early 1960s both the automobile manufacturing and the agricultural
market activities begun to decline and the Town Council saw the opportunity for a
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