The charm of Sunbury Court does not stop at its gates. The village that provides the setting for this historic mansion is worthy of attention as well. It was in 1870 that archaeologists discovered evidence that this pleasant vale had been occupied by man since the Bronze Age. The village itself was probably established by the Saxon invaders who wandered up the Thames. And while little is known of the community in the pre-Norman era, the village had a charter as early - as 962 A.D., granted to Aelfheh, a kinsman of King Eadgar of Britain.

Within twenty years of their invasion, the Normans had completely surveyed their new possessions in the Doomsday Book, and it is in this document that Sunbury is next mentioned. In 1100 A. D. the village became the property of Westminster Abbey and then included 840 acres and 21 inhabitants. Like so many other communities, Sunbury remained a feudal agricultural village until the Industrial Revolution when the expansion of nearby London and much unproved roads caused its population to soar from 4,000 in 1891 tots present 40,000.

Despite that enormous growth much of Sunbury Village retains its Victorian and Georgian flavour. A stroll upriver, walking westward along the Thames, provides a glimpse at some of Sunbury's more historic landmarks. Indeed, the splendid mid-18th century structure that is Sunbury Court's nearest neighbour 'Darby House' is one of the best examples. Once part of a much larger estate that stretched from French Street to Manor lane, the house is named for Admiral George Dart, the man who broke the French blockade of Gibraltar in 1781. Darby house has still another connection with seafarers, having been the home of Captain Irving from 1942 to 1947, long after he had been a young apprentice aboard the Cutty Sark.

Walking further along the Thames, the visitor passes the Castle Inn, an early 17th century building that has been only slightly altered. While dinner there today reflects the modern cost of living, the tariff 150 years ago included "Prime joints with Vegetables in Season, Puddings, Pastry, Cheese, Salad, Beer and Brandy, 4/- per head."

Another home of interest opposite the Castle is Monksbridge. Built in 1760 with gardens sloping down to the river, Monksbridge was the residence of William Dudley Ward in the 1930's. A Member of Parliament and Privy Counsellor as well as Vice-Chamberlain of the Royal Household, Ward frequently entertained the Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII.

Near the village Post Office is Barclay's Bank, almost unaltered from the day it was built in 1888, and close by are the Assembly Rooms, used over the years as a community meeting hall, an auction site, and in more recent years, as a cinema.