Editing Ashtead (section)

==Industry and business==
Brick and tile manufacture has taken place at Ashtead at several points in the village's history. Clay pits on Ashtead Common were active in the 1st, 2nd, 13th and 14th centuries and, in the mid-19th century, there was a brick [[kiln]] and drying shed in Newton Wood. In around 1880, the Sparrow brothers opened a works to the north of Barnett Wood Lane and their company was active for around 30 years. Houses were built on the site in the 1950s and part of the old clay pit is now the Floral Pond, adjacent to The Chase.<ref name=Bouchard_2006>{{cite journal |last1= Bouchard |first1= B.E. |year= 2006|title= Ashtead's brickfields from the 1840s to circa 1909 |url= https://leatherheadhistoryarchive.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/VOL_6_NO_10_2006.pdf |journal= Proceedings of the Leatherhead & District Local History Society |volume= 6 |issue= 10 |pages= 305–311 |access-date= 23 May 2021 }}</ref>{{refn|After the First World War, Sparrow clay pit was landscaped and became a swimming pool, which closed in 1959.<ref name=Tarplee_2004>{{cite journal |last1= Tarplee |first1= P.A |year= 2004 |title= The industries of Ashtead |url= https://leatherheadhistoryarchive.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/VOL_6_NO_8_2004.pdf |journal= Proceedings of the Leatherhead & District Local History Society |volume= 6 |issue= 8 |pages= 198–205 |access-date= 23 May 2021 }}</ref>|group=note}} Ashtead Brickworks, to the west of the Sparrow Works, was established in 1896 and closed in 1909.<ref name=Bouchard_2006/><ref name=Tarplee_2004/>

[[File:Ashtead7a.JPG|thumb|upright|A [[vase]] produced by [[Ashtead potters|Ashtead Potters Ltd]]]]
[[Ashtead potters|Ashtead Potters Ltd]] was established in the village in 1923 by [[Lawrence Weaver|Sir Lawrence Weaver]] and Kathleen Purcell, Lady Weaver. The firm was based in the Victoria Works in West Hill{{refn|Between 1912 and 1915, the Victoria Works was a workshop and sales depot for the [[Stanley Motor Carriage Company]], an American manufacturer of [[steam car]]s.<ref name=Tarplee_2004/>|group=note}} and produced a wide range of products in a variety of styles. The clay was delivered by train to Ashtead station. The company ceased trading in 1935 after sales fell during the [[Great Depression in the United Kingdom|Great Depression]].<ref name=Tarplee_2004/><ref name=Stuttard_1995_pp206-208>{{harvnb|Stuttard|1995|pp=206–208}}</ref>

The construction company [[Longcross (company)|Longcross]] had its head office in Ashtead but entered administration in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.longcross.co.uk/Ashtead |title= Longcross: Contact Us |website=www.longcross.co.uk |publisher=Longcross |access-date= 23 October 2012 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121020022923/http://www.longcross.co.uk/Ashtead |archive-date=20 October 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2015/06/17/longcross-construction-goes-into-administration/ |title= Longcross Construction goes into administration |first= Grant |last= Prior |work= Construction Enquirer |date= 17 June 2015 |access-date= 7 February 2017 |archive-date= 8 February 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170208133930/http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2015/06/17/longcross-construction-goes-into-administration/ |url-status= live }}</ref>

The [[Ashtead Group]] was founded in 1947 as ''Ashtead Plant and Tool Hire''. It was first listed on the [[London Stock Exchange]] in 1986.<ref name="history">{{cite web|url=http://www.ashtead-group.com/aboutus/ourhistory.aspx|title=Our history|publisher=Ashtead Group|access-date=15 March 2015|archive-date=26 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226100346/http://www.ashtead-group.com/aboutus/ourhistory.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> The company operates internationally and serves customers in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.<ref name="bloomberg">{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/AHT:LN/profile|title=AHT Profile & Executives - Ashtead Group PLC|work=Bloomberg|access-date=15 March 2015|archive-date=23 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123161556/http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/AHT:LN/profile|url-status=live}}</ref>