Opened in 1936, it provides services to London Waterloo and Woking to commuters based in Hersham itself - just under a mile to the south - and the southeast parts of Walton on Thames. ", "Manchester United's Luke Shaw signs new contract at Old Trafford until 2023", Parakeet population booming in borough Molesey News & Mail, 7 July 2004, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hersham&oldid=1134823525. [wa=}k GHQ Line B ran along the North Downs from Farnham and Guildford, crossing the Mole Gap to the north of Dorking and following the river to Horley. Youve accepted analytics cookies. The site is a rich habitat for birds including the redshank and little ringed plover. [29], In 1972 a sub-debate on the future cleanliness of the Mole was had by the House of Lords, involving a member of the South-East Strategic Committee of the Thames Conservancy (succeeded by the Environment Agency) and four others. Hersham has an interesting industrial history with notable companies such as ABC Motors, Air Products, Faulkners, Hackbridge & Hewittick and Vickers-Armstrongs all having factories in the village during the last century. [66][67] Variations in the name are recorded throughout the Middle Ages and the river appears as Amele in the Domesday Book of 1086, and subsequently as Emele in 12th- and 13th-century Court Rolls. [1], The geographical distribution of many species of invertebrate in the river reflects the geology of the catchment area. The 1st XV play in a black-amber strip. Fished the river years ago in the Esher/Hersham and Molesey areas before the giant flood of Molesey in the 60's. . At the east end of Painshill Park, the flood plain narrows into a trench about 60m (66yd) wide, in which the river runs northwards for 6.5km (4.0mi) towards Hersham, where the river enters the flood plain of the River Thames. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The band's biggest hit was Hersham Boys. Hersham Green, in the nucleus of the village, is 3.4 acres (1.4 ha) of open space where regular events take place throughout the summer. The River Mole near Esher Road in Hersham. However, during the early 1930s, when Hampton Court Way and the bridge were built, the River Mole was redirected to flow into the River Ember and both rivers now enter the Thames in a single widened and straightened channel once occupied only by the River Ember. Besides the significant contribution of ABC Motors to the British war effort with products that included auxiliary power units for Short Sunderland flying boats), Vickers-Armstrongs had four secret production sites in the village and its surrounding parish occupied the existing Ben Stanley Ltd bus depot and workshop in Burwood Road as part of its dispersed Tinsmiths Department. Opened in 1927 by Henry Cubitt, 2nd Baron Ashcombe. [27] During this period, the Mole is thought to have merged with the River Wey near Byfleet and then flowed in a north-easterly direction via Richmond to meet the proto-Thames near Ware in Hertfordshire. Hersham began as a strip of woodland beside the River Mole. It then runs along the west side of Horley, and heads north west towards Dorking. Their first men's team is notable in the region and saw 2012-14 among the upper 50% of clubs in RFU National League 1 (the third level of the sport in England), having been relegated in the previous season. [note 3]. [33], The marsh frog (Pelophylax ridibundus, a non-native species introduced from Europe in the 1930s) is now commonly found in the upper Mole and its tributaries around Newdigate and Gatwick. Bronze and Iron Age burials have been found on the slopes of the hill which was clearly a feature of some importance in ancient times. [26] The two rivers flow either side of the reservoir, before running side by side in a northeasterly direction, merging 400m (440yd) before the confluence with the River Thames, on the reach above Teddington Lock. [32] In May 2003, sewage leaking from a pump operated by Thames Water leaked into the Stanford Brook, killing coarse fish in the Gatwick stream. However, a search of the scene uncovered no evidence of any body parts and the fire service handed over control of the incident to Surrey Police. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. esculentus) was introduced to a site at Newdigate in the early 1900s. View map of the flood alert area. There are three listed bridges in Leatherhead of which the 14 arch Leatherhead Town Bridge is the oldest. [60] The water table in the chalk of the Wey Gap is significantly higher than might be expected from natural rainwater percolation alone. vGc+R~g^Dq|( The River Mole arises in Sussex and enters Surrey at Gatwick airport. During the Commonwealth it was used for gunpowder manufacture, but after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 it reverted to corn milling. [61], At Leatherhead the river leaves the chalk bedrock, moving onto London Clay. Learn more about how we use cookies in our Privacy Policy, and also find links to the privacy policy of Google and other data holders whose applications are present on or integrated with this website. Wed also like to use analytics cookies so we can understand how you use the service and make improvements. The remaining% is made up of rented dwellings (plus a negligible% of households living rent-free). [131] It was a corn mill, built in the early 19th century, and has been converted into a bed and breakfast hotel. [85] The river may be paddled all year by canoe between Brockham and Fetcham with an appropriate licence from the British Canoe Union. A new Lidl supermarket was given permission in 2015 and subsequently opened on a site formerly used by ABC Motors and latterly by Ian Allan Publishing, increasing Hersham's retail floor-space in addition to Waitrose. Constructed between January and March 2008, replacing an earlier bridge on the same site. Concrete anti-tank dragon's teeth were built on both sides of the river, a short distance upstream of the bridge, as an obstacle to armoured vehicles.[89]. You have a choice here. A large emergency service presence was seen on Esher Road following the report, Sign up to our free email newsletter for daily roundups of the biggest headlines as well as all the latest breaking news. Get flood warnings by phone, text or email. The bridge is a long structure of 14 segmental arches resting on low piers, finished in red brick in Flemish bond, with some Portland stone dressing. Find a river, sea, groundwater or rainfall level in this area, Telephone: 0345 988 1188Textphone: 0345 602 6340Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a weekFind out more about call charges. [42], A nationally scarce species which is locally common on the River Mole is the greater dodder (Cuscuta europaea), a parasitic plant. In 2003, Gatwick Airport Ltd pleaded guilty to charges of allowing chemical pollution to enter the River Mole after a detergent, used to clean rubber and oil from the runway, was washed into Crawters Brook by airport workers. Water is therefore able to flow out of the river through swallow holes in the bed and banks, decreasing the volume of water carried in the main channel. It rises in West Sussex near Gatwick Airport and flows northwest through Surrey for 80km (50 miles) to the Thames at Hampton Court Palace. Named after the Duchess of Albany (resident of Claremont). At Boxhill Farm, where access to the river from the north bank was required for the herd of dairy cows, a row of twelve concrete cylinders were cast as an anti-tank measure. An epic 9 hour paddle/tree climb/portage-fest, down the River Mole from Fetcham to Hersham with friends from London. beta The woodland, river and ponds are attractive at any time of the year. The only contiguous settlement is Walton-on-Thames, its post town. South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) also attended the incident. [53] Most holes were difficult to observe in times of normal or heavy flow and were susceptible to silting up as new holes were continually being formed. Four of the victims were never identified but buried in Hersham's Burvale Cemetery and another Vickers worker, 36 year old William E Hunt, was buried close by. Just before the gate take the footpath on the right between 2 tree stumps. The path runs between high wire fences. Emergency services rushed to the River Mole between Esher and Hersham on Wednesday morning (October 12) after receiving a report that a body part had been seen in the water. There are around 3,500 measuring stations, and most are along main rivers and the coast. However this proved to be impractical and they were instead covered by concrete domes, up to 18 m in diameter, each fully supported by the surrounding chalk and provided with a manhole and access shaft to allow periodic inspection. [10] The bridge has nine low arches and is primarily built of red brick with stone coping. Part of a guide to angling in Surrey. [note 2], From Sidlow the Mole turns north west towards Brockham. These levels can help you understand your flood risk now and over the next few days. The bridge is largely composed of flint and has a large inverted scallop shell in the place of the keystone and similar shells in the spandrels at each side. Somewhere around 200 B.C. It has been suggested that a proportion of the excess water originates from the Mole Gap. [72] The Lower Mole appears to have been settled during the same period and a flint axe dating from Mesolithic period found on spit of land close to River Mole in Cobham in 1965. Allaboutangling.net: built by anglers for anglers. Initially the surveyors tried to fill the holes with rubble to prevent the foundations of the new road subsiding. In 2003, the upper River Mole near Meath Green Lane, Horley, was enhanced to create a gravel spawning area to encourage chub and dace in addition to roach. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 4 h 51 min to complete. The airport was fined 30,000 by Lewes Crown Court. Mention of a court held at Hersham in 1272 by Reginald de Imworth and Matilda his wife, may indicate that he was then lord of the manor. Leaving Dorking, the River Mole skirts the south west of Leatherhead and then Cobham, before heading north between Hersham and Esher. [39] Hersham is served by Hersham and Walton-on-Thames railway stations with a minimum of two trains per hour and differing types of services on the South West Main Line. The final mill on the site was demolished in 1790, however remains of the mill leat are still visible. Hersham is served by Hersham and Walton-on-Thames railway stations with a minimum of two trains per hour even on Sundays and differing types of services on the South West Main Line. It is home to Sandown Park Racecourse. There's also a correlation between the . [36], The River Mole has the most diverse fish population of any river in England. Tonawanda to Buffalo via Shoreline Trail Riverwalk. [6], The river has captured the imagination of several authors and poets,[7] particularly since in very hot summers the river channel can become dry between Dorking and Leatherhead, most recently in 2022. [53][54] About six of these larger swallow holes were found to the west of the Burford Bridge Hotel, along the course of the A24 Mickleham Bypass during its construction in 1936. [98], Domesday Book listed twenty mills on the River Mole in 1086. [9] Domesday Book lists twenty mills on the river in 1086, of which Sidlow Mill was the oldest, dating from Saxon times. Instead of merely (for vestry and property owning matters such as poor relief, road maintenance, manorial ownership, land tax and tithes) being the southern hamlet of Walton, Hersham became an ecclesiastical parish in 1851. [11] It has been used for many purposes including the processing of corn, paper, iron, tinplate and flock and the generation of electricity. [26] (For the purposes of the remainder of this article, the River Mole and the River Ember are treated as a single entity. Look out for. Library, Hersham is 311 meters away, 5 min walk. Until the Dissolution of the Monasteries it was owned by Chertsey Abbey. Grade II listed. A similar trench is runs up several of the Mole's tributaries, notably along Deanoak Brook which follows a local strike. History. Flood warning area: River Mole at Stoke D'Abernon, Cobham and South Hersham, Surrey. Hersham is also home to Britain's largest colony of parakeets near Esher Rugby Club. Early in World War II, Barnes Wallis and several hundred staff were evacuated to Burhill Golf Club from the nearby Vickers-Armstrongs aircraft factory at Brooklands and designed the legendary Dambusters 'bouncing bomb' there. [134] For many years there may have been two mills on the site for corn grinding and industrial use. Known as depot 'W15', this site supplied essential sheet metal parts parts for Vickers Wellington and Vickers Warwick aircraft manufactured at Brooklands. However the river's name is unlikely to have derived from this behaviour: The Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names suggests that Mole either comes from the Latin mola (a mill) or is a back-formation from Molesey (Mul's island). [18] The river leaves the Weald Clay at Brockham, passing Betchworth Castle [19] and flowing briefly across greensand and Gault Clay to Pixham, 1km (0.6mi) north east of Dorking. Built in 1957 as part of the scheme to divert the A23 around the eastern periphery of Gatwick Airport. A principal tributary of the Earlswood Brook is the Redhill Brook, which includes The Moors wetland nature reserve within its catchment area. [59] A second survey in 1948 estimated that the same springs were yielding about 5million imperial gallons (23,000m3) a day. 0.7km (0.4mi) south of Sidlow the mean flow is measured as 2.21m3/s (78cuft/s) at Kinnersley Manor gauging station (48m[157ft] above OD). [43], The West End Common forms part of the Esher Commons, owned and managed by Elmbridge Borough Council. [97], A wooden bridge is thought to have existed on the site of Cobham Bridge since the 12th century, the upkeep of which was the responsibility of the adjacent landowners. The Mole winds its way past Leatherhead and under the M25 then runs beside the boundary of the Chelsea FC training ground & then through the wealthy village of Cobham (with many "Chelsea Tractors"). Rules can change, and fishing may become banned on waters.A small commission is made from the sale of products in the fishing tackle section. [6] The catchment area receives 761mm (30.0in) of rain each year; the greatest average level of rainfall is 800mm (31.5in) around Crawley. The nearest tackle shops are Esher Angling Centre at Pond House, Weston Green, Thames Ditton KT7 0JX, and Surbiton Angling Centre (31 Station Approach, Esher KT10 0SR). 5 0 obj North of Esher the old river channel is dominated by floating pennywort, a highly invasive weed, which cuts off all light to the river bed, reducing oxygen levels and resulting in a poor habitat for fish. It then swings east and joins the Thames between East Molesey and Thames Ditton at Albany Reach and Cigarette . [13] Hersham's large second golf club is Burhill Golf Club (with North and South courses, the latter of which has been added near Burwood Park. [4], This private retirement village, which allocates some of its accommodation to disabled poor residents, is set in a lightly undulating, elevated, wooded part of Hersham and was created from a bequest of 1m left by a London department store pioneer William Whiteley.[6]. The 18th-century weir at Betchworth was modified in 2004 to facilitate the installation of two 27.5kW low-head hydro turbines. The Mole skirts the northern suburbs of Crawley where it is joined by its first major tributary, Ifield Brook, which drains Ifield Mill Pond. River Mole, West End Recreation Ground NO FISHING. The Mummy was filmed in Hersham. [45], The Mole rises south of Rusper in West Sussex, where an outcrop of the Hastings Beds sandstone dips below the impermeable Weald Clay. This is a new service your feedback will help us to improve it. [62] The river meanders across an alluvial plain between 400 and 800m (440870yd) wide towards Cobham, where it begins to descend to a lower flood plain, which broadens as the river turns in an axehead meander. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. This is a new service your feedback will help us to improve it. Use our species pages to find the fisheries that suit you. At Cobham the river swings round in a pronounced axehead meander skirting Painshill Landscape Garden, where a 11-metre (35ft) diameter waterwheel raises water 5 metres (16ft) from the river to feed the ornamental lake in the park. [2] Brickearth deposits are common in the valley around Betchworth and east of Dorking. In the nucleus of the village is Hersham Green, 3.4 acres (1.4ha) of open space on which regular events take place throughout the year. We'll update this page when there's a flood warning in the area. The chalk aquifer also feeds the springs at the southern end of Fetcham Mill Pond, which have never been known to run dry. During the Second World War several sites along the course of the Mole were fortified for the defence of London against invasion from the south. The westbound carriageway on Esher Road was down to one lane for much of the morning rush hour as the incident was investigated due to a line of emergency vehicles parked by the curb in the left lane. [80], During the 17th century, two bills came before parliament to make sections of the river navigable. Somewhere around 200 B.C. [71], In common with much of the rest of the Weald, the earliest evidence of human settlement along the Upper Mole is from the Mesolithic Period (20,0007000BC). The current stones were dedicated in September 1946 by the then Prime Minister Clement Attlee, replacing those destroyed during the Second World War as an anti-invasion measure. The present Anglican church of St. Peter was built by Mr. J. L. Pearson, R.A., in 1887 on a site was given by Lieut. The major tributaries of the River Mole are the Ifield Brook, Gatwick Stream, Earlswood Brook, Pipp Brook and The Rye, which drains Ashtead. Barker, J L & D M (1996) 'Hark Back to Hersham' (self-published); Greenwood, George (1986, 3rd Edition Revised) 'Hersham in Surrey' (Elmbridge Museum Service); Pulford, J S L (1988) 'The Church of St Peter Hersham - Monumental Inscriptions' (Walton & Weybridge Local History Society, Paper No. [16] Most important to the local economy is the accessibility of Central London see Rail below, with more than 500,000 train entries and exits per annum recorded across the two stations bordering and in the village itself. The path runs between high wire fences. Emergency services rushed to the River Mole between Esher and Hersham on Wednesday morning (October 12) after receiving a report that a body part had been seen in the water. As part of the development of Hersham a new shopping centre was built in the early 1980s with a large supermarket (30k sq feet ) now occupied by Waitrose, although the whole complex is currently under consideration for major redevelopment by the owners. In 1990 the Environment Agency assessed 23% of the watercourses as Grade B (good) or better. ), Prior to the last ice age, the River Thames followed a more northerly route to the North Sea, from Reading via Marlow, Chorleywood, St Albans, Hertford and along the present SuffolkEssex border. In this manner it goes away, lessening the stream for above a mile, near two, and these they call the Swallows. The entirety of the Mole Gap lies within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It then swings east and joins the Thames between East . The presence of the trench protects the land from flooding, rendering it suitable for agriculture. In 1929 an aeroplane designed by Anthony Fletcher was constructed in the village by ABC Motors. Mole (Horley to Hersham) takes in water from an area around 151.017 km2 in size and is part of the Mole Lower and Rythe catchment area. Mole (Horley to Hersham) takes in water from an area around 151.017 km2 in size and is part of the Mole Lower and Rythe catchment area. [73] Remains of a flat-bottomed dug-out canoe were found at the confluence of the Mole and Thames in 1877 by a local boatman. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 1 h 32 min to complete. The beautiful demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) disappeared from the River Mole during the 1960s owing to deteriorating water quality, but has since recolonised. A severe flood warning means there's a danger to life. Surrey Fire and Rescue Service received the report at 7.13am and sent two fire engines, two Water Rescue teams and two officers to the site near Esher Road. The undershot wheel at Painshill Park was restored in 1987 and is located at the end of an artificial, Mary Drinkwater Bethune was the daughter of the English army officer and military historian, Shepperd R (1982) The Manor of Wistomble in the Parish of Mickleham, WE Foster WB Harris (1988) Flood Alleviation Scheme for the Lower River Mole, Wooldridge SW (1938) The glaciation of the London Basin and the evolution of the lower Thames drainage system, Bridgland and Gibbard (1997) Quaternary River Diversions in the London Basin and the Eastern English Channel, Ruse LP (1996) Multivariate techniques relating macroinvertebrate and environmental data from a river catchment, P. Follett (1996) Mole Valley Natural History Audit: Survey of, JW Grover (1887) Chalk springs in the London basin, illustrated by the Newbury, Wokingham, Leatherhead and Rickmansworth Water Works, The Fairie Queen, book 4, canto 11, verse 32, Poly-Olbion, Song XVII lines 47-50, 53-57, 59-64, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, heavy flooding of East Molesey and Thames Ditton in September 1968, A tour thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain, "The Mole Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy", "Our nations' fisheries: The migratory and freshwater fisheries of England and Wales a snapshot", "Urgent fish rescue in River Mole near Dorking after heatwave causes dramatic fall in water levels", "A guide to the industrial archaeology of the borough of elmbridge", "Small hydroelectric power: Betchworth Park", "Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty", "Gatwick Airport Corporate Responsibility Report", HL Deb, 11 September 1972 vol 335 cc138-165, "Water firms 'abusing' sewage law loophole", "Mole (Hersham to R. Thames conf at East Molesey)", "Photograph of swallow-hole in bed of River Mole", "Environment Agency rescue fish from River Mole in Surrey as water levels drop", "In pictures: Environment Agency workers rescue fish from dried-out River Mole", "Excursions to the Farnham Gravel Pits on April 23rd and to the Brickfields and Gravel Pits at Dawley, between Hayes and West Drayton on April 30th 1904", "On a recent Section through Walton Common exposing the London Clay, Bagshot Beds, and Plateau-gravel", "Detail from Rocque's Map of Surrey, c1768", "A late Bronze Age hoard from Norbury Park, Mickleham", "Political Institutions and the Emergence of Regulatory Commitment in England: Evidence from Road and River Improvement Authorities, 1600-1750", "Leatherhead Bridge, Bridge Street (1028646)", "Railway viaduct approximately 15 metres west of road bridge over River Mole (1028596)", "Ornamental bridge approximately 70 metres north of Thorncroft Bridge (1293520)", "Railway bridge and platform over the River Ember", "River Ember: Hampton Court railway station bridge", "A Guide to the Industrial Archaeology of Elmbridge", "Stepping Stones Footbridge over the River Mole, at the foot of Box Hill, near Dorking Surrey", "Flanchford Bridge rebuilding project delayed again", "Bridge over the River Mole, Sidlow Bridge, Surrey", "River Mole, west of Horley from the Lee Street Bridge", "TQ2137: The River Mole gushes out from under Lambs Green Bridge", "The Great Fire At Burns And Co, Lower Green Esher", "Molesey Mills: A history of the mills and milling", Environment Agency: River Mole information, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=River_Mole&oldid=1138898427, Articles with dead external links from July 2021, Articles with permanently dead external links, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from November 2012, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Mole (Hersham to R. Thames conf at East Molesey). [76], Significant Bronze Age finds include a bronze sword found close to the river north of Amberley Farm near Charlwood[77] and a small hoard of weaponry consisting of two palstave axes and a scabbard chape was discovered in 2003 in Norbury Park close to Ham Bank. Hersham Village Golf Club is on the opposite, south side of the village, where snooker player John Virgo has been a longstanding president. There were a series of fires over a century and after the last in 1978 the buildings were demolished. By contraction the name become Haverisham,[4] Haversham,[n 3] Harsham or Hersham before finally settling only on the latter. The present bridge opened in 1971. The River Mole is a tributary of the River Thames in southern England. a huge defensive earthwork was erected on top of St George's Hill (ecclesiastically in . When Henry VIII built Nonsuch Palace in Cheam as many as eighty loads of timber were obtained from Southwood, or the South Woods, for it. Pages on this website do NOT confer a right to fish, nor to fish in a certain way. This website is a guide and cannot guarantee full coverage of venues, nor accuracy of the information provided. It then runs along the west side of Horley, and heads north west towards Dorking. Location. Get more Esher news from SurreyLive straight to your inbox for free here. The course of the river through Norbury Park was partially straightened when the Epsom to Horsham railway was built in 1837, with the removal of a small meander north of Westhumble. ", READ MORE: Emergency services find nothing after report of 'body part' in River Mole near Hersham - recap. [47], In a survey in 1958, the geologist C.C. Fagg identified 25 active swallow holes between Dorking and Mickleham; the majority were only a few centimetres in diameter and were located in the vertical banks of the river below the water line. You can change your cookie settings at any time. [88][90] The location is popular with anglers and families, but swimming is strongly discouraged as the water is polluted in places. John Milton (c. 15621647) described the river as, In a similar vein, Alexander Pope (16881744) wrote in his poem Windsor Forest (first published 1713). This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The Mole Valley has been polluted. [citation needed]. Esher RFC is a multi-pitch rugby union club in Hersham since approximately 1939 (see notes). [21], At Leatherhead, the Mole leaves the chalk and turns northwestwards to flow across impermeable London Clay, winding towards Cobham. The water table rises at this point and much of the water which drained out of the channel through the chalk returns through springs in the riverbed. Tributary of the River Thames in southern England, This article is about the river in south east England. King George III visited Weylands farm in Hersham where he saw the first drill plough. The River Mole rises in West Sussex and flows for 50 miles until it meets the River Ember. The restoration project was dedicated to the memory of the Canadian servicemen who were billeted in the manor during the Second World War.