[4], Hersham's first chapel of ease (Holy Trinity church, which was demolished in 1889 having been superseded) was built of yellow brick in Anglo-Norman style in 1839. The Mummy was filmed in Hersham. [note 2], From Sidlow the Mole turns north west towards Brockham. The path runs between high wire fences. The first gauging station on the Mole is south of Gatwick Airport (57m[187ft] above OD). The other locations were at Burhill Golf Club ('W32'- see below) plus Corbie Wood ('W86' which included both a Bellman hangar and an Air Ministry T.2 Type hangar) and Riseholme ('W63'), both located on the St George's Hill side of Seven Hills Road. Up to date as of 9:36pm on 27 February 2023. 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. [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. KT10 9RA. Youve accepted analytics cookies. [2] Brickearth deposits are common in the valley around Betchworth and east of Dorking. [42], A nationally scarce species which is locally common on the River Mole is the greater dodder (Cuscuta europaea), a parasitic plant. It then runs along the west side of Horley, and heads north west towards Dorking. beta On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [6] From the source to Dorking, the river drains an area of 340km2 (130sqmi), of which approximately 60% is on Wealden or Atherfield Clay, 20% is on Tunbridge Wells Sand and 20% is on greensand. KT10 9RA. It is home to Sandown Park Racecourse. The culvert was constructed in 1957. 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. 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. [64], The river is first recorded in the Red Book of Thorney in AD 983 as Emen and in the AD 1005 Cartulary of the Abbey of Eynsham as both Emen and men. [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. At this point, the water table rises enough for the water to flow back into the main river channel. [46], The upper Mole catchment is dominated by a single broad terrace, which runs continuously from Tilgate Forest to the entry to the Mole Gap. A police spokesperson said: "Officers were called to the riverside at Esher Road in Walton-on-Thames by Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, after a report of what was believed to be a body part in the water this morning. Flood warning area: River Mole at Stoke D'Abernon, Cobham and South Hersham, Surrey. [13] The first tributaries to join the young river drain the northernmost part of St Leonard's Forest, between Horsham and Crawley, although much of the forest is in the catchment area of the River Arun. [68] In John Speed's 1611 map of Surrey this stretch of the river is denoted by a series of hills accompanied by the legend "The river runneth under". <> The path runs between high wire fences. [36], The River Mole has the most diverse fish population of any river in England. [45], The Mole rises south of Rusper in West Sussex, where an outcrop of the Hastings Beds sandstone dips below the impermeable Weald Clay. Hersham began as a strip of woodland beside the River Mole. esculentus) was introduced to a site at Newdigate in the early 1900s. A single track bridge built in 1737 by Richard and Thomas Skilton. [136], East Molesey Lower Mill, also known as Sterte Mill, was associated with the manor of Molesey Prior. Leaving Dorking, the River Mole skirts the south west of Leatherhead and then Cobham, before heading north between Hersham and Esher. [21], At Leatherhead, the Mole leaves the chalk and turns northwestwards to flow across impermeable London Clay, winding towards Cobham. [92] The bridge was constructed as an ornamental feature in parkland laid out by Capability Brown in the late 18th century. 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. Four technology/trading estates exist in Hersham: A major nearby conjoined set of trading estates spans the Weybridge/Byfleet border at Brooklands and Heathrow Airport also has a range of employers, though this is across Walton-on-Thames itself and the borough of Spelthorne. The Ember flood relief channel has a diverse fish population, including chub, dace, roach, bleak, large pike and barbel. [96] The bridge was renovated and strengthened in 1999 by a group of Canadian engineers working on the Terra Nove project. [131] It was a corn mill, built in the early 19th century, and has been converted into a bed and breakfast hotel. 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. This was estimated in 2004 to have consisted of around 7,000 birds.[15]. Hersham is a village in Surrey, within the M25. Wed also like to use analytics cookies so we can understand how you use the service and make improvements. The airport was fined 30,000 by Lewes Crown Court. There's also a correlation between the . Its roll holds approx. The proportion of households in the settlement who owned their home outright compares to the regional average of 35.1%. A similar trench is runs up several of the Mole's tributaries, notably along Deanoak Brook which follows a local strike. 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. It rises in West Sussex near Gatwick Airport and flows northwest through Surrey for 80km (50 miles) to the Thames at Hampton Court Palace. The river passes under the airport in a 425m (465yd) long concrete culvert with 50cm (20in) thick walls and roof. Col. Terry of Burvale, Hersham. The medieval bridge was rebuilt by Gwilt in 1786, but was washed away during the September 1968 floods. [88][90] The location is popular with anglers and families, but swimming is strongly discouraged as the water is polluted in places. [7] A planned community also exists in the south almost entirely for the retired, Whiteley Village. The Pipp Brook drains the northernmost heavily wooded slopes of Leith Hill (which include Squire's Great Wood and Abinger Forest), as well as areas of. Esher RFC is a multi-pitch rugby union club in Hersham since approximately 1939 (see notes). [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]. 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. [note 1] The mean flow is 0.33m3/s (12cuft/s) and the river ran dry at this point for the first time in the summer of 1995. The Stepping Stones The largest STW in the Mole catchment (Reigate STW) discharges up to 118,500m3 (4,180,000cuft) per day into the Earlswood Brook. View map of the flood alert area. Plant species typical of ancient woodland are found in this area, including bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scriptus), marsh marigolds (Caltha palustris) and golden saxifrages (Chrysosplenium sp.). Just across from the green is a shopping centre, consisting of multiple shops and restaurants. Tonawanda to Buffalo via Shoreline Trail Riverwalk. Original wooden Victorian bridge replaced by a stone parapet bridge in 1907 and the present concrete bridge dates from 1965. The site is a rich habitat for birds including the redshank and little ringed plover. 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. [53] A few much larger swallow holes were also observed separated from the main river by a channel[clarification needed] of about a metre. 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). [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 Heath is an area of rough scrubland and, despite its name, is a reclaimed landfill site hence its large but artificial mound and small plateau. Early to mid-19th-century brick bridge with two semi-circular arches and one elliptical arch. Zander have been caught in the Lower Mole below Dorking since the 1980s. [81], In 1798 William Marshall advocated the canalisation of a short stretch of the River Mole between Betchworth and Dorking to facilitate the movement of chalk from quarry to market. South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) also attended the incident. The band's biggest hit was Hersham Boys. Opened as part of the A3 Esher Bypass in December 1976. Just before the gate take the footpath on the right between 2 tree stumps. ), 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. Within a few minutes walk of the village centre in the east are green fields and meadows alongside the River Mole and footpaths both through and by fields used for mixed farming. Opened in 1927 by Henry Cubitt, 2nd Baron Ashcombe. Hersham is also home to Britain's largest colony of parakeets near Esher Rugby Club. A full list of the tributaries is given in the table below. An epic 9 hour paddle/tree climb/portage-fest, down the River Mole from Fetcham to Hersham with friends from London. %PDF-1.3 [43], The West End Common forms part of the Esher Commons, owned and managed by Elmbridge Borough Council. It was used to process corn, brass wire, iron, paper, linoleum, and books. Frederick Wicks (18401910), author and inventor, retired to the village and died there. [39] Its housing is relatively low-rise and diverse and it has four technology/trading estates. Somewhere around 200 B.C. The manor remained in the possession of the Crown, and was granted by Philip II of Spain and Mary I of England to David Vincent. Within a few minutes walk of this suburban-urban bulk of Hersham in the east are green fields and meadows alongside the River Mole and footpaths by fields used for mixed farming. TV presenter John Inverdale has long been associated with the club, albeit the 2010s saw his involvement diminish. xmqV$@$"HQmJy'T\bU`l)qJYk[{BR&5~xr><97o?oyo?iQ/Og~wo;>OaO=_|o|o?|M~.toI%8mx?u?oV^0 zqO~~6s?;SS|sW\}N2omlc]GCxvWPwN`Tim'Ba~Vr:? History along the River Mole [25] Finally the Mole splits into two branches at the Island Barn Reservoir near Molesey: the northern (and smaller) branch continues as the River Mole and the southern branch is known as the River Ember. Flood alert area: River Mole and its tributaries from Kinnersley Manor to South Hersham, including Sidlow, Leigh, Betchworth, Brockham, Pixham, Dorking, Mickleham, Leatherhead, Fetcham, Stoke D'Abernon and Cobham. The school holds specialist Business and Enterprise College status, and boasts an impressive drama programme. Built in 1957 as part of the scheme to divert the A23 around the eastern periphery of Gatwick Airport. Flood alert area: River Mole and its tributaries from Kinnersley Manor to South Hersham, including Sidlow, Leigh, Betchworth, Brockham, Pixham, Dorking, Mickleham, Leatherhead, Fetcham, Stoke D'Abernon and Cobham. Single track bridge built in 1842 and refurbished in 1993. Fast trains stopping at Walton-on-Thames reach London Waterloo within 30 minutes. The original viaduct was washed away by floods on 15 September 1968. The major tributaries of the River Mole are the Ifield Brook, Gatwick Stream, Earlswood Brook, Pipp Brook and The Rye, which drains Ashtead. [8] In John Speed's 1611 map of Surrey this stretch of the river is denoted by a series of hills accompanied by the legend "The river runneth under". 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). [2] Much of the catchment area lies on impermeable rock (including Weald Clay and London Clay), meaning that the river level responds rapidly to heavy rainfall. 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. Esher is located to the east of Hersham, at the meeting point of the A244 and A307 (Portsmouth Road). Between Dorking and Leatherhead the Mole cuts a steep-sided valley (the Mole Gap) though the North Downs, carving a 170-metre-high (560ft) river cliff on the western flank of Box Hill and a smaller 50-metre (160ft) cliff at Ham Bank in Norbury Park. [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. This is a new service your feedback will help us to improve it. 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. Get more Esher news from SurreyLive straight to your inbox for free here. In The Faerie Queene (first published in 1590) Edmund Spenser wrote of the river: In Poly-Olbion (first published in 1612) the poet Michael Drayton described the journey taken by the River Thames to the sea: This Mole runnes into the earth, about a mile from Darking in Surrey, and after some two miles sees the light againe, which to be certaine hath been affirmed by Inhabitants thereabout reporting triall made of it. [citation needed]. In the 12th century it was written Haverichesham suggesting Haeferick's hamlet or river bend settlement. Youve accepted analytics cookies. In the 18th century and until 1802 at least, the estate, then known as 'the manor of Southwood and Silksmore,' appears to have been held by the Frederick family. [47] The amount of water lost from the river is significant and in very hot summers the channel can become dry between Mickleham and Thorncroft Manor; this was recorded most recently in 1949,[48][49] 1976[50] and 2022. [9] In John Rocque's 1768 map of Surrey, the name Moulsey River is used. The nearest stations to River Mole Pre School are: Thrupps Lane, Hersham is 89 meters away, 2 min walk. This is a new service your feedback will help us to improve it. Today the Mole and Wey are less than 2km (1.2mi) apart at their closest point near Painshill Park. 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. In World War II, in a daring daylight raid on 4th September 1940, German bombers successfully attacked the important Vickers aircraft factory at Brooklands killing nearly 90 people. [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. There is a Waitrose at 105 High Street, KT10 9QE. During the Commonwealth it was used for gunpowder manufacture, but after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 it reverted to corn milling. You can change your cookie settings at any time. 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). It then runs along the west side of Horley, and heads north west towards Dorking. 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. [1], The geographical distribution of many species of invertebrate in the river reflects the geology of the catchment area. In response to heavy flooding of East Molesey and Thames Ditton in September 1968, the river was modified downstream of Albany Bridge to the Thames and new flood defences were constructed. [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. Hersham Village Golf Club is on the opposite, south side of the village, where snooker player John Virgo has been a longstanding president. Part of a guide to angling in Surrey. Look out for. Pages on this website do NOT confer a right to fish, nor to fish in a certain way. The author Daniel Defoe, who attended school in Dorking and probably grew up in the village of Westhumble,[56][57] described the swallow holes in the River Mole in his book A tour thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain (first published in 1724): the current of the river being much obstructed by the interposition of those hills, called Box Hill it forces the waters as it were to find their way through as well as they can; and in order to do this, beginning, I say, where the river comes close to the foot of the precipice of Box-Hill, called the Stomacher, the waters sink insensibly away, and in some places are to be seen (and I have seen them) little channels which go out on the sides of the river, where the water in a stream not so big as would fill a pipe of a quarter of an inch diameter, trills away out of the river, and sinks insensibly into the ground. It also takes in all six ponds of this part of Esher Common, some hidden deep in the woods. The bedrock is permeable chalk and the water table lies permanently below the level of the riverbed, allowing water to drain out of the river through swallow holes in the bed and banks. Extract from The River Mole or Emlyn Stream by Mary Drinkwater Bethune, which was published in 1839. [12] The Mole passes Horley to the west, flowing north towards Sidlow and entering a largely rural area. [3] The Gatwick Stream is dominated by coarse fish such as brown trout, brook lamprey, and eel. 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. [94] The bridge was constructed in 1867 and, at the insistence of Thomas Grissell the landowner, was given lavish architectural treatment. [4] It is of brick and stone in 13th-century style, has a nave and aisles, five arcades, chancel, transepts, and a western tower and spire. The River Mole rises in West Sussex near Gatwick Airport and flows north-west through Surrey for 50 miles. For the river in Devon, see, River Ember Flood Relief Channel and confluence with the Thames. It dates back way before the Doomsday book and this is what makes it such an interesting river to paddle. [wa=}k There are around 3,500 measuring stations, and most are along main rivers and the coast. [54][55] In the late 1960s the domes were reopened and inspected and the alluvium in the largest swallow hole was observed to have subsided by 1.5 metres (4ft 11in) under the centre of one of the domes. A principal tributary of the Earlswood Brook is the Redhill Brook, which includes The Moors wetland nature reserve within its catchment area. We use some essential cookies to make this service work. [28], Standard water quality of Mole and its tributaries has improved markedly since the 1990s.