Thames Ditton is a
villageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in
SurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, bordering
Greater LondonGreater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
. It is situated 12.2 miles (19.6 km) south-west of
Charing CrossCharing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
between the towns of
Kingston upon ThamesKingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
,
SurbitonSurbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is situated next to the River Thames, with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, more recent residential blocks and grand, spacious 19th century townhouses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates...
,
EsherEsher is a town in the Surrey borough of Elmbridge in South East England near the River Mole. It is a very prosperous part of the Greater London Urban Area, largely suburban in character, and is situated 14.1 miles south west of Charing Cross....
and
East MoleseyMolesey is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England. Situated on the outskirts of Greater London, approximately from Charing Cross, it is a typical suburban area. There are two distinct areas in the town: West and East Molesey...
. Despite being on the fringe of Greater London's suburbs, Thames Ditton retains the character of a village.
Pre-1800
The first written record of Thames Ditton is in a charter dated 983 when King Æthelred granted to Æthelmær, his minister, nine hides (
cassati) at Thames Ditton, Surrey. Furthermore in
The Cartulary of the Abbey of Eynsham Transaction, King Æthelred sent to Eynsham Abbey confirmation of the foundation (in 1005) by Æthelmær, the endowment including 20 hides at Esher, Surrey (granted by Beorhthelm, bishop, to Æthelweard, and bequeathed by Æthelweard to his son, Æthelmær); and land at Thames Ditton, Surrey, among several other items.
Two Dittons appear in the
Domesday BookDomesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 as
Ditone and
Ditune. Under the Normans the one now identified with Thames Ditton was held by Wadard from the Bishop of Bayeux. Its Domesday assets were: 2½
hideThe hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
s; part of a
millA grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...
worth 1s 3d, 1½
ploughThe plough or plow is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
s, 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of
meadowA meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
,
woodlandEcologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
worth 20 hogs. It rendered £4. There were four households. Other manors that came to form part of Thames Ditton were those of Weston, Imworth (or Imber), and for a while, Claigate (Claygate). From Domesday, the combined population of Thames Ditton (4), Long Ditton (11), Immeworth (2) and Weston (9) was some 26 households of villagers and smallholders.
Later, the manors of both Dittons were reunited when Anne Gould inherited the manor of Thames Ditton and married Thomas Eveleyn who had inherited the manor of (Long) Ditton; but by that time the manor of Thames Ditton amounted to little by way of land and to all effects Thames Ditton comprised mainly the manors of Imworth and of Weston, with some lands from Claygate, Long Ditton and even Kinston Manor extending into the present-day boundaries of Thames Ditton and Weston Green.
Under Eynsham Abbey Thames Ditton had been parceled with Esher, and Salter's
footnotes to his 1907 translation of the Cartulary assert that Thames Ditton was in the
SaxonAnglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
administrative district of Elmbridge Hundred. Salter's introduction to the Cartulary notes that along with Esher, Eynsham appears to have lost Thames Ditton by the Norman Conquest and the Domesday survey recorded that (before the Conquest) Ditton had been held by Earl Harald (subsequently King until 1066). In Domesday Thames Ditton (as well as adjacent Long Ditton and 'Ember' or Immeworth, later Imber Court) is listed within Kingston Hundred and later is given in Speed's map of Surrey (1611) as being in Kingston Hundred. Subsequent topographical histories record Thames Ditton as in Kingston Hundred: many significant residents of Thames Ditton were also senior figures in the administration of Kingston, and the courts of Kingston held jurisdiction over both Kingston and Elmbridge Hundreds. Thames Ditton came under the Metropolitan Police rather than the Surrey Police until the present millennium; and most other aspects of local administration in the Victorian era - roads, drains, gas, electricity, the Poor Union - came under bodies in Kingston until reform of local government led to the establishment of the Esher and the Dittons Urban District Council in 1894. On the other hand, Thames Ditton always remained clearly outside the area governed by the Corporation of Kinsgston. Whether Thames Ditton and Long Ditton should be administratively associated more with the Borough of Kingston - and now the greater London metropolitan area - than with Elmbridge and Surrey proper has been a recurrent theme in attempted local government reforms since the 1960s. The residents of the village have opted firmly for Elmbridge and Surrey.
Following the Norman Conquest, part of the land was granted to the monks of Merton Priory by Gilbert the Norman, and a Chapel - now the church - was built, the first recorded incumbent being in 1179. The chapelry of Thames Ditton was subordinate to Kingston Rectory until the late 1700s. By Act of Parliament in 1769 Thames Ditton, which had already from the early 1600s assumed the civilian vestry responsibilities of a parish, became a separate curacy and an ecclesiastical parish in its own right, subsuming Hinchley Wood, Long Ditton, Claygate and Weston Green. However, the advowson (right of patronage of the living) remained in the hands of the Hardinge family of Kingston until Nicholas Hardinge sold it along with the advowson of Kingston and other subordinate chapelries to Kings College, Cambridge, in 1781. The Hardinges retained the patronage for a turn and Rev Henry Hardinge, Rector of Kingston, was also the incumbent at St Nicholas for a brief and ill-starred period.
Isolated on marshy wetlands, the village seems to have avoided the travails of Kingston (a strategic garrison town often pillaged) and remained a relatively insignificant settlement of farming Manors, although there must have been at least one residence of note, for the Chancery Rolls of 1212 record that King John was entertained at Ditton by Geoffrey Fitz Pierre, the Chief Justice (writes Burchett). This was most likely on the site of Imber Court. Another substantial house was on the site close to the chapel of ease, now the Church. Thames Ditton became more significant with the building of
Hampton Court PalaceHampton Court Palace is a royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London; it has not been inhabited by the British royal family since the 18th century. The palace is located south west of Charing Cross and upstream of Central London on the River Thames...
by Thomas Wolsey in the early 16th century. Once the palace was claimed by
Henry VIIIHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
in 1525, palace officials and other workers took up residence in Thames Ditton, which with
Thames Ditton IslandThere are three Islands in the River Thames near Thames Ditton, Surrey, on the reach above Teddington Lock. Thames Ditton Island, the largest of the three, is 350 yards long and has 47 houses and a population of around 100. The second largest, Boyle Farm Island, has a single house...
was a useful crossing point across the
River ThamesThe River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
from
SurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
to the
palaceHampton Court Palace is a royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London; it has not been inhabited by the British royal family since the 18th century. The palace is located south west of Charing Cross and upstream of Central London on the River Thames...
in
MiddlesexMiddlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, before the
bridge at Hampton CourtHampton Court Bridge crosses the River Thames in England in a north to south direction between Hampton, Greater London and East Molesey, Surrey. It is on the reach above Teddington Lock and about hundred yards upstream of the bridge is Molesey Lock....
was built in 1752-3. However, development in the village suffered greatly when Henry VIII acquired most of the lands and enclosed them within the deer Chase in the Honour of Hampton Court. Following his death, residents of the area successfully petitioned for it to be de-Chased and normal activities resumed. From that time the convenience of Thames Ditton to London - two or three hours by horse or carriage; the cachet of nearby Hampton Court, Claremont and Esher Place, Royal Kingston with its market and coach service, and the still rural aspect of the village prompted many to make their main or second homes there and a richly diverse crop of residents both notable and less so resulted.
During the 18th century, lawlessness grew and the roads around the village were plagued with highwaymen, in particular the turnpike to Portsmouth, and influential voices within the community began to band together to deal with crime. Following a meeting at the Harrow Inn on 26 January 1792 a group of some 80 local men (a significant percentage of the sparse population) formed a group for 'the protection of persons and property' with a list of crimes, fines and rewards (transcript of document in the T. S. Mercer Collection of parish records, Dittons Library)
Post-1800
In 1801, the population of Thames Ditton parish, which at that stage included
Weston GreenWeston Green is a village close to Thames Ditton and Long Ditton in the county of Surrey. It is just inside the southern part of the circle of the M25 near the larger towns of Esher and Sunbury-on-Thames....
,
Hinchley WoodHinchley Wood is a residential community approximately south-west of London, England. At the 2001 census it consisted of 1,429 households with a population of 3,674. It developed largely because of the railway line which passes through the area, and many of its residents are commuters to London. ...
and
ClaygateClaygate is a village in the English county of Surrey, approximately south west of London and within the Metropolitan Green Belt.It is primarily a residential area but with offices, farms and two shopping areas with a supermarket, five pubs and numerous restaurants...
, was still small: 1,288 people living in 265 houses; 167 of the workers were occupied in agriculture and 87 in trade, manufacture and handicraft. Due to the large number of mansions and estates in the area, there would have been many domestic and ancillary employees living in the village, some working at
Hampton Court PalaceHampton Court Palace is a royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London; it has not been inhabited by the British royal family since the 18th century. The palace is located south west of Charing Cross and upstream of Central London on the River Thames...
.
During the 19th century, the village continued to grow, with the arrival of the
London and South Western RailwayThe London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
in 1849 and the building of the first school. Market gardens were established in the fields around the Church to supply the metropolis. By the end of the century, the population had almost doubled but was still fairly sparse. In 1913 a booklet of 'The Suburban and Provincial Development Association' noted: "the population of the district is only about two to the acre" and "some of the trains perform the journey to Waterloo in as little as 24 minutes." And another local booklet of that period commented that "Thames Ditton.....may be said generally to abound in pretty villas whose inhabitants seem to vie with each other in friendly rivalry to beautify them." Either side of 1900 the convenience to London and boating attractions of the Thames helped to make Thames Ditton a destination of choice for weekenders including a sizeable community from the world of popular entertainment in London. Local life was utterly changed by the expansion of London's suburbs, and in the period between the World Wars most of the farming fields were sold off for housing development, and the big landowners, now richer, decamped.
Around 1812, a school for girls was started thanks to wealthy people such as
Baroness de RosCharlotte Fitzgerald-de Ros, 21st Baroness de Ros of Helmsley , also known as Lady Henry FitzGerald, was born Charlotte Boyle-Walsingham in Castlemartyr, County Cork, Ireland or in London, where she died....
. Some form of National School for girls operated from September 1812, and boys were taught from 1818. At least 60 girls were being educated in 1816-17, some coming from Molesey and
TolworthTolworth is a mostly residential area of outer South London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, located south west of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include: New Malden, Kingston, Surbiton, Berrylands, Chessington, Ewell and Worcester Park....
.
In the 1840s, there was a National School housed near
St Nicholas' churchyardSt Nicholas Church in Thames Ditton, Surrey, England, is an ancient Anglican parish church that dates back to the 11th century.-History:The Normans after the Conquest gave the land to the monks of Merton Priory, who planned to build a church....
. In 1860, the Rev EH Rogers laid the first stone of the schools at the end of Church Walk where generations of Thames Ditton children were educated. It was expanded in 1877.
There had long been a wharf near the Swan Inn on the river and this became a site for local industry. A 'Melting House' between the churchyard and the river became a skilled bronze foundry in 1874, and successively as Cox & Son(1874–80), Drew & Sons (1880–83), Moore & Co (1883–97), Hollinshead & Burton (1897–1902) and A. B. Burton (1902–1933) the foundry was supreme in its field. It produced fine bronze statues exported worldwide, including the statue commonly known as Eros in Piccadilly Circus and the giant Quadriga at Hyde Park Corner. Nearby, at Ferry Works on the river bank, was the factory of Willans and Robinson who in the late 19th century made a high-speed steam engine (the Willans engine) used for early generation of electric power in places such as the Vienna Opera House. The works is preserved and still in use by a number of commercial companies including a broadcast software developer, company specialising in numerically controlled machines and a leading architectural practice. Between 1911 and 1980, the village was home to the
AC CarsAC Cars Group Ltd. formerly known as Auto Carriers Ltd. is a British specialist automobile manufacturer and one of the oldest independent car marques founded in Britain...
factory, first at Ferry Works and later located in the High Street at a site since developed into a residential and office complex.
Rola Celestion were also located for some years at Ferry Works and adjacent buildings, producing the famous 'Ditton' Range of loudspeakers.
From its creation in 1933 to its dissolution in 1994 the
Milk Marketing BoardThe Milk Marketing Board was a government agency established in 1933 to control milk production and distribution in the United Kingdom. It functioned as buyer of last resort in the British milk market, thereby guaranteeing a minimum price for milk producers...
, a government agency to support milk production and distribution in the United Kingdom was headquartered at Giggs Hill Green in Thames Ditton where it played a significant role in providing local employment and in supporting the Cricket Club and other aspects of village life. Its large site, already licensed for commercial use, was targeted by Tesco for a supermarket and garage in the early 1990s but local action secured it for good quality housing development with public tennis courts, a recreational area and two acres for community health purposes.
Historical figures
- Cuthbert Blakeden (died 1540)
- Lord Henry FitzGerald
Lord Henry FitzGerald PC was the fourth son of the 1st Duke of Leinster and the Duchess of Leinster . A younger brother was the revolutionary Lord Edward FitzGerald.-Life:...
(1761–1829)
- Charlotte FitzGerald-de Ros, 21st Baroness de Ros
Charlotte Fitzgerald-de Ros, 21st Baroness de Ros of Helmsley , also known as Lady Henry FitzGerald, was born Charlotte Boyle-Walsingham in Castlemartyr, County Cork, Ireland or in London, where she died....
(1769–1831)
- Erasmus Forde (died 1533), who lived at Forde's Farm
- Colonel Sidney Godolphin
Colonel Sidney Godolphin came from an ancient Cornish family. The Godolphin family had held a long lease of Scilly since the late 16th century. Godolphin was Governor of The Isles of Scilly and Auditor of Wales...
(died 1732)
- Maundy Gregory
Arthur Maundy Gregory was a British theatre producer and political fixer who is best remembered for selling honours for Prime Minister David Lloyd George. He may also have been involved with the Zinoviev Letter, the disappearance of Victor Grayson, and the suspicious death of his platonic...
- Dudley Carleton, 1st Viscount Dorchester
Dudley Carleton, 1st Viscount Dorchester was an English art collector, diplomat and Secretary of State.-Early life:He was the second son of Antony Carleton of Brightwell Baldwin, Oxfordshire, and of Jocosa, daughter of John Goodwin of Winchendon, Buckinghamshire...
(1573–1632), lived at Imber Court
- Reverend George Harvest (died 1780)
- Ralphe de Imworth (died 1223)
- Arthur Onslow
Arthur Onslow was an English politician. He set a record for length of service when repeatedly elected to serve as Speaker of the House of Commons, where he was known for his integrity.-Early life and education:...
(1691–1768)
- George Onslow, 1st Earl of Onslow
George Onslow, 1st Earl of Onslow PC , known as The Lord Onslow from 1776 until 1801, was a British peer and politician....
(1731–1814)
- Edward Sugden, 1st Baron St Leonards
Edward Burtenshaw Sugden, 1st Baron St Leonards PC was a British lawyer, judge and Conservative politician.-Background:St Leonards was the son of a high-class hairdresser and wig-maker in Westminster, London....
(1781–1875)
- Hewett Watson
Hewett Cottrell Watson was a phrenologist, botanist and evolutionary theorist. He was born in Firbeck, near Rotherham, Yorkshire, on 9 May 1804, and died at Thames Ditton, Surrey, on 27 July 1881, aged 77.-Biography:...
- Julian Stafford Corbett (Brought up at Imber Court Weston Green)
- Christian de Duve
Christian René, viscount de Duve is a Nobel Prize-winning cytologist and biochemist. De Duve was born in Thames Ditton, Surrey, Great Britain, as a son of Belgian refugees. They returned to Belgium in 1920...
, Belgian, Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine 1974, born in Thames-Ditton in 1917.
Today
Thames Ditton has a
railwayThames Ditton railway station serves Thames Ditton in the Elmbridge district of Surrey, England. It is the only intermediate station on the Hampton Court branch...
link to London serving the large commuter population, local workforce and Esher college student population.
Thames Ditton High Street now comprises mixed residential housing, office and retail shops in about equal proportion. The growth of supermarket shopping has decimated a formerly thriving small retail sector and many residents go to nearby towns, particularly Kingston, for their main shopping requirements. The High Street still retains a
pharmacyPharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
, greengrocery, florist,
delicatessenDelicatessen is a term meaning "delicacies" or "fine foods". The word entered English via German,with the old German spelling , plural of Delikatesse "delicacy", ultimately from Latin delicatus....
, restaurants and post-office/grocer. There are also several hairdressers, estate agents, an art gallery, gift shops, a
silversmithA silversmith is a craftsperson who makes objects from silver or gold. The terms 'silversmith' and 'goldsmith' are not synonyms as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are or were largely the same but the end product varies greatly as does the scale of objects created.Silversmithing is the...
and jewellers,
tennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and
hockeyHockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
equipment shops (the latter run by an Olympic gold-medallist), a small but extensive modern art gallery and a
wedding dressA wedding dress or wedding gown is the clothing worn by a bride during a wedding ceremony. Color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants.- Western culture :...
couturierA couturier is an establishment or person involved in the clothing fashion industry who makes original garments to order for private clients. A couturier may make what is known as haute couture. Such a person usually hires patternmakers and machinists for garment production, and is either employed...
. At Winter's Bridge on the Portsmouth Road is a small stand of shops that includes a nationally recognised
patisserieA pâtisserie is the type of French or Belgian bakery that specializes in pastries and sweets. In both countries it is a legally controlled title that may only be used by bakeries that employ a licensed maître pâtissier ....
and
chocolatierA chocolatier is someone who makes confectionery from chocolate. Chocolatiers are distinct from chocolate makers, who create chocolate from cacao beans and other ingredients.Professional chocolatiers study topics including the following:...
, and the last remaining branch bank in the village. There is another off-licence, a pharmacy and newsagent on Thorkhill Road, formerly Workhouse Lane.
Politically, Thames Ditton is part of the
Esher and WaltonEsher and Walton is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
parliamentary constituency which is a safe Conservative seat.
Dominic RaabDominic Rennie Raab is a British Conservative politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Esher and Walton in Surrey and is a former international business lawyer.-Biography:...
was returned as Member of Parliament in 2010 with a majority of over 18,000.
The village has an active
Residents' Association, which was formed in 1934 in response to recurring development threats to the character of the area. The Residents' Association currently (2009) holds all three seats for the ward on Elmbridge Borough Council, and the Surrey County Council seat for the Dittons.
Also in Thames Ditton is
St Nicholas ChurchSt Nicholas Church in Thames Ditton, Surrey, England, is an ancient Anglican parish church that dates back to the 11th century.-History:The Normans after the Conquest gave the land to the monks of Merton Priory, who planned to build a church....
, a small but thriving
United Reformed ChurchThe United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
,
Giggs Hill GreenGiggs Hill Green is a large triangular stretch of common ground in Thames Ditton, bordered on one side by the Portsmouth Road, Southern England. Previously part of the 'waste' belonging to the manor of Kingston, the of Giggs Hill Green were purchased in 1901 for a mere £250 by the Esher and...
, and the Vera Fletcher Hall. There are further churches and facilities in the nearby village of
Weston GreenWeston Green is a village close to Thames Ditton and Long Ditton in the county of Surrey. It is just inside the southern part of the circle of the M25 near the larger towns of Esher and Sunbury-on-Thames....
which retains a strong association with Thames Ditton while other parts of the former parish of Thames Ditton, such as Hinchley Wood and Claygate, have fostered separate identities.
The RytheThe Rythe is a river in the county of Surrey, England. It is a tributary of the River Thames which it joins at Thames Ditton on the reach above Teddington Lock....
is a small river that runs through Thames Ditton along the Portsmouth Road and down to the River Thames near Ferry Road.
Pubs
Raintree (formerly 'Tiger Joe's'), The City Arms, The Ferry, The Crown, The Albany, The George & Dragon, The Angel, The Greyhound, The Ewe, Tryst on the Green, Marney's Village Inn, Ye Olde Swan and the Red Lion.
Ye Olde Harrow, an historic inn was a base for the local militia in the days of highwaymen (see above) and subsequently hosted one of the oldest and finest bowling greens in the county. It is to be demolished by a property developer who intends to build several houses on the site according to
Elmbridge Planning Services
Transport links
Rail
Thames Ditton railway stationThames Ditton railway station serves Thames Ditton in the Elmbridge district of Surrey, England. It is the only intermediate station on the Hampton Court branch...
is on the line from London Waterloo to Hampton Court. Rail services are provided by
South West TrainsSouth West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
. Journey time to London Waterloo is approximately 35 minutes (it is possible to connect with faster trains at Surbiton).
Bus
Various buses run through Thames Ditton, including the 515, 515A (Sunday service only), 514, 513, 458 and 459, with the last service leaving at around 7pm.
Road
From Thames Ditton, it is approximately five minutes by road to the A3 (eastbound) or ten minutes to A3 (both ways). It is some 15 minutes to the M3 and M25 and some 35 minutes to Heathrow - these times can be severely affected by racing at
Kempton Park RacecourseKempton Park Racecourse is a horse racing track in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England, which is a western suburb of London 16 miles from the city centre. The site is set in of land....
and/or
Sandown ParkSandown Park is a horse racing course and leisure venue in Esher, Surrey, England, in the outer suburbs of London. It hosts one Group 1 flat race, the Eclipse Stakes. It regularly has horse racing during afternoons, evenings and on weekends, and also hosts many non racing events such as trade...
.
Education
Thames Ditton Infant School, Thames Ditton Junior School, St.Pauls RC Primary School and Weston Green Prep School.
Hinchley Wood Secondary and 6th form college.
Esher CollegeEsher College is a sixth form college located in Thames Ditton, Elmbridge, U.K-Admissions:It has just under 1700 students enrolled. Esher College is very close to Thames Ditton railway station on the northern edge of Surrey...
.
Scouting and guiding
There are a few
ScoutA Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
Groups in Thames Ditton, including The Dittons and 4th Thames Ditton (Ajax). Girl Guides are also thriving, and for former Guides there is an active Trefoil Guild.
Flooding
The village was hit by the
Great Flood of 1968The Great Flood of 1968 was a flood caused by very heavy rain that struck South East England and France in mid-September 1968, with the worst on Sunday 15 September 1968, and followed earlier floods in South West England during July.-South West England:...
when the rivers
EmberThe River Ember is a river in the county of Surrey, England. It is a distributary of the River Mole which splits in two at the Island Barn Reservoir to the South of East and West Molesey. The larger portion becomes the River Ember and flows in an easterly and then northerly direction around the...
and
MoleThe River Mole is a tributary of the River Thames in southern England. It rises in West Sussex near Gatwick Airport and flows north west through Surrey for to the Thames near Hampton Court Palace. The river gives its name to the Surrey district of Mole Valley...
burst their banks. The extent of the flooding reached from the
River ThamesThe River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
to the Portsmouth Road and caused flood damage to many homes including some in the Embercourt area. The flood water lasted for several days.
A burst water main in December 2006 near the station caused local flooding across the village. Local shops in the high street were damaged and applied for compensation. The pipe that burst was said to be over 150 years old.
Sports activities
Thames Ditton Cricket Club is the oldest sports club in Thames Ditton. The first recorded match on
Giggs Hill GreenGiggs Hill Green is a large triangular stretch of common ground in Thames Ditton, bordered on one side by the Portsmouth Road, Southern England. Previously part of the 'waste' belonging to the manor of Kingston, the of Giggs Hill Green were purchased in 1901 for a mere £250 by the Esher and...
was in 1833, and the club remains today with hundreds of members and a recently built brand new pavilion. They have three Saturday XI's, and one Sunday team. The club celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2008, and in 2009 contracted former West Indies cricket captain
Richie RichardsonRichard Benjamin Richardson is a retired West Indies cricketer and a former captain of the West Indian cricket team.Richardson was born in Five Islands Village, Antigua. He began his career with the Leewards Islands in 1982 as an opener and after his second season he was called up by the West...
to coach and play for the team for the following four years.
Weston Green Road is the location of
Thames Ditton Lawn Tennis ClubThe Thames Ditton Lawn Tennis Club is a lawn tennis club in Thames Ditton, Surrey, England.It was established in 1882, nine years after the official rules of lawn tennis were laid down. It is the oldest lawn tennis club still on its original site...
(TDLTC). The club was ravaged in the 1990s by a protracted legal battle with the owner of the site freehold, who wished to build executive homes on the site. Though TDLTC eventually won the case, it lost the rights to use three courts on the adjoining
Esher CollegeEsher College is a sixth form college located in Thames Ditton, Elmbridge, U.K-Admissions:It has just under 1700 students enrolled. Esher College is very close to Thames Ditton railway station on the northern edge of Surrey...
site, which were themselves subsequently sold to developers. However, the club still owns six grass and four hard courts, along with one short tennis court. It also has access to a three new hard courts at Esher College, and a weekend arrangement with
Kingston Grammar SchoolKingston Grammar School is an independent co-educational school in Kingston upon Thames, Greater London. The school was founded by Royal Charter in 1561 but can trace its roots back to at least the 13th century. It is a registered charity under English law....
to use its courts as an overflow for the junior section.
The Thames Ditton Squash Club is now housed at Colets' Health and Fitness Club. It is the strongest club in England, with several national club championships to its name as well as a strong record in the European championships. The same fitness club is also the headquarters of a number of rugby and football teams of the Old Paulines (St. Paul's School alumni) who own the grounds.
In Weston Green there is the Cranleighan Rugby Football Club, as well as the Old Cranleighan Hockey Club. Having been formed in 1919 and 1921 respectively, the OCRFC and the OCHC moved to their new clubhouse on Portsmouth Road in Thames Ditton in 1928. The clubhouse was substantially renovated and enlarged in 1993 and the club now has some of the best facilities for rugby and hockey in Surrey.
Thames Ditton RegattaThames Ditton Regatta is a rowing regatta, on the River Thames in England which takes place at Thames Ditton, Surrey opposite Hampton Court Palace....
, founded in 1948, is a
rowingRowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
regatta which takes place in May on a course which finishes just below the River Mole, opposite Hampton Court Palace.
The traditional river sports of
skiffingSkiffing refers to the sporting and leisure activity of rowing a Thames skiff. A Thames skiff is a traditional hand built clinker-built wooden craft of a design which has been seen on the River Thames and other waterways in England and other countries for nearly 200 years...
and
puntingA punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water. Punting refers to boating in a punt. The punter generally propels the punt by pushing against the river bed with a pole...
can be enjoyed at
Dittons Skiff and Punting ClubDittons Skiff and Punting Club or Dittons is an English skiff and punting club, which was founded in 1923. It is based on the River Thames with a club and boat house at Thames Ditton on the reach above Teddington Lock...
located at the end of Queen's Road. The club was formed in 1923 and is involved in various water-based activities including the
Great River RaceThe Great River Race is an annual competition held on the River Thames for any traditional-style coxed boat propelled by oars or paddles.The competition was started in 1988 and covers a 21 mile course on the tidal Thames between Ham, London and Greenwich...
and
Thames meanderThames meander refers to a long-distance journey over all or part of the River Thames in England. Walking the Thames Path is itself a meander, but the term usually applies to journeys using other methods such as rowing, running, or swimming....
s. It hosts the
Hampton Court and Dittons RegattaHampton Court and Dittons Regatta is a regatta on the River Thames in England which takes place at Thames Ditton, Surrey beside Hampton Court Palace....
and has its own an annual
regattaA regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
on the river opposite Hampton Court Palace.
Cultural references
Thames Ditton is mentioned in a letter from Charles Lamb to
William WordsworthWilliam Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads....
of 19 October 1810:
-
- A very striking instance of your position might be found in the churchyard of Ditton-upon-Thames, if you know such a place. Ditton-upon-Thames has been blessed by the residence of a poet who, for love or money, I do not well know which, has dignified every gravestone for the last few years with brand new verses, all different and all ingenious, with the author's name at the bottom of each. This sweet Swan of Thames has so artfully diversified his strains and his rhymes that the same thought never occurs twice,--more justly, perhaps, as no thought ever occurs at all, there was a physical impossibility that the same thought should recur, It is long since I saw and read these inscriptions; but I remember the impression was of a smug usher at his desk in the intervals of instruction, levelling his pen. Of death, as it consists of dust and worms, and mourners and uncertainty, he had never thought; but the word "death" he had often seen separate and conjunct with other words, till he had learned to speak of all its attributes as glibly as Unitarian Belsham will discuss you the attributes of the word "God" in a pulpit, and will talk of infinity with a tongue that dangles from a skull that never reached in thought and thorough imagination two inches, or farther than from his hand to his mouth, or from the vestry to the sounding-board of the pulpit. But the epitaphs were trim and sprag, and patent, and pleased the survivors of Thames Ditton above the old mumpsimus of Afflictions sore.
In 1834
Theodore HookTheodore Edward Hook was an English man of letters.- Biography :He was born in London. He spent a year at Harrow School, and subsequently matriculated at Oxford, but he never actually resided at the university...
composed the following lines while angling in a punt at Thames Ditton:
- "Here, in a placid waking dream,
- I'm free from worldly troubles,
- Calm as the rippling silver stream
- That in the sunshine baubles;
- And when sweet Eden
The Garden of Eden is in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
's blissful bowers
- Some abler bard has writ on,
- Despairing to transcend his powers,
- I'll ditto say for DITTON."
The poet Eric Wilson Barker (1905–1973) spent his childhood in Thames Ditton, attending the old church school in Church Walk before his family emigrated to California for health reasons. Barker became a celebrated poet and was offered the laureateship of California, which he declined. He revisited his Thames Ditton birthplace in 1959 and wrote to a friend: 'I visited an ancient pub, The Old Harrow near Weston Green. I always remember the lines on the signboard of that inn when I was a kid.... There it was too and the old weatherworn sign with the letters a bit dim but still legible!' Barker wrote a poem "IN THAMES DITTON" in 'Looking for Water', published by Crighton House Inc. New York, 1964: "In Thames Ditton I remembered a clock....."
Ernest William HornungErnest William Hornung , known as Willie, was an English author, most famous for writing the Raffles series of novels about a gentleman thief in late Victorian London....
wrote about Thames Ditton in
The Amateur Cracksman (1899):
-
- 'I had let my flat in town, and taken inexpensive quarters at Thames Ditton, on the plea of a disinterested passion for the river.'
- 'Imagine my excitement and delight! I managed to pay what I owed at Thames Ditton, to squeeze a small editor for a very small check, and my tailors for one more flannel suit. I remember that I broke my last sovereign to get a box of Sullivan's cigarettes for Raffles to smoke on the voyage.'
The
Monty PythonMonty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
sketch, 'Blackmail', featured a scene set in Thames Ditton, although it was actually filmed in a west London residential road.
Thames Ditton is also mentioned briefly in the
safari parkA safari park, sometimes known as a wildlife park, is a zoo-like commercial tourist attraction where visitors can drive in their own vehicles or ride in vehicles provided by the facility to observe freely roaming animals...
scene of episode two of
Reginald PerrinThe Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin is a series of novels which developed into a British sitcom starring Leonard Rossiter in the title role...
, series one.
The
BBC TVBBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
series
Little BritainLittle Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
featured sketches shot in and around Thames Ditton's
Dittons Library. A fictitious postbox can be seen outside the library in one shot.
The exterior scenes for the 1980s sitcom
After Henry (TV series)After Henry is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 1988 to 1992. Starring Prunella Scales and Joan Sanderson, it had started on BBC Radio 4 in 1985, finishing in 1989. It was written by Simon Brett...
were shot on the village High Street.
Famous residents
- William Hartnell
William Henry Hartnell was an English actor. During 1963-66, he was the first actor to play the Doctor in the long-running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Early life:...
lived there for a while.
- Charlie Brooks
Charlene "Charlie" Brooks is a Welsh actress, best known for playing Janine Butcher on the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Acting career:...
lived on the A307The A307 road is a link road running through SW London and NW Surrey, which is primary at the start but for the most part is now more local in character...
Portsmouth Road until 2007.
- Lucie Silvas
Lucie Silvas is a British singer-songwriter.- Early life :...
lived there as a teenager.
- Andrew Doughty
Andrew Doughty was a leading anesthetist. In 1957, he invented the Doughty gag, with a split blade, and is in universal use to this day. In 1973, he set up an epidural course at Kingston Hospital....
, a retired anaesthetist, lives in the village.
- Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
- pop singer
- Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Jerrel Hasselbaink usually known as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is a Dutch former football striker who played for various clubs in the Netherlands, Portugal, England, and Spain, as well as the Dutch national team. He scored more than 200 career goals...
- ex footballer
- Kit Symons
Christopher "Kit" Symons is a former Welsh international footballer.-Club career:A defender, Symons began his career at Portsmouth, spending seven years at the south coast club, making 160 appearances...
- ex footballer
- Trevor Bannister
Trevor Gordon Bannister was an English actor best known for playing the womanising junior salesman Mr. Lucas in the sitcom Are You Being Served? from 1972 to 1979, and for his role as Toby Mulberry Smith in the longest-running sitcom Last of the Summer Wine, from 2003 until it ended its run in 2010...
- actor
External links