Thames Ditton
| Thames Ditton | |
|---|---|
| Population | 5,863 [1] |
| OS grid reference | TQ155675 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | THAMES DITTON |
| Postcode district | KT7 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Surrey |
| Fire | Surrey |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
Thames Ditton is a village in Surrey, England, bordering Greater London. It is situated 12.2 miles (19.6 km) south-west of Charing Cross between the towns of Kingston upon Thames, Surbiton, Esher and East Molesey. Despite being on the fringe of Greater London's suburbs, Thames Ditton retains the character of a village.[citation needed]
History
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.
Thames Ditton appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Ditone and Ditune. Under the Normans it was held by Wadard from the Bishop of Bayeux. Its Domesday assets were: 2½ hides; part of a mill worth 1s 3d, 1½ ploughs, 4 acres (16,000 m2) of meadow, woodland worth 20 hogs. It rendered £4.[2]. There were four households: the combined population of Thames Ditton (4), Long Ditton (11), Immeworth (2) and Weston (9) was some 26 households of villagers and smallholders.
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 Saxon 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. Whether Thames Ditton is administratively associated more with Kingston - and now the greater London metropolitan area - than with Elmbridge and Surrey proper has been a recurrent theme in attempted local government reforms over the years. Latterly the residents of the village have generally opted for Elmbridge and Surrey.
Following the Norman Conquest, the land was granted to the monks of Merton Priory by Gilbert the Norman, and a church was built, the first recorded incumbent being in 1179. The early chapelry of Thames Ditton was subordinate to Kingston Church. In 1769 Thames Ditton became a parish in its own right, subsuming Hinchley Wood, Long Ditton, Claygate and Weston Green.
Isolated on marshy wetlands, the village avoided the travails of nearby Kingston (a strategic garrison town often pillaged) and remained a relatively insignificant settlement of two 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 significant 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 Palace by Thomas Wolsey in the early 16th century. Once the palace was claimed by Henry VIII in 1525, palace officials and other workers took up residence in Thames Ditton, which with Thames Ditton Island was a useful crossing point across the River Thames from Surrey to the palace in Middlesex, before the bridge at Hampton Court 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 and 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 call for an organised police force. 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 vigilante 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 Green, Hinchley Wood and Claygate, 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 Palace.
During the 19th century, the village continued to grow, with the arrival of the London and South Western Railway 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 Ros. 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 Tolworth.
In the 1840s, there was a National School housed near St Nicholas' churchyard. 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 major TV network service and a company specialising in numerically-controlled machines as well as a leading architectural practice.[citation needed] Between 1911 and 1980, the village was home to the AC Cars factory, first at Ferry works and latterly 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 Board, 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
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Today
Thames Ditton has a railway 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 bakery, pharmacy, greengrocery, florist, delicatessen, off-licence, restaurants and post-office/grocer. There are also several hairdressers, estate agents, an art gallery, gift shops, a silversmith and jewellers, tennis and hockey equipment shops (the latter run by an Olympic gold-medallist), a shop specialising in children's clothing and a wedding dress couturier. At Winter's Bridge on the Portsmouth Road is a small stand of shops that includes a nationally recognised patisserie and chocolatier, 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 Walton parliamentary constituency which is a safe Conservative seat. Dominic Raab 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 Church, a small but thriving United Reformed Church, Giggs Hill Green, and the Vera Fletcher Hall. There are further churches and facilities in the nearby village of Weston Green 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 Rythe 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 station is on the line from London Waterloo to Hampton Court. Rail services are provided by South West Trains. 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, 471 and 218, with the last service leaving at around 6pm.
Road
From Thames Ditton, it is approximately five minutes by road to the A3 (eastbound) or 15 minutes to A3 (both ways). It is some 20 minutes to the M3 and M25 and some 35 minutes to Heathrow.
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 College.
Scouting and guiding
There are a few Scout 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 1968 when the rivers Ember and Mole burst their banks. The extent of the flooding reached from the River Thames 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 Green 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 Richardson to coach and play for the team for the following four years.
Weston Green Road is the location of Thames Ditton Lawn Tennis Club (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 College 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 School 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 Regatta, founded in 1948, is a rowing 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 skiffing and punting can be enjoyed at Dittons Skiff and Punting Club 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 Race and Thames meanders. It hosts the Hampton Court and Dittons Regatta and has its own an annual regatta on the river opposite Hampton Court Palace.
Cultural references
Thames Ditton is mentioned in a letter from Charles Lamb to William Wordsworth 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 Hook 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'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 Hornung 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 Python 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 park scene of episode two of Reginald Perrin, series one.
The BBC TV series Little Britain 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) were shot on the village High Street.
Famous residents
- William Hartnell lived there for a while.
- Charlie Brooks lived on the A307 Portsmouth Road until 2007.
- Lucie Silvas lived there as a teenager.
- Andrew Doughty, a retired anaesthetist, lives in the village.
- Ronan Keating - pop singer
- Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - ex footballer
References
External links
- Residents' Association
- Thames Ditton Island
- Thames Ditton Cricket Club
- Thames Ditton Lawn Tennis Club
- Short Video of the Thames Ditton 2007 'Christmas Fayre'
- Thames Ditton Virtual Village
- Dittopedia
- History of Boyle Farm by Rowland Baker (a Surrey historian)
- photos of the Conservation Areas of Thames Ditton and Giggs Hill Green, Autumn 2008