Molesey
| Molesey | |
|---|---|
| Population | Expression error: "18,565[1]" must be numeric |
| OS grid reference | TQ145675 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | EAST MOLESEY |
| Postcode district | KT8 |
| Post town | WEST MOLESEY |
| Postcode district | KT8 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Surrey |
| Fire | Surrey |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
Molesey is a place in the Elmbridge district of Surrey. Situated in the commuter-belt of London, it is a typical suburban area. There are two distinct areas in the town: West and East Molesey. Neighbouring towns are Walton-on-Thames and Sunbury-on-Thames and Kingston upon thames; nearby villages include Thames Ditton and Hampton.
History
The land in the Molesey area was owned by Chertsey Abbey in the 7th century. The town's name is derived from the estates called Muleseg. Mul (pronounced Mule) is a personal name, whilst the second syllabul comes from an Old English word meaning an island or a water meadow. Therefore the name does not come from the River Mole that runs through the town. The prefixes East and West were not used until the 13th century. Prior to that there was only one village which was East Molesey.[2]
One of the first documented references to Molesey appears in a 10th-century charter (933AD); King Æthelstan to the familia of Chertsey Minster; confirmation of lands in Surrey and Berks.[3] Molesey lay within the Saxon administrative district of Elmbridge hundred.
East Molesey appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Molesham. It was held partly by John from Richard Fitz Gilbert and partly by Roger d'Abernon. Its domesday assets were: 2 hides and 3 virgates. It had 7 ploughs, 2 oxen, 32 acres of meadow, woodland worth 10 hogs. It rendered £6 15s 0d. Whilst West Molesey was held by Odard Balistarius. Its domesday assets were: 1 hide; 1 church, 5 ploughs. It rendered £4.[4]
Molesey was one of the many villages and towns along the Thames valley affected by the flooding of the River Mole in 1968.[citation needed]
Locality
Molesey lies south of the River Thames and bears several large reservoirs which provide water for central London. Some of these are now empty and are being converted into nature reserves. Another is used as a cesspit. To the west lies Bessborough Reservoir and Knight Reservoir, to the northwest Molesey Reservoirs, to the south Island Barn Reservoir, and to the southwest Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir.
Molesey Heath is a large tract of common land adjacent to the town. Once a rubbish tip, it is now a pleasant place to walk. It is possible to find buried shards of old pottery and bottles dating from the time the heath was used as a large waste-ground as well as the more usual detritus of used condoms and syringes. Many bottles are from the old lemonade factory in nearby Thames Ditton. The lake, which has recently begun to be filled in with earth, was once a puddle.
Hampton Court Palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is reachable from East Molesey by Hampton Court Bridge. Molesey Lock is just above the bridge. East Molesey boasts some interesting landmarks, including The "Crooked" Bell End, a public house built in the mid-15th century.
Sports
Molesey was once the bare-knuckle boxing centre of England,[citation needed] and has an unused horse-racing track stretching the length of the River Thames from the new Tesco shopping centre at Hurst Park down to Molesey Lock. Its long, wide grass expanse and the large old iron gates, separated by a road opened on race days, are still visible. Previously it was referred to as Moulsey Hurst.
East Molesey Cricket Club (est. 1730) is the second-oldest cricket club in the world.[citation needed]
Molesey Boat Club (est. 1866) is one of the UK's leading rowing clubs, with several Olympic and World Championship medallists in addition to domestic success at all ages.[citation needed]
Transportation
Rail Service
The local train station is Hampton Court railway station, operated by South West Trains. There is a regular stopping service to Waterloo. The route stops at Surbiton and Clapham Junction where connections can be made to Southbound services. The trip to Waterloo takes around 40 minutes and is popular with commuters. Judicious train hopping at Surbiton can cut down the commute time by a few minutes. Hampton Court station benefits from being at the end of the line which means there are always seats available on London bound trains. During the Hampton Court flower show extra services are provided to and from London.
Bus Service
Bus links serve the short distance to nearby Kingston and Richmond, both suburban boroughs of London.
Molesey's main bus service, the 411, is operated by London United on behalf of Transport for London. The route starts at Central Avenue in West Molesey and runs through East Molesey, past Hampton Court Station and on to Kingston town centre where there are connections to buses throughout the local area. The bus runs a good schedule throughout the day and late into the evening.
Notable people
One celebrity from Molesey is Matt Willis, who was once in the band 'Busted' and is the 2006 winner of ITV's 'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!'.
Broadcaster, Robert Robinson regularly quoted on his Radio Four programme, Stop the Week, from an alleged correspondent in East Molesey. Many believe this to have been merely a device, used by Robinson to promote his own whimsical views on a variety of esoteric subjects.
References
External links
- Molesey History - This site has lots of books, papers and pictures about the history of Molesey written by local historian Rowland Baker.
- Molesey News & Mail local newspaper
- Molesey Residents' Association - The local Residents Association which holds the vast majority of the local council seats.
- Elmbridge Borough Council - The local council.