Walton-on-Thames

Walton-On-Thames is a town in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey in South East England.

Location

It is located 15.3 miles (24.6 km) south west of Charing Cross and between the towns of Weybridge and Esher. The River Thames bounds the town to the north. The original village lies in the north, while later development is in the south closer to the railway station; a railway journey to London Waterloo Station takes 25 minutes.

History

The name Walton is Anglo-Saxon in origin and is believed to mean "farm of the Britons" or to have meant 'Saxon settlement'. Even before the Romans and the Saxons were present, there was a Celtic settlement here. The Anglo-Saxon word for the Celtic inhabitants who lived here before them is "Wealas".

Walton-on-Thames was also identified by William Camden as the place where Caesar forded the Thames on his second invasion of Britain, however according to Elmbridge Museum there is no evidence to support this.

In the Domesday Book "waletona" was noted as having a church, two mills and a fishery.

Standing on the highest point of town, St. Mary's Parish Church dates back to before the Domesday Book (1086 AD). The church is of saxon origin, with parts dating back to the 12th and 15th centuries. The square flint tower, supported by a 19th century brick buttress, contains a peal of 6 bells, the oldest bearing the date 1606.

During the First World War New Zealand troops were hospitalised in the now demolished Mount Felix House. They are remembered by the street name New Zealand Avenue, the Wellington Pub and a small memorial in the Homebase car park.

Julia Elizabeth Wells was born 1 October, 1935 in Walton-on-Thames, and later became Dame Julie Andrews.

Hersham and Walton Motors (HWM), now an Aston Martin dealer, constructed its own racing car in the early 1950s. Stirling Moss won his first Formula One Grand Prix in an HWM. In addition HWM was the world's first Aston Martin dealership.

Walton Bridge

There have been five inadequate bridges on the site so far and plans are well advanced for the sixth, but residents are not holding their breath. Prior to the first bridge there was a ferry which goes back to, at least, the 15th century, as does the architecture of the current bridge.

The first bridge, constructed between 1748 and 1750, was a wooden structure that stood until 1783. Canaletto painted a picture of this bridge in 1754.

The second bridge was constructed in 1788 and stood until 1859. Constructed of brick and stone it lasted much longer that its predecessor. This bridge was painted by Turner in 1805 following his sketching tour of the river Thames and Wey at that time.

After the second bridge collapsed a ferry crossing resumed until the construction of the third bridge in 1864. This was a girder bridge on stone piers. At the same time a brick viaduct was constructed to span the flood plain to the south of the river. As of 2006 the viaduct is still standing.

The third bridge was damaged during the Second World War in 1940 leading to a permanent weight restriction. To allieviate this a fourth temporary bridge was constructed in 1953 on the downstream side of the old bridge which was relegated to use by cyclists and pedestrians. It was finally demolished in 1985.

The fourth bridge was constructed from prefabricated bailey bridge style components that were probably war surplus. In 1999 the fourth bridge was replaced by yet another temporary, fifth bridge occupying the line of the original bridges. This initially had several problems and had to be resurfaced a number of times causing huge traffic disruptions. The fourth bridge was relegated to use by cyclists and pedestrians once the fifth was completed.

A sixth bridge is planned and may be completed by 2009.

Today

Walton is part of the Esher and Walton parliamentary constituency, as of 2005 a safe Conservative seat. The current MP is Ian Taylor. Six Walton Society Councillors represent Walton on Elmbridge Borough Council, with one representing Walton on Surrey County Council. There are Five Conservatives on Elmbridge Council three in the South ward and one each in Ambleside and North wards. The Walton South and Oatlands division on the County Council, which includes part of the town centre, is Conservative held.

The local newspaper is Walton News & Mail

Natives from Walton-on-Thames

Julie Andrews (born October 1, 1935), actress and singer
Nick Lowe (born March 24, 1949), singer-songwriter and producer
Danny Sapsford (born April 3, 1969), tennis player
Amanda Dowler (born 25 June, 1988), murder victim
Tony Walton (Born October 24, 1934), costume designer, scenic designer
Mick Hucknall (Born June 8th, 1960), lead singer for Simply Red

The Heart of Walton

The Heart of Walton is the name given to the re-development of Walton town centre.The old town centre was constructed in the 1960s and had become very run down. The re-development includes a shopping mall and 279 apartments.The new centre boasts high-profile shops including: Virgin Megastores and the clothes department store- Next.

Walton & Hersham F.C

Walton F.C. was formed in 1895, and in 1945, following World War II, amalgamated with Hersham F.C. to form Walton & Hersham F.C., the present club.

They are currently in the Ryman Premier League and have produced good players such as [Nathan Ellington].

References

Tommy Bolin's "Dreamer" was written for someone in Walton-On-Thames, and makes references to the railroads there.

Sources

External links