Extract from The River Mole or Emlyn Stream by Mary Drinkwater Bethune, which was published in 1839. [6] The catchment area receives 761mm (30.0in) of rain each year; the greatest average level of rainfall is 800mm (31.5in) around Crawley. [132], Slyfield Mill near Stoke d'Abernon is first mentioned in Domesday Book. 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). 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. History. [12] At Pixham the Mole meets the Pipp Brook, a tributary draining the northeastern slopes of Leith Hill. stream In 1990 the Environment Agency assessed 23% of the watercourses as Grade B (good) or better. [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]. 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. A part suspended steel and timber deck bridge, spanning 42 metres (138ft). The river flows initially southwards for 1 km (0.6 mi) to a small lake at Baldhorns Park, before running eastwards through a largely rural area towards Crawley. The first gauging station on the Mole is south of Gatwick Airport (57m[187ft] above OD). [31] The Environment Agency estimated that up to 5200 fish of 14 different species were killed as the pollution drained downstream. Get more Esher news from SurreyLive straight to your inbox for free here. Finds at Wonham include arrowheads and a plano-convex knife. The present bridge opened in 1971. 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. [23][24][note 5], From Painshill Park the river flows northeastwards to the Thames, passing to the west of Esher Commons and then forming the boundary between Hersham and Esher, where the mean flow of the river is 5.43m3/s (192cuft/s). Wed also like to use analytics cookies so we can understand how you use the service and make improvements. [22] The aquifer at Fetcham is the only one in the entire catchment area. Post Reply . The Beaches sections of the Shoreline Trail consists of the construction of a multi-use pathway in the Town of Evans and Town of Brant. A severe flood warning means there's a danger to life. [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. The 18th-century weir at Betchworth was modified in 2004 to facilitate the installation of two 27.5kW low-head hydro turbines. Get flood warnings by phone, text or email. It was used for fulling woollen cloth and milling corn. Look out for. The River Mole near Esher Road in Hersham. Just across from the green is a shopping centre, consisting of multiple shops and restaurants. You have a choice here. Hersham began as a strip of woodland beside the River Mole. [86][87][88] An anti-tank ditch was dug from the Stepping Stones eastwards across the fields belonging to Bradley Farm (now Denbies vineyard). Another well-established commercial business is the popular Squires Garden Centre adjacent to the Burvale Cemetery in Burwood Road. These date mostly from the mesolithic period. 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. [citation needed]. 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. [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". 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. Just before the gate take the footpath on the right between 2 tree stumps. Its housing is relatively low-rise and diverse and it has four technology/trading estates. [20] The meander was reinstated in 1997, in an attempt to enhance this area of the Park, although it has since become blocked by silt. Original wooden Victorian bridge replaced by a stone parapet bridge in 1907 and the present concrete bridge dates from 1965. It dates back way before the Doomsday book and this is what makes it such an interesting river to paddle. Tonawanda to Buffalo via Shoreline Trail Riverwalk. The Mole catchment reaches a maximum elevation of 265m (869ft) above Ordnance Datum at Leith Hill to the southwest of Dorking. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 1 h 32 min to complete. The 360 acre estate is known both for its extensive wildlife more than 150 species of birds and mammals have been recorded in the woods and parkland around its lakes and communal areas .as well as the high level of security and privacy provided to its residents; it is one of the few remaining residential areas in the United Kingdom never to Hersham began as a strip of woodland beside the River Mole. It then swings east and joins the Thames between East Molesey and Thames Ditton at Albany Reach and Cigarette . [6], The stretch of river between Thorncroft Manor (1km[0.6mi] south of Leatherhead) and River Lane in Fetcham has been designated a Local Nature Reserve. 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. Acclaimed Astrologer", "They've been kept hangin' on for the X Factor live shows! [4][5] The Mole Gap forms part of a Special Area of Conservation and is an SSSI of European importance. The airport was fined 30,000 by Lewes Crown Court. During the Commonwealth it was used for gunpowder manufacture, but after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 it reverted to corn milling. Mole (Horley to Hersham) is a river in Surrey. 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. Built in 1957 as part of the scheme to divert the A23 around the eastern periphery of Gatwick Airport. River Thames Bookmark All 85 planned road closures in Surrey this week including Farnham, Reigate and Walton-on-Thames Traffic and Travel Bookmark 54 Surrey road closures this week including. There were a series of fires over a century and after the last in 1978 the buildings were demolished. Something went wrong, please try again later. River Mole at Stoke D'Abernon, Cobham and South Hersham flood warning area. However, a search of the scene uncovered no evidence of any body parts and the fire service handed over control of the incident to Surrey Police. In 1540 he purchased from John Carleton the "manor of Morehall or Sylkesmore" in Hersham, together with lands and woods in Burwood and Hatch in Hersham. The bridge is largely composed of flint and has a large inverted scallop shell in the place of the keystone and similar shells in the spandrels at each side. Wed also like to use analytics cookies so we can understand how you use the service and make improvements. quickly develops into a wild ramble along the River Mole and then over beech- and pine-clad hills. [29], In 1972 a sub-debate on the future cleanliness of the Mole was had by the House of Lords, involving a member of the South-East Strategic Committee of the Thames Conservancy (succeeded by the Environment Agency) and four others. [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. large bittercress (Cardamine amara) and the non-native Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera). [96] The bridge was renovated and strengthened in 1999 by a group of Canadian engineers working on the Terra Nove project. The culvert was constructed in 1957. The river also provides a corridor for wildlife through the centre of Leatherhead. The only contiguous settlement is Walton-on-Thames, its post town. Always check you can fish lawfully before starting. The River Mole rises in West Sussex near Gatwick Airport and flows north-west through Surrey for 50 miles. It is home to Sandown Park Racecourse. Up to date as of 3:29pm on 27 February 2023. Single track bridge built in 1842 and refurbished in 1993. The path runs between high wire fences. 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). 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. The trail is open year-round and is . [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. The Mole winds its way past Leatherhead and under the M25 then runs beside the boundary of the Chelsea FC training ground & then through the wealthy village of Cobham (with many "Chelsea Tractors"). The River Mole arises in Sussex and enters Surrey at Gatwick airport. Concrete anti-tank dragon's teeth were built on both sides of the river, a short distance upstream of the bridge, as an obstacle to armoured vehicles.[89]. ", "Manchester United's Luke Shaw signs new contract at Old Trafford until 2023", Parakeet population booming in borough Molesey News & Mail, 7 July 2004, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hersham&oldid=1134823525. [47], In a survey in 1958, the geologist C.C. Fagg identified 25 active swallow holes between Dorking and Mickleham; the majority were only a few centimetres in diameter and were located in the vertical banks of the river below the water line. The largest STW in the Mole catchment (Reigate STW) discharges up to 118,500m3 (4,180,000cuft) per day into the Earlswood Brook. [18] The river leaves the Weald Clay at Brockham, passing Betchworth Castle [19] and flowing briefly across greensand and Gault Clay to Pixham, 1km (0.6mi) north east of Dorking. There are around 3,500 measuring stations, and most are along main rivers and the coast. [15][16], The Mole enters Surrey to the south of Horley, where it meets the Gatwick Stream, a tributary draining Worth Forest to the southeast of Crawley. In this it was said, "I can see no future for [The Mole]. It also takes in all six ponds of this part of Esher Common, some hidden deep in the woods. [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. However, the road remained open and the site was clear of parked vehicles by mid-morning. [1] At the confluence of the Mole and the River Thames at Hampton Court Palace it is possible to catch a wide variety of coarse fish species. [10][11], Horley Mill was first mentioned in a deed of the early 13th century. The Mummy was filmed in Hersham. These levels can help you understand your flood risk now and over the next few days. Bronze and Iron Age burials have been found on the slopes of the hill which was clearly a feature of some importance in ancient times. Mole (Horley to Hersham) is 60.133 km long When Henry VIII built Nonsuch Palace in Cheam as many as eighty loads of timber were obtained from Southwood, or the South Woods, for it. Within Hersham is the mixed, secondary Three Rivers Academy. Queen Victoria wrote in her diary how she saw her first steam train in Hersham when she was a young girl. [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. 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. [92] The first bridge on this site was probably constructed during the late Middle Ages and was rebuilt and enlarged by the county surveyor, George Gwilt in 178283. However this proved to be impractical and they were instead covered by concrete domes, up to 18 m in diameter, each fully supported by the surrounding chalk and provided with a manhole and access shaft to allow periodic inspection. ", READ MORE: Emergency services find nothing after report of 'body part' in River Mole near Hersham - recap. A single track bridge built in 1737 by Richard and Thomas Skilton. The bridge was designed by the architect Howard Humphreys and the westernmost section is a drawbridge which may be raised to prevent access to Painshill Park. [32] In May 2003, sewage leaking from a pump operated by Thames Water leaked into the Stanford Brook, killing coarse fish in the Gatwick stream. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [97], A wooden bridge is thought to have existed on the site of Cobham Bridge since the 12th century, the upkeep of which was the responsibility of the adjacent landowners. The River Mole originally flowed into the River Thames at the point where the present Hampton Court bridge now crosses the Thames (approximately 500 m upstream of the present confluence, on the reach above Teddington Lock). 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. The following day the Mole Bridge in Esher road, was swamped, with the river bursting its banks across the flatland towards Hersham. Four of the victims were never identified but buried in Hersham's Burvale Cemetery and another Vickers worker, 36 year old William E Hunt, was buried close by. [12] The Earlswood Brook, a tributary draining the urban area of Reigate and Redhill, joins the Mole at Sidlow. Library, Hersham is 311 meters away, 5 min walk. Emergency services conducted a search at the scene but were unable to locate anything. [1] The river gives its name to the Surrey district of Mole Valley. Turn left, signposted Hersham and follow this almost to the gates of a caravan site. In 2003, the upper River Mole near Meath Green Lane, Horley, was enhanced to create a gravel spawning area to encourage chub and dace in addition to roach. Today the Mole and Wey are less than 2km (1.2mi) apart at their closest point near Painshill Park. [6], The river has captured the imagination of several authors and poets,[7] particularly since in very hot summers the river channel can become dry between Dorking and Leatherhead, most recently in 2022. Other specialist Hersham firms include coachbuilders Compton & Herman Ltd based in Molesey Road in the 1920s before being renamed Compton Motor Body Builders and later moving first to Kingston and then to New Malden. [2] Brickearth deposits are common in the valley around Betchworth and east of Dorking. The second-largest Sewage Treatment Works (STW) in the Mole catchment is located on the Gatwick Stream 3km (1.9mi) upstream of the confluence with the Mole: Crawley STW discharges 15,000m3 (530,000cuft) of water per day, and in prolonged dry periods it accounts for up to 75% of the flow of the Mole downstream of the confluence. [131] It was a corn mill, built in the early 19th century, and has been converted into a bed and breakfast hotel. For the hamlet in Cornwall, see, The artefact-rich manor is at Burhill Road KT12 4BJ, Will of Dame Dorothye Edmondes, widow of Sir Christopher Edmondes, of 'Est Moulsey, Surrey', line 39 of her registered will; National Archives; PROB 11, proved 21 Sept 1615: 'And the lease of the Coppice called the Hurst Coppice, lying & being in Haversham, in the parish of Waltoun, in the said county' (spelling modernized), 'The Memoirs of Herbert Hoover, The Cabinet & Presidency 19201933' (Pub. 1952), Key Statistics; Quick Statistics: Population Density, Hersham in Surrey: a brief local history of the parish of St. Peter's, Hersham, in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, "William Lilly (1602-1681) By Barbara Dunn. This trail is great for road biking, running, and walking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. Grade II listed. Barker, J L & D M (1996) 'Hark Back to Hersham' (self-published); Greenwood, George (1986, 3rd Edition Revised) 'Hersham in Surrey' (Elmbridge Museum Service); Pulford, J S L (1988) 'The Church of St Peter Hersham - Monumental Inscriptions' (Walton & Weybridge Local History Society, Paper No. Hersham is a charming little station in Surrey, with views over fields, the River Mole and a local golf course. It has been suggested that a proportion of the excess water originates from the Mole Gap. Youve accepted analytics cookies. 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. 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). Mesolithic sites at Wonham, Flanchford and Sidlow. [8][51][52] At Leatherhead, the river leaves the chalk and flows across impermeable London Clay. Leaving Dorking, the River Mole skirts the south west of Leatherhead and then Cobham, before heading north between Hersham and Esher. [85] The river may be paddled all year by canoe between Brockham and Fetcham with an appropriate licence from the British Canoe Union. [93], A few metres downstream of Leatherhead Bridge stands the GradeII listed railway viaduct which carries the Leatherhead to Dorking line over the river. It was used to process corn, brass wire, iron, paper, linoleum, and books. 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. Get to know this 15.9-mile out-and-back trail near Buffalo, New York. The Mole Valley has been polluted. The woodland, river and ponds are attractive at any time of the year. Somewhere around 200 B.C. The Mole where I used to tickle trout in my youth is a drain, and it will remain a drain." [note 2], From Sidlow the Mole turns north west towards Brockham. The very modest High Street contains almost entirely only convenience and socialising stores; fashion and leisure shops are to be found less than 2 miles (3.2km) to the north, in Walton on Thames. In the nucleus of the village is Hersham Green, 3.4 acres (1.4ha) of open space on which regular events take place throughout the year. [92] The bridge was constructed as an ornamental feature in parkland laid out by Capability Brown in the late 18th century. It has in 2008 been recorded in tributaries of the River Mole at Capel and Brockham. The River Mole is a tributary of the River Thames in southern England. The island where it stood now forms part of the ornamental gardens of a housing development called "The Wilderness". 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. 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. River Mole rises in Baldhorns Copse 700m (0.4mi) to the south of the village of Rusper in West Sussex. 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. At this point, the water table rises enough for the water to flow back into the main river channel. This is a popular trail for road biking, running, and walking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. The geology of the local area is complex, since the river leaves the chalk of the Mole Gap at this point and flows over gravel and clay, creating a patchwork of different habitats including scrub, woodland, hedges, banks, and meadows as well as the water itself. The beautiful demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) disappeared from the River Mole during the 1960s owing to deteriorating water quality, but has since recolonised. The proportion of households in the settlement who owned their home outright compares to the regional average of 35.1%. River Mole rises in Baldhorns Copse 700 m (0.4 mi) to the south of the village of Rusper in West Sussex. [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. The most recent mill was demolished in 1959, although the mill house still stands. [53] A few much larger swallow holes were also observed separated from the main river by a channel[clarification needed] of about a metre.