Molesey is a suburban district comprising two large villages, East Molesey and West Molesey, in the Borough of Elmbridge,

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

, England. Molesey is within the

Greater London Built-up Area The Greater London Built-up Area, or Greater London Urban Area, is a conurbation in south-east England that constitutes the continuous urban sprawl of London, and includes surrounding adjacent urban towns as defined by the Office for National Sta ...

, and is situated on the south bank of the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

. East and West Molesey share a high street and there is a second retail restaurant-lined street (Bridge Road) close to

Hampton Court Palace Hampton Court Palace is a Listed building, Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. Opened to the public, the palace is managed by Historic Royal ...

in the eastern part of the district, which is also home to

Hampton Court railway station Hampton Court railway station is a suburban terminus station at East Molesey, in the Borough of Elmbridge in the county of Surrey, 100 yards short of Hampton Court Bridge, the midpoint of which is a boundary of Greater London. The station is d ...

Transport for London Transport for London (TfL) is a local government body responsible for most of the transport network in London, United Kingdom. TfL is the successor organization of the London Passenger Transport Board, which was established in 1933, and His ...

's Zone 6. Molesey Hurst or Hurst Park is a large park by the River Thames in the north of the area, and is home to

East Molesey Cricket Club East Molesey Cricket Club is a cricket club in Molesey, Surrey, England. It was established in 1871, although cricket has been played at the Moulsey Hurst since 1731. East Molesey's current ground, 'The Memorial Ground', has been the home for ...

. The Hampton Ferry runs from here to Hampton on the Middlesex bank, from where it is a short walk to the central area of

Hampton Hampton may refer to: Places Australia *Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia * Hampton, New South Wales *Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region * Hampton, Victoria ** Hampton railway station, Melbour ...

. Molesey is divided into three

wards Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

: Molesey South, East and North. The majority of Molesey's detached properties are in the east, which also contains the highest proportion of apartments of the three wards.

History

The earliest documentary evidence of a settlement in Molesey appears in a 7th-century charter, shortly after

Erkenwald Saint Earconwald or Erkenwald (died 693) was a Saxon prince and Bishop of London between 675 and 693. He is the eponymous subject of one of the most important poems in the foundations of English literature (thought to be by the Sir Gawain and the ...

founded

Chertsey Abbey Chertsey Abbey, dedicated to St Peter, was a Benedictine monastery located at Chertsey in the English county of Surrey. It was founded in 666 AD by Saint Erkenwald who was the first abbot, and from 675 AD the Bishop of London. At the same ti ...

in AD 666. He secured from

Frithwald Frithwald (Old English: ''Friþuweald''ASC MS D
, s.a. 762. or ''Friðewald''; d. 762 × 764) was an Etymologists Etymology ( ) is the study of the origin and evolution of words—including their constituent units of sound and meaning—across time. In the 21st century a subfield within linguistics, etymology has become a more rigorously scientific study. ...

suggest that the town's name is derived from the personal name ''Mul'' (pronounced Mule) compounded with the

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

word ''eg'', meaning an island or river meadow – thus Mul's Island. Therefore, Molesey is not, as commonly believed, named after the

River Mole The 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 at Hampton Court Palace. The river gives its name to the Surrey district ...

that runs through it. The

prefix A prefix is an affix which is placed before the stem of a word. Particularly in the study of languages, a prefix is also called a preformative, because it alters the form of the word to which it is affixed. Prefixes, like other affixes, can b ...

es ''East'' and ''West'' did not appear until about the year 1200, before which there was only one parish centred around what is now known as East Molesey. Molesey lay within the

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

administrative district of Elmbridge

hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numerals, Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 (number), 99 and preceding 101 (number), 101. In mathematics 100 is the square of 10 (number), 10 (in scientific notation it is written as 102). The standar ...

. East Molesey appears in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

of 1066 as ''Moleshire''. It was held partly by John from Richard Fitz Gilbert and partly by Roger d'Abernon. Its Domesday assets were: 2

hide Hide or hides may refer to: Common uses * Hide (skin), the cured skin of an animal * Bird hide, a structure for observing birds and other wildlife without causing disturbance * Gamekeeper's hide or hunting hide or hunting blind, a structure to hi ...

s and 3

virgate The virgate, yardland, or yard of land ( was an English unit of land. Primarily a measure of tax assessment rather than area, the virgate was usually (but not always) reckoned as hide and notionally (but seldom exactly) equal to 30 acr ...

s. It had 7

plough A plough or ( US) plow (both pronounced ) is a farm tool for loosening or turning the soil before sowing seed or planting. Ploughs were traditionally drawn by oxen and horses but modern ploughs are drawn by tractors. A plough may have a wooden ...

s, 2 oxen, and of

meadow A meadow ( ) is an open habitat or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non- woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as they maintain an open character. Meadows can occur naturally under favourable con ...

and

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with woody plants (trees and shrubs), or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the '' plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunli ...

worth 10 hogs. It rendered £6 15s 0d. West Molesey was held by Odard Balistarius. Its Domesday assets were: 1 hide, 1 church, and 5

s. It rendered £2.50. Along with neighbouring

Thames Ditton Thames Ditton is a suburban village on the River Thames, in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey, England. Apart from a large inhabited island in the river, it lies on the southern bank, centred south-west of Charing Cross in central London. Thame ...

, East Molesey formed a part of the ancient parish of Kingston upon Thames, based at the historic

All Saints Church, Kingston upon Thames All Saints Church is the historic parish church of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London, and is set between the ancient Market Place and the main shopping centre. It forms part of the Diocese of Southwark and together with the St John's Churc ...

. From 1933, the Urban District of East and West Molesey became part of the Esher Urban District, which was originally recommended by the

Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London The Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London, also known as the Herbert Commission, was established in 1957 and published its report in 1960. The report made recommendations for the overhaul of the administration of the capital. They ...

(the Herbert Commission) for inclusion within the new ceremonial county of

Greater London Greater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with the London region, containing most of the continuous urban area of London. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a Ceremonial count ...

. In 1974, the district eventually merged with its neighbour to the west, Walton and Weybridge Urban District, to form the new

borough of Elmbridge Elmbridge is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England. Its council is based in Esher, and other notable towns and villages include Cobham, Walton-on-Thames, Weybridge and Molesey. The borough lies just outside the a ...

within Surrey. Molesey was one of the many villages and towns along the Thames Valley affected by flooding in 1968; specifically here the flooding of the

. Some barriers and overflow fields have been created since then by the Environment Agency and its precursors. The boundary between East and West Molesey uses a roughly due north–south compass axis, based on a point of division by the Molesey Stone on the grass outside Molesey Library on Walton Road, though the Stone has been moved from its original position and the actual boundary between East and West Molesey has become somewhat blurred and disputed.

Women's suffrage

On 8 June 1913, the grandstand at the former

Hurst Park Racecourse Hurst Park Racecourse was a racecourse at Moulsey Hurst, West Molesey, Surrey, near the River Thames. It was first laid out in 1890 and held its last race in 1962. There was racing at nearby Hampton, London, Hampton for many years until 1887. T ...

in Molesey was virtually destroyed after an

arson Arson is the act of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, watercr ...

attack by

suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...

Kitty Marion Kitty Marion (born Katherina Maria Schäfer, 12 March 1871 – 9 October 1944) was an activist who advocated for women's suffrage and birth control. Born in the German Empire, she immigrated to England in 1886 when she was fifteen. She sang i ...

and Clara Giveen. The attack was said to be in revenge for the death of

Emily Davison Emily Wilding Davison (11 October 1872 – 8 June 1913) was an English suffragette who fought for Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, votes for women in Britain in the early twentieth century. A member of the Women's Social and Polit ...

at the

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, more commonly known as the Derby and sometimes referred to as the Epsom Derby, is a Group races, Group 1 flat Horse racing, horse race in England open to three-year-old Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It is run at Ep ...

earlier that month. The pair were arrested the following day and imprisoned for three years, although both were released early after going on

hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance where participants fasting, fast as an act of political protest, usually with the objective of achieving a specific goal, such as a policy change. Hunger strikers that do not take fluids are ...

Locality

Molesey is directly south of the River Thames, with several large reservoirs bordering the town to the west and south that provide water within the

London Basin The London Basin is an elongated, roughly triangular sedimentary basin approximately long which underlies London and a large area of south east England, south eastern East Anglia and the adjacent North Sea. The basin formed as a result of compr ...

. Some of these are now disused and are being converted into nature reserves. To the west lie

Bessborough Reservoir The Bessborough Reservoir is an embanked storage reservoir south of the River Thames in Surrey adjacent to the Knight Reservoir. To the south lies Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir and to the north the now disused Molesey Reservoirs. The A3050 runs to ...

and

Knight Reservoir The Knight Reservoir is a large pumped storage reservoir located in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey. It was inaugurated in 1907 and stores up to 2,180 million litres of raw water abstracted from the River Thames prior to its treatment and supp ...

, to the north-west

Molesey Reservoirs The Molesey Reservoirs were a group of reservoirs in England near Molesey, Surrey, in the western suburbs of London. There was an adjacent water treatment works. The reservoirs were adjacent to the River Thames on the south side on the reach abo ...

, to the south Island Barn Reservoir, and to the south-west Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir. There are walks beside

Metropolitan green belt The Metropolitan Green Belt is a statutory green belt around London, England. It comprises parts of Greater London, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey, parts of two of the three districts of Bedfordshire and a s ...

fields to the south along the river Mole to

Esher Esher ( ) is a town in the borough of Borough of Elmbridge, Elmbridge in Surrey, England, to the east of the River Mole, Surrey, River Mole. Esher is an outlying suburb of London, close to the London–Surrey border; with Esher Commons at its ...

, and to the west along the Thames Path to

Walton-on-Thames Walton-on-Thames, known locally as Walton, is a market town on the bank (geography), south bank of the River Thames, Thames in northwest Surrey, England. It is in the Borough of Elmbridge, about southwest of central London. Walton forms part ...

lies immediately north-east of East Molesey, across

Hampton Court Bridge Hampton Court Bridge is a Grade II listed bridge that crosses the River Thames in England approximately north–south between Hampton, London and East Molesey, Surrey, carrying the A309. It is the upper of two road bridges on the reach ab ...

The Palace, together with the southern part of

Bushy Park Bushy Park in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is the second largest of London's Royal Parks, at in area, after Richmond Park. The park, most of which is open to the public, is immediately north of Hampton Court Palace and Hampton ...

and most of

Hampton Court Park Hampton Court Park, also known as Home Park, is a walled royal park managed by the Historic Royal Palaces.

are in the

post town A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, Ireland, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system.Royal Mail, ''Address Management Guide'', (2004) Including the correct post town in t ...

of East Molesey.

Molesey Lock Molesey Lock is a lock (water transport), lock on the River Thames in England at East Molesey, Surrey on the bank (geography), right bank. The lock was built by the City of London Corporation in 1815 and was rebuilt by the Thames Conservancy i ...

is just above

, downstream of

Sunbury Lock Sunbury Lock is a lock complex of the River Thames in England near Walton-on-Thames in north-west Surrey, the third lowest of forty four on the non-tidal reaches. The complex adjoins the right, southern bank about downstream of the Weir Ho ...

and upstream of

Teddington Lock Teddington Lock is a complex of three locks and a weir on the River Thames between Ham and Teddington in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England. Historically in Middlesex, it was first built in 1810. The limit of legal powe ...

. Cigarette Island Park is just below the bridge, occupying the eastern extremity of the town.

Hurst Park Hurst Park Racecourse was a racecourse at Moulsey Hurst, West Molesey, Surrey, near the River Thames. It was first laid out in 1890 and held its last race in 1962. There was racing at nearby Hampton for many years until 1887. The first meeting ...

is on the south bank of the Thames, from where there is a daily

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

service to

on the Middlesex bank. It was home to a horse racing course from 1890 to 1962. The residential streets of East Molesey run directly into

Weston Green Weston Green is a small suburban village and a ward in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey. This area was, until 1901, a part of Thames Ditton with which it remains contiguous and associated. Weston Green is also contiguous with Esher, which prov ...

and the northernmost stretches of residential

to the south, and

to the east and south-east. Together with the reservoirs, Green Belt land to the west and south-west divides West Molesey from

Walton on Thames Walton-on-Thames, known locally as Walton, is a market town on the south bank of the Thames in northwest Surrey, England. It is in the Borough of Elmbridge, about southwest of central London. Walton forms part of the Greater London Built-up ...

. The central shopping area of

Kingston upon Thames Kingston upon Thames, colloquially known as Kingston, is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, south-west London, England. It is situated on the River Thames, south-west of Charing Cross. It is an ancient market town, notable as ...

lies east of Bridge Road in East Molesey, while central

lies to the west-southwest of West Molesey High Street.

Landmarks

Molesey itself has some interesting landmarks, including three listed Church of England churches and ''The Bell'', a

public house A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...

, formerly known as "The Crooked House", built in the mid-15th century. Other landmarks include The Jubilee Fountain in Bridge Road. There are three designated Conservation Areas in East Molesey. Other historic buildings include the

Grade II-listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

Matham Manor, an altered 15th-century house with timber frames and red brick; and a 16th-century house, Quillets Royal, with an 18th-century extension (The Manor House). Both buildings lie near The Bell in Bell Road/Matham Road. In April 2017, 15th-century St Peter's Church on Walton Road, said to be the oldest building in Molesey, had lead stolen from the roof and historic masonry damaged in a nighttime theft. Thieves used scaffolding put up to install an antenna approved by Elmbridge Council. Press reports alleged that police had been alerted to the crime by a local resident but that they had declined to attend.

Scout groups

Molesey has three

Scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom ** Scouts BSA, sect ...

groups which all belong to Esher District. 1st Molesey is a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

-recognised

Sea Scout Sea Scouts are a part of the Scout movement, with a particular emphasis on boating and other water-based activities on the sea, rivers or lakes (canoeing, rafting, scuba, sailboarding). Sea Scouts can provide a chance to sail, cruise on boats, ...

group whilst 2nd and 3rd Molesey are both Land Scout Groups. All groups have sections from Beavers right through to Explorers. The groups take part in a wide variety of activities and events throughout the year at various locations.

River channels, flooding and speculative building

Molesey's

conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...

is bordered to the south by a corollary channel of the

, known as the

River Ember The River Ember is a short river in the north of Surrey, England — a channel of the River Mole which splits in two south of Island Barn Reservoir, between East Molesey and Lower Green, Esher. The Ember, the larger channel, flows in an easter ...

, where successive environment authorities have implemented capacity-adding flood defences following a widespread and costly flood in 1968. Following further extensive flooding along the Thames in 2014, the Environment Agency is to carry out more large scale 'capacity building' work involving the construction of of new channels in areas upstream of Molesey as part of a flood relief project known as the River Thames Scheme (RTS) running between 2018 and 2027. Before 1968, the whole area including expensive areas such as East Molesey flooded badly on a regular basis as they are in part located on the former flood plains of the Thames and the Mole. Even today localised flooding and standing water can be quite common in times of heavy rain as the area is very low lying and flat. Molesey can be the subject of flood warnings that affect the Thames Valley.

is the third lock (and weir) on the River Thames, after Richmond and Teddington locks, and marks the furthest point upstream that the influence of the tides on the Thames (regulated by the

Thames Barrier The Thames Barrier is a retractable barrier system built to protect the floodplain of most of Greater London from exceptionally high tides and storm surges moving up from the North Sea. It has been operational since 1982. When needed, it is c ...

Woolwich Woolwich () is a town in South London, southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was mainta ...

) may be registered. The lock is located within of

, designed by architect Sir

Edwin Lutyens Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens ( ; 29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944) was an English architect known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. He designed many English country houses, war memorials ...

. In the West Molesey area, some houses are the result of over-optimistic development in the 1930s by developer Donald Gordon Howard, who eventually went bankrupt trying to sell houses at exceptionally low prices – at £395 some of the cheapest in the London area – while implying a misleading proximity to Hampton Court. The attraction was cheap, low-lying land near the London reservoirs and quite remote from transport links, especially the railway. Speculative land dealing and building go back a long way in the area. Much of East Molesey resulted from large scale land speculation in the 1850s by Francis Jackson Kent who saw an opportunity to make a fortune when the railway arrived at Hampton Court in 1849, quickly buying up land nearby and selling it on to wealthy individuals or developers who rapidly built on low lying former meadows that had always been flood prone. They naturally remained so until the 1960s when the nearby River Mole was re channelled after a hugely expensive flood. Pictures of the East Molesey area and Hampton Court station environs (on the opposite bank to the Palace) in flood conditions recur in 19th and 20th centuries. Molesey and adjacent areas of Esher, Walton and Hersham also have a significant amount of former council housing constructed by the predecessors to Elmbridge Council. There are also areas of post-war system built housing, thought to be of the concrete sectional type, built at the time of housing shortage in the years after World War 2 including on the West Molesey/East Molesey border. It was at one time home to the well-known company Roberts Radio who built a factory there in 1962.

Transport

Railway

The railway station in East Molesey is , in Transport for London's Zone 6. This is the terminus of a stopping commuter service to

London Waterloo Waterloo station (), also known as London Waterloo, is a major central London railway terminus on the National Rail network in the United Kingdom, in the Waterloo area of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is connected to a London Undergroun ...

that takes around thirty-five minutes. Principal stops are

Surbiton Surbiton is a suburban neighbourhood in South West London, within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (RBK). It is next to the River Thames, southwest of Charing Cross. Surbiton was in the Historic counties of England, historic county of ...

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * W ...

and Clapham Junction. Services are operated by

South Western Railway South Western Railway Limited, trading as South Western Railway (SWR), is the British state-owned train operating company that took over the services of the South Western Railway (2017–2025), operator of the same name from FirstGroup and MTR ...

. During the

Hampton Court Palace Flower Show The Hampton Court Garden Festival (formerly The Hampton Court Flower Show) is an annual British flower show, held in early July of each year. The show is run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) at Hampton Court Palace in the London Borough ...

, extra trains run to and from London.

Buses

Four bus routes serve the district: * Eastbound:

London Buses route 411 This is a list of Transport for London (TfL) contracted bus routes in London, England, as well as commercial services that enter the Greater London area (except coaches). Bus services in London are operated by Arriva London, Go-Ahead London ...

is operated by London United. The short route begins at Central Avenue in West Molesey and runs through East Molesey, past Hampton Court station and on to Kingston town centre. * North-eastbound: East Molesey's northern point by its station, shopping parade and small riverside park is the terminus of a second Transport for London bus service, route R68, operated by

Transport UK London Bus Transport UK London Bus, formerly Abellio London, is a bus company operating services under contract to Transport for London in Greater London, England. History The origins of Transport UK London Bus can be traced back to June 1998, when Nat ...

. The route begins at Hampton Court station and runs through Hampton,

Hampton Hill Hampton Hill (initially known as "New Hampton") is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames to the south of Twickenham. It is bounded by Fulwell and Twickenham Golf Courses to the northwest; a railway line road bridge at the j ...

Teddington Teddington is an affluent suburb of London in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Historically an Civil parish#ancient parishes, ancient parish in the county of Middlesex and situated close to the border with Surrey, the district became ...

Strawberry Hill Strawberry Hill may refer to: United Kingdom *Strawberry Hill, London, England **Strawberry Hill House, Horace Walpole's Gothic revival villa **Strawberry Hill railway station * Strawberry Hill, a rewilded farm at Knotting Green, Bedfordshire Uni ...

Twickenham Twickenham ( ) is a suburban district of London, England, on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historic counties of England, Historically in Middlesex, since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, who ...

and

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

, before ending at

Kew Kew () is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its population at the 2011 census was 11,436. Kew is the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens ("Kew Gardens"), now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace. Kew is ...

retail park. * Westbound: Route 461, operated by Falcon Coaches on behalf of

Surrey County Council Surrey County Council is the county council for the non-metropolitan county of Surrey, England. The council is composed of 81 elected councillors, and in all but one election since 1974 the Conservative Party has held the majority. The leader ...

, runs from Kingston, through Molesey and on to

Walton Walton may refer to: People * Walton (given name) * Walton (surname) * Susana, Lady Walton (1926–2010), Argentine writer Places Canada * Walton, Nova Scotia, a community ** Walton River (Nova Scotia) *Walton, Ontario, a hamlet United Kingd ...

, terminating at

Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in the United Kingdom at its head offices in Welwyn Garden City, England. The company was founded by Jack Cohen (businessman), Sir Jack Cohen in ...

Addlestone Addlestone ( or ) is a town in Surrey, England. It is located approximately southwest of London. The town is the administrative centre of the Runnymede (borough), Borough of Runnymede, of which it is the largest settlement. Geography Addlesto ...

. * Southbound: Route 514, also operated by Falcon on behalf of Surrey County Council, runs from

Hersham Hersham is a suburban village in Surrey, within the M25 and the Greater London Built-up Area. It has a mixture of low and high rise housing and has four technology/trading estates. Hersham is contiguous with Walton-on-Thames, its post town, t ...

to Kingston via Molesey, Thames Ditton,

Long Ditton Long Ditton is a residential suburb in the borough of Borough of Elmbridge, Elmbridge, Surrey, England on the boundary with the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Greater London, London. In medieval times it was a villages in the United Kin ...

and Surbiton.

Demography and housing

The average level of accommodation in the region composed of detached houses was 28%, the average that was apartments was 22.6%. The proportion of households in the settlement who owned their home outright compares to the regional average of 35.1 per cent. The proportion who owned their home with a loan compares to the regional average of 32.5 per cent. The remaining segment is made up of rented dwellings (plus a negligible per cent of households living rent-free). There is a locally moored boat, the

West Molesey houseboat The West Molesey houseboat is a residential barge moored on the River Thames, in West Molesey. Some locals call it the slumboat. The boat has made press frequently due to legal actions from the Environment Agency, and grievances on its occupants ...

, which is moored on the river Thames.

Crime

Surrey Police Surrey Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the Counties of England, county of Surrey in South East England. The force is currently led by Chief Constable Tim De Meyer. The force has its headquarters at Mount Brown ...

statistics for reported crime in the West Molesey area for the period October 2021 to September 2022 recorded violence and sexual crime as the biggest single category with 328 instances, with anti-social behaviour having 180 instances and criminal damage and arson ranked third with 74. 31 burglaries were recorded, with 42 vehicle crimes. There were two murders in West Molesey in 2016–2017. A woman was found murdered with a machete or axe in the front garden of her house on Walton Road, Molesey in March 2016, resulting in extensive national publicity. Police launched a second local murder investigation on 7 December 2017 when a woman reported as previously deliberately run down in the small hours of the morning in a car park on land between Hurst Road, Molesham Way and Walton Road, died in hospital.

Sport

Molesey was once the bare-knuckle

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

centre of England, and had a famous

horse-racing Horse racing is an equestrianism, equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all spor ...

track stretching the length of the

from where Hurst Park School now stands, down to

. The course closed in 1962, and much of it was built on in the 1960s; the Hurst Park Estate has a mixture of three and two-storey homes and a block of flats overlooking the river. Part of the open space that was part of the racetrack is now a riverside park. There is a wide grass expanse, a playground and open access to the Thames; features here include the Hampton Ferry and Molesey Regatta, a major event in the sport of rowing with catering and evening outdoor music. There are some large iron gates in the access road to Hurst Park called Graburn Way which were built so that horse races then started just east of the road and enabled the course to have a 'straight mile'.

Cricket

'Moulsey Hurst' is a very early site of cricket (from 1731) and that tradition is continued to this day by

, which is located alongside the South bank of the Thames, from

. It was founded in 1871. The club's first XI play in Surrey Championship Premier Division and there are four other senior Saturday league sides and two u21 Sunday league side, regularly competing against other Surrey clubs. The first recorded

Leg Before Wicket Leg before wicket (lbw) is one of the ways in which a Batting (cricket), batter can be dismissal (cricket), dismissed in the sport of cricket. Following an Appeal (cricket), appeal by the Fielding (cricket), fielding side, the umpire (cricket), ...

(LBW) dismissal in first class cricket is said to have been given in a game between an XI of Surrey and a XIII of England at this site in 1795. Prior to this date there had been several attempts to formulate a law that would stop batsmen simply obstructing their wicket with their leg pads to prevent being bowled. The LBW law has been revised several times since then.

Rowing

Molesey Boat Club Molesey Boat Club is a Rowing (sport), rowing club between Molesey Lock and Sunbury Lock on the River Thames in England. The club was founded in 1866 where its boathouse stands with hardstanding next to the Thames Path National Trail, Thames P ...

(established 1866) is home to some Olympic and World Championship medallists and domestic success at all ages, particularly in its adult crews. The rowing club also competes in the Amateur Molesey Regatta held annually in Hurst Park

Football

Molesey F.C. Molesey Football Club is a semi-professional association football, football club based in West Molesey, Surrey, England. They are currently members of the and play at Walton Road. History Pre-merger The original Molesey club was established b ...

is a non-league football team based in West Molesey. The club is currently a member of the

Isthmian League The Isthmian League () is a regional Association football, football league covering Greater London, East of England, East and South East England, featuring mostly semi-professional clubs. Founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area, th ...

and play at the Herds Renault Stadium, Walton Road. The original football club was established by former Corinthian player James Jenkinson Knox in Autumn 1892 under the name Hampton Court and East Molesey Association Football Club. Their first match was played on 24 September 1892 against Barnes, winning 14–5. In 1946 Molesey United and West Molesey Old Boys merged to form Molesey Football Club. The new club joined the Surrey Intermediate League and won the league in their first season.

Metropolitan Police F.C. Metropolitan Police Football Club is a association football, football club based in East Molesey, Surrey, England. Originally made up of players from the Metropolitan Police, the rule requiring players to be employees of the service was removed ...

is a non-league football team based in East Molesey and are based at the Imber Court Sports Ground. AFC Molesey is a former non-league football team that was also based in West Molesey, a member of the

Surrey County Intermediate League (Western) The Surrey County Intermediate League (Western) is one of the three intermediate football (soccer), football leagues which has most of its teams in the English county of Surrey and is the smaller of the two feeder leagues to the Surrey Premier Co ...

Division One and played at the West Molesey Recreation Ground, Walton Road. Up to the date that the club folded, the club had seen its popularity grown significantly following its winning several honours including the Lower Junior County Cup in the 2007/08 season and successful consecutive league promotions. Molesey Juniors F.C. is a community youth football organisation based at the Wilderness Playing Fields, East Molesey

Swimming

Just beyond the gates of Hurst Park used to be the home of the open air Upper Deck swimming pool, the nearest open air pool now being across the ferry up Hampton High Street in

. An indoor pool was built by the council nearby as a replacement. Flats are now built on the site of the outdoor pool. The entire riverside recreational area was previously referred to as

Moulsey Hurst Moulsey Hurst is in West Molesey, Surrey on the south bank of the River Thames above Molesey Lock. It is one of England's oldest sporting venues and was used in the 18th and 19th centuries for cricket, prizefighting and other sports. This area ...

. Hurst swimming pool is in Dunstall Way in the north of Molesey.

Pool and billiards

The Poyntz Arms Public House and Molesey East & West Conservative Club host matches in the Tolworth and District Pool League.

Darts

Darts is a very popular sport in Molesey, played at several public houses including the Molesey Football Club, ''The Royal Oak'', ''The Cannon'' and the Royal British Legion. Teams are made up of patrons and club members. All teams compete in the Molesey and District Darts League.

Cycling

In 2012, Bradley Wiggins won the Olympic Time Trial event. The course passed through East and West Molesey and Hurst Park, and the event finish was at Hampton Court Palace, which has an East Molesey postcode: Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, Surrey KT8 9AU. The Surrey Classic Cycle race previously passed East and West Molesey and Hurst Park yearly. National Cycle Network route #4 passes along the River Thames towpath through Molesey.

Motorsports

The karting team, OsbornRacing is based in Daytona Sandown Park, with one of its drivers currently residing in West Molesey.

Notable residents

Alfie Gilchrist Alfie Gilchrist (born 28 November 2003) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a centre-back or right-back for club Chelsea F.C., Chelsea. Club career Early career Born in Kingston upon Thames, London, Gilchris ...

, Chelsea Footballer grew up in West Molesey, his family were all season ticket holders at Chelsea. Went to school at Esher High School *

Dominic Wood Dominic Simon "Dom" Wood (born 3 January 1977) is an English entertainer, magician, TV presenter and DJ. He is best known as one half of the double act Dick and Dom with Richard "Dick" McCourt, with whom he was won two British Academy Children ...

, English magician and presenter *

Ray Lewington Raymond Lewington (born 7 September 1956) is an English Manager (association football), football manager and former player. Born in London, he started his playing career in the city at Chelsea F.C., Chelsea. He went on to play for Vancouver Whi ...

football manager ''Football Manager'', also known as ''Worldwide Soccer Manager'' in North America from 2004 to 2008, is a series of football management simulation video games developed by British developer Sports Interactive and published by Sega. The game beg ...

and former player *

Chemmy Alcott Chimene Mary "Chemmy" Crawford-Alcott ( Alcott; born 10 July 1982) is an English former World Cup alpine ski racer. She competed in all five disciplines: downhill, super G, giant slalom, slalom and combined. Alcott competed in four Wint ...

, British Olympic alpine skier *

Rick Astley Richard Paul Astley (born 6 February 1966) is an English singer, radio DJ and podcaster. He gained fame through his association with the production trio Stock Aitken Waterman, releasing the 1987 album ''Whenever You Need Somebody'', which sol ...

, British pop musician, lives in East Molesey *

Mick Avory Michael Charles Avory (born 15 February 1944) is an English musician, best known as the longtime drummer and percussionist for the English rock band the Kinks. He joined them shortly after their formation in 1964 and remained with them until 1984 ...

, drummer and percussionist for rock band

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, grew up in West Molesey *

Keith Barron Keith Barron (8 August 1934 – 15 November 2017) was an English actor and television presenter who appeared in films and on television from 1961 until 2017. His television roles included the police drama '' The Odd Man'', the sitcom '' Duty Fr ...

, actor, lived in the town from the 1970s to 2017 *

Ed Bishop George Victor Bishop (June 11, 1932 – June 8, 2005), known professionally as Ed Bishop or Edward Bishop, was an American actor, predominantly based in the UK. He was known for playing Commander Ed Straker in '' UFO'', Captain Blue in '' Cap ...

, actor, lived in West Molesey *

Liv Boeree Olivia "Liv" Boeree (born 18 July 1984) is a British science communicator, television presenter, host of the ''Win-Win'' podcast, and professional poker player. Dubbed "The Poker Queen", Boeree is a World Series of Poker (WSOP) and European Pok ...

, professional poker player, lives in East Molesey *

Ronald Brooks Ronald Brooks may refer to: * Ronald Brooks (cricketer) (1899–1980), English cricketer and British Army officer * Ronald E. Brooks (1937–2018), United States Army general * Ron Brooks Ron Brooks (born October 16, 1988) is an American forme ...

(1899–1980), first-class cricketer and British Army officer *

Cottie Arthur Burland Cottie Arthur Burland (September 17, 1905 – 1983) was a British writer and researcher. He studied at the Regent Street Polytechnic, graduated from the University of Westminster, and spent much of his forty-year career spanning from 1925 to 1965 ...

(1905–1983), head of ethnography at British Museum *

Bernie Constable Bernard Constable (19 February 1921 – 14 May 1997) was an English first-class cricketer who played for Surrey from 1939 to 1964. He was a member of the Surrey team that won seven successive County Championships from 1952 to 1958. Career Cons ...

(1921–1997), cricketer, brother of the below * Dennis Constable (1925–2011), cricketer, brother of the above *

Bill Cotton Sir William Frederick Cotton (23 April 1928 – 11 August 2008) was a British television producer and executive, and the son of dance band leader Billy Cotton. The television and radio presenter Fearne Cotton is related to him, as he was her ...

, the television producer and executive and the son of big-band leader

Billy Cotton William Edward Cotton (6 May 1899 – 25 March 1969) was an English band leader and entertainer, one of the few whose orchestras survived the British dance band era. Cotton is now mainly remembered as a 1950s and 1960s radio and television ...

, lived in East Molesey in his later years *

Terence Cuneo Terence Tenison Cuneo RGI FGRA (1 November 1907 – 3 January 1996) was a prolific English painter noted for his scenes of railways, horses and military actions. He was also the official artist for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 195 ...

(1907–1996), artist lived for many years in East Molesey and is commemorated by a blue plaque on the site of his former home and studio in Ember Lane. *

Hazell Dean Hazell Dean ( Poole; born 27 October 1952) is an English dance-pop singer, who achieved her biggest success in the 1980s as a leading hi-NRG artist. She is best known for the top-ten hits in the United Kingdom "Searchin' (I Gotta Find a Man)", ...

, pop music singer, lives in the town * Bob Falconer ( born 1962), of East Molesey, a former English cricketer * Kenneth Falconer, mathematician, resident in the 1960s *

Ray Galton Raymond Percy Galton (17 July 1930 – 5 October 2018) was an English radio and television scriptwriter. He was best known as part of the Galton and Simpson comedy writing partnership with Alan Simpson. Together they devised and wrote 1950s an ...

comedy dramatist, most notable for ''

Hancock's Half Hour ''Hancock's Half Hour'' was a BBC radio comedy, and later television comedy series, broadcast from 1954 to 1961 and written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The radio series starred Tony Hancock, with Sidney James, Bill Kerr and,at various ...

'' and ''

Steptoe and Son ''Steptoe and Son'' is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about a father-and-son rag-and-bone business in 26a Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC in black a ...

'' *

Marius Goring Marius Re Goring (23 May 191230 September 1998) was an English stage and screen actor. He is best remembered for the four films he made with Powell and Pressburger, Powell & Pressburger, particularly as Conductor 71 in ''A Matter of Life and D ...

, actor *Herbert "Barry" Hart (1894–1954), sculptor and stone carver, died at 2 Walton Road, East Molesey *

Roy Holder Roy Trevor Holder (15 June 1946 – 9 November 2021) was an English film and television actor who appeared in various programmes including '' Ace of Wands'', ''Z-Cars'', '' Spearhead'', the ''Doctor Who'' serial '' The Caves of Androzani''. His ...

, actor *

George Isaacs George Alfred Isaacs JP DL (28 May 1883 – 26 April 1979) was a British politician and trades unionist who served in the government of Clement Attlee. Isaacs was born in Finsbury to a Methodist family. He married Flora Beasley (1884–19 ...

, politician *

Jentina Jentina Rose Rees (née Chapman, born 6 March 1984) is an English rapper, singer, songwriter and model of Romani descent. Biography Jentina Chapman was born on 6 March 1984 in Woking, England to a Romani family that consisted of fourteen childre ...

, British rapper *

Eric Lyons Eric Alfred Lyons CBE (1912–1980) was a British designer and architect. He achieved critical recognition in his development of family and technology-embracing housing communities in England in the latter part of the 20th century. His partners ...

, architect *

Lee Mack Lee Gordon McKillop (born 4 August 1968), known by his stage name Lee Mack, is an English comedian and actor, famed for his quick wit. Mack’s better known work includes creating, writing and starring in sitcom ''Not Going Out'', and featuring ...

, stand-up comic, lives in East Molesey *

Howard Parkes Howard Roderick Parkes (31 May 1877 – 28 May 1920) was an English cricketer and athlete. A right-handed batsman, he played first-class cricket for London County and Warwickshire. Career Howard Parkes' first recorded senior match was for t ...

(1877–1920), cricketer, buried at Molesey Cemetery, West Molesey *

John Orlando Parry John Orlando Parry (3 January 1810 – 20 February 1879) was an English actor, pianist, artist, comedian, songwriter and singer. Biography Early career Parry, the only son of Welsh musician John Parry (known as ''Bardd Alaw''), was born in ...

(1810–1879), 19th century entertainer *

Daniel Pemberton Daniel Pemberton (born 3 November 1977) is an English composer and songwriter. Primarily working in film, television, and video games, he is best known for composing the scores for the film '' Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse'' and its sequel ...

, musician *

Luke Shaw Luke Paul Hoare Shaw (born 12 July 1995) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a left-back for club Manchester United F.C., Manchester United and the England national football team, England national team. Ori ...

, professional

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, grew up in West Molesey and played for Molesey Juniors FC *

Alfred Sisley Alfred Sisley (; ; 30 October 1839 – 29 January 1899) was an Impressionist landscape painter who was born and spent most of his life in France, but retained British citizenship. He was the most consistent of the Impressionists in his dedic ...

(1839–1899), Anglo-French impressionist painter, resided in East Molesey in 1874, executing nearly twenty paintings of the Upper Thames *

Steve Steen Steve Steen (born 26 December 1954) is a British television, radio and theatre actor and comedian, known for improvisational comedy works. Early career Whilst a pupil at Clapham College in London, Steen became friends with Jim Sweeney, and t ...

, actor, lives in East Molesey * Les Strong, professional footballer who played for

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and

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...

Michael Underwood Michael Paul Underwood (born 26 October 1975) is an English television presenter, best known as a children's TV presenter on CBBC and CITV. He can be seen as a fifteen-year-old in an episode of ''The Crystal Maze'', then presented by Richar ...

, the physician who first described

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, was born in West Molesey *

Julius Vogel Sir Julius Vogel (24 February 1835 – 12 March 1899) was the eighth premier of New Zealand. His administration is best remembered for the issuing of bonds to fund railway construction and other public works. He was the first Jewish prime min ...

(1835–1899), Prime Minister of New Zealand, resident in East Molesey in his final years *

Matt Willis Matt Willis (born 8 May 1983) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, television personality and actor. He is known as co-founder, bassist and co-vocalist of the pop-punk band Busted (band), Busted. Willis released his debut solo album ''Do ...

, the musician, TV presenter and ex-actor, who is best known for being the bassist in Busted, lived in Molesey during his youth * Freya Wilson, actress *

Bridget St John Bridget St John (born Bridget Anne Hobbs; 4 October 1946 in East Molesey, Surrey, England) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist, best known for the three albums she recorded between 1969 and 1972 for John Peel's Dandelion record label ...

, singer-songwriter, was born in East Molesey

References

External links

Molesey History
– This site has many books, papers and pictures on the history of Molesey and the surrounding area from Rowland G M Baker's collection.
''Molesey News & Mail''
local newspaper
Molesey Residents' Association
– The local Residents Association.
Elmbridge Borough Council
– The local council.
''Molesey Life''
– Local guide to Molesey and the Hampton Court Palace area
Thames Ditton and Weston Green Residents' Association
- local Residents Association {{Authority control Populated places on the River Thames Villages in Surrey Borough of Elmbridge