56-624: Hinchley Wood is a suburb in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey , England, approximately 13 miles (21 km) south-west of Charing Cross in central London, and within the Greater London Urban Area . It developed largely around its railway station at its heart on the New Guildford Line — and many of its homes house at least one commuter to Central London . The suburb has one main parade of convenience shops, local services and
112-507: A crossbowman ). Its domesday assets were: 14 hides , 6 ploughs and 2 acres (8,100 m ) of meadow . It rendered £6 2s 0d per year to its feudal overlords. In the 16th century King Henry VIII annexed several of the manors to the Honour of Hampton Court , including Esher, to form a royal hunting ground. The town slowly grew as a stagecoach stop on the London–Portsmouth road that
168-399: A 1960s building, as its headquarters, retaining Sandown House as additional offices. The new Civic Centre was built on land behind Sandown House, which has since been converted into flats, whilst Walton Town Hall has been demolished. In common with the nearby Surrey boroughs of Spelthorne and Epsom and Ewell , much of Elmbridge is a continuation of the built-up area of suburban London, and
224-477: A 552-day continuous occupation. The pub has since been demolished and has been replaced by retirement flats. Hinchley Wood unwittingly featured in an irreverent semi-comical book Crap Towns to be ranked "48th worst" in the United Kingdom. In response to the ranking, the local councillor stated "People like it here because it is a quiet place, very convenient for the city and, if you want to get to Kingston, it
280-603: A bridge, being a play on the district's name. 51°22′12″N 0°21′42″W / 51.3700°N 0.3618°W / 51.3700; -0.3618 Esher Esher ( / ˈ iː ʃ ər / EE -shər ) is a town in the borough of Elmbridge in Surrey , England, to the east of the River Mole . Esher is an outlying suburb of London , close to the London–Surrey border; with Esher Commons at its southern end,
336-541: A coherent, identifiable settlement, with a housing stock so plainly superior to that typical of the 1930s. At its annual general meeting in 1927, the chairman called attention to "great increment in the value of the land, which goes into the pockets of vigilant people at our expense". G.T. Crouch agreed to contribute £2,500 towards the cost (about one-third) of the building of the station. Having been given planning permission to build Hinchley Wood in September 1929, Crouch struck
392-573: A community rugby club. These are followed by, in the south west, a historic but now small woodland named Hinchley Wood. Telegraph Hill is also southwest of Hinchley Wood and is the largest nearby walking spot and has some visitor attraction for its Grade II (architecture) listed 'Semaphore House' semaphore tower described as "c1822. Rendered brick on projecting plinth with hipped slate roof. 3-storey square tower to centre...C20 glazing bar sash windows throughout". Hinchley Wood has two schools, Hinchley Wood Primary School and Hinchley Wood School , one of
448-614: A deal with the Southern Railway for the construction of the station. To persuade the Southern Railway to build it, Crouch had to help pay for it. Although the Southern Railway knew that a new settlement would bring new business, it also knew the benefit to Crouch. After the Second World War, the Inland Revenue had large offices housed in the single storey inter-connected barrack blocks of former Italian Prisoner of War camp on
504-835: A four-year term of office. Surrey County Council elections are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no borough council elections. The council is based at the Civic Centre, off the High Street in the centre in Esher, which was purpose-built for the council in 1991. When the council was created in 1974 it inherited offices at the Town Hall on New Zealand Avenue in Walton-on-Thames from Walton and Weybridge Urban District Council, and at Sandown House at 1 High Street from Esher Urban District Council. It initially used Walton Town Hall,
560-447: A history with horse racing since the purpose-built Sandown Park race course opened in 1875. In 1881 Esher Leopold football club was established which was formed out of the ashes of the dissolved Weybridge Swallows club. The club played at Sandown Park, close to the racecourse . The club's sole contribution to the national game was its one appearance in the FA Cup , a 5–0 home defeat to
616-506: A house (named Kinfauns ) in Esher, during the 1960s. The other Beatles were regular visitors to the house, and Harrison's primitive home recording studio . Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees owned a home called The Firs in Esher, during 1970s–2004 and sold after his death. This is where the hit single " Juliet " was written and recorded by Maurice and Robin Gibb for brother Robin's solo album project in
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#1732852082624672-501: A natural soil for pines, other evergreen trees as well as heather and gorse , described as naturally wet, very acid sandy and loamy soil which is just 1.9% of English soil and 0.2% of Welsh soil. Claremont Landscape Garden and Fan Court (now independent school) is on part of this elevated soil as is St George's Hill . Most undeveloped land in Elmbridge is Metropolitan Green Belt . The central band of forest/heath includes part of
728-612: A petrol station; throughout the area is a light smattering of small businesses. A double-width section of the A309 (the Kingston Bypass) bisects the suburb which acts as a local spur road to a semi-urban section of the motorway-standard A3 road . The suburb's main retail area is directly north of a traffic light intersection adjoined by a large set of retirement flats. The suburb has no high-rise buildings and gained its first place of worship (St Christopher's Church) in 1953. Hinchley Wood has
784-669: Is a 300 seat performing arts venue on Esher High Street, which opened on 4 September 2021. Esher West End hosts an annual flower show and the Hampton Court Flower Show is nearby. Similarly, Surrey Wildlife Trust manage Wisley and Ockham Commons, partly within the borough of Elmbridge and Esher is approximately midway between the two leading Surrey and International Gardens, the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew and RHS Garden, Wisley . A weekly newspaper, Esher News and Mail , closed down in 2009. Current newspapers include
840-592: Is a central feature of Esher's High Street with four screens. Esher Cricket Club was established in 1863. They play matches in the Esher Park private estate, in New Road and have a youth cricket training and playing squad. The members of the cricket club also wanted to play tennis and established the Esher Lawn Tennis Club in 1889. A second cricket club arrived in 1875 as West End (Esher) Cricket Club. Esher has
896-461: Is covered by the Esher ward of Elmbridge Borough Council , which has elections in three years out of four (is elected in thirds). Esher Town Hall has reverted to its original name of Sandown House and has been converted into apartments. Esher has a mix of state and private schools. There are four state primary schools across the area of Esher, Esher Church School , Cranmere , Hinchley Wood and Claygate . Esher Church of England High School
952-549: Is easy as well. You have all the peace and quiet you want and it is near the countryside and the rivers. While we do not have a pub we do have a strong community spirit". The town lost the status in later editions. 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
1008-482: Is made up of rented dwellings (plus a negligible % of households living rent-free). Hinchley Wood has independent cafés and small supermarkets. Nonetheless in 1999 McDonald's sought to widen its reach, by opening a rare pure suburbia outlet. Hinchley Wood residents, organised as Residents Against McDonald's (RAM), took on McDonald's to defeat a plan to turn their local pub into a drive-through fast-food outlet. The residents defeated McDonald's on 16 June 2000 after
1064-519: Is not twinned with any towns. However, between 1966 and 2009 Elmbridge was formally twinned with the Paris suburb of Rueil-Malmaison , Hauts de Seine , France . The council's arms were created upon the formation of the present day district, being formed out of symbols taken from the local towns and villages with the Latin motto meaning until the rivers cease . The arms include a depiction of an elm tree on
1120-567: Is the state secondary school in the town of Esher. Hinchley Wood School in Hinchley Wood has been an Academy since February 2012. Hinchley Wood is also one of the Further education establishments in the area. Esher College is in nearby Thames Ditton . Esher is also home to the West End Playgroup & Forest School, a pre-school for 2-5 year olds. The Everyman (formerly Odeon) cinema
1176-497: Is very popular, with the Thames Path passing through the north of the borough and the 2012 Summer Olympics hosting both of the main road cycling events in the borough with most of the road section around Hampton Court and with the sections of the routes taken to and from Box Hill . The economy is diverse, with a strong local service sector, including numerous bars and restaurants, homes built and being built for city workers as
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#17328520826241232-557: Is within the Esher and Walton parliamentary constituency which is represented by Monica Harding , a member of the Liberal Democratic party , since July 2024. The predecessor Esher parliamentary constituency was replaced on boundary changes before the 1997 general election . Esher is part of the East Molesey and Esher ward of Surrey County Council . The ward is represented by a Residents' association councillor. The town
1288-460: The 2023 election the council has been run by a coalition of the Liberal Democrats and most of the residents' associations (RA), led by Liberal Democrat councillor Bruce McDonald. The first elections to the council were held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of
1344-722: The A3(M) from London bisects the borough. The main north-south road is the A244 for instance to London Heathrow Airport and starts in the borough at Walton Bridge leading to Esher and Oxshott then to Leatherhead . The east-west Leatherhead to Horsell, Woking road, the A245 leads by Cobham and Brooklands, Weybridge . As to rail, the South West Main Line cuts through the borough, with four stations from Esher to Weybridge , one of which several express services call at: Walton on Thames in
1400-533: The Ashley Park estate of the south of the town. The branch lines have services with four stations in the borough via Cobham & Stoke D'Abernon to Guildford ; and a branch to Thames Ditton and Hampton Court railway station in East Molesey , both within Transport for London's Zone 6. Bus services include TfL Oyster card services to East and West Molesey , Hinchley Wood , Claygate and Esher . Cycling
1456-553: The Surrey Herald: Cobham, Esher and Claygate edition and Living Within monthly magazine/newspaper. Vantage points include various outcrops of Esher Commons close to Hersham, Cobham and Oxshott for free public use; Esher Place (national training centre of Unite, the union) where a grass garden amphitheatre was built by Lutyens for what was the manor house ; the facilities at Sandown Park racecourse and Claremont Landscape Garden . The average level of accommodation in
1512-699: The Wisley and Ockham Commons reserve within the national wildlife trust scheme: see Surrey Wildlife Trust , several pine heath based golf courses and in the north there are reservoirs , on the side of which there is sheep grazing. The Mole , passing the Grade I Church in Stoke D'Abernon , Cobham Mill at Grade II and Painshill Park and the Wey , passing Silvermere Golf Course and the Brooklands circuit, hotel and retail park, cut through
1568-502: The revolution of 1848. Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg lived there until he became King of the Belgians . By 1908, Esher contained the fashionable residences of several important figures including Lady Emma Talbot ; Sir Robert Hawthorn Collins, the Duchess of Albany and Sir Edgar Vincent, K.C.M.G. who was later created 1st Viscount D'Abernon. George Harrison of The Beatles owned
1624-503: The "Residents' Associations Group", which forms the council's administration in coalition with the Liberal Democrats. The next election is due in 2026. Since the last boundary changes in 2016 the council has comprised 48 councillors representing 16 wards , with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) being elected each time for
1680-411: The 1980s. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle placed the murder of fictional character, Mr. Garcia, in and around Esher in his Sherlock Holmes mystery, "The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge". In the mystery, Dr. Watson described his and Sherlock Holmes' arrival in Esher by stating, "It was nearly six c'clock before we found ourselves in the pretty Surrey village of Esher, with Inspector Baynes as our companion." Esher
1736-457: The London dialling code 020 . The only old listed building is the 16th century Old Farm House in the town. Its listing states '... C16 with C18 addition to front left, C19 addition to right. Timber framed core, stuccoed over with plain tiled roofs. Large brick stack to rear and ends. 2 storeys with 2 tripartite wood casements to centre of first floor...' and is now on an ordinary street. Initially
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1792-596: The Parliamentary side in the Civil War was dominated by "Grandees" i.e. wealthy nobles who often spent their time in comfort conducting fatuous debates in Parliament while the less well off risked their lives in the war to defeat an absolutist system. They were the subject of a long campaign of harassment by a local landowner and were eventually removed following a court case. The M25 motorway has several junctions nearby and
1848-461: The administrative boundary of Greater London , but is almost entirely within the M25 motorway which encircles London . Many of the borough's urban areas form part of the wider Greater London Built-up Area . The neighbouring districts are Mole Valley , Guildford , Woking , Runnymede , Spelthorne , Richmond upon Thames and Kingston upon Thames , the latter two being London boroughs . The district
1904-546: The areas of Molesey , Long Ditton , Thames Ditton , Hinchley Wood , Esher , Cobham and Claygate lie within the social and commercial orbit of neighbouring Kingston upon Thames . Molesey, Cobham , the Dittons and Claygate were included in the Metropolitan Police District from 1840 until 2000. The northern third of the borough is flatter and fertile with free draining slightly acid loamy soil, similar to
1960-498: The borough from south to north reaching the River Thames which denotes the northern border, stretching from Weybridge to Thames Ditton apart from inclusion of inhabited islands such as Wheatley's Ait . The Wey and Mole have sources beyond gentle valleys which cut through the high North Downs to the south. The borough is home to some of the county's highest earners. It has been labelled Britain's Beverly Hills by sections of
2016-417: The council since 1974 has been as follows: The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Elmbridge. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council . The leaders since 2010 have been: Following the 2024 election , the composition of the council was: The Thames Ditton and Weston Green RA, Esher RA, Molesey RA, Walton Society, and Weybridge and St George's Independents sit together as
2072-521: The earliest experiments in common ownership of land by ordinary people, in a marked contrast to the area's modern status as a wealthy private estate. In 1649 the " Diggers ", one of the radical groups set up in the aftermath of the English Civil War and the execution of Charles I seized common land in the area and lived by simple farming. As well as debates about religion and how the country should be run at this time these groups complained that even
2128-413: The farmland on which Hinchley Wood was to be built was part of Thames Ditton . In 1925 Esher Council considered a petition from the small number of residents of Manor Road, in which ribbon development from Thames Ditton was taking place, for the provision of a new station between Surbiton and Claygate on the railway that had opened in 1885. The Southern Railway was not interested in a new station;
2184-594: The holders, Old Carthusians , in 1881–82 , although the club did reach the semi-finals of the Surrey Senior Cup , losing to Reigate Priory . The club continued into the 1883–84 season. Esher Rugby Club was established in 1923 and play on the Hersham borders at the Molesey Road stadium, where they have several training grounds there. A smaller football club AFC Westend was established in 2003. Esher Theatre
2240-490: The low population would create negligible new custom; the opening of the Kingston Bypass changed the commercial viability of new station. Immediately the speculative possibilities created by the bypass were considered. Furthermore, even as it was being built a sewer was laid under it, at Manor Road, to facilitate development. The opening of Hinchley Wood railway station brought about the rapid emergence of Hinchley Wood as
2296-434: The main secondary schools in the area, that includes a sixth form. 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%. The proportion who owned their home with a loan compares to the regional average of 32.5%. The remaining %
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2352-626: The majority of locations have access to one of the Home Counties fastest commutes , trades including interior supplies, fitting, gardening, golf course/landscape management and a developed public/education sector. Of international renown are the employers Sony , Procter & Gamble , JTI (formerly Gallaher) and Toshiba Information Systems alongside the local corporate venues and day-out attractions of Sandown Park Racecourse and Mercedes-Benz World . As of 2012, Elmbridge residents had average weekly earnings of £1162. The Borough of Elmbridge
2408-640: The north side of the railway station. These blocks were eventually demolished to become a very dense turn of the Millennium housing development. In 1953, the community's church in the Church of England , St. Christophers Church was built. In 1999 residents took on McDonald's to defeat a plan to take over and convert a public house . The pub had been visited two years before by the Soviet leader from 1985 to 1991 Mikhail Gorbachev and his wife when their flight home to Russia
2464-406: The press. Famous residents, past and present, include Sir Cliff Richard , Mick Jagger , George Harrison , John Lennon , Ringo Starr , Ronnie Wood , Andy Murray , Kate Winslet , John Terry , Gary Lineker , Mick Hucknall , Frank Lampard , Didier Drogba , Theo Paphitis , Chris Tarrant , Peter Crouch , Michael Aspel and Shilpa Shetty . St George's Hill is noted as the site of one of
2520-632: The south it is bounded by the A3 Portsmouth Road which is of urban motorway standard and buffered by the Esher Commons. Esher is bisected by the A307, historically the Portsmouth Road , which for approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) forms its high street. Esher railway station (served by the South West Main Line ) connects the town to London Waterloo . Sandown Park Racecourse is in the town near
2576-460: The south, as described in the Surrey article. In the next third, the first of the remarkable acid soil heaths in west Surrey begin to appear in places here , characterised by undulating heaths: these sandy and stony reliefs start in the east in the Esher Commons , covering the central swathe of the area including Oxshott Heath and Woods and areas of Weybridge and areas surrounding Wisley ,
2632-503: The station. In the south, Claremont Landscape Garden owned and managed by the National Trust , once belonged to Princess Charlotte and her husband Leopold I of Belgium . Accordingly, the town was selected to have a fountain by Queen Victoria and has an adjacent Diamond Jubilee column embossed with a relief of the monarch and topped by a statue of Britannia . Unite , the union, trains representatives at its Esher Place centre, and
2688-659: The town has the offices of Elmbridge Borough Council in its high street. Esher lay within the Saxon feudal division of Elmbridge hundred . Esher appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Aissela and Aissele , where it is held partly by the Abbey of the Cross in Normandy ; partly by William de Waterville; partly by Reginald; partly by Hugh do Port; and partly by Odard Balistarius (probably
2744-476: The town marks one limit of the Greater London Built-Up Area . Elevations range from 10m to 47m above sea level . Esher has a linear commercial high street and is otherwise suburban in density, with varying elevations, few high rise buildings and very short sections of dual carriageway within the ward itself. Esher covers a large area, between 13 and 15.4 miles southwest of Charing Cross . In
2800-518: Was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor . In the early 1990s the neighbouring London Borough of Kingston upon Thames sought to have eastern parts of Elmbridge, including Long Ditton , Thames Ditton , Hinchley Wood , Weston Green and the Moleseys transferred to it, making the case that these areas had particularly strong social and economic ties to Kingston and Greater London. The proposal
2856-530: Was considered by the Local Government Boundary Commission in 1992, but was not pursued. Elmbridge Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Surrey County Council . Claygate is a civil parish , which forms a third tier of local government for that part of the borough only; the rest of the borough is an unparished area . The council has been under no overall control since 2016. Since
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#17328520826242912-549: Was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 , covering two former districts which were both abolished at the same time: The new district was named after the medieval Elmbridge hundred which had covered a similar area. The hundred appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Amelebrige . The name thus derives from the River Amele or Emley, an old name for the River Mole , rather than elm trees. The district
2968-401: Was delayed. Hinchley Wood railway station was built at the point where conveniently the tracks forked already, making it the more economically built and staffed. Additionally, the regionally monopolised owner-operator, Southern Railway bought some more land on which to build a goods yard, which in the event was never built because competition from road haulage became too great, but the land
3024-542: Was later numbered the A3 , although it was bypassed in the mid-1970s when it became the A307. Clive of India built the Claremont mansion and this later became a royal residence used by Queen Victoria . In 1841 Esher had 1261 inhabitants across 2,075 acres (840 ha). Queen Victoria lent Claremont to the exiled French King Louis-Philippe and his consort Queen Marie-Amelie after
3080-645: Was phenomenal, with the peak years being in 1933–34 when 750 residents moved in, many of whom were London commuters. The Hinchley Wood Residents' Association was formed in 1931 and quickly became an effective voice for the community on Esher Council. Hinchley Wood is served by the K3 bus route through Claygate to Esher to the south and through Surbiton to Kingston and Roehampton to the north. The local authority has varied from Conservative to Residents Association since its 1974 formation. Many residents visit Littleworth Common, where it meets Esher Eagles Rugby League club,
3136-403: Was retained; ultimately this allowed a car park to be provided. When the station opened, Hinchley Wood comprised a couple of dozen houses and a petrol filling station (Esher Filling Station, colloquially referred to as "EFS") in a field that bordered the bypass. Development took place around the shops that were built next to the station. The speed at which the houses in Hinchley Wood were built
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