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110-518: 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 is now called Hurst Park; the area currently called Molesey Hurst is smaller, and some 500m to the south. The site can be reached from Hampton across

220-408: A Local Nature Reserve . The Mole Gap forms part of a Special Area of Conservation and is an SSSI of European importance. The river has captured the imagination of several authors and poets , particularly since in very hot summers the river channel can become dry between Dorking and Leatherhead, most recently in 2022. In John Speed 's 1611 map of Surrey, this stretch of the river is denoted by

330-576: A Special Area of Conservation and is an SSSI of European importance. The stretch of river between Thorncroft Manor (1 km [0.6 mi] south of Leatherhead ) and River Lane in Fetcham has been designated a Local Nature Reserve. Although much of the surrounding land has been taken by residential and commercial development, this section of the Mole supports 20 different mammal species, 20 butterfly species and 15 species of dragonfly . The geology of

440-517: A Grand Imperial Ship Canal from Deptford to Chichester passing through the Mole Gap, however he was unable to attract sufficient financial interest in his scheme. Today the Mole is navigable for the 400 m (440 yd) from the confluence with the River Thames to Molember Weir at East Molesey where there is a private mooring facility. The river may be paddled all year by canoe between Brockham and Fetcham with an appropriate licence from

550-498: A diverse fish population, including chub, dace, roach, bleak , large pike and barbel. 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. The geographical distribution of many species of invertebrate in the river reflects the geology of the catchment area. Viviparid snails and water scorpions (of the genus Nepidae ) are commonly found where

660-643: A flat-bottomed dug-out canoe were found at the confluence of the Mole and Thames in 1877 by a local boatman. The canoe is preserved at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford . The Mole Gap and North Downs do not appear to have been settled until the late Stone Age: A large axe, typical of a "rough-out" axe produced during the Neolithic period, which was discovered in 1952 during building work in Westhumble, A flint mine of

770-473: 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

880-627: A gravel spawning area to encourage chub and dace in addition to roach . In 1974 zander , a non-indigenous coarse fish native to Europe, were introduced legally to Old Bury Hill Lake which supplies the Pipp Brook. Zander have been caught in the Lower Mole below Dorking since the 1980s. In the Mole Gap between Dorking and Leatherhead the river supports populations of chub, dace, barbel , and brown trout. Both barbel and brown trout are extremely sensitive to water quality and pollution. Below Leatherhead

990-560: 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. Molesey Boat Club (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 Molesey F.C.

1100-416: A lower flood plain, which broadens as the river turns in an axehead meander. At the east end of Painshill Park, the flood plain narrows into a trench about 60 m (66 yd) wide, in which the river runs northwards for 6.5 km (4.0 mi) towards Hersham, where the river enters the flood plain of the River Thames. Between Cobham and Esher, the Mole's historic courses have deposited gravel on top of

1210-501: 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. Molesey has three Scout groups which all belong to Esher District. 1st Molesey is a Royal Navy -recognised Sea Scout 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

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1320-594: A north-easterly direction via Richmond to meet the proto-Thames near Ware in Hertfordshire . Today the Mole and Wey are less than 2 km (1.2 mi) apart at their closest point near Painshill Park. During the Middle Pleistocene period, a large ice sheet built up across much of the East of England, reaching as far south as St Albans and Chelmsford , blocking the path of the proto-Thames. Glacial meltwater from

1430-711: A part of the ancient parish of Kingston upon Thames , based at the historic All Saints Church, Kingston upon Thames . 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 Herbert Commission) for inclusion within the new ceremonial county of Greater London . In 1974,

1540-455: A reported ten thousand spectators at Moulsey Hill. In 2004, Hurst Park Residents Association laid out a "heritage marker" close to the river, which contains a number of illustrations of the history and activities of the area. West Molesey Molesey is a suburban district comprising two villages, East Molesey and West Molesey , in the Borough of Elmbridge , Surrey , England , and

1650-644: 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. On 8 June 1913 the grandstand at the former Hurst Park Racecourse in Molesey was virtually destroyed after an arson attack by suffragettes Kitty Marion and Clara Giveen . The attack

1760-446: A series of hills accompanied by the legend "The river runneth under". 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). Domesday Book lists twenty mills on the river in 1086, of which Sidlow Mill

1870-537: A small lake at Baldhorns Park, before running eastwards through a largely rural area towards Crawley. 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 Mole skirts the northern suburbs of Crawley where it is joined by its first major tributary, Ifield Brook, which drains Ifield Mill Pond . The first gauging station on

1980-467: A smaller 50-metre (160 ft) cliff at Ham Bank in Norbury Park . The sudden change from impermeable Weald Clay to permeable chalk and the increased gradient of the river, allow the water table to drop below the bed of the river. Water is therefore able to flow out of the river through swallow holes in the bed and banks, decreasing the volume of water carried in the main channel. The course of

2090-459: 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. Most holes were difficult to observe in times of normal or heavy flow and were susceptible to silting up as new holes were continually being formed. A few much larger swallow holes were also observed separated from

2200-564: A wide variety of activities and events throughout the year at various locations. Molesey's conservation area is bordered to the south by a corollary channel of the River Mole , known as the River Ember , 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

2310-536: Is Hampton Court railway station in Transport for London's Zone 6 , operated by South Western Railway . This is the terminus of a stopping commuter service to London Waterloo that takes around thirty-five minutes. Principal stops are Surbiton , Wimbledon and Clapham Junction . During the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show extra trains run to and from London. Four bus routes serve the town. To

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2420-492: Is a "charming Surrey steam" and "If Lord Lytton went to fish in the River Mole – and there are still angling clubs there – he would find that he would still be able to catch a trout ". Highly polluting discharges have become less common but have taken place since 2000. In 2003, Gatwick Airport Ltd pleaded guilty to charges of allowing chemical pollution to enter the River Mole after a detergent, used to clean rubber and oil from

2530-754: Is a non-league football team based in West Molesey. The club is currently a member of the Isthmian League 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

2640-574: Is also found along the river, and the downy emerald ( Cordulia aenea ) is found between Box Hill and Leatherhead. The Mole is one of only three locations in England where the river shingle beetle ( Meotica anglica ) is found. A nationally scarce species which is locally common on the River Mole is the greater dodder ( Cuscuta europaea ), a parasitic plant . The Mole catchment area includes twelve Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) that include wetland habitats, The Mole Gap forms part of

2750-758: 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 Æmen . Variations in the name are recorded throughout the Middle Ages and the river appears as Amele in the Domesday Book of 1086, and subsequently as Emele in 12th- and 13th-century Court Rolls. This name is probably derived from the Old English word æmen meaning misty or causing mists , and

2860-565: Is measured at a fourth gauging station, located at Castle Mill (39 m [128 ft] above OD). At Pixham the Mole meets the Pipp Brook , a tributary draining the northeastern slopes of Leith Hill. Between Dorking and Leatherhead the Mole cuts a steep-sided valley (the Mole Gap) though the North Downs , carving a 170-metre-high (560 ft) river cliff on the western flank of Box Hill and

2970-454: Is situated on the south bank of the River Thames. East and West Molesey share a high street, and there is a second retail restaurant-lined street (Bridge Road) close to Hampton Court Palace in the eastern part of the district, which is also home to Hampton Court railway station in Transport for London 's Zone 6. Molesey Hurst or Hurst Park is a large park by the River Thames in the north of

3080-492: Is the terminus of a second Transport for London bus service, route R68 , operated by Transport UK London Bus . The route begins at Hampton Court station , and runs through Hampton, Hampton Hill , Teddington , Strawberry Hill , Twickenham and Richmond before ending at Kew retail park. To the west Route 461, operated by Falcon Coaches on behalf of Surrey County Council , runs from Kingston, through Molesey and on to Walton , terminating at Tesco , Addlestone . To

3190-686: Is used. In common with much of the rest of the Weald, the earliest evidence of human settlement along the Upper Mole is from the Mesolithic Period (20,000–7000 BC). Mesolithic sites at Wonham, Flanchford and Sidlow. Finds at Wonham include arrowheads and a plano-convex knife. The Lower Mole appears to have been settled during the same period and a flint axe dating from Mesolithic period found on spit of land close to River Mole in Cobham in 1965. Remains of

3300-671: The British Canoe Union . During the Second World War several sites along the course of the Mole were fortified for the defence of London against invasion from the south. GHQ Line B ran along the North Downs from Farnham and Guildford, crossing the Mole Gap to the north of Dorking and following the river to Horley. Between Betchworth and Box Hill, the north bank of the River Mole was stabilised and made steeper to prevent wheeled vehicles from crossing. At Boxhill Farm, where access to

3410-495: The Domesday Book 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 hides and 3 virgates . It had 7 ploughs , 2 oxen , and 32 acres (13 ha) of meadow and woodland 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 ploughs . It rendered £2.50. Along with neighbouring Thames Ditton , East Molesey formed

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3520-554: The Grade II-listed 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

3630-517: The Greater London Built-up Area . The earliest documentary evidence of a settlement in Molesey appears in a 7th-century charter, shortly after Erkenwald founded Chertsey Abbey in AD 666. He secured from Frithwald , sub-king of Surrey, a charter endowing the abbey with much of the surrounding land, including Muleseg . Etymologists suggest that the town's name is derived from the personal name Mul (pronounced Mule) compounded with

3740-472: The Island Barn Reservoir near Molesey : the northern (and smaller) branch continues as the River Mole and the southern branch is known as the River Ember . The two rivers flow either side of the reservoir, before running side by side in a northeasterly direction, merging 400 m (440 yd) before the confluence with the River Thames, on the reach above Teddington Lock . (For the purposes of

3850-502: The Old English word eg , meaning an island or river meadow – thus Mul's Island. Therefore, Molesey is not, as commonly believed, named after the River Mole that runs through it. The prefixes 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 administrative district of Elmbridge hundred . East Molesey appears in

3960-530: The Thames at Hampton Court Palace . The river gives its name to the Surrey district of Mole Valley . The Mole crosses the North Downs between Dorking and Leatherhead , where it cuts a steep-sided valley, known as the Mole Gap, through the chalk. Much of the catchment area lies on impermeable rock (including Weald Clay and London Clay ), meaning that the river level responds rapidly to heavy rainfall. During

4070-467: The Wey Gap is significantly higher than might be expected from natural rainwater percolation alone. It has been suggested that a proportion of the excess water originates from the Mole Gap. At Leatherhead the river leaves the chalk bedrock, moving onto London Clay . The river meanders across an alluvial plain between 400 and 800 m (440–870 yd) wide towards Cobham, where it begins to descend to

4180-564: 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

4290-645: The Anglian ice sheet caused the Thames to divert southwards and flood the valley of the Mole–Wey river, thus adopting its present route through London . Standard water quality of Mole and its tributaries has improved markedly since the 1990s. In 1990 the Environment Agency assessed 23% of the watercourses as Grade B (good) or better. In 2002 this figure was 60%. Investment in the Sewage Treatment Works in

4400-458: The Earlswood Brook. From Sidlow, the Mole turns northwest towards Brockham . A number of minor tributaries join the river from the west and are typically second order streams draining the woodland and arable land between Horsham and Dorking. The 18th-century weir at Betchworth was modified in 2004 to facilitate the installation of two 27.5 kW low-head hydro turbines . About 90% of

4510-546: The Environment Agency is to carry out more large scale 'capacity building' work involving the construction of nine miles (14 km) 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

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4620-487: The London Clay. The depth of the deposits generally varies from 2.5 to 7 m (8–23 ft); the lower layers are generally highly compacted and cemented together with brick-red iron oxide, whereas the upper layers are loosely packed with angular flints and sand. Remains of a further gravel terrace, containing cherts and flints to a depth of 4 m (13 ft), line the east side of St George's Hill . The river

4730-623: 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 and the northernmost stretches of residential Esher to the south, and Thames Ditton 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 . The central shopping area of Kingston upon Thames lies 1.7 miles (2.7 km) east of Bridge Road in East Molesey, while central Walton on Thames lies 2.3 miles (3.7 km) to

4840-586: The Mole catchment is located on the Gatwick Stream 3 km (1.9 mi) upstream of the confluence with the Mole: Crawley STW discharges 15,000 m (530,000 cu ft) 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. The mean flow measured at Horley gauging station (52 m [171 ft] above OD) is 1.40 m /s (49 cu ft/s). The Mole passes Horley to

4950-417: The Mole is south of Gatwick Airport (57 m [187 ft] above OD ). The mean flow is 0.33 m /s (12 cu ft/s) and the river ran dry at this point for the first time in the summer of 1995. The Mole runs under the airport runway in a culvert completed in 1985. The course of the Mole within the airport perimeter has been altered several times since commercial flights began in 1945; however

5060-412: The Mole leaves the chalk and turns northwestwards to flow across impermeable London Clay , winding towards Cobham. The water table rises at this point and much of the water which drained out of the channel through the chalk returns through springs in the riverbed. The aquifer at Fetcham is the only one in the entire catchment area. The next major tributary, The Rye , (which drains Ashtead ) joins to

5170-457: The Mole was used for navigation in the past: In the late 13th century, Thorncroft Manor (south of Leatherhead) purchased a shout , a type of boat up to 16 metres (52 ft) in length used to carry produce to market and it has been suggested that stone cut from quarries in Reigate was transported to London via the river. During the 17th century, two bills came before parliament to make sections of

5280-410: The River Mole in 2019: The marsh frog ( Pelophylax ridibundus , a non-native species introduced from Europe in the 1930s) is now commonly found in the upper Mole and its tributaries around Newdigate and Gatwick. There is no evidence that the presence of the frogs has had a deleterious effect on indigenous amphibians. A second non-native species, the edible frog ( Pelophylax kl. esculentus )

5390-718: The Surrey Intermediate League and won the league in their first season. Metropolitan Police F.C. 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) Division One and played at the West Molesey Recreation Ground, Walton Road. Up to

5500-685: The Tolworth and District Pool League. 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. In 2012 Bradley Wiggins won the Olympic Time Trial event. The course passed through East and West Molesey and Hurst Park, and

5610-414: 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

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5720-475: 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. Molesey was once the bare-knuckle boxing centre of England, and had a famous horse-racing track stretching the length of the River Thames from where Hurst Park School now stands, down to Molesey Lock . The course closed in 1962, and much of it was built on in

5830-474: 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'. 'Moulsey Hurst' is a very early site of cricket (from 1731) and that tradition is continued to this day by East Molesey Cricket Club , which is located alongside the South bank of the Thames, one-half mile (0.80 km) from Hampton Court Palace . It

5940-420: The area, and is home to East Molesey Cricket Club . 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 . Molesey is divided into three wards : 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. Molesey forms part of

6050-422: The bed and banks. The amount of water lost from the river is significant and in very hot summers the channel can become dry between Mickleham and Thorncroft Manor; this was recorded most recently in 1949, 1976 and 2022. At Leatherhead , the river leaves the chalk and flows across impermeable London Clay . At this point, the water table rises enough for the water to flow back into the main river channel. In

6160-467: The canalisation of a short stretch of the River Mole between Betchworth and Dorking to facilitate the movement of chalk from quarry to market. In 1810 the engineer John Rennie proposed a canal linking the River Medway to Portsmouth which was to have a branch to London following the Mole for much of its length. Between 1825 and 1828 the architect and civil engineer Nicholas Wilcox Cundy proposed

6270-400: The catchment area has improved the quality of the discharges into the river, and modifications to the runway and apron drainage systems at Gatwick Airport mean that surface water is diverted to aerated pollution control lagoons and balancing ponds for treatments, including acid/alkali neutralisation, before release into the river. In 1972 a sub-debate on the future cleanliness of the Mole

6380-471: 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

6490-526: The cutting at the south end of Box Hill & Westhumble railway station , suggesting that even in its early history, the river had swallow holes. The author Daniel Defoe , who attended school in Dorking and probably grew up in the village of Westhumble , described the swallow holes in the River Mole in his book A tour thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain (first published in 1724): ...the current of

6600-541: 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 Just beyond the gates of Hurst Park used to be the home of

6710-520: The district eventually merged with its neighbour to the west, Walton and Weybridge Urban District, to form the new borough of Elmbridge 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 River Mole . 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

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6820-458: The east Transport for London 's London Buses route 411 (previously route 131 from West Molesey to Kingston , and, before that, from West Molesey to Wimbledon ), 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. To the north-east East Molesey's northern point by its station, shopping parade and small riverside park

6930-523: The energy generated is fed into the regional electricity grid , while the remainder is used to supply the Betchworth Park Estate, where the weir is situated. The river leaves the Weald Clay at Brockham, passing Betchworth Castle and flowing briefly across greensand and Gault Clay to Pixham , 1 km (0.6 mi) northeast of Dorking . A mean flow of 3.74 m /s (132 cu ft/s)

7040-402: The entry to the Mole Gap. Above Meath Green (near Horley ), the terrace corresponds to the flood plain of the river, however from this point downstream to Brockham, the river cuts a narrow trench no more than 150 m (160 yd) wide. A similar trench is runs up several of the Mole's tributaries, notably along Deanoak Brook which follows a local strike . The presence of the trench protects

7150-558: 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. The karting team, OsbornRacing is based in Daytona Sandown Park, with one of its drivers currently residing in West Molesey. Surrey Police statistics for reported crime in

7260-407: 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. Molesey Lock is the third lock (and weir) on the River Thames, after Richmond and Teddington locks, and marks the furthest point upstream that

7370-403: 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. The railway station in East Molesey

7480-447: The impermeable Weald Clay . From the source to Dorking , the river drains an area of 340 km (130 sq mi), of which approximately 60% is on Wealden or Atherfield Clay, 20% is on Tunbridge Wells Sand and 20% is on greensand . Brickearth deposits are common in the valley around Betchworth and east of Dorking. The upper Mole catchment is dominated by a single broad terrace, which runs continuously from Tilgate Forest to

7590-460: The influence of the tides on the Thames (regulated by the Thames Barrier at Woolwich ) may be registered. The lock is located within 100 metres (330 ft) of Hampton Court Bridge , designed by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens . 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

7700-414: The land from flooding, rendering it suitable for agriculture . Between Dorking and Leatherhead the Mole cuts a steep-sided valley through the North Downs, creating a 170-metre-high (560 ft) river cliff on the western flank of Box Hill. The bedrock is permeable chalk and the water table lies permanently below the level of the riverbed, allowing water to drain out of the river through swallow holes in

7810-468: 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 river also provides a corridor for wildlife through the centre of Leatherhead. The West End Common forms part of the Esher Commons , owned and managed by Elmbridge Borough Council . The River Mole forms

7920-595: The main river by a channel of about a metre. About six of these larger swallow holes were found to the west of the Burford Bridge Hotel , along the course of the A24 Mickleham Bypass during its construction in 1936. Initially the surveyors tried to fill the holes with rubble to prevent the foundations of the new road subsiding. However this proved to be impractical and they were instead covered by concrete domes, up to 18 m in diameter, each fully supported by

8030-464: The meanders visible on the 1839 tithe map in the 1.5 km (0.93 mi) stretch immediately north of the runway were reinstated in 1999, in a £1.2 million project to facilitate airport expansion. 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. The second-largest Sewage Treatment Works (STW) in

8140-609: The name of the River Ember probably has its origins in this name. The name Mole does not appear until the 16th century, first occurring as Moule in Harrison's Description of Britain of 1577. The antiquarian William Camden uses the Latinized form Molis in the 1586 edition of Britannia and Michael Drayton is the first to use Mole in his poem Poly-Olbion published in 1613. In John Speed 's 1611 map of Surrey this stretch of

8250-453: The north of Leatherhead, before the river is crossed by the M25 motorway . At Cobham the river swings round in a pronounced axehead meander skirting Painshill Landscape Garden , where a 11-metre (35 ft) diameter waterwheel raises water 5 metres (16 ft) from the river to feed the ornamental lake in the park. From Painshill Park the river flows northeastwards to the Thames, passing to

8360-593: The open air Upper Deck swimming pool, the nearest open air pool now being across the ferry up Hampton High Street in Hampton . 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 . Hurst swimming pool is in Dunstall Way in the north of Molesey. The Poyntz Arms Public House and Molesey East & West Conservative Club host matches in

8470-488: 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

8580-534: 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). River Mole, Surrey 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 80 km (50 miles) to

8690-527: The remainder of this article, the River Mole and the River Ember are treated as a single entity.) Prior to the last ice age , the River Thames followed a more northerly route to the North Sea , from Reading via Marlow , Chorleywood , St Albans , Hertford and along the present Suffolk – Essex border. During this period, the Mole is thought to have merged with the River Wey near Byfleet and then flowed in

8800-491: The river navigable . The first, in 1663, was passed by the House of Commons but was defeated in the House of Lords . During the following year (1664), an act was passed by both Houses of Parliament to make the River Mole navigable from Reigate to the River Thames, but was never executed. The only Surrey river to have been made fully navigable is the combined lower section of the River Wey . In 1798 William Marshall advocated

8910-476: The river being much obstructed by the interposition of those hills, called Box Hill ... it forces the waters as it were to find their way through as well as they can; and in order to do this, beginning, I say, where the river comes close to the foot of the precipice of Box-Hill, called the Stomacher, the waters sink insensibly away, and in some places are to be seen (and I have seen them) little channels which go out on

9020-472: The river by Hampton Ferry when it is running in the summer. When James VI and I became King of England in 1603, he introduced the sport of golf to the country. The first games of golf in England were played at Molesey, in Westminster and Greenwich Park which were large open spaces near to royal palaces. This venue is considered to be one of the oldest used for organised cricket. The earliest known use of

9130-488: The river from the north bank was required for the herd of dairy cows, a row of twelve concrete cylinders were cast as an anti-tank measure. Gun mounts were also installed to protect both Boxhill and Deepdene bridges and several pillboxes were installed. An anti-tank ditch was dug from the Stepping Stones eastwards across the fields belonging to Bradley Farm (now Denbies vineyard ). The river crossing at Sidlow Bridge

9240-411: The river has historically supported larger predatory fish including chub, perch , pike , and eels, however in recent years chub and eel numbers have begun to decline. North of Esher the old river channel is dominated by floating pennywort , a highly invasive weed, which cuts off all light to the river bed, reducing oxygen levels and resulting in a poor habitat for fish. The Ember flood relief channel has

9350-401: The river is denoted by a series of hills accompanied by the legend "The river runneth under". 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). In John Rocque 's 1768 map of Surrey, the name Moulsey River

9460-564: The river runs over the London Clay . Crayfish are common in areas associated with high alkalinity , particularly around Brockham, and the tributaries which run over the Weald Clay provide an excellent habitat for stoneflies , caddisflies , fast swimming mayflies and riffle beetles . The beautiful demoiselle ( Calopteryx virgo ) disappeared from the River Mole during the 1960s owing to deteriorating water quality, but has since recolonised. The white-legged damselfly ( Platycnemis pennipes )

9570-572: 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 . The meander was reinstated in 1997, in an attempt to enhance this area of the Park, although it has since become blocked by silt . The entirety of the Mole Gap lies within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . At Leatherhead,

9680-518: The runway, was washed into Crawters Brook by airport workers. The Environment Agency estimated that up to 5200 fish of 14 different species were killed as the pollution drained downstream. The airport was fined £30,000 by Lewes Crown Court . In May 2003, sewage leaking from a pump operated by Thames Water leaked into the Stanford Brook, killing coarse fish in the Gatwick stream. Water quality of

9790-477: The same period has been discovered at East Horsley along with Neolithic flakes of flint at Fetcham and Headley Heath . Significant Bronze Age finds include a bronze sword found close to the river north of Amberley Farm near Charlwood and a small hoard of weaponry consisting of two palstave axes and a scabbard chape was discovered in 2003 in Norbury Park close to Ham Bank. It is not clear to what extent

9900-431: The second half of the 20th century, pollution levels in the river were high; however, since 1995 the water quality has improved dramatically and the Mole now boasts the greatest diversity of fish species of any river in England. Twelve Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) that include wetland habitats are located within the Mole catchment area , and the stretch of river through Leatherhead has been designated

10010-488: The sides of the river, where the water in a stream not so big as would fill a pipe of a quarter of an inch diameter, trills away out of the river, and sinks insensibly into the ground. In this manner it goes away, lessening the stream for above a mile, near two, and these they call the Swallows. Not all of the water removed from the river by the swallow holes is returned to the channel at Leatherhead . The chalk aquifer also feeds

10120-420: The site for the game was in 1723 for a match between a Surrey side and London . One of cricket's most famous paintings is Cricket at Moulsey Hurst , by Richard Wilson in 1780. The painting is owned by MCC and on display at Lord's . It hosted for some decades Hurst Park horse race course, evinced by an 1872 Ordnance Survey map. The cricket ground probably remained in the centre of the racecourse, which

10230-411: The south-west and south-east Route 514, also operated by Falcon on behalf of Surrey County Council, runs from Hersham to Kingston via Molesey, Thames Ditton, Long Ditton and Surbiton. 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

10340-431: The southern part of Bushy Park and most of Hampton Court Park are in the post town of East Molesey. Molesey Lock is just above Hampton Court Bridge , downstream of Sunbury Lock and upstream of Teddington Lock . Cigarette Island Park is just below the bridge, occupying the eastern extremity of the town. Hurst Park is on the south bank of the Thames, from where there is a daily ferry service to Hampton on

10450-548: The southwest of Dorking . There is only one aquifer in the drainage basin, at Fetcham , which means that the majority of the water in the river is from surface drainage, particularly from Gatwick Airport and the urban areas of Horley and Crawley, and that the flow rate responds rapidly to rainfall. The Mole rises in Baldhorns Copse 700 m (0.4 mi) to the south of the village of Rusper in West Sussex . It flows initially southwards for 1 km (0.6 mi) to

10560-503: The springs at the southern end of Fetcham Mill Pond, which have never been known to run dry. A survey in March 1883 estimated that the Fetcham springs were producing about 3.6 million imperial gallons (16,000 m ) every day. A second survey in 1948 estimated that the same springs were yielding about 5 million imperial gallons (23,000 m ) a day. The water table in the chalk of

10670-464: The surrounding chalk and provided with a manhole and access shaft to allow periodic inspection. 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 (4 ft 11 in) under the centre of one of the domes. When the Dorking to Leatherhead railway was constructed in 1859, a fossilised swallow hole was discovered in

10780-585: The west bank of the Mole, west of the Island Barn Reservoir. The Heath is an area of rough scrubland and, despite its name, is a reclaimed landfill site hence its large but artificial mound and small plateau. The site is a rich habitat for birds including the redshank and little ringed plover . The Mole rises south of Rusper in West Sussex, where an outcrop of the Hastings Beds sandstone dips below

10890-535: The west lie Bessborough Reservoir and Knight Reservoir , to the north-west Molesey Reservoirs , to the south Island Barn Reservoir , and to the south-west Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir . There are walks beside Metropolitan green belt fields to the south along the river Mole to Esher , and to the west along the Thames Path to Walton-on-Thames . Hampton Court Palace is immediately north-east of East Molesey across Hampton Court Bridge . The Palace, together with

11000-454: The west of Esher Commons and then forming the boundary between Hersham and Esher , where the mean flow of the river is 5.43 m /s (192 cu ft/s). In response to heavy flooding of East Molesey and Thames Ditton in September 1968 , the river was modified downstream of Albany Bridge to the Thames and new flood defences were constructed. Finally the Mole splits into two branches at

11110-499: The west, flowing north towards Sidlow and entering a largely rural area. 0.7 km (0.4 mi) south of Sidlow the mean flow is measured as 2.21 m /s (78 cu ft/s) at Kinnersley Manor gauging station (48 m [157 ft] above OD). The Earlswood Brook, a tributary draining the urban area of Reigate and Redhill , joins the Mole at Sidlow. The largest STW in the Mole catchment (Reigate STW) discharges up to 118,500 m (4,180,000 cu ft) per day into

11220-465: The west-southwest of West Molesey High Street. Molesey itself has some interesting landmarks, including three listed Church of England churches and The Bell , a public house , 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

11330-458: The western boundary of the common, flowing past a steep sandy area known locally as The Ledges . Plant species typical of ancient woodland are found in this area, including bluebells ( Hyacinthoides non-scriptus ), marsh marigolds ( Caltha palustris ) and golden saxifrages ( Chrysosplenium sp.). large bittercress ( Cardamine amara ) and the non-native Himalayan balsam ( Impatiens glandulifera ). Molesey Heath Local Nature Reserve lies on

11440-487: Was common practice in the 18th century. It was at this ground where the now modern-day East Molesey CC began; the current ground now lies off Graburn Way, about 1 ⁄ 3 mile (0.54 km) east and a short walk from Hampton Court Palace . Molesey Hurst Golf Club (now defunct) was founded in 1907. The club disappeared at the onset of WW2. Other sports and activities included ballooning, sprinting and archery. In May of 1810, Dutch Sam defeated Ben Medley in front of

11550-545: 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 (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

11660-531: 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. In this it was said, "...I can see no future for [The Mole]. The Mole Valley has been polluted. The Mole where I used to tickle trout in my youth is a drain, and it will remain a drain." Rebuttals included that the Mole

11770-457: Was heavily defended and a line of pill boxes was constructed on the north bank of the river. 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 . The North Downs Way crosses the river at Box Hill via seventeen hexagonal stepping stones , which are frequently submerged after heavy rainfall. The current stones were dedicated in September 1946 by

11880-413: Was introduced to a site at Newdigate in the early 1900s. It has in 2008 been recorded in tributaries of the River Mole at Capel and Brockham . The River Mole has the most diverse fish population of any river in England. The Gatwick Stream is dominated by coarse fish such as brown trout , brook lamprey , and eel . In 2003, the upper River Mole near Meath Green Lane, Horley, was enhanced to create

11990-594: Was said to be in revenge for the death of Emily Davison at the Epsom Derby 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 . 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 . Some of these are now disused and are being converted into nature reserves. To

12100-465: Was the oldest, dating from Saxon times . The drainage area of the Mole is 477 km (184 sq mi) and forms 5% of the River Thames 's catchment area above Teddington . The catchment area receives 761 mm (30.0 in) of rain each year; the greatest average level of rainfall is 800 mm (31.5 in) around Crawley . The Mole catchment reaches a maximum elevation of 265 m (869 ft) above Ordnance Datum at Leith Hill to

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