[26] (For the purposes of the remainder of this article, the River Mole and the River Ember are treated as a single entity. [11], Five of the mills mentioned in Domesday Book were in the borough of Elmbridge.[10]. [2], During 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. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 1 h 32 min to complete. stream [6], The stretch of river between Thorncroft Manor (1km[0.6mi] south of Leatherhead) and River Lane in Fetcham has been designated a Local Nature Reserve. It then runs along the west side of Horley, and heads north west towards Dorking. [136], In addition there was Ember Mill, which stood on the banks of the old course of the River Ember near Hampton Court Way.[136]. The Mole Valley has been polluted. It rises in West Sussex near Gatwick Airport and flows northwest through Surrey for 80km (50 miles) to the Thames at Hampton Court Palace. The Ember flood relief channel has a diverse fish population, including chub, dace, roach, bleak, large pike and barbel. [9] In John Rocque's 1768 map of Surrey, the name Moulsey River is used. Single track bridge built in 1842 and refurbished in 1993. Bronze and Iron Age burials have been found on the slopes of the hill which was clearly a feature of some importance in ancient times. [68] This name is probably derived from the Old English word men meaning misty or causing mists,[67] and the name of the River Ember probably has its origins in this name. Get flood warnings by phone, text or email. Two golf courses are within its bounds, Burhill Golf Club and Hersham Village Golf Club; considerable other land is wooded, used for mixed farming or Esher Rugby Club,[n 1] much of which is Metropolitan Green Belt. The River Mole originally flowed into the River Thames at the point where the present Hampton Court bridge now crosses the Thames (approximately 500 m upstream of the present confluence, on the reach above Teddington Lock). The medieval bridge was rebuilt by Gwilt in 1786, but was washed away during the September 1968 floods. We use some essential cookies to make this service work. View map of the flood alert area. [22] The aquifer at Fetcham is the only one in the entire catchment area. The manor remained in the possession of the Crown, and was granted by Philip II of Spain and Mary I of England to David Vincent. This is a new service your feedback will help us to improve it. The bridge is a long structure of 14 segmental arches resting on low piers, finished in red brick in Flemish bond, with some Portland stone dressing. Within a few minutes walk of this suburban-urban bulk of Hersham in the east are green fields and meadows alongside the River Mole and footpaths by fields used for mixed farming. As part of the development of Hersham a new shopping centre was built in the early 1980s with a large supermarket (30k sq feet ) now occupied by Waitrose, although the whole complex is currently under consideration for major redevelopment by the owners. This was estimated in 2004 to have consisted of around 7,000 birds.[15]. When the Burford Bridge was rebuilt in 1937, excavations revealed a "flint-surfaced approach to [a] ford at low level having all the signs of Roman workmanship" suggesting that Stane Street (which ran from London to Chichester via Dorking) crossed the river at this point. [59] A second survey in 1948 estimated that the same springs were yielding about 5million imperial gallons (23,000m3) a day. The nearest tackle shops are Esher Angling Centre at Pond House, Weston Green, Thames Ditton KT7 0JX, and Surbiton Angling Centre (31 Station Approach, Esher KT10 0SR). [11], Mention is made of a mill at Brockham in 1634 and remains of the mill race are still visible. Flood alert area: River Mole and its tributaries from Kinnersley Manor to South Hersham, including Sidlow, Leigh, Betchworth, Brockham, Pixham, Dorking, Mickleham, Leatherhead, Fetcham, Stoke D'Abernon and Cobham. The North Downs Way crosses the river at Box Hill via seventeen hexagonal stepping stones, which are frequently submerged after heavy rainfall. Constructed between January and March 2008, replacing an earlier bridge on the same site. A seven-span 170m long (190yd) reinforced concrete viaduct, cast. [54][55] In the late 1960s the domes were reopened and inspected and the alluvium in the largest swallow hole was observed to have subsided by 1.5 metres (4ft 11in) under the centre of one of the domes. You can change your cookie settings at any time. [136], East Molesey Lower Mill, also known as Sterte Mill, was associated with the manor of Molesey Prior. The present building dates from the 18th century but it is inaccessible to the public. 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). Fished the river years ago in the Esher/Hersham and Molesey areas before the giant flood of Molesey in the 60's. . When Henry VIII built Nonsuch Palace in Cheam as many as eighty loads of timber were obtained from Southwood, or the South Woods, for it. [12] 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.[1]. [86] Between Betchworth and Box Hill, the north bank of the River Mole was stabilised and made steeper to prevent wheeled vehicles from crossing. 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. Youve accepted analytics cookies. 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 the runway, was washed into Crawters Brook by airport workers. 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. Known as depot 'W15', this site supplied essential sheet metal parts parts for Vickers Wellington and Vickers Warwick aircraft manufactured at Brooklands. [11], Castle Mill at Pixham is a Grade II listed building. [131] It was a corn mill, built in the early 19th century, and has been converted into a bed and breakfast hotel. The site is a rich habitat for birds including the redshank and little ringed plover. The River Mole arises in Sussex and enters Surrey at Gatwick airport. [47], In a survey in 1958, the geologist C.C. Fagg identified 25 active swallow holes between Dorking and Mickleham; the majority were only a few centimetres in diameter and were located in the vertical banks of the river below the water line. It was used for fulling woollen cloth and milling corn. Early in World War II, Barnes Wallis and several hundred staff were evacuated to Burhill Golf Club from the nearby Vickers-Armstrongs aircraft factory at Brooklands and designed the legendary Dambusters 'bouncing bomb' there. [2] Brickearth deposits are common in the valley around Betchworth and east of Dorking. A similar trench is runs up several of the Mole's tributaries, notably along Deanoak Brook which follows a local strike. [40] The white-legged damselfly (Platycnemis pennipes) is also found along the river, and the downy emerald (Cordulia aenea) is found between Box Hill and Leatherhead. Hersham contained one manor alone known as Morehall alias Sylkesmore or Southwood. In more recent times the punk group Sham 69 with lead singer Jimmy Pursey, had its roots in Hersham. xmqV$@$"HQmJy'T\bU`l)qJYk[{BR&5~xr><97o?oyo?iQ/Og~wo;>OaO=_|o|o?|M~.toI%8mx?u?oV^0 zqO~~6s?;SS|sW\}N2omlc]GCxvWPwN`Tim'Ba~Vr:? The present bridge opened in 1971. The airport was fined 30,000 by Lewes Crown Court. A new Lidl supermarket was given permission in 2015 and subsequently opened on a site formerly used by ABC Motors and latterly by Ian Allan Publishing, increasing Hersham's retail floor-space in addition to Waitrose. In 1579 Queen Elizabeth granted to Thomas Vincent "the manor, site, and demesne lands of Morehall, and the wood called Sylkesmore coppice". The average level of accommodation in the region composed of detached houses was 28%, the average that was apartments was 22.6%. You can change your cookie settings at any time. 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. The Anglo-Saxons may well have been the first permanent settlers here; they gave the name to the place and no older remains of actual dwellings in areas not mentioned above have been found. Emergency services conducted a search at the scene but were unable to locate anything. Cobham Mill, downstream of Leatherhead, consisted of two mills used for grinding corn. The 18th-century weir at Betchworth was modified in 2004 to facilitate the installation of two 27.5kW low-head hydro turbines. River Mole rises in Baldhorns Copse 700 m (0.4 mi) to the south of the village of Rusper in West Sussex. [1] The river gives its name to the Surrey district of Mole Valley. It was restored to full working order by the Cobham Mill Preservation Trust, and is now open to the public from 2pm to 5pm on the second Sunday of each month (between April and October). Grade II listed. The original viaduct was washed away by floods on 15 September 1968. ?Pp9sJA_s^quN9&tx\R8Mx5s_u`:{,;.$0c )]}6>w~ByK_~_ Vj>&5HSQvPu|w_?~M6 /q$|;3Lq8SqN)?=LHI}sAZ]uesS6z3E i!+=yj}1z%H#4H:M[Wj\#\gDG/`ujzpa:yO(K+:3`~~j?u{?-@%qExtKste_/EX:n[xv[?8w{~fo?2,W`)_(rF z~~6VGS8_];qssWSn_n*,o lDu>>X\$=vlP[~gCLp? [21], At Leatherhead, the Mole leaves the chalk and turns northwestwards to flow across impermeable London Clay, winding towards Cobham. Opened in 1936, it provides services to London Waterloo and Woking to commuters based in Hersham itself - just under a mile to the south - and the southeast parts of Walton on Thames. [64], The river is first recorded in the Red Book of Thorney in AD 983 as Emen and in the AD 1005 Cartulary of the Abbey of Eynsham as both Emen and men. [note 2], From Sidlow the Mole turns north west towards Brockham. The band's biggest hit was Hersham Boys. Hersham Village Golf Club is on the opposite, south side of the village, where snooker player John Virgo has been a longstanding president. Surrey Fire and Rescue Service received the report at 7.13am and sent two fire engines, two Water Rescue teams and two officers to the site near Esher Road. In World War II, in a daring daylight raid on 4th September 1940, German bombers successfully attacked the important Vickers aircraft factory at Brooklands killing nearly 90 people. [2], Between Cobham and Esher, the Mole's historic courses have deposited gravel on top of the London Clay. [43] 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 present bridge was constructed by George Gwilt in 1792, after responsibility for maintenance had been transferred to the county council by Act of Parliament. Somewhere around 200 B.C. This trail is great for road biking, running, and walking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. [10] The bridge has nine low arches and is primarily built of red brick with stone coping. The parish boundaries run from the South West Main Line railway in the North to the East and through St George's Hill in the West. Built in 1957 as part of the scheme to divert the A23 around the eastern periphery of Gatwick Airport. [92] The first bridge on this site was probably constructed during the late Middle Ages and was rebuilt and enlarged by the county surveyor, George Gwilt in 178283. Robert Bloomfield (17661823) writes the following lines about the Mole Valley in his 1806 poem Wild Flowers. The M25 Junction 10 is 4 miles away and an A-roads and dual carriageway connect neighbouring (but not contiguous) Esher and the almost bordering towns of Weybridge and Cobham, across a narrow strip of Walton on Thames. [1], The geographical distribution of many species of invertebrate in the river reflects the geology of the catchment area. The very modest High Street contains almost entirely only convenience and socialising stores; fashion and leisure shops are to be found less than 2 miles (3.2km) to the north, in Walton on Thames. Until the Dissolution of the Monasteries it was owned by Chertsey Abbey. A severe flood warning means there's a danger to life. [93], A few metres downstream of Leatherhead Bridge stands the GradeII listed railway viaduct which carries the Leatherhead to Dorking line over the river. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The presence of the trench protects the land from flooding, rendering it suitable for agriculture. [81], In 1798 William Marshall advocated the canalisation of a short stretch of the River Mole between Betchworth and Dorking to facilitate the movement of chalk from quarry to market. The River Mole near Esher Road in Hersham. [73] Remains of a flat-bottomed dug-out canoe were found at the confluence of the Mole and Thames in 1877 by a local boatman. Not all of the water removed from the river by the swallow holes is returned to the channel at Leatherhead. %PDF-1.3 [8][51][52] At Leatherhead, the river leaves the chalk and flows across impermeable London Clay. Concrete anti-tank dragon's teeth were built on both sides of the river, a short distance upstream of the bridge, as an obstacle to armoured vehicles.[89]. In addition Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Bing also collects the data of visitors including device used and links clicked; other third party applications also collect this sort of data. 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. Within a few minutes walk of the village centre in the east are green fields and meadows alongside the River Mole and footpaths both through and by fields used for mixed farming. The sudden change from impermeable Weald Clay to permeable chalk and the increased gradient[note 4] of the river, allow the water table to drop below the bed of the river. [1] The next major tributary, The Rye, (which drains Ashtead) joins to the north of Leatherhead, before the river is crossed by the M25 motorway. There are around 3,500 measuring stations, and most are along main rivers and the coast. Mole (Horley to Hersham) is 60.133 km long The walk begins beside the Prince of Wales Pond, grid ref 129639, postcode The original road bridge on this site was destroyed during flooding in 1968. [132], Slyfield Mill near Stoke d'Abernon is first mentioned in Domesday Book. [3] The Gatwick Stream is dominated by coarse fish such as brown trout, brook lamprey, and eel. 1200 students. At the east end of Painshill Park, the flood plain narrows into a trench about 60m (66yd) wide, in which the river runs northwards for 6.5km (4.0mi) towards Hersham, where the river enters the flood plain of the River Thames. Opened in 1927 by Henry Cubitt, 2nd Baron Ashcombe. The woodland, river and ponds are attractive at any time of the year. Emergency services rushed to the River Mole between Esher and Hersham on Wednesday morning (October 12) after receiving a report that a body part had been seen in the water. 1952), Key Statistics; Quick Statistics: Population Density, Hersham in Surrey: a brief local history of the parish of St. Peter's, Hersham, in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, "William Lilly (1602-1681) By Barbara Dunn. [65] Remains of a further gravel terrace, containing cherts and flints to a depth of 4m (13ft), line the east side of St George's Hill. The bridge was rebuilt in 1991. In 1929 an aeroplane designed by Anthony Fletcher was constructed in the village by ABC Motors. Turn right on the wide track beside the river. It also takes in all six ponds of this part of Esher Common, some hidden deep in the woods. [12] The Mole passes Horley to the west, flowing north towards Sidlow and entering a largely rural area. The island where it stood now forms part of the ornamental gardens of a housing development called "The Wilderness". [92] The bridge was constructed as an ornamental feature in parkland laid out by Capability Brown in the late 18th century. Just over a mile long and several feet wide, the Bird Island Pier takes you out onto the Niagara River. Mole (Horley to Hersham) is a river in Surrey. Hersham is a village in Surrey, . [86][87][88] An anti-tank ditch was dug from the Stepping Stones eastwards across the fields belonging to Bradley Farm (now Denbies vineyard). Below Leatherhead 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. River Thames Bookmark All 85 planned road closures in Surrey this week including Farnham, Reigate and Walton-on-Thames Traffic and Travel Bookmark 54 Surrey road closures this week including. The author Daniel Defoe, who attended school in Dorking and probably grew up in the village of Westhumble,[56][57] 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 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 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. [66][67] 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. Get more Esher news from SurreyLive straight to your inbox for free here. The River Mole is a tributary of the River Thames in southern England. During the Middle Pleistocene period,[note 6] 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. Wed also like to use analytics cookies so we can understand how you use the service and make improvements. [37] A second non-native species, the edible frog (Pelophylax kl. [78], It is not clear to what extent 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 (52ft) in length used to carry produce to market[79] and it has been suggested that stone cut from quarries in Reigate was transported to London via the river. and is not designated artificial or heavily modified. I made up the walk using O/S Explorer Maps from a series of paths, tracks and roads which followed the course of the River Mole as near as possible. [36], The Mole catchment area includes twelve Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) that include wetland habitats,[6] The Mole Gap forms part of a Special Area of Conservation and is an SSSI of European importance. We use some essential cookies to make this service work. [4] It is of brick and stone in 13th-century style, has a nave and aisles, five arcades, chancel, transepts, and a western tower and spire. Col. Terry of Burvale, Hersham. Both barbel and brown trout are extremely sensitive to water quality and pollution. Sham 69 took their name from the remnants of a piece of graffiti in the area which made reference to when Walton and Hersham Football Club secured the Athenian League title in 1969. It was occupied by pre-historic folk whose flint instruments have been found in large numbers beside the River on Southwood Manor Farm.These date mostly from the mesolithic period. [135], East Molesey Upper Mill was associated with the manor of Molesey Matham. 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. However this proved to be impractical and they were instead covered by concrete domes, up to 18 m in diameter, each fully supported by the surrounding chalk and provided with a manhole and access shaft to allow periodic inspection. The Pipp Brook drains the northernmost heavily wooded slopes of Leith Hill (which include Squire's Great Wood and Abinger Forest), as well as areas of. Its roll holds approx. [12] The Earlswood Brook, a tributary draining the urban area of Reigate and Redhill, joins the Mole at Sidlow. basketball student section themes, royal canin appetite stimulation,