Molesey is a district of two twin towns, East Molesey and West Molesey, in the Borough of Elmbridge, Surrey, England, and 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 Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chief ...

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

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

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

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

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

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

. Molesey is divided into three

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

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

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

History

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

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

in AD 666. He secured from

Frithwald Frithwald (Old English: ''Friþuweald''ASC MS D
, s.a. 762. or ''Friðewald''; d. 762 × 764) was an

Etymologists suggest that the town's name is derived from the personal name ''Mul'' (pronounced Mule) compounded with 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 The River Mole is a tributary of the River Thames in southern England. It rises in West Sussex near Gatwick Airport and flows northwest through Surrey for to the Thames at Hampton Court Palace. The river gives its name to the Surrey district ...

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 Domesday Book of 1086 as ''Molesham''. 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 of

meadow A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or artifici ...

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 £4. Along with neighbouring

Thames Ditton Thames Ditton is a suburban village on the River Thames, in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey, England. Apart from a large inhabited island in the river, it lies on the southern bank, centred 12.2 miles (19.6 km) southwest of Charing Cross ...

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

All Saints Church, Kingston upon Thames All Saints Church is the historic parish church of Kingston upon Thames on the edge of London, and is set between the ancient Market Place and the main shopping centre. It forms part of the Diocese of Southwark and with the church of St John, an ...

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

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

(the Herbert Commission) for inclusion within the new ceremonial county of Greater London. In 1974, the district eventually merged with its neighbour to the west, Walton and Weybridge Urban District, to form the new

borough of Elmbridge Elmbridge is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England. Its principal towns and villages are Esher, Cobham, Walton-on-Thames, Weybridge and Molesey. It directly borders the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and ...

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

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

Locality

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

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

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

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

and

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

, to the north-west

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

, to the south

Island Barn Reservoir The Island Barn Reservoir lies south of the River Thames in England at West Molesey and north of Lower Green, Esher. The reservoir is large with a capacity of 992 million gallons and is managed by Thames Water. It is within the borough of Elm ...

, and to the south-west

Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir The Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir lies to the south of the River Thames and to the west of the Island Barn Reservoir. To the north are the Bessborough and Knight reservoirs. The A3050 runs to the north of the reservoir and it is situated in Walt ...

. There are walks beside

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

fields to the south along the river Mole to Esher, and to the west along the Thames Path to Walton-on-Thames.

is immediately north-east of East Molesey across

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

The Palace, together with the southern part of

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

and most of Hampton Court Park are in the post town East Molesey.

Molesey Lock Molesey Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England at East Molesey, Surrey on the right bank. The lock was built by the City of London Corporation in 1815 and was rebuilt by the Thames Conservancy in 1906. It is the second longest on the r ...

is just above

, downstream of Sunbury Lock and upstream of Teddington Lock.

Cigarette Island Park Cigarette Island Park is a public park in East Molesey, in the Borough of Elmbridge, Surrey, close to the border with Greater London and Hampton Court Palace. Until the 1930s the area was an island at the confluence of the River Mole and the T ...

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 A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water ta ...

service to

on the Middlesex bank. It was home to a horse racing course from 1890 to 1962. The residential streets of East Molesey run directly into Weston Green and the northernmost stretches of residential Esher to the south, and

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

Walton on Thames Walton-on-Thames, locally known as Walton, is a market town on the south bank of the Thames in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey, England. Walton forms part of the Greater London built-up area, within the KT postcode and is served by a wide ra ...

. The central shopping area of Kingston upon Thames lies 1.7 miles east of Bridge Road in East Molesey, while central

lies 2.3 miles to the west-southwest of West Molesey High Street.

Landmarks

Molesey itself has some interesting landmarks, including three listed Church of England churches and ''The Bell'', a public house, formerly known as "The Crooked House", built in the mid-15th century. Other Landmarks include The Jubilee Fountain in Bridge Road. There are three designated Conservation Areas in East Molesey. Other historic buildings include the

Grade II-listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

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

Bars, public houses and restaurants

Molesey has many traditional pubs and restaurants, though several public houses have closed in recent years to become apartment buildings. They have largely consolidated on a few with successful niche products or music offerings such as ''The Poyntz Arms'' with live music on Friday evenings. Molesey's modern bars are composed of ''Signature Cafe Lounge and Bar'', the ''Square Olive'' and the ''Prince of Wales'' in East Molesey. Molesey East & West Conservative Club and the Royal British Legion Club are the only members' clubs (both in East Molesey). The remaining pubs in West Molesey are ''The Cannon'' and ''The Royal Oak''. As of 2015, there are Chinese, Indian, French, Italian, Greek, Nepalese and Lebanese restaurants in the area, as well as branches of

Pizza Express PizzaExpress is a British multinational restaurant group, owned by a group of bondholders. It has over 470 restaurants across the United Kingdom and 100 overseas in Europe, Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, the Philippines, the Unit ...

and

Zizzi Zizzi is a chain of Italian-inspired restaurants in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In February 2015, Bridgepoint Capital completed a £250 million acquisition of '' ASK Italian'' and ''Zizzi'', and subsequently bought by TowerBrook Capital Partn ...

Scout groups

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

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

-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 a wide variety of activities and events throughout the year at various locations.

River channels, flooding and speculative building

Molesey's

conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

is to the south by a corollary channel of the

, known as the

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

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

is the second lock (and weir) on the River Thames, and marks the furthest point upstream that 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 of

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

Women's suffrage

On 8 June 1913 the grandstand at the former

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

in Molesey was virtually destroyed after an

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

attack by suffragettes

Kitty Marion Kitty Marion 12 March 1871 – 9 October 1944) was born Katherina Maria Schäfer in Germany. She emigrated to London in 1886 when she was fifteen, and she grew to minor prominence when she sang in music halls throughout the United Kingdom during ...

and

Clara Giveen Clara Elizabeth Giveen, also known as Betty Giveen, later Mrs Betty Brewster (1887–1967) was a British suffragette. She was known for an arson attack on the grandstand at the Hurst Park Racecourse in 1913, and for her "Prisoners (Temporary Dis ...

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

Emily Davison Emily Wilding Davison (11 October 1872 – 8 June 1913) was an English suffragette who fought for votes for women in Britain in the early twentieth century. A member of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) and a militant fighte ...

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.

Sports

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

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

Cricket

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

, which is located alongside the South bank of the Thames, half a mile from

. It was founded in 1871. The club's first XI play in Surrey Championship Premier Division and there are three other senior Saturday league sides and one senior 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 a law that would stop batsmen simply obstructing their wicket with their leg pads to prevent being bowled. The LBW law has been revised several times since then.

Rowing

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

Football

Molesey F.C. Molesey Football Club is a football club based in West Molesey, Surrey, England. They are currently members of the and play at Walton Road. History Pre-merger The original Molesey club was established by former Corinthian player James Jenkin ...

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

Isthmian League The Isthmian League () is a regional men's football league covering Greater London, East and South East England, featuring mostly semi-professional clubs. Founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area, the league now consists of 82 teams ...

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

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

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

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

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

Swimming

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

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

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

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

Pool/Billiards

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

Darts

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

Cycling

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

Crime

Surrey Police Surrey Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Surrey in South East England. The force is currently led by Chief Constable Gavin Stephens. Previously the force was led by Nick Ephgrave who left the force ...

statistics for reported crime in the West Molesey area for the period October 2021 to September 2022 recorded violence and sexual crime as the biggest single category with 328 instances, with anti-social behaviour having 180 instances and criminal damage and arson ranked third with 74. 31 burglaries were recorded, with 42 vehicle crimes. There were two murders in West Molesey in 2016–17. A woman was found murdered with a machete or axe in the front garden of her house on Walton Road, Molesey in March 2016 resulting in extensive national publicity. Police launched a second local murder investigation on 7 December 2017 when a woman reported as previously deliberately run down in the small hours of the morning in a car park on land between Hurst Road, Molesham Way and Walton Road, died in hospital.

Transport

Rail service

The railway station in East Molesey is

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 Surbiton is a suburban neighbourhood in South West London, within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (RBK). It is next to the River Thames, southwest of Charing Cross. Surbiton was in the historic county of Surrey and since 1965 it has ...

, Wimbledon and

Clapham Junction Clapham Junction is an urban locality around Clapham Junction railway station in London, England. Despite its name, it is not located in Clapham, but forms the commercial centre of Battersea. Clapham Junction was a scene of disturbances during ...

. During the

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

extra trains run to and from London.

Bus services

Four bus routes serve the town. ;To the east Transport for London's

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

(previously the route 131 from West Molesey to Kingston), 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 is the terminus of a second Transport for London bus service, route R68, operated by

Abellio London Abellio London is a bus company operating services in Greater London. A subsidiary of Abellio, it operates services under contract to Transport for London (TfL). Until September 2018, services were operated in Surrey under the Abellio Surre ...

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

Strawberry Hill Strawberry Hill may refer to: United Kingdom *Strawberry Hill, London, England **Strawberry Hill House, Horace Walpole's Gothic revival villa ** Strawberry Hill railway station United States * Strawberry Hill (San Francisco), California * Strawbe ...

, Twickenham and Richmond before ending at

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

retail park. ;To the west Route 461, operated by

Falcon Coaches Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene. Adult falcons ...

on behalf of

Surrey County Council Surrey County Council is the county council administering certain services in the non-metropolitan county of Surrey in England. The council is composed of 81 elected councillors, and in all but one election since 1965 the Conservative Party h ...

, runs from Kingston, through Molesey and on to

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

, terminating at

Tesco Tesco plc () is a British Multinational corporation, multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues an ...

Addlestone Addlestone ( or ) is a town in Surrey, England. It is located approximately southwest of London. The town is the administrative centre of the Borough of Runnymede, of which it is the largest settlement. History The town is recorded as ''Attels ...

. ;To the south-west and south-east Route 514, also operated by Falcon on behalf of Surrey County Council, runs from

Hersham Hersham is a village in Surrey, within the M25. Its housing is relatively low-rise and diverse and it has four technology/trading estates. The only contiguous settlement is Walton-on-Thames, its post town. Hersham is served by Hersham and W ...

to Kingston via Molesey, Thames Ditton,

Long Ditton Long Ditton is a residential suburb in the Borough of Elmbridge, Surrey, England on the boundary with the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, London. In medieval times it was a village, occupying a narrow strip of land. Neighbouring settleme ...

and Surbiton.

Notable residents

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

, British Olympic alpine skier *

Rick Astley Richard Paul Astley (born 6 February 1966) is an English singer, songwriter and radio personality, who has been active in music for several decades. He gained worldwide fame in the 1980s, having multiple hits including his signature song " Ne ...

, British pop musician, lives in East Molesey *

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

, drummer and percussionist for rock band '' The Kinks'', grew up in West Molesey * Keith Barron, actor, lived in the town from the 1970s to 2017 * Ed Bishop, actor, lived in West Molesey *

Liv Boeree Olivia "Liv" Boeree (born 18 July 1984) is a British science communicator, television presenter and former professional poker player. She is a World Series of Poker and European Poker Tour champion, and is the only female player in history to ...

, professional poker player, lives in East Molesey *

Ronald Brooks Ronald Clifton Brooks (3 March 1899 – 14 August 1980) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer. Eitherside of a career as a partner in the family firm, Brooks served in the First World War and the Second World War, g ...

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

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

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

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

(1921–1997), cricketer, brother of the below *

Dennis Constable Dennis Constable (14 August 1925 – November 2011) is a former English cricketer. Constable was a right-handed batsman who fielded as a wicket-keeper. He was born at East Molesey, Surrey. The younger brother of Surrey cricketer Bernie Cons ...

(1925–2011), cricketer, brother of the above *

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

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

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

, lived in East Molesey in his later years * Terence Cuneo (1907–1996), artist *

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

, pop music singer, lives in the town *

Bob Falconer Robert 'Bob' John Falconer (born 26 December 1962) is a former English cricketer. Falconer was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm off break. He was born in East Molesey, Surrey. Falconer represented the Surrey Cricket Board in a si ...

( born 1962), of East Molesey, a former English cricketer * Kenneth Falconer, mathematician, resident in the 1960s *

Ray Galton Raymond Percy Galton (17 July 1930 – 5 October 2018) was an English radio and television scriptwriter, best known for the Galton and Simpson comedy writing partnership with Alan Simpson. Together they devised and wrote 1950s and 60s BBC sit ...

comedy dramatist Most notable for ''

Hancock's Half Hour ''Hancock's Half Hour'' was a BBC radio comedy, and later television comedy series, broadcast from 1954 to 1961 and written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The series starred Tony Hancock, with Sidney James; the radio version also co-starr ...

'' and ''

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

'' *

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

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

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

, actor *

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

, British rapper *

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

, architect *

Lee Mack Lee Gordon McKillop (born 4 August 1968), known by his stage name Lee Mack, is an English comedian, actor, podcaster and presenter. He is known for his quick wit, writing and starring in the sitcom '' Not Going Out'', being a team captain on th ...

, stand-up comic, lives in East Molesey *

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

(1877–1920), cricketer, buried at Molesey Cemetery, West Molesey * John Orlando Parry (1810–1879), 19th century entertainer *

Daniel Pemberton Daniel Pemberton (born 3 November 1977) is an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning English composer and songwriter. Life and career In 1994, at the age of 16, Pemberton recorded his debut album, ''Bedroom'', on a multitrack cassette recor ...

, musician *

Luke Shaw Luke Paul Hoare Shaw (born 12 July 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as a left-back for club Manchester United and the England national team. Originally a member of Southampton's youth system, Shaw made his first-team debu ...

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

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

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

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

, actor, lives in East Molesey *Les Strong, professional footballer who played for Crystal Palace F.C., Crystal Palace and Fulham F.C., Fulham *Michael Underwood (physician), Michael Underwood, the physician who first described polio, was born in West Molesey *Julius Vogel (1835–1899), Prime Minister of New Zealand, resident in East Molesey in his final years *Matt Willis, the musician, TV presenter and ex-actor, who is best known for being the bassist in Busted (band), Busted, lived in Molesey during his youth *Freya Wilson, actress

Demography and housing

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

References

External links

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