This section of our walk starts at the Englefield Green. It is 13.35 miles long and takes in Englefield Green, Runnymede Memorials, Egham, The Causway, Staines Riverside, the Thames Path, Laleham, Chertsey Bridge, Shepperton Riverside, Shepperton Ferry, Desborough Cut, Walton Bridge and Walton-on-Thames.

For a map of section 4 visit MapMyWalk. The map can be downloaded as a GPX or KML file.

If you just want to print out the "Route Instructions" of section 4 of this walk, without all the blurb on the website, you can download this as a Word Doc by clicking on the blue button below. 

Start at junction of St Judes Road (A328) and Englefield Green. Grid Ref: SU 99229 71366 Postcode TW20 0NX  See Map of start.

Go right for just a few yards, then cross over St Judes Road and into Barley Mow Road.

Follow Barley Mow Road using RHS pavement and crossing over when pavement changes sides.

At T-junction cross straight over road (Middle Hill). Turn right for just a few yards and immediately before Lancaster Close, turn left past metal barrier and onto enclosed path, signed Public Footpath.

The path leads to Tite Hill. Cross straight over onto enclosed path.

After 150 yards the path turns right, and soon after turns left and eventually leads out onto Coopers Hill Lane next to the entrance to Englefield Park.

To the right is a cream building dated 1889 and the Kingswood Campus, of Royal Holloway College. This seems to have been built as a private residence and later, according to Egham Museum:.

"Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an order of Catholic nuns, set up a boarding school for girls on Cooper's Hill in 1921 with the addition of a “Juniorate” and a University Residence.

A Novitiate house in Leahoe, Hertfordshire was closed in 1933 and the Novitiate transferred to Kingswood.

Many young foreign students also came to learn English.

In 1955 the Convent, School and Novitiate were transferred to Highcliffe-on-Sea, in Hampshire.

The convent was sold for flats and then in 1965 the house was converted into a hall of residence for the first male students of Royal Holloway."

Turn left and after 70 yards turn right to visit the Air Forces' Memorial. Then retrace your steps back to the entrance at Coopers Hill Lane.

The Air Forces Memoria was designed by Sir Edward Maufe R.A. and unveiled by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 17th October 1953 (see video). It was the first World War II building to be listed for architectural merit. It is administered by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It is a tribute to "the men and women of the Airforces of the British Commonwealth who lost their lives in the Second World War and who have no known grave". There are 20,275 names carved in the stone walls and floors. 

The video below give a good overall look around the memorial and the views from the top.

From the top of the tower, visitors can see Windsor Castle, Runnymede, Central London, the Wembley Arch and breathtaking views over seven counties. 

From here there you have a choice of two routes to take between here and the John F Kennedy Memorial. The first one is hilly, has some steps and can be muddy underfoot; the alternative add 0.3 miles, is mainly along residential lanes / roads, is better underfoot, but has three road crossings.

THE FIRST ROUTE - This is the Route on the Map

Turn left along Cooper's Hill Lane and stay left past Kingswood Campus, of Royal Holloway College (at 1 mile).

Coopers Hill Lane soon turns right. At this point turn left through a wooden kissing-gate and into the National Trust, Coopers Hill Woods. The path descends using steps.

After 200 yards, the footpath becomes a board-walk, then Immediately after this stay left at fork onto an unmarked path (DO NOT take the more obvious footpath downhill).

The path soon comes to a fence, continue straight on thru' the trees, keeping the fence to your LHS. The fence is not well maintained and does disappear at times.

Along this section, and for most of the next two miles, it can be very slippery underfoot. So please take care. When I last walked this, it was wet underfoot, I fell flat on my face just after exiting the woods through a kissing-gate and entering a field – see next instruction below.

I was last here on 30 March 2015 there were lots of Diggers' make-shift homes in the woods on the opposite side of the fence from the National Trust property. I had a short chat with one young man who kindly helped me with directions.

A video uploaded just 9 days before I was there shows what a sustainable life these people live and how careful they are with the environment they live in. You can watch it at YouTube.

The Diggers take their name from the Surrey Diggers (or True Levellers as they called themselves). This was a movement started in 1649 by Gerrard Winstanley two months after the execution of King Charles I. He was a cloth trader from Lancashire whose business in London was ruined by the English Civil War. He moved to Cobham where he stayed with friends and earned his living as a farm labourer. Through a vision he claimed to have, together with stories from many others who were also left with nothing, he produced writings about the rights of the common man. A lot of these were merely pamphlets. The one below was entitled “The New Law of Righteousness” and was published in January 1649.

“When this universal law of equity rises up in every man and woman, then none shall lay claim to any creature and say, This is mine, and that is yours. This is my work, that is yours. But everyone shall put their hands to till the earth and bring up cattle, and the blessing of the earth shall be common to all; when a man hath need of any corn or cattle, take from the next storehouse he meets with. There shall be no buying or selling, no fairs or markets, but the whole earth shall be a common treasury for every man, for the earth is the Lord's...When a man hath eat, and drink, and clothes, he hath enough.”

Winstanley earned a following through his radical views, believing common land belonged to everyone and thus everyone had a right to earn a livelihood from it. With people from Walton and Cobham he set up a commune at St Georges Hill in Weybridge on 1st April 1649. They built places for their families to live and dug the land to plant their crops. They were poor and at first thought harmless, so were left to their own devices. It wasn’t long before wealthy landowners and people in power realised their threat. Those who felt threatened by the Diggers paid local thugs to beat them up, destroy their crops and burn their houses. They and their families were taken prisoner and locked up in St Mary’s at Walton. They were eventually released as there were no grounds on which to hold them. They moved to Cobham and gained support from other corners of the country where communes were also set up. However, they never stood a chance against the might of those in control and within three years of starting they were quashed and became a part of history.

The present Diggers seem to live along the same lines as the early Diggers. They have an open house to all visitors and very welcoming, but as before they are constantly under threat from the authorities as they don't conform to what modern society expects. You can read more about the camp at Runnymede on their Facebook Page and listen to many versions of The Diggers Song at Seedstar.

The plan was to remove The Diggers from Coopers Hill Wood before the 800th celebrations of Magna Carta on 12th June 2015 (see RT News video at YouTube). However, with court cases it seems they weren't removed until September the same year as you can see from the BBC News video below.

After watching many videos about this and the fact some maps no-longer have a path marked on them through here, I'm wondering if this path still exists and this is one of the reasons I have added an alternative route. I'll have to get someone to check this out as it is the main route I wish to use.

The path leads to a wooden gate. Go straight on through the gate and, uphill across a field (it's steeper than it looks), soon past a view point with a bench Stay straight on into and across a second field. Then enter another field and straight on, keeping the hedgerow to your LHS.

Take time to stop at the bench. There are some great views over Runnymede, the River Thames, the Magna Carta Memorial, Heathrow Airport and into the far distance on clear days.

Exit through a pedestrian gate and turn right and downhill on an enclosed footpath (it's at this point the "alternative route" rejoins us from the left). 

After 130m turn left to John F Kennedy Memorial, then retrace your steps back to the path and turn left and downhill - STEPS

THE ALTERNATIVE ROUTE - See Map of this Diversion. This adds an extra 0.3 miles

On leaving the Air Forces' Memorial turn right along Coopers Hill Lane and stay straight on for 775 yards until just before a dead-end sign. Turn left and after just 40 yards cross over St Judes Road (A328) with extreme care.

Turn right along pavement and soon cross straight over Castle Hill Road (St Judes Road becomes Priest Hill).

Go straight on past an old wooden bus-stop and after 170 yards cross over (again with extreme care) and onto a lane, signed Public Footpath.

Follow the lane downhill, and after 520 yards past a farmhouse and onto an enclosed path. It's soon after here the "The First Route" rejoins us via a footpath to our right.

Priest Hill may sounds like a holy place but holds a dark secret. This was the site of the last place a fatal duel fought in England. It took place in 1852 between two French exiles. There are many accounts of the duel on the Internet. The one below is from the Englefield Green section on Wikipedia.

"The last fatal duel in England took place on Priest Hill in 1852. It was between two French refugees, Lt. Frederic Constant Cournet and Emmanuel Barthelemy. Cournet was supposed to have been the better prepared for a sword duel. Barthelemy, an extremely questionable individual (responsible for at least two murders by 1852), manipulated Cournet into challenging him (supposedly over comments Cournet made about Barthelemy's girlfriend), and chose pistols for the weapon. He killed Cournet, and was subsequently arrested for murder. However, Barthelemy managed to convince the jury it was not a homicide as in the normal sense of the word, and was acquitted. Barthelemy was widely suspected of being a spy for the new French regime of Emperor Louis Napoleon (Napoleon III). In fact, his bullying of other refugees had led to the confrontation with Cournet. However, three years later, he was engaged in a crime in London, possibly involving a blackmail attempt that did not work out. Two men were killed, and Barthelemy was arrested. Despite giving an image of bravado in court, this time he was convicted, and subsequently hanged. Most criminal historians and writers feel he was a totally repugnant character, but to be fair he had one odd defender: Victor Hugo, who wrote a small panegyric to his memory in one of the later sections of Les Miserables. Cournet is buried in Egham parish church graveyard."

With both routes rejoined we continue.

After another 120 yards, to the left of the path is a large engraved slab of Portland stone which acts as the centre-piece of the John F Kennedy Memorial. The area surrounding the slab, including the trees, the walkway leading away from it, the steps down and the gate at the bottom are all part of the memorial. For an insight of the architect design thoughts see the video below at YouTube.

To see the full extent of the JFK Memorial, walk to the end of the walkway and back. Then turn left and down steps.

The John F. Kennedy Memorial was designed by Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe. It was unveiled by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 14th May 1965 in the presence of President Kennedy's widow, their children, and his brothers. By visiting the links to YouTube1, YouTube2 you can watch a short video of the ceremony. In her speech the Queen proclaimed: 

“This acre of English soil is now bequeathed in perpetuity to the America People in memory of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, who in death my people still mourn and whom in life they loved and admired.”

The stone itself lets you know you are on American ground, has the President's name in very large letters, birth date 29 May 1917, President of United States 1961-63, died by an assassins hand 22 November 1963, and a quote from his inaugural presidential address of January 1961:

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend or oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and success of liberty”.

The area around the stone slab and the steps leading up to it, from the meadow below, all form part of the memorial. The 50 steep steps are named “The Steps of Individuality”. They are made of 60,000 individual axe-hewn Portuguese granite setts which rise steeply through the woodland. Each sett represents a pilgrim climbing to visit the memorial and each step represents a state of the USA.

Enjoy the walk down the steps, through the trees, but if wet, take care as they can be slippery.

At bottom go through the wooden kissing gate, then turn half left and follow the worn path diagonally across the meadow for 100 yards to reach a set of 12 chairs.

This is an art sculpture entitled "The Jurors". This was commissioned by Surrey County Council and the National Trust. It is 12 high-backed bronze chairs on the meadow at Runnymede representing the 12 people who sit on a jury in the UK. Each chair is engraved on the front and back with people's fight for justice, human rights and freedom since ancient China, through the signing of Magna Carta in 1215 and up to how modern technology and the Internet affects bullying and freedom of speech in the present day. They depict times and places where ordinary people had no rights; slavery, those thrown over-board to drown and claimed as lost cargo by their wealthy "owners"; women, ethnic and gay people fighting for equal rights; momentous moments in history; France becoming a republic, big business polluting the world; people such as Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Aboriginal Australians fighting for the rights of their people. This is a beautiful sculpture and you can read more at National Trust.

The Jurors was created by Hew Locke, according to his website:

"The Jurors is a permanent artwork designed for this ancient landscape to mark 800 years since the sealing of Magna Carta in this place. It is formed of 12 bronze chairs, each decorated with panels of images and symbols relating to past and ongoing struggles for freedom, rule of law and equal rights. The Jurors is not a memorial, but rather an artwork which requires people to complete it.

The chairs awaiting a gathering, discussion or debate of some kind: an open invitation for the audience to sit down on them, to reflect and discuss together the implications of the histories and issues depicted, and to debate the meaning of justice..." 

To watch a video on how the sculpture was made see YouTube. You can also watch short documentary video containing thoughts from the artist below at YouTube.

Retrace your steps back to the wooden kissing-gate (at 2 miles), but do not go back through it. Instead turn left along a line of trees to your RHS. 

After 160m turn right through a wooden gate to visit Magna Carta Memorial. Then retrace your steps back down to the meadow and turn right, soon through a kissing-gate between trees, signed Air Forces' Memorial (and possibly Writ in Water). 

The “Magna Carta Memorial” was designed by Sir Edward Maufe, financed by the American Bar Association and unveiled on 18 July 1957. The memorial sits near the foot of Coopers Hill and overlooking the broad meadow below. It consists of a cylindrical pillar of English granite inscribed “To celebrate Magna Carta, symbol of Freedom Under Law”. The pillar is enclosed in a domed temple with a starry blue sky ceiling held up by eight narrow pillars.

The memorial is here to commemorate the sealing of Magna Carta by King John in 1215. We know that in a field at Runnymede, with the king on one side, the barons on the other and the clergy, led by Stephen Langton (Archbishop of Canterbury), as adjudicators Magna Carta was agreed and sealed on 15 June 1215. Many copies were produced and the king's seal added to them all. These were distributed throughout the land and at least four still exist today.

Magna Carta is recognised throughout most of the free world as the foundation stone of democracy. It took powers away from a supreme ruler and offered more liberties for others.

Many believe that Magna Carta gave rights to all men, but it did not. At the time most men were not free, they were owned by their lords. So it was basically an agreement giving more powers to the nobles and to the church. It was the wording of Magna Carta and how it would be interpreted in the centuries afterwards that would make it important for the freedom of all.

Of the original 63 clauses contained in Magna Carta, only four still exist in British Law. One defends the liberties and rights of the church, another confirms the liberties and customs of the City of London and other towns and cities. The third and fourth are the probably the most important and it was these two clauses that possibly made Magna Carta one of the most important documents in history. They are clauses 39 and 40 and they state:

"39. No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land.

40. To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right of justice."

The piece below is from the British Library record on Magna Carta (it's worth a visit, and has an enjoyable video narrated by Monty Python's, Terry Jones):

“This clause gave all free men the right to justice and a fair trial. However, ‘free men’ comprised only a small proportion of the population in medieval England. The majority of the people were unfree peasants known as ‘villeins’, who could seek justice only through the courts of their own lords.

Buried deep in Magna Carta, this clause was given no particular prominence in 1215, but its intrinsic adaptability has allowed succeeding generations to reinterpret it for their own purposes. In the 14th century Parliament saw it as guaranteeing trial by jury; in the 17th century Sir Edward Coke (1552-1634) interpreted it as a declaration of individual liberty in his conflict with the early Stuart kings; and it has echoes in the American Bill of Rights (1791) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).”

It's incredible how something drawn up 800 years ago, to curb the powers of a selfish king, to improve the rights of nobles and well-off, and at the time, meaning to do nothing for the ordinary person, could still have such an effect on democratic society today.

King John only lived for another 16 months after Magna Carta, he died aged 49 caused by overindulgence at Newark in Nottinghamshire. However, in this short time he managed to have the Pope (Innocent III, his old foe and now friend) annul Magna Carta, excommunicate the barons and start a civil war. So he never really learned from his mistakes. Innocent III died two months before John.

Magna Carta was re-issued in 1216 by his son and heir King Henry III. He was only nine years old, a few changes were added, and the lad probably didn't understand what it all really meant. Through the years the “Great Charter” continued to be amended and was re-issued in 1217, 1225 and 1297..

For a list of the key players at Runnymede on 15 June 1215 see Wikipedia. It lists the 25 barons chosen to enforce Magna Carta, two Archbishops, ten other Bishops and twenty Abbots.

The exact spot were proceedings took place in 1215 is still not conclusively known. Some claim it was on an island in the River Thames, now named Magna Carta Island, others claim it was in the broad meadow named Runnymede, and others claim it was under the old yew at Ankerwycke. Maybe some day we'll find out, but until then we have to be happy with the Magna Carta Memorial looking down on all the possibilities.

If you wish to read greater detail into why Magna Carta actually happened in the first place and the events surrounding the signing, please see section 1 of this walk.

After 300 yards you reach a round building named "Writ in Water". 

According to the National Trust website:

"Writ in Water, a major architectural artwork by Mark Wallinger, in collaboration with Studio Octopi, provides a new immersive space for contemplation and reflection at Runnymede, Surrey. Writ in Water is open seven days a week ... and is free to enter..."

"The large-scale circular building emerges from the hillside at the base of Cooper's Hill. The meadow it sits within is flanked by the River Thames on one side and an ox-bow lake on the other, itself a trace of the river's earlier course.

Responding to this feature of the landscape, Writ in Water takes its name from the inscription on John Keats' gravestone, which reads, 'Here lies one whose name was writ in water'.

Built in cubits, the most ancient unit of measure, and using rammed stone from the site itself, Writ in Water sits at the heart of this ancient land. 

An exterior doorway leads to a simple circular labyrinth, in which the visitor can choose to turn left or right to reach an inner doorway that opens out into a central chamber. Here the sky looms through a wide oculus above a pool of water, as reflective as a still font. 

The sides of the pool are inscribed on the inner side, the water reflecting (much like the seal on Magna Carta itself), the reversed and inverted lettering of Clause 39 as the visitor moves round the pool to reveal its words."  

To watch a National Trust video entitled "Creating "Writ in Water" by Mark Wallinger, at Runnymede, follow the link to YouTube. 

After visiting "Writ in Water" continue to follow the path along the line of tree to your RHS and soon into trees.  Follow this path straight on through the lower slopes of Coopers Hill Woods for half a mile, ignoring all other paths.

Go through a kissing gate and turn right and uphill to exit woods onto Coopers Hill Lane. Turn left along the narrow lane.

Note: There are many paths in this area and some are not marked on maps, so it is possible to take a wrong turn. However, the main aim is to get to Coopers Hill Lane and then turn left to follow it to the A30. If you look at the map of "Egham to Runnymede countryside circular walk" at National Trust, to get from Magna Carta Memorial to Coopers Hill Lane, we follow the walk backwards from point 8 to point 5 as it is the least complicated and is just above the flood plain. However, if it is dry underfoot you can also follow the route via Langham Pond from point 8 to point 12 and come out onto Coopers Hill Lane lower down and closer to the A30.

Langham Pond is an oxbow lake. It was formed when a meander of a river was cut off from the main stream due to the river changing course. This means that sometime in the past the route of the River Thames would have flowed across the meadow and through here, but has diverted to a more direct route and left this part of its old course as small lake, or pond. I have not been able to ascertain when the River Thames changed course at this point, but if it was after 1215 (archaeology could give the answer) then it would add many questions as to where the exact spot Magna Carta was sealed.

At T-junction with A30 turn right along pavement, soon past Maranello Maserati & Ferrari garage, then turn left to cross A30 using the staggered pelican crossing.

Once over the A30, turn right along pavement, then left into Egham High Street and past The Kings Arms.

The Kings Arms was originally a 17th century inn, it spent a few years as a Loch Fyne Restaurant and has now reverted back to a pub with its original name. On the front wall of the building is a plaque remembering “The Trafalgar Way”. This is the 271 mile route taken “express by post-chaise” by Lieutenant John Richards Lapenotiere between 4th & 6th November 1805. He travelled from Falmouth to the Admiralty in London, carrying the news of the momentous victory and the death in action of Vice Admiral Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. In total he took 37 hours and made 21 stops at coaching inns to change horses; he passed the Kings Arms on the way to the next stop, the Bush Inn at Staines. See link to official website and a video.

Continue along High Street and soon past Strode's College to your left, then stay left at junction (still along High Street and now at 3.5 miles).

Soon, to the left, is The Old Bank. On the pavement in front of this is a mosaic of The Great Seal of King John, the one used to seal Magna Carta.

Soon the High Street narrows and the pavement widens. There's a mixture of old and new, but very few of the old coaching inns still survive. However, do keep your eyes alert as there are still some pleasant buildings and many reminders of Magna Carta.

The Literary Institute is soon to the left. This contains the Egham Museum and has an exhibition on Magna Carta and other local history. It is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10am – 12.30pm and from 2pm – 4pm.

Further along an alleyway on the right leads to Waitrose and the walls have murals, placed here in 2015, to remember 800 years since Magna Carta. See photo1, photo2 and photo3.

Outside Tesco is a fountain with a sculpture of Magna Carta as the centre-piece and next to this on the pavement are mosaics of some of the barons present at the sealing of Magna Carta.

Egham holds an annual Magna Carta Day in the High Street each June to celebrate the signing of Magna Carta. It's their biggest event of the year with most of the businesses, schools, societies, townsfolk, etc. get involved. At YouTube you can watch a short video of the 2018 event.

At the end of the High Street is a monument to “the sealing of Magna Carta at Runnymede, 1215 AD”. It was sculptured by David Parfitt and depicts King John sitting down and overlooked by Robert Fitzwalter, the leader of the Barons.

To the right across the road is the Egham War Memorial and The Parish Church of St John. The church dates from 1812, but there has been earlier churches on this site (see photo of one) dating back to at least 1150. In the entrance lobby you can see the Magna Carta baronial shields on display.

The church is also believed to be at the junction of two Roman Roads, one is the road from London to Silchester and the other a branch road going south towards Thorpe - more about this below. 

Follow the narrow High Street for 0.2 miles, then stay left past King John statue.

After 170m, stay left at roundabout, still High Street.

After another 320m, just after Burger King and just before large roundabout. Turn right to cross road and follow the cycle track / footpath under M25.

220m later on reaching road, turn left under bridge, then veer right onto cycle track and follow around to the right. Then after just a few extra yards, turn left to cross road (The Glanty, A308) using staggered crossing and then turn right along pavement. The Glanty, soon becomes The Causeway.

The elevated pavement is what is left of an old causeway which leads from The Hythe to The Glantly at Egham. It was built in the 13th century in the reign of Henry III (1216 – 1272) by a merchant named Thomas de Oxenford, but a causeway most likely existed here from an earlier time. This was for the safe conveyance of his wool and other merchandise to and from London markets. The causeway supported a road above the Egham flood-plain and also acted as a dyke to protect the surrounding area from flooding. Some sources (see one) also credit de Oxenford for building a bridge over the River Thames from Staines to Egham Hythe in the early 13th century.

One record I have found from a court hearing of 1369 states (see the link for a full version of this):

“… there never was a causeway there before the time of King Henry III, but a moor by which no one could pass in winter, and at a time one Thomas de Oxenford, merchant, made a causeway there to carry his wool and merchandise, …”

It is known a Roman Road from London ran through Staines and onto the Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum at Silchester. However, the route seems to disappear at the Egham flood-plain and there is some disagreement as to where it is thought to have run. The banking visible today is from the 13th century, but there is some evidence to suggest the Roman Road followed a similar route along the causeway as far as The Glantly. It then may have turned south-west through Egham, past St John’s Church, near or along Egham High Street, on through the grounds of Royal Holloway College, then on through what is now the man-made lake of Virginia Water (dug out in 1746). One source for this information can be read at a link entitled, ”The LOST STRETCH OF THE ROMAN ROAD FROM LONDON TO SILCHESTER”

At the south side of Virginia Water Lake are remains of a Roman Temple transported here in 1818 from Leptis Magna, a prominent city of the Roman Empire on the Mediterranean coast of Libya and now named Khoms. It maybe by luck that in 1818 these ruins were put here, but at that time there would have been more evidence than nowadays of the route of the road. Digging out the lake at Virginia Water and landscaping the lands around it most likely destroyed evidence of the old road. Archaeological finds suggest it’s almost certain that the Roman Road passed very close to where the Roman remains are now, then on through the grounds of Fort Belvedere (a Royal residence) and across a private horse track. However, there is no conclusive route between Staines and Sunningdale.

On OS Maps, immediately south of Holy Trinity Church at Sunningdale, the Roman Road is well defined and labelled “The Devil’s Highway”. It is marked as going straight on through Bracknell Forest, as far as the A332 where it veers right, staying immediately north of Broadmoor Hospital, then straight on through Crowthorne, Risley and onto Silchester. The road is thought to be older than Roman, a Prehistoric track so named it was believed that anything so naturally straight must have been the work of the Devil.

For further information about possible Roman roads in the Egham, Thorpe and Staines areas visit Jim Goddard’s website at The Egham & Thorpe Virtual Roman Museum where the interactive map is well researched. The site provides links to evidence uncovered over the years and educated arguments as to the routes of the Roman roads.

It make me think if The Causeway was the route followed by the barons and the bishops on their was from Staines to Runnymede in 2015. 

With also the information I have read about the Roman Road from London to Silchester, I have drawn a map - see MapMyWalk. Also, for a video entitled "The Lost Roman Roads of Egham" by Jim Goddard see below.

After another quarter of a mile cross over River Park Avenue (Homebase & Halfords). You need to go a few yards left before you can cross over. Then back to main road and continue along The Causeway.

If you pass River Park Avenue at the right time and you are hungry, then you may find there's a Hot Snacks and Refreshments Kiosk in the car park of Homebase.

Past Sainsbury's to your RHS (at 5 miles) and follow pavement, soon turning left and over Staines Bridge.

Sainsbury’s superstore was the site of Lagonda, makers of motorcycles and cars. The company was started by Wilbur Gunn (1859 – 1920) a native of Springfield, Ohio who came to England in 1891. He was an accomplished engineer and a keen opera singer. Through a local operatic group he met Constance Gray who lived with her husband in a large house in extensive grounds on the site. Constance was widowed in 1896 and the following year she married Wilbur. He moved in with her and used their greenhouse as his workshop for manufacturing small steam engines for riverboats. His introduction to road vehicles was in 1898 when he made himself a petrol engine, which he attached to the front wheel of his bicycle, thus making it easier for him to get about. After this he went on to produce more motorcycles. He named his company Lagonda, after his father’s engineering company back in Springfield, “The Lagonda Corporation”. The name originates from the Shawnee Indian name of a stream (now Buck Creek) which flows through his hometown of Springfield. For the next seven years, as he continued to produce motorcycles, the company expanded in the grounds of their home. In 1905 the Lagonda works at Staines produced its first three-wheeled car, and eventually went on to produce high quality four wheeled cars.

From 1914 to 1918 the factory was used to help with the British war effort. Up to 800 local women worked here, replacing the male car workers and showing they could be just as useful operating the huge machinery to make munitions for the war effort.

After the war the factory went back to making cars. It became the second largest employer in the area and its most famous moment was in 1935 when a 4.5 litre Lagonda M45R Rapide, made at Staines, won the Le Mans 24 hour race. In the same year the company went into receivership, but was saved by Alan Good who reformed it as LG Motors. During World War 2 production was once again turned over to the war effort, and again the local women of the day worked the machinery whilst their menfolk were on the battlefield.

With the end of the war in 1945, car production recommenced and continued until 1948 when David Brown bought the company, merged it with Aston Martin and moved work to Feltham. The Staines factory was sold to Petters, a manufacturer of small diesel engine company, originally founded in Yeovil in 1896. Petters were very successful and in 1962 gained a Queens Award for Industry. They factory continued to work until 1989, but due to competition from abroad, they left Staines and the site was sold to the supermarket company. An aerial photo of the Lagonda Motor Works, taken in 1928, can be viewed by following the link to “Britain from Above”.

Immediately south of Staines Bridge is a large roundabout. This is thought to be the site of an ancient stone circle, sometimes called “The Old Stones of Staines” and (from some sources) where the town is believed to get its name. The group of nine stones is mentioned in the 12th century charter of Chertsey Abbey.

“Down to that Eyre that stands in the Thames at Lodders Lake and so along Thames by mid-stream to Glenthuthe, from Glenthuthe by mid-steam along Thames to the Huthe before Negen Stanes”

“Negen Stanes” is Saxon for “nine stones”, “Glenthuthe” is “Glanty” (now an M25 junction at Egham which we recently passed) and “Huthe” is “Hythe” (now named Staines Hythe). Apparently, each stone was on the path of a different ley line. Although, the all did not cross at a central point here. There used to be a great website showing all the lines passing through here and all the historical sites they aligned with, but I can no longer find this. However, see a link which covers some of the information.

Once over bridge, continue along pavement for just 60 yards then turn left and down steps signed Thames Path (there is also an access ramp just a short distance further along). Continue straight on back to the River Thames.

Staines has a long history of brewing. The last to close was the Ashby Brewery in 1936 and you can still see their 19th century crown topped brewery tower in Church Street. The large building which was in front of us, on Bridge Street, just before we went down the steps is on part of what was the site of the Ashby Brewery. Today, it is ServiceNow office space, but up until 2008 it was the headquarters of the Courage Brewery Company (later Scottish Courage and finally Scottish & Newcastle). However, in 2016 and after a break of 80 years, brewing has come back to Staines, this time as the Thame Side Brewery, a microbrewery on the river brewing real ales. If you would like to test its produce, then it's just a few yards to the right as you reach the River Thames. Also you can watch a video about the brewery below.

At the river turn left under Staines Bridge and go straight on along the Thames Path.

The history of a bridge across the Thames at Staines dates back to almost two millenniums. Geology has a large part to play here as Staines is the only place on the Thames above London where you can cross the river without leaving a gravel base and not come upon the more unstable alluvial soils. During the Bronze Age (2,500 – 800 BC) and well before the Romans came to Britain, there is evidence people crossed the Thames at Staines. We know the Romans built a bridge here around 43 AD to carry their main road from London to the south-west. In 1009 there are records of an invading Danish Army (The Vikings) crossing the river at Staines to avoid an English force assembling in London. After Roman Times, the first mention of a bridge here was in 1222, when the King (Henry III who reigned from 1216 – 1272) gave a tree from Windsor Forest for the repair of the bridge. For centuries the bridge was an important part of the route from London to the south-west and it underwent many changes, through royal grants, alms acquired from the surrounding areas and finance from merchants who used the bridge for their goods. Tolls were levied on traffic to maintain it and by 1376 these were also taken from boats passing it. An Act of 1597 included the Egham Causeway as part of that maintained. The quote below is from British History Online and tells us some more of the story of Staines Bridge up until 1832:

"In 1549 the people of Staines prayed the Privy Council that they might not be compelled to break down the bridge to impede the rebels. Since the rebels, who had risen in the west country against the prayer book, did not in the event march on London, it is probable that Staines Bridge was spared, but a century later it was destroyed in the Civil War. In 1671 it was said that after the bridge was broken down in the war, the bridge-masters had replaced it by a ferry. A wooden bridge was mentioned in 1669 and 1675 but about 1684-7, when the bridge was rebuilt, a ferry was still working and had been doing so since the bridge was demolished. The bridge was again threatened with destruction in 1688 to impede William of Orange's advance on London. It was still made of wood in 1708.

Under an Act of 1791 a new stone bridge was built. It was designed by Thomas Sandby and opened in 1797, but part of it collapsed almost immediately and it was replaced in succession by a cast-iron bridge, opened in 1803, and a wooden and iron one opened in 1807. The old wooden bridge remained by the side of its successive replacements and was used while they were built. All these bridges spanned the river between the present Memorial Gardens and the Hythe, with Staines High Street extending to the foot of the bridge across the Town Hall site. The last iron bridge became unsafe in its turn and under Acts of 1828, 1829, and 1832 the present bridge was built and Clarence Street, Bridge Street, and the approaches were laid out."

Some of the dates in the quote above differ from some of the history I have read of Staines Bridge and links on here, but all are around the same time, so don't dwell on it.

Staines Bridge, as we now know it today, was designed by George Rennie (1791 – 1866) and his younger brother John. They got their gift from their father and uncle who had achieved many great engineering fetes before them, including building other bridges over the Thames. The first stone was laid by Prince William, 1st Duke of Clarence on 14th September 1829. He later returned on 23rd April 1832, as William IV with his wife Queen Adelaide, to officially open the new bridge in great ceremony. In total the bridge cost over £40,000 to build. Up to now recent attempts to build a new bridge at Staines had failed disastrously. These had been had been further downstream, around the area of the town hall and where earlier bridges were. You can read more about this and see some lovely drawings and photos of older bridges at Where Thames Smooth Waters Glide.

Under Emperor Claudius the Romans invaded Britain in AD 43 and in the same year Staines was established as a Roman settlement, a fort and a crossing point of the Thames. It was the first crossing point upstream from London. The Roman settlement was named “Ad Pontes” (“by the bridges”) and suggests in Roman Times at least two bridges at Staines. However, this may refer to a bridge over the Thames and another over the River Colne, or even two bridges crossing the Thames by use of an island in the middle.

As with previous bridges, traffic using the Rennie Brothers’ Bridge had to pay a toll to cross. This continued up until 1871, when to the delight of local people and road users the toll was removed. However, I did read at Staines Museum, that prior to 1878 every pedestrian was charged a toll of half of one penny to cross Staines Bridge.

With the outbreak of World War II, a wooden Bailey bridge was built just upstream from Staines Bridge. Its purpose was to carry the extra wartime traffic and to act as a spare if the main bridge was damaged by enemy bombs. It closed to traffic in 1947, but remained opened to pedestrians until 1959, when widening of the main bridge had been completed.

As you walk away from Staines Bridge for the last time, there is one other story which is worth a mention. In World War II, the King's Police Medal became the Kings Police and Fire Service Medal, principally as recognition of the undoubted heroism shown by Fire Service officers during war time. When the George Cross and George Medal were instituted in 1940, the KPFSM was then reserved for cases not connected with war activities.

There were only 44 awards of the KPFSM between 1941 and 1953. This included four police officers (George Sidney Grant, Charles Lindsell, Percy Henry Slater and Reginald Carpenter) who manned a road block at Staines Bridge to capture a Canadian soldier driving a stolen lorry, and armed with machine gun and revolver. You can see all four listed at Metropolitan Police Gallantry Awards 1939 – 1945.

Continue along the River Thames Path, soon across a footbridge over River Colne.

The Thames Path is a long distance “National Trail” opened in 1996. It follows the River Thames for 184 miles, from its source near Kemble in the Cotswolds to the Thames Barrier in Greenwich. The route comes along the Thames from the west through Egham, crosses over Staines Bridge and continues along the northern bank, through Staines and on towards London.

The statue down steps, immediately before the footbridge and next to the River Thames is a Heron carved from Portland Limestone by sculptor Simon Buchanan. It sits as a “River Guardian” overlooking and representing the river and is a benign marker for river traffic and pedestrians on the Thames Path. It also provides a peaceful place to get closer to the river and enjoy the boats cruising past.

Within a short distance go straight on past the London Stone. To the right is Staines Town Pier and to the left is the back of Staines Town Hall.

Staines Town Pier, opened in 2002, it has steps and stone ramps leading down to a planked mooring area. The pier has been a really positive addition as it means Staines has now a docking station for river cruises. From June 15th to September 10th, on Monday, Tuesdays & Thursdays (check dates on website), French Brothers provide boat trips from here to Hampton Court and back. The boats depart the Town Pier at 10.00am and return at 5.45pm.

The London Stone which sits here is a replica. The original stone is thought to be a Roman Altar stone and stood in Staines near this same spot since 1285. It marked the Corporation of City of London’s former limit of jurisdiction on the Thames. They gained these rights in 1197, during the reign of Richard I, and held them until the formation of the Thames Conservancy in 1857. This was the highest point at which the tide could be detected (that pleasure now belongs to Teddington Lock). In the 18th Century the stone was moved upstream, to what is now Lammas Park, and this in turn was replaced by the replica in 1986. In 2003 I found the original London Stone sitting unprotected under some scaffolding in what seemed to be an abandoned Town Hall. In 2012 the replica was moved back down river to where it is now, between the Town Hall and the Town Pier, and near to its original site. You can now see the original stone in Spelthorne Museum, behind the library on Thames Street. According to the display at the museum:

“… The London Stone is actually a stack of six layers of stones, of varying dates. The topmost one was reputed to be a Roman altar stone, although its actual origin is unknown. On the top part are the words “God preserve ye City of London AD 1285””

Article 13 of Magna Carta is probably the reason we have the stone in the first place, as it emphasised the previous rights the City of London originally held over the River Thames. It states:

“13. The City of London shall enjoy all its ancient liberties and free customs, both by land and by water. We also will and grant that all other cities, boroughs, towns, and ports shall enjoy all their liberties and free customs.”

To read all the Article of Magna Carta and what the actually said, visit a translation of the document at The British Library.

Staines Town Hall was designed by John Johnson, architect and District Surveyor of East Hackney, and was completed in 1880 in a Flemish Renaissance style with Italian and French motifs. It took nine years to build and cost a princely sum of 5,000 pounds.  To make way for it the old small spired market-house was pulled down, as were a number of buildings to the east. This widened the street to form the Market Square and provided the site for the Memorial Gardens which were completed in 1897. However, there does seem to be a slight flaw - if you look closely at the front dial on the clock you will notice two XI, one at 9 and one at 11.

The reason we have the Town Hall is due to the Rennie Brothers choosing a site 200 yards upstream from earlier bridges to build the present bridge. It left a dead-end onto the river at a space where the bottom of old High Street led to the bridge. Locals complained by building the Town Hall with its back to the river, Staines had turned its back on the river. We are still lucky to have this building as in the early 1970s Staines Urban Borough Council voted by just one not to knock it down. It was thanks to a campaign by concerned local residents which tipped the balance. This led to the formation of the Staines Town Society, a charity whose purpose is to protect the old buildings and heritage of the town.

Over the years the Town Hall was used for many public events, including boxing tournaments, the local archaeological group, opera and stage plays. Famous rock bands who played here during the 1960s and 70s including The Who and The Yardbirds. The town hall was used for the court scene in the 1982 film Gandhi, where Judge Bloomfield sentences Ghandi to six years imprisonment for sedition. It also featured in the 2002 film Ali G Indahouse, also see excerpt below. 

Staines Town Hall was mainly occupied by the local council, under different names from it opened until 1972, when Staines Urban District Council moved to new offices at Knowle Green. The local Magistrates Court was based her between October 1967 and March 1976, when it also moved to new offices at Knowle Green. The Old Town Hall opened as new Arts Centre in 1993; officially opened on 15 April 1994 by actor and director Kenneth Branagh. In 2004 the building became a "Smith & Jones" pub. However, when I went there recently at lunchtime, it seemed to have been abandoned and signs on the windows were advertising the leasehold of the building being up for sale.

Both of the red telephone kiosks at the front of the Town Hall, although looking a bit shabby at present, are grade II listed. The Old Fire Engine Shed, at the back right of the hall, was built c1880 and housed Spelthorne's first museum from 1980 to 2003. You can read more about Staines Town Hall at Historic England on the British Listed Buildings website.

On the side of the Town Hall is a plaque which remembers "The Trafalgar Way". This was the 271 mile route taken "express by post-chaise" by Lieutenant John Richards Lapenotiere between 4th & 6th November 1805. He travelled from Falmouth to the Admiralty in London, carrying the news of the momentous victory and the death in action of Vice Admiral Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. In total he took 37 hours and made 21 stops at coaching inns to change horses; the 20th of these stops was at the Bush Inn at Staines. The Bush was behind where the Town Hall no sits and next to the old Staines Bridge. Ironically, as you can see from a second plaque below, Lord Nelson stayed at the Bush Inn (apparently with Lady Hamilton) in July 1801 and just four years before his death.

The area around the Town Hall and between here and the Thames Lodge Hotel form the Memorial Gardens. The gardens were enhancement between October 2001 and September 2002. This meant decreasing the size of the Riverside Car Park, increasing the area covered by the gardens and adding many new features. Since then many new features have also been added..

In the Market Square, in front of the Town Hall is the War Memorial. It is built of Portland Stone and was unveiled by George Bingham, 5th Earl of Lucan, in 1920. It originally sat in the Memorial Gardens, but was moved here in 2002 as part of the town redevelopment scheme. It is mounted by a winged figure of Victory holding a torch and a wreath. In front of it is a fountain. 

Next to it is one of two Swan Arches which mark the entrance to the Memorial Gardens, the other is on Thames Street. They were hand-made from stainless steel by Anthony & Simon Robinson. The motifs on the legs were designed by pupils of Kingscroft Junior School, each depicting images of the town. Both arches have a single swan in flight at the top – the swan represents the symbol of Staines.

The Origami Swans sculpture by Tom Brown (c2002) is made of folded polished sheets of mirror steel and depicts a swan and her signets. The swan represents the symbol which appears on the Borough coat of arms. The steel mirrors reflect the sparkling waters of the River Thames.

The Dancing Fountains were erected here in 2006. The centre-piece is a sculpture of five swimmers mounted on a plinth. It was created by David Wynne in 1980, originally as the centre-piece to the Elmsleigh Shopping Centre which was opened the same year by Queen Elizabeth II. Some locals found the naked figures in the sculpture distasteful and downright rude. The council decided to remove it and put it into storage, at one point it came close to being disposed of. Luckily, this didn't happen and it stayed in storage until it was placed here. Apparently, before it was moved here, the male appendages were reduced.

Continue upstream along the Thames Path.

Soon to your left, and just set back from the Thames Path, is the red brick Staines Methodist Church. On the wall overlooking the Memorial Gardens is a relief carving of a dove that symbolises peace in biblical tales.

According to British History Online the famous preacher and the founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, once preached in Staines:

"John Wesley visited Staines in 1771 and preached in a house which had just been fitted up for the purpose. He recorded an enthusiastic reception and according to the Anglican authorities the number of Methodists increased between 1778 and 1810."

The first Methodist chapel at Staines was built in 1854 on the south side Kingston Road and in the vicinity of the new police station. In 1890 it was replaced by a larger spired Gothic church on the opposite side of Kingston Road. The present church, overlooking the Memorial Gardens, was completed in 1987.

On the right is The Swan Master, by sculptor Diana Thomson. It's 7 feet tall and was placed here in 2014. Previously, it sat in front of an office building in Fairfield Avenue. It represents “Swan Upping”, a tradition which dates back to the 12th century, when The Crown claimed ownership of all mute swans in open water (see video). This “swan marking” event which takes place in the third week of July each year, starts at Sunbury Lock on the Monday and proceeds up river to finish at Abingdon on the Friday. In the Swan Upping ceremony, The Queen's Swan Marker, the Royal Swan Uppers and the Swan Uppers of the Vintners' and Dyers' livery companies are all dressed in traditional clothing and use six traditional Thames rowing skiffs. They mark the swans, check their health and record all their findings. It is traditional for the flotilla to stop at The Swan Hotel on the second day for lunch. On flickr.com you can see a photo from 2009 of the Swan Uppers leaving The Swan Hotel after having lunch (also see video from 2018 at YouTube).

Next, to the right, the sails canopies look down over a circular viewing gallery. A series of circular stone terraces lead down to a planked platform, with a rail next to, and overlooking the River Thames. Disabled access is provided by a ramp which leads down from the right-hand side. To the left, and along the edge of the garden area, is a straight narrow water channel with a circular fountain at either edge (I believe called the Life-line Fountain). This extends for almost 60m directly towards the swan arch at Thames Street.

At the end of the Memorial Gardens, and just before reaching the Thames Lodge Hotel, turn left signed Thames Path.

I've always found it strange the Thames Path turns away from the river at this point as a path does continue on along behind the hotel and along the river. However so as not to complicate things I have decided to stay with the Thames Path.

Soon to your left, in the eastern side of the Riverside car park, is a small round building. This is the Sweeps Ditch Pump House. Sweeps Ditch was originally an ancient man-made mill stream which flowed through Staines. In Roman & Medieval Times it formed the western and northern boundary of Town Island (sometimes referred to as High Street Island). It was fed by the waters of the River Colne, but with the High Street redevelopment and the building of the Elmsleigh Centre in the 1970s the water source was cut. A new water source was provided when Thames Water installed a pump house here in 1982 and this takes water from the Thames. The stream no longer goes through the centre of the town, instead it goes underground in a pipe across Thames Street and South Street, then in a straight line for 300 yards along the south side of South Street to feed the original open channel between the Elmsleigh Shopping Centre car park and the railway. This heads south to enter the Thames, just below Penton Hook Lock. Probably, the best places to view the old watercourse is on Gresham Road or as it flows south along the east edge of Staines Park.

On reaching Thames Street, turn right along the pavement and past the Thames Court Hotel.

Just across from where we come out onto Thames Street is Spelthorne Museum. It is located at the rear of Staines Library, with access via the library on Friends Walk (see map). It is open Monday to Saturday and well worth a visit. The museum contains the original London Stone, plus a replica of the reconstructed face of “Shepperton Woman” (c3640 – 3100BC), sometimes referred to as the first lady of Britain. There are many other exhibitions telling the history of the area through the centuries. These include Magna Carta, Prehistoric Spelthorne, Roman Staines, Brewing & Bottling, Fire, Iron Foundries, and Staines Linoleum Industry.

The Thames Lodge Hotel dates from 17th century (or maybe earlier) and was originally The Woolpack, named after the wool carrying barges. It changed names to the Packhorse Hotel and later to the Thames Lodge Hotel. You can see an old photo, dated 1895, of the Packhorse Hotel, from the river, at Francis Frith - it's not a lot different from today.

The hotel does hold a dark secret not known to many. In 1955 two from the London Underworld booked in. Alfred Charles Ady and Countess Thelma Madeleine Noad-Johnston (aka Black Maria and Black Orchid) died in a suicide pact. They were on the run after a Hatton Garden robbery, their other accomplice had already been caught at the scene of the crime. Before she died, she wrote a letter to her son. Ady killed her, delivered letters to reception and returned to the room to kill himself. You can read more at Google Books.

The two adjoining cottages, immediately past the hotel and now part of it, date from the 19th century and are named 'Hook on' and 'Shoot off' (see photo). Here the towpath switched banks and the process of getting the barges across the river was known as "Shooting Off" (also a previous name for Thames Street). It involved making the horses gain maximum momentum before casting off the tow-rope to shoot the barge across the stream. The horses were walked around via Staines Bridge or taken across by ferry, then re-hitched on the other side. Coming downstream, the barge crossed using the help of the current.

It's just past these two cottages where the path behind the hotel rejoins us (see photo). Also, across the street from here is  a white metal obelisk. This dates from 1837 and is a "Coal & Wine Tax Post". This obelisk, like the city posts also included (qv) marks the point at which the City of London boundaries began. The inscription on the post reads "14 & 15 VICT Cap 146". 

Veer right to rejoin the river path under the railway bridge and continue downstream along the River Thames.

Staines Railway Bridge was completed in 1856. It carries the London Waterloo to Reading Line and the London Waterloo to Chertsey via Hounslow. Staines Station was opened eight years earlier (1848) on the London Waterloo to Windsor Line. Hence with the coming of the second line Staines became a junction and for many years the station was named Staines Junction.

On the riverside face of the railway bridge abutment are three vertical rollers attached to the lower part of the buttresses on the towpath. These date from the early 19th century and were to prevent the towropes of the barges from fraying and causing damage to the buttresses by wear. They could also be used as a gentle friction braking system if required. As they are relevant to local history they are classified as a listed building.  

As you can see from photos of the railway bridge, there is a yellow stripe painted along the top of the bridge. This was added in the 1980s to make it more visible to swans and stop them from flying into the bridge.

Artist Douglas Elston Myers worked on a ten-year project to paint all 110 bridges over the navigable Thames. He did this between 1996 and 2006. If you visit his wonderful website you can see all of these, including the Staines Rail Bridge and Staines Bridge.

Across the River Thames from here, you can see Tims' Boatyard. As far as I know the last remaining boatyard in Staines. Tims started in the late 1870s when John Tims set up a boat building business in Church Street. In 1928 the firm of John Tims & Son moved to its present. Here they continued to build, maintain and hire out a variety of boats. For years they held the honour of being entrusted to repair and renovate the King's State Barge, a huge boat made of English oak and built in 1689 as a gift from William III to Mary II. John Tims is buried at St. Mary's in Staines. His grave is quite unusual, but very appropriate see photo.

To the left, between the towpath and Laleham Road, are the small Jubilee Memorial Gardens. These opened in June 1897 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. The stone base of the cast iron lamp post is inscribed:

"This ground was purchased out of public subscriptions raised by the Staines Committee for the Commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. June 1897"

You can also take a break here by having a seat in one of the old benches. Most are really well preserved and have lasted the effects of time. They were all made in Johnson & Sharp Foundry which was situated next to the Blue Anchor Inn, on the corner of the High Street and Thames Street. 

NOTE: If for any reason you wish to shorten this walk, then this is the nearest point in this stage to Staines Station (see Map). 

To the left after another 150 yards is St Peter's Church. It was financed by Sir Edward Clarke, a Conservative politician and a barrister, and finished in 1895 by architect George Fellowes Prynne. The church faces the river and the Lych Gate opens onto the towpath. In the grounds of the church, next to the lych gate, is a small memorial garden remembering those who served in the Burma Campaign (1941 - 1945) during the Second World War.

St. Peters featured in the 1976 movie "The Omen" in a scene where Ambassador Thorn tried to kill his son, after being convinced of the diabolical origins of young Damien (see video).

Houseboat Reach was the name given in Edwardian Times to a half mile stretch of the Thames, on the Surrey bank, opposite St Peters and downstream from the railway bridge (see old photo). It was lined with luxurious houseboats and many parties went on in the evenings. Servants were brought in from the posh London homes and entertainers were hired. Boats were illuminated with lanterns and it was a wonderful sight to behold. Today, all the large houseboats have gone, there is no path along the river, on the Surrey side, and the only boats are the small launches moored at the bottoms of gardens belonging to private houses facing onto the river.

With the coming of the railway to Staines in 1848, the town became a popular "country" resort on the river, away from the hustle, bustle and smog of London. For the less well-off, they would only come here on a day ticket and have to travel back to their humble homes and drab life in the evenings. For the better-off they could stay overnight in one of the town's hotels or inns. However, for the wealthiest, they could buy or rent a large houseboat on "Houseboat Reach" and entertain guests and have them to stay.

The next two miles are pleasant following the towpath towards Laleham. Flats and houses overlook the river from our left and the right bank lined with pleasant houses with boats moored next to their gardens. 

0.6 miles after St Peters Church a sign pointing away from the river states "Public House 150 yds" (The Wheatsheaf and Pigeon),  350 yards later, the towpath turn left to cross a small grassy area,  Just over half a mile later (at 7.1 miles) we pass Penton Hook Lock.

At Penton Hook the main river doubles back on itself around Penton Hook Island. The lock, when built in 1815, created the island and shortened the journey for boats along the Thames by two-thirds of a mile. The island itself is accessed by crossing the lock and then two weirs. It is uninhabited and has many wooded paths with benches and picnic tables, lots of places to fish, and at the opposite side has an area to paddle which overlooks the outlet of the Abbey River and Penton Hook Marina, the largest inland marina in the UK. 

Soon after the lock, Sweeps Ditch enters the Thames from under the towpath. 350 yards later the towpath crosses an outlet from the Thames. By looking at the bank of the river you should see the sluice gates. Each day something like 200 million gallons of water are fed through here, then east along a channel for half a mile and there pumped uphill into the huge Queen Mary Reservoir. 

I mentioned "Swan Upping" earlier in this stage and one of the best videos I have seen of this was at YouTube, where the Swan Uppers checked a family of four swans on the lawn of a house, on the opposite bank, just upstream of here. The link is well worth a visit.

At 7.5 miles, as the road turns left, stay straight on past bollards and along the towpath as it narrows to a footpath.

In 380 yards, by a tiny car park, the towpath becomes a road again. Stay straight on past Blacksmiths Lane to your left.

At this point there is the option to visit the quaint riverside village of Laleham. The diversion adds an extra 400 yards to the walk and rejoins the Thames Path 400 yards downstream (see map).

DIVERSION DETAILS:

Turn left into Blacksmiths Lane. After 140 yards follow LHS pavement, past War Memorial to your right, and past two large houses.

On approaching mini-roundabout, turn right to cross The Broadway and entre All Saints churchyard. Follow the path behind the church, then right down the side of it and left to exit via the lychgate.

I once read in an old AA Road Book the word Laleham means "settlement by the willows". Other sources, such as Wikipedia, claim it could mean  "land on a river bend" or "Lella's farmstead". The village is centred around the part-12th century All Saints Church.  The church is grade 1 listed and I was lucky have once to come across the church warden who gave gave my two daughter and I a tour - the inside is really worth a visit. For a short video visit YouTube.

Laleham's most famous resident was Thomas Arnold, the great headmaster of Rugby School, who inspired Thomas Hughes to write the novel 'Tom Brown's School Days'. He was appointed to his position at Rugby largely on the reputation built up in his small private school at Laleham (1819 - 28). He came to Laleham in 1819 with his brother-in-law Rev. John Buckland. Six of Arnold's children, including poet Matthew, were born in the village. Matthew Arnold (1822 - 1888) and his three sons are buried in Laleham churchyard.

The Bingham / Lucan Family made the village their home when the 2nd Earl of Lucan had Laleham House built in 1805. They were a somewhat unlucky family, with the third earl giving the disastrous order to the Light Brigade to attack at Balaclava on 25th October 1854, and the seventh earl still missing after a murder in 1974.  the 3rd, 4th and 5th Earls are buried behind the church.

Many other famous people lived in Laleham, including actress Gabrielle Anwar (born here 4th February 1970), and Edward VII, when he was Prince of Wales, was a regular visitor at the Three Horseshoes public house when he stayed with the Lucan Family at Laleham House. 

Go straight on along the pavement as far as Dial House and cross over using the traffic island. Turn left along the pavement and then right into Ferry Lane. You'll need to change sides when the pavement changes.

Most of the village is designated a conservation area and it has many historically listed buildings. For a detailed historic walk around the village just follow the link. You can also read about Laleham at British History Online and its entry in the Domesday Book. 

Follow Ferry Lane, first past Condor Road to the right, then past Abbey Drive to the left. Note: Muncaster House, at the junction of Ferry Lane and Abbey Drive,  was where the Rev. John Buckland founded his school I mentioned earlier. This was the first preparatory school in the country.

On reaching the river we have rejoined the Thames Path and our original route. Hence END of DIVERSION.

At the junction of Thameside and Ferry Lane, veer off the road and along the grass, signed Thames Path.

It's at this point the Laleham Ferry crossed the river. The slipway on the Laleham side still exists. The ferry ran from at least the 13th century and connected Laleham to Laleham Burway and Chertsey Abbey. When the Burway became a venue for cricket in the early 18th century it was used by cricketers and later by golfers. According to Chertsey Museum, "passengers included Bob Hope and Bing Crosby who took advantage of the course whilst filming nearby". The ferry ceased to operate in 1972 when ferryman George Knight retired after 36 years. To read more about Laleham Slipway visit Thames.me.uk.

Follow the Thames Path along the grass, between the river and the road (at 8 miles).

Soon to the left is a small car park and picnic area, where on warm days you may even find an ice-cream here . Next is Burway Rowing Club and the recently built Sir William Perkins's School Boathouse. If you look carefully through the trees behind them you might be able to catch a glimpse of the old home of the Bingham Family at Laleham House (now Laleham Abbey). Across the Thames the riverbank is lined with riverside chalets, boats and houseboats, all sitting under the walls of a reservoir.

Next, to your left, is  is Laleham Park Campsite, then a large car park with public toilets, an ice-cream van, picnic area and a child's play area. The grassy area around it is Laleham Park. The park is a lot larger than it first looks and was originally most of the grounds of Laleham Abbey / House. It even has its own junior parkrun. At the riverbank there are two small beaches where people can paddle of even go for a swim. Less than half a mile to the west is Thorpe Park with its spectacular dome and many rides. It is built on an island, surrounded by flooded gravel pits and staffed mainly by students from all over the country. The tops of some of the roller-coasters are visible across the river. 

From an aerial video below you can see much of the area around here is lakes, which formed in large quarries left over from open cast gravel extraction. Many are now used for recreation such as fishing and sailing.

After another 650 yards we pass under the M3 road bridge. There is a constant hum of the traffic from above, but from the tranquillity of the riverside it seems a long way away. 

Soon to the right is Chertsey Weir. If you every wonder why sometimes one gate of a weir is left wide open this video may answer the question. As you walk past it look left to see an old "Coal Tax Post" in the hedgerow on the opposite side of the road.

At 9 miles the towpath veers left to join the pavement past Chertsey Lock. Across the road is the old Lock Keeper’s Cottage, now a private residence.

Soon, to the left are two adjoining white houses. The top window between the two is painted, on the inside, with the bridge and two young lovers walking along the river on a fine summer's day. I found out from the lady of the house that the glass painting was done by her daughter. In the garden of the second house (No 242) is a well preserved "coal post" and in front of the other is what may also be a different type of coal post or possibly an old post box. All are classified as Grade 2 listed for their historical importance. 

On approaching Chertsey Bridge the pavement splits, take the right fork and follow under the bridge (also see a choice of a short diversion below). 

To the left is The Kingfisher public house (see photo), and across the river is Chertsey Camping and Caravanning Site plus The Bridge Hotel and Bar and a small riverside park with benches and paths.

The first bridge built here was in 1410 and was maintained by Chertsey Abbey. The current bridge was built between 1780 and 1782 by James Paine and is certainly one of the most tasteful on the river. Chertsey Bridge is my favourite bridge over the River Thames as it retains its originality, has not been widened and is in such a wonderful setting. It also has the advantage of footpaths under it on both sides of the river.

At this point in the walk I'll give you an option to divert across the bridge to visit a memorial which commemorates an individual's personal fight for freedom. and thus relevant to this walk. The quote below is from another of my long distance walks, London Green Belt Way, and explains the diversion.

"Across the river in Chertsey Town a curfew bell in the church commemorates Blanche Heriot who, in 1471 and at the time of the Wars of the Roses, knowing her lover was to be executed at curfew, climbed the church tower and hung on to the clapper of the bell until he was reprieved, but she died through her actions.

Her courage inspired the ballad 'Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight' by the American poet Rose Hardwick Thorpe.  The poem (which you can listen to at the link) is set during a later date, the 17th Century during the time of the English Civil War and Cromwell. A memorial to Blanche has been built on the Chertsey side of the bridge. "

DIVERSION DETAILS (see Map). This adds 0.25 miles.

On approaching Chertsey Bridge the pavement splits. Stay straight on up to the road. Turn right along the pavement to cross the river.

Once over turn right, past a metal bollard, onto a cycle track / path.  Follow this as it turns right and under Chertsey Bridge and then right again and up to a road (Bridge Wharf).

Cross straight over and turn right along the pavement. The memorial to Blanche Heriot is in front of an office block.

After visiting, turn right to cross road Bridge Wharf and stay straight on along the pavement over Chertsey Bridge.

Once over, turn right past a coal tax post and down through a small car park, then left  and along the Thames Path.

END of DIVERSION

Before moving on from Chertsey Bridge here is some information about the town.

Alongside Windsor Street in Chertsey is the site of an old abbey (Chertsey Abbey). This Benedictine monastery was in Saxon Times as important as Westminster, and in Shakespeare it was here that Henry VI was sent to be buried - 'Come now towards Chertsey with your holy load'. It was one of the greatest abbeys in England. Founded in AD666, pillaged in AD871 by Vikings who came up the Thames in a fleet of ships, rebuilt and re-founded by King Edgar in AD 964, again rebuilt in 1110. The abbey was finally dissolved by King Henry VIII during the English Reformation. It is believed materials from the abbey were floated down river to be used in the construction of Oatlands Palace and Hampton Court Palace. 

Parts of the Chertsey Abbey, including walls, moat, Abbey River, fish ponds and "Abbeyfields" still survive. These are now classified as a Scheduled Monument. The famous Chertsey Curfew bell, (cast around 1310 and recast following damage in 1374) was saved from the Abbey and now rings as number 5 bell in St. Peter's Church in the town. 

Chertsey Museum in the centre of the town is a fine Regency house and has many interesting displays including some of the 13th Century Abbey Tiles - others are on display at the British Museum. They are described by some as the most famous tiles in England. 

According to Chertsey Museum's YouTube Channel:

"In 2018 Chertsey Museum commissioned designer James Cumper to create a 3D computer model of the abbey as it would have looked in 1362. It shows the church and its immediate surroundings, from the river via the Black Ditch to the road, and across the fishponds. The date is not one chosen at random, but one that gives us the most archaeological information to draw on. It is a date after Abbot John de Rutherwyk’s ambitious building programme (1307-1346), but it is before the collapse of the bell tower in 1370".

You can watch the video, "Chertsey Abbey 1362 Re-imagined" below. If you also wish to get a more in-depth history of the abbey see "Chertsey Abbey timeline".

Before finally passing Chertsey Bridge, I'll leave you with a link below to an aerial video. This covers all I have mentioned above; Chertsey Bridge; Chertsey Lock; the riverside; Chertsey Town; the site of Chertsey Abbey; the Abbey River and more. The video is at YouTube, is entitled "Chertsey by Drone 4K". I enjoyed this, I hope you do also.

Just after Chertsey Bridge is where Dickens placed a scene in Oliver Twist (chapters 11 & 12).  Bill Sikes and the poor Oliver travelled, mostly on foot, from Whitechapel. They met Sikes' confederate, Toby Crackit in a house on the riverbank, 'a solitary house all ruinous and decayed'.  After some discussion and a nap, they preceded along the river and over Chertsey Bridge to the scene of the crime. You can read more about their journey from London to Shepperton on section 5 of this walk. 

Go through a wooden gate and follow the Thames Path around Dumpsey Meadow.

Dumpsey Meadow covers 24 acres (see information board), is classified as a "Site of Special Scientific Interest" and is open to the public. It is a haven for wildlife, usually has cattle grazing on it and in summer is awash with yellow ragwort. As we go downstream from Chertsey Bridge there are a few new recent built block of flats, some riverside chalets and then a marina on the other bank. Since 1851 the Chertsey Regatta has taken place along this stretch of the Thames. 

The path around Dumpsey Meadow goes on for half a mile, there is the odd bench and information board to keep you company. When the houses stop along the opposite bank the open space you can see is Chertsey Meads. This is a 175-acre site of open grassland with wildlife habitats, walks and picnic areas. A leaflet about the meads can be downloaded from Runnymede Borough Council or by following this link. 

At 9.7 miles go through a metal kissing-gate and straight on past a path going off to the LHS. The Thames Path becomes enclosed, with hedgerow and fences to the left and the River Thames to the right, for the next 0.6 miles.

Although enclosed, we still pass the odd river community, in houseboats and riverside chalets, on both sides of the river. Look out for an old Victorian post box next to the path, it's one of the oldest in the UK. Why it's here I don't know. There is also the  odd large house on the left, usually fenced off from the towpath. One such house, The Range (at 10.15 miles). is very ornate and has been used in filming such as Poirot.

I find the above connection relevant as David Suchet who acted Poirot in the ITV drama has also connections with the river. He was chairman of the River Thames Alliance and is also a patron of the River Thames Boat Project. The latter's website states:

"Our boats are moored at Kingston-upon-Thames and we operate along the river between Windsor and Putney."

"We provide access to the River Thames for people of all ages, including those with a special need, disability or mental health condition.  We offer therapeutic cruises and deliver fun and dynamic educational and learning activities on the River Thames".

At 10.28 miles the towpath comes out through a small car park and onto a road. Veer right, past a wooden bench, and onto a narrow grass path, next to the river and with the road to your LHS.

The road (Docket Eddy Lane) is one way and usually quiet. Also, for most of the next 0.9 miles there is a path along the grass. It's just at a few points you need to walk on the road.

Along this stretch there are many desirable properties on both banks of the river. Those on the opposite side form part of the Hamm Court Estate and were built on what was the old Manor of Hamm Court. The road also changes name to Towpath.

At 10.7 miles the road soon passes Pharaoh's Island. It was given to Lord Nelson after the Battle of the Nile (1789) and he used it as a fishing retreat. Today the island only reachable by boat and many of the properties still have Egyptian names. In January 2011, a small dinghy ferrying people from the island capsized with the loss of two lives. The fatalities were named as university professor Dr Rex Walford OBE and record producer Keith Lowde.  You can read the BBC News website report on the tragedy. 

Soon after the island is the inviting Thames Court Hotel, with its cosy bar and large beer garden overlooking the river. It is owned by Vintage Inns and was once home to the Dutch Ambassador. The company tend to choose pubs overlooking rivers or in other scenic areas. As you pass the hotel the road becomes both ways for traffic. Just past this (at 11 miles) is Lock Island. 

At 11.05 miles, as you approach Shepperton Lock, the path does come out onto the road and past some parking spaces. However, when you get the opportunity, turn right and you'll be able to walk next to the lock.

The Domesday Book of 1086 records a weir at Shepperton. The first lock was built of wood in 1813 and was replaced by the current one in 1899. In "Our Mutual Friend" (1865), by Charles Dickens, the lock at Plashwater Mill is based here. In "The Wars of the Worlds" (1898), by HG Wells, one of the main battles is fought between Weybridge and Shepperton Lock.

After the lock, follow the path across the grass and up to the road. Stay right along the road and past Nauticalia. As the road turns left, go right down the slipway to catch the ferry across the river.

As the road turns left it becomes Ferry Lane and gets its name from the Shepperton to Weybridge Ferry. A ferry has crossed the Thames here since the reign of Henry VI in the 15th Century. Services stopped around 1960, but have been introduced again since 1986. You can visit the ferry's website to see current prices and times.

There are plenty of islands on the river, in this area, dividing the River Thames into many different channels. As you cross on the ferry, look right and you can also see the River Wey Navigation and different channels of the River Wey joining; if you look left you'll see the Thames split around an island, This all makes it a very busy junction of waterways. To see a video of the ferry and its surrounds visit YouTube.

In June each year, one of the highlights of the Shepperton Village Fair is the annual Nauticalia Raft Race. It starts at the Ferry Slipway and follows the mainstream River Thames for almost a mile to finish at Manor Park. The raft race is one of the largest in the country and has a different theme each year. Some rafts sink before the start but It looks a lot of fun. I'll write more about on the diversion below, In the meantime you can watch a short official video from 2013 at YouTube.

NOTE: If for any reason you are unable to catch the ferry, then you can continue on along the Alternative Thames Path via Church Square and Halliford to rejoin the walk at 12.45 miles just before Walton Bridge. This will add a mile and you can get details by clicking on the button below.

Once over the river, climb the steps from the ferry, and turn left to follow the towpath (there is a ramp up if you need it).

After 140 yards we pass D'Oyly Carte Island to our left. It Is joined to the riverbank by a footbridge. A large gate on the bridge makes it plain that visitors are not welcome. It is named after Richard D'Oyly Carte founder of London's Savoy Theatre and producer of Gilbert and Sullivan Operas. He bought the island in 1887 and built a large house on it with a footbridge across to the mainland. He used it as a country residence and bought some extra land on the riverbank next to it. In 1896 he planned to convert the house to a hotel but was refused a license to sell alcohol. Within three years he built and opened another hotel on The Strand in London named The Savoy Hotel. He died in April 1901, but his family kept ownership of the island up to at least 1911 when his grandson Michael was born there. In 2019 the house and island were up for sale for. You can read more at Where Thames Smooth Waters Glide and watch a short aerial video at YouTube.

A short distance past the island, as the main river channel disappears to our left, we continue straight on along the Desborough Channel, cut in 1930 it shortens the journey down the river by over a mile and formed Desborough Island, The island is one of the largest on the Thames and covers an area of 44 hectares. Access is provided from Walton Lane (above and parallel to our right) by two identical road bridges. The cut, formally opened in 1935 by William Henry Grenfell (Lord Desborough) and named after him. He was Chairman of the Thames Conservancy from 1904 to 1937. Both bridges are one way - the first one we pass under leads off the island and the second one leads on to it. The island has many owners including Surrey County Council, Elmbridge Borough Council, Weybridge (formally University) Vandals Rugby Club, the Environment Agency and Affinity Water. It contains water works, reservoirs and sports grounds. It is an important wildlife sanctuary is very popular with anglers and has a path (Brownacres Towpath) following the main Thames around its edge.

Read more about the Desborough Cut and the Thames in this area at Where Thames Smooth Waters Glide, and see this strange photo I took here in 2005.

Below is a silent film of a boat trip from 1924, entitled 'Along Father Thames to Shepperton'. It was made a few years before the Desborough Channel was dug, thus no Desborough Island and all the land to the south of the then River Thames was agricultural and included where the island is now. The boat trip starts at Canbury Gardens in Kingston-Upon-Thames and travels upstream past Kingston Bridge, Hampton Court, Taggs Island, Walton and Old Shepperton as far as D'Oyly Carte Island . In the video many things looks so different than today. Thames Ditton Island was then named Bungalow Island, Hampton Court Bridge has been replaced by a new one and Walton Bridge has been replaced three times. I really enjoyed watching this and will also use it in the next section of this walk as it is also very relevant.

Walton Lane runs parallel and above the towpath along this stretch of the river. South of the lane is a large open area of meadows which seems to form a large flood plain. There are also two old farms, one of which has been converted to the Weybridge Health Club. Behind the club is the large Broad Water and above this is Oatlands Park.

The towpath soon passes under a road bridge - the "off bridge" to the island. Then after 0.6 miles under a second road bridge - the "on bridge" to the island. 

At the end of the Desborough Cut the main stream of the river joins from the left. The open area between here and Walton Bridge is known as Cowey Sale and has connections with Julius Caesar.

The area next to the bridge and the river is very pleasant. There are public toilets, a small café with an outdoor seating area, a large car park and places to picnic.

At 12.45 miles (just after we pass the café) is where we are rejoined by anyone who used the diversion via Church Square and Halliford.

Follow the towpath under Walton Bridge (at 12.5 miles).

This is the 6th Walton Bridge to cross the River Thames in this area. The original crossing point was a ford a few hundred yards up river.

There was a ferry at Walton from the 15th Century until the first bridge was built here between 1748 and 1750. It was designed by William Etheridge and commissioned by Samuel Dicker, a wealthy landowner and MP for Plymouth. He lived at Mount Felix on the south side of the river with its grounds overlooking the bridge. The bridge was a wooden structure with three arches built on a brick base. Dicker recouped his money by charging tolls to cross. The old bridge was captured twice in paintings by Canaletto. One of these was in 1754, the original of which can be seen at Dulwich Picture Gallery. However, due to decay the bridge was declared unsafe in 1778 and demolished in 1783 to make way for a new bridge. William Etheridge also designed a smaller wooden bridge of the same format at Queen's College Cambridge. This was originally built in 1749 and rebuilt in 1866 and 1905 using the same design and still stands today as the Mathematical Bridge.

The second bridge was a six arch brick and stone structure built by James Paine in 1788.  It was painted by Turner in 1805 and the original painting can be seen at the Tate today. The bridge lasted for 73 years when in August 1859 the two centre arches fell into the River. The collapse was thought to be due to settlement of the central support pier and the account below appeared in a local newspaper at the time.

'On Thursday morning at half past five o'clock the bridge leading from Walton to Halliford, Middlesex was observed to be cracking across the highway of the bridge over the centre arch and the crack kept increasing so much as to allow parts to fall into the River and so it remained dropping bit by bit until twelve o'clock when the arch fell with a violent crash into the bed of the River. In a short time afterwards the other arch fell in.....'

The third bridge was built in 1862. It designed by E.T. Murray and was made of iron and rested on brick and stone piers. On the Walton side a brick viaduct was also built over the flood plain - this still stands today. In 1940 the third bridge was damaged in a German air raid. It remained opened to light traffic until 1953 when a fourth bridge was built next to it on its downstream side. Cyclists and pedestrians continued to use the older bridge until 1985 when it was eventually demolished.

The fourth bridge was a temporary measure and not pleasant to look at. It remained in use to traffic up to December 1999 when a fifth bridge was built upstream next to it in the position of the older bridges. This explains why the road then went straight over the old viaduct and onto the new bridge. Once again, the older bridge remained open to cyclists and pedestrians, but was just a temporary measure.

In January 2011 Surrey County Council gave the go-ahead to build a new road bridge across the Thames next to the two older Walton bridges. It was estimated to cost £32.3 million and would be the first road bridge to be built over the river in 20 years - the previous one was the QE2 Bridge at Dartford which opened in 1991.

The sixth bridge was opened on 22nd July 2013. On YouTube you can watch a video of Walton Bridge being built in 3 minutes, plus another showing the opening ceremony. The two older, downstream, bridges have been demolished.

You can read the whole history of Walton Bridge at Wikipedia, and view photos of the different bridges, plus lots more, on the Thames.me.uk website.

330 yards after Walton Bridge the Thames Path crosses a footbridge over the entrance to Walton Marina.

If you look across the river you can see the entrance to the somewhat larger Shepperton Marina.

350 yards later the Thames Path passes a small pier and then comes out at a small car park next to the river. Turn right, up three steps and follow the pavement away from the river.

The small pier is Walton Wharf and an information board on the right of the towpath states there's bee a wharf here since at least the 17th century. It also gives more information on the history of the town. The wharf is still used today for the French Brothers cruises between Runnymede and Hampton Court.

The small car park, when the weather is pleasant, usually has a ice-cream van parked next to the towpath.

As you follow the pavement away from the river, to your left is The Swan a Young's Pub with a "secret beer garden" overlooking the river. It dates from 1770 and gets its name from "Swan Upping" a "swan marking" event which takes place in the third week of July each year. It starts at Sunbury Lock on the Monday and proceeds up river to finish at Abingdon on the Friday. You can watch a video of the Swan Uppers, and the flotilla which accompany them, pass here in 2014 at YouTube.

I suppose The Swan has many stories to tell, but one of the best is of American composer Jerome Kern (1885 - 1945). In 1909 he was visiting Walton with two friends and went into the Swan Hotel for some food and refreshments. They stayed for many hours with Jerome playing the hotel's piano. They were served by Eva Leale (1891 - 1959) the landlord's beautiful daughter and he fell in love with her. They married in St Mary's Church at Walton the following year. He spent a lot of time at the pub and wrote some of his songs there - a blue plaque on the front wall remembers his time here. During his lifetime he wrote almost 1,500 songs and is arguably the father of American musical theatre. His songs including "Ol' Man River" (one of my favourite), "Rock a Bye Baby", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "Sunny" and many others which are still commonly sung today. The couple were happily married for 34 years and his wife Eve and their daughter were at his bedside when he died at the age of 60 in New York, the city where he was also born. US President Ronald Regan declared 27th January 1985, one hundred years after his birth, to be Jerome Kern Day and it was celebrated throughout the country. A memorial concert was also held in St Mary's Church to mark the occasion. Today on a wall inside The Swan pub you can see a framed copy of Eva and Jerome's marriage certificate. 

At Manor Road cross straight over and turn right. Then after 60 yards, and between a white house and The Old Manor Inn, go left into a small public area with an information board (at 13 miles).

To the left of the Inn is a gap leading to a tiny park with an information board. The board tells where the pub gets its name and by looking over the wall there is a great view of the well-hidden Old Manor House. It dates from the 14th Century and the long timber-framed structure still looks today as it did when it was built over 600 years ago. The house is believed to have been a home of John Bradshaw, President of the court which sentenced Charles I - he may have even signed the king's death warrant in the house. It was once the Manor House of Walton Leigh, and in the 19th Century fell on hard times when it was divided into tenements and a number of poor families lived here. Today the Old Manor House is Grade 1 listed. It was restored by Ronald Segal who lived there up to his death on 23rd February 2008. He was an anti-apartheid activist, and a writer. He founded the Penguin African Library and was also Honorary Life President of The Walton Society. 

Retrace your steps and continue along the pavement past The Old Manor Inn. Then, at junction, stay left, now Thames Street.

After 230 yards stay straight on past Mayo Road to your LHS and The George Inn to your RHS - now Bridge Street. Then in 100 yards, at crossroads, turn left - now Church Street (A3050).

Church Street is the main road through Walton-on-Thames. There are lots of shops, a pub, a chippy, Admiral Rodney's old house, restaurants, a supermarket, you can even get your hair done. your trousers shortened or set up a building society or bank account, but that's not why I have chosen this route. It's to take you to St Mary's Church, where we finish the stage and relevant to why this is The Freedom Trail.

After 175 yards cross over Church Street, via the pelican crossing, to finish at St Mary's Church - the church and graveyard are really worth a visit.

Walton-on-Thames and St Mary's have also connections with the Surrey Diggers (or True Levellers as they called themselves). This was a movement started in 1649 by Gerrard Winstanley two months after the execution of King Charles I. He was a cloth trader from Lancashire whose business in London was ruined by the English Civil War. He moved to Cobham where he stayed with friends and earned his living as a farm labourer. Through a vision he claimed to have, together with stories from many others who were also left with nothing, he produced writings about the rights of the common man. A lot of these were merely pamphlets. The one below was entitled "The New Law of Righteousness" and was published in January 1649.

"When this universal law of equity rises up in every man and woman, then none shall lay claim to any creature and say, This is mine,

and that is yours. This is mywork, that is yours.  But everyone shall put their hands to till the earth and

bring up cattle, and the blessing of the earth shall be common to all; when a man

hath need of any corn or cattle, take from the next storehouse he meets with.

There shall be no buying or selling, no fairs or markets, but the whole earth shall

be a common treasury for every man, for the earth is the Lord's...When a man hath eat, and drink, and clothes, he hath enough."

He earned a following through his radical views, believing common land belonged to everyone and thus everyone had a right to earn a livelihood from it. With people from Walton and Cobham he set up a commune at St Georges Hill on 1st April 1649. They built places for their families to live and dug the land to plant their crops. They were poor and at first thought harmless, so were left to their own devices. It wasn't long before wealthy landowners and people in power realised their threat. Those who felt threatened by the Diggers paid local thugs to beat them up, destroy their crops and burn their houses. They and their families were taken prisoner and locked up in St Mary's at Walton. They were eventually released as there were no grounds to hold them. They moved to Cobham and gained support from other corners of the country where communes were also set up. However, they never stood a chance against the might of those in control and within three years of starting they were quashed and became a part of history.

Until recently this was a part of England's history which has not been given much credit. However, it resurfaced almost 350 years later on 3rd April 1995 when a band of modern day Eco Warriors and historians marched from Walton to St George's Hill in remembrance to "the Diggers". They camped there for a time before they were removed. Their intention was to erect a memorial stone to "the Diggers". The story of this part of history has been documented by the BBC, h2g2 and at Wikipedia. You can also read more at the Diggers Trail and view a leaflet.

The local council eventually agreed for a memorial stone to "Gerrard Winstanley a True Leveller" to be erected on Cobbett's Hill just opposite Weybridge rail station and on the fringes of St Georges Hill.

Some more links to the Surrey Diggers are below.

Songs: The Diggers Song (World Turned Upside Down) - follow the link to read the words and download different versions or click on DICK GAUGHAN to get his version of The Diggers Song' courtesy of Seedstar, original lyrics by Leon Rosselson.

St Mary's Church is a Grade 1 listed building and stands at the highest point in Walton and only a short walk from the river. The church has eight bells, the oldest cast in 1606 - see links to Bell Ringing and Church Tour. It has many monuments, including one to Field Marshall Viscount Shannon (who died in 1740), and is one of the best works by Francois Roubiliac. It was commissioned by his daughter Lady Middlesex. To the right of Shannon Memorial is a glass box containing a Scold's Bridle (see photo). The original, stolen in 1965, was dated 1633 and came to the parish in 1723 from Chester (or in some versions from a man called Chester who lost a fortune due to women gossiping). It is inscribed:

"Chester presents Walton with a bridle

To curb women's tongues which talk too idle"

There are brasses (dated 1587) dedicated to John Selwyn, once a keeper of the Royal Park at Oatlands, and a black marble slab commemorating the work of William Lilly, a famous astrologer of his time, who died in 1681. The church also houses a late 17th Century organ case, and in the graveyard lays Edward 'Lumpy' Stevens (1735 - 1819), a well-known cricketer whose bowling led to the introduction of the third stump.

Stevens was employed as a gardener at Mount Felix by Charles Bennet, 4th Earl of Tankerville (1743 - 1822). The Earl was a keen cricketer and was one of those who sat at the first meeting to lay down the rules of the game. At the time cricket was a game of the upper classes. They would employ working men who were good at the game so as to have them for their team.

Csarevitch Nicholas II of Russia, later to be the last Tsar, stayed with Prince and Princess Louis of Battenberg, at Elm Grove in June 1894 on a visit to meet his fiancee and future wife Princess Alexandra. On a visit to St Mary's Church, Nicholas was reported to have been amused on seeing the Scold's Bridle in the church. A few days later the couple moved on to Windsor to stay with, Alexandra's grandmother, Queen Victoria and attend a dinner in their honour. You can read more about the visit at Royal Menus. However, 24 years later Nicholas, Alexandra and their five children were all executed.

Elm Grove is just off the southern end of Walton High Street. This former home to the Mountbatten family has gone through many uses, including a courthouse, local council offices and a recreational facility. It is now a listed building and belongs to Elmbridge Borough Council.

The St Mary's website is well worth a visit to read its tour of the church and the history associated with it. The British History Online website contains a detailed early history of Walton-on-Thames.

The first video below shows an aerial view of St Mary's and the surround areas, the second shows some of the graveyards and the inside of the church.

Walton has connections with New Zealand formed during World War I which are still evident today with road names such as New Zealand Avenue and Wellington Close.

Mount Felix, a large mansion overlooking the Thames near Walton Bridge, had been rebuilt in the middle of the 19th century by Sir Charles Barry for the 5th Earl of Tankerville. However, it was taken over by the New Zealand War Contingent Association in 1915 and converted to a hospital for New Zealand war victims. It was called New Zealand General Hospital No. 2 (No. 1 was at Brockenhurst in the New Forest). At its peak it had over 1,000 beds and continued till after the end of the war until late June 1919. With pressure on the hospital during intense fighting at "The Somme" in France the nearby Oaklands Park Hotel was also converted for hospital use. During their time at Walton the New Zealand soldiers had many fond memories of the town. One New Zealand medical officer wrote:

"The grounds at Walton (which ran down to the Thames) were delightful with beautiful walks, flower beds and green fields. The garden was well kept, and the fine old English cedars and other trees lent a peculiar charm to the surroundings,"

Over 27,000 New Zealanders were cared for here during the Great War. The people of Walton took the young soldiers into their homes and their hearts, and in 1921 a plaque was erected to remember them. In 1966 Mount Felix was badly damaged by a fire and had to be demolished. The plaque was moved to the Walton Town Hall (now Homebase) in New Zealand Avenue.

"THIS TABLET IS ERECTED AD 1921 BY THE INHABITANTS OF WALTON-UPON-THAMES TO COMMEMORATE THEIR 27000 FELLOW SUBJECTS FROM THE DOMINION OF NEW ZEALAND WHO WOUNDED OR DISABLED IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918 WERE CARED FOR IN THE MILITARY HOSPITALS AT MOUNT FELIX AND OATLANDS PARK. SEVENTEEN OF THESE MEN LIE BURIED IN WALTON CEMETERY. THEIR BODIES ARE BURIED IN PEACE BUT THEIR NAMES LIVETH FOR EVERMORE".

Taken from - The New Zealand European Connection by Martin O'Connor (Grantham House 1989 ISBN 1 86934 018 3).

A brass plaque was put up on the wall in the local St Mary's Church in 1921 to record their stay at Walton and as a memorial to the seventeen of them who died here and are buried in the graveyard. Their memory is also honoured at the annual Civic Service on Anzac Day in the presence of the New Zealand High Commissioner. In 2020, due to Covid-19 restriction, the ceremony had to be held between the two New Zealand Memorials in the churchyard. This is available at YouTube.

Another memorial can be seen in the middle of the car park of Homebase, just off New Zealand Avenue, a Kowhat Tree given by the New Zealand High Commission in 1970 was planted with a small brass plaque next to it.

All that now remains of Mount Felix is the Clock Tower on Bridge Close which has been converted to office use and the gate pillars on Bridge Street at the junction of Hepworth Way.

© Sean Davis 2015 - 2022