is a town in the
Elmbridge borough of
Surrey .
Thames Ditton is a suburban development situated 12.2 miles (19.6 km) south west of
Charing Cross and between the towns of
Kingston Upon Thames and
Esher .
The
River Thames bounds the village to the north, and there are many pretty views across the river to
Hampton Court Palace. The village takes the form of a rough triangle, bounded by the Hampton Court Way to the west, and the old
Portsmouth Road to the south and east. Although the village lost its isolation to the surrounding London suburbs a long time ago and has since had its boundaries merged with the surrounding villages and towns, it still retains a "villagey" feel.
Thames Ditton is first recorded in the
Domesday Book . Following the Norman Conquest, the land was granted to the monks of Merton Priory, and a church was built, the first recorded incumbent being in
1179 .
Isolated on marshy wetlands, the village remained an insignificant settlement until the building of Hampton Court Palace by
Thomas Wolsey in the early 16th Century. Once the palace was seized by
Henry VIII in
1525 , Thames Ditton began to grow as palace officials and other workers took up residence there, and was soon to become a prosperous village.
During the 18th Century, the roads around the village were plagued with
Highwaymen , and influential voices within the community began to call for an organised police force.
During the 19th Century, the village continued to grow, with the arrival of the railway in
1849 and the building of the first school, and local life was utterly changed by the expansion of London's
Suburbs .
Between
1911 and
1980 , the village was home to the
AC Cars factory, which was latterly located in the High Street. The site is today occupied by an office complex named Ferry Works, incorporating an architectural practice.
As of
1999 , Thames Ditton is reckoned to be home to approximately 5,500 people, mainly
Commuters , and is easily one of the wealthiest communities in the UK, with house prices and demand reflecting current trends. Many new houses have been built in recent years, and building land is at a premium, with a local school causing controversy by selling off playing fields to new developers. Thames Ditton contains many families and older retired people who find that its quiet atmosphere but proximity to London make it an attractive place to live. However, as is common in this area of the country, high house prices mean there is a dearth of affordable housing in the village. Recent property developments were targeted towards the luxury accommodation rather than affordable housing.
Thames Ditton has a railway link to London serving its large commuter population. Following successful campaigns by villagers against a
Supermarket development in the 1990s the village's High Street survives as a retail location with a bakery, pharmacy, greengrocers, florist, off-licence, bank and post-office/grocers. There also several hairdressers,
Estate Agents and arty shops.
The state schools in Thames Ditton include a nationally-acclaimed infants' school and Esher Sixth-Form College.
Politically, Thames Ditton is part of the Esher and Walton
Parliamentary Constituency and, as at 2005, is a safe Conservative seat. Ian Taylor MP was returned again at the 2005 general election. Locally, the village retains a politically active and influential Residents' Association
{Link without Title} . The Residents' Associations in the borough of Elmbridge have dominated local administration since 1997, uniquely in England, and to the annoyance of the national political parties.
In Thames Ditton on Embercourt Road is
The Vera Fletcher Hall . Originally a Victorian village hall, the "Vera Fletcher" was refurbished in 1992 by , and is now run on a not-for-profit basis as a day centre for the over-50s and at other times as a venue for local clubs, societies, private parties, barn dances and visiting amateur and professional theatre groups. There are high quality chamber concerts (including the English National Opera's Pocket Operas) at the Vera Fletcher Hall.
Weston Green Road is the location of
Thames Ditton Lawn Tennis Club (TDLTC). The club was ravaged in the 1990s by a protracted legal battle with the owner of the site freehold, who wished to build executive homes on the site. Though TDLTC eventually won the case, its membership eroded, in part because the management style needed to wage legal war differed from that needed to build a thriving tennis and social community. Furthermore, the club lost the rights to use three courts on the adjoining Esher College site, which were themselves subsequently sold to developers.
However the club still owns six grass and four hard courts, along with one short tennis court. It also has access to a further three hard courts at Esher College, and a weekend arrangement with Kingston Grammar to use its courts as an overflow for the junior section.
Another sports community nearby is the Thames Ditton Squash Club, which is now housed at Colets Health and Fitness Club in the village. It is the strongest club in England, with several national club championships to its name, and a good record in the European championships.
Thames Ditton has many public houses. These include The Crown, Albany, George & Dragon, Red Lion, Angel, Grey Hound, Lamb & Star, Cricketers on the Green, Marney's Pond, Ye Olde Swan and Ye Olde Harrow. There are also a few restaurants which vary in quality, affordability and style.
Thames Ditton is a great place to walk your family and pets with many scenic walking routes by the
River Thames .
- Charlie Brooks
- Stacy Dorning, the child actress in series two of 'The Adventures of Black Beauty' ( LWT 1972) and ' Just William ', in which she played Ethel Brown.
- Laura and Robert Dawson, noted pornographers.
- Andrew Doughty, renowned anaesthesiologist and inventor of a slotted-tongue plate referred to as the Doughty Gag, which is currently used universally for tonsillectomies (http://www.oaa-anaes.ac.uk/a-g-doughty.htm)
- The Monty Python sketch, "Blackmail", partially took place in Thames Ditton
