Thames Tributary River Mole - West End
Thames Tributary River Mole
The Mole flows north east
Post to the west Hersham
Post to the north Esher Road
Post to the south Esher Common
Stony Hill
Milestone. Unseen in grounds of a house on the north side
Claremont. The 'landscape park' was part of a larger estate laid out by Charles Bridgeman for John Vanbrugh, who owned the estate in 1711 and sold it to the Duke of Newcastle. It is one of the original
landscaped parks on which many others were based. In the 1730s William Kent began the transformation to the 'natural' style, converting the canal to a lake, overlooked by the grass amphitheatre, and including an island with a pavilion. A lake edged by a winding bank with scattered trees was a common feature of Kent's designs. The gardens are separate from Claremont House, are owned by The National Trust and known as Claremont Landscape Garden
Grotto. This is by and built of sandstone and chalk by Joseph and Josiah Lane
Bowling Green House by William Kent
Statues, including one of a pig
A dovecote, used as a summerhouse but now converted back to a dovecote
Turf amphitheatre. Designed by Charles Bridgeman in 1725 this spectacular three acre earthwork rising above the lake is one of only two surviving examples of its kind in Europe. It was designed as an eye catching feature to complement the pond in the valley below. It was forgotten until its restoration in 1975 funded by a charitable foundation. It is flanked by cedars of Lebanon. It was used for an annual ‘Fête Champêtre’ where costumed visitors arrived for four days of music, theatre and fireworks.
Camellia House. 1820 with curved ends. Unheated until 1959
Lake with Island including a ruined Temple by William Kent.
West End Lane
Prince of Wales pond. This was once larger and used by the cows at a nearby farm.
Chamber’s Farm, now a close of houses
St George’s The Iron Church. The church dates from the late 1870s and originally came in kit form to last less than seven years. It was built to save old people a climb along muddy roads into Esher. It contained a pipe organ bought from the Welsh Guards at Sandown Park in the First World War but since sold to an enthusiast
West End Sports & Social Club was founded as the Oakley Institute in the late 19th as a boys’ youth centre. It was rebuilt in 1972 and in 2005 a new clubhouse was built but moved 15 feet back from the road
Village Hall. Its site is shared with the land on which the Sports Club stands, which together with the site of St George’s, was given to the commoners of the village by Queen Victoria. Stained glass windows date from 2005. It is in the buildings of the infants’ school built in 1879 by a Mrs. Bailey in memory of her husband.
Chequers. Old pub now a house. 18th building owned by Hodgson’s Brewery in 1870. It was a base for Jerry Abershaw, a young Highwayman who robbed mail coaches. Said to be a tunnel from the inn to the Portsmouth Road, through which Jerry and his chestnut mare could escape the forces of the law. (It was clearly an amazingly big tunnel!!)
Forge – a brick building part of the Chequers. Now a house
Chequers Pond – once much larger but became overgrown and silted up
Ditches along the road – now silted up they were dug by the Canadians in the First World War
Gun emplacements from the First World War on the common inn undergrowth
West End Cottage built by Lord Tyrconnel, one of the owners of Claremont, for his mistress Sarah Thompson,
Claremont Cottage. Scene of a murder – a mother killed her children.
Clover Cottage- once called Alder’s Cottages built by Thos. Alder, a 19th butcher and friend if George Meredith
Albany Lodge, Royal Arms on the front. Home of the physician to the Duchess of Albany
Talbot Lodge – previously called Glenhurst
West End Gardens
The Cedars. Had a ghost of a grey lady. Demolished in the 1930s. New houses now on site.
West End Lodge,
The Orchard belonged to Florence Nightingale.
Winterdown Road
Garsons Farm and garden centre. The farm is first noted in 1526, and called “Gastunfeld,” In 1780 it was farmed with Walton Farm. Run as a garden centre by the Thompson family.
Winterhouse Farm and Moat, also called Walton Farm and dates to the 16th. In 1548 it was known as “Wynterhous”. It was much larger in the 17th when it stretched to Stoney Hills
Prince of Wales. Built 1892
Tower of Hodgson’s Brewery, later used by Mr. Plowman as a boot repairer’s and saddler’s shop. Brewery dated from the 1840s and a red brick building remains from 1899. Used by a coal merchant from the First World War
The Mole flows north east
Post to the west Hersham
Post to the north Esher Road
Post to the south Esher Common
Stony Hill
Milestone. Unseen in grounds of a house on the north side
Claremont. The 'landscape park' was part of a larger estate laid out by Charles Bridgeman for John Vanbrugh, who owned the estate in 1711 and sold it to the Duke of Newcastle. It is one of the original
landscaped parks on which many others were based. In the 1730s William Kent began the transformation to the 'natural' style, converting the canal to a lake, overlooked by the grass amphitheatre, and including an island with a pavilion. A lake edged by a winding bank with scattered trees was a common feature of Kent's designs. The gardens are separate from Claremont House, are owned by The National Trust and known as Claremont Landscape Garden
Grotto. This is by and built of sandstone and chalk by Joseph and Josiah Lane
Bowling Green House by William Kent
Statues, including one of a pig
A dovecote, used as a summerhouse but now converted back to a dovecote
Turf amphitheatre. Designed by Charles Bridgeman in 1725 this spectacular three acre earthwork rising above the lake is one of only two surviving examples of its kind in Europe. It was designed as an eye catching feature to complement the pond in the valley below. It was forgotten until its restoration in 1975 funded by a charitable foundation. It is flanked by cedars of Lebanon. It was used for an annual ‘Fête Champêtre’ where costumed visitors arrived for four days of music, theatre and fireworks.
Camellia House. 1820 with curved ends. Unheated until 1959
Lake with Island including a ruined Temple by William Kent.
West End Lane
Prince of Wales pond. This was once larger and used by the cows at a nearby farm.
Chamber’s Farm, now a close of houses
St George’s The Iron Church. The church dates from the late 1870s and originally came in kit form to last less than seven years. It was built to save old people a climb along muddy roads into Esher. It contained a pipe organ bought from the Welsh Guards at Sandown Park in the First World War but since sold to an enthusiast
West End Sports & Social Club was founded as the Oakley Institute in the late 19th as a boys’ youth centre. It was rebuilt in 1972 and in 2005 a new clubhouse was built but moved 15 feet back from the road
Village Hall. Its site is shared with the land on which the Sports Club stands, which together with the site of St George’s, was given to the commoners of the village by Queen Victoria. Stained glass windows date from 2005. It is in the buildings of the infants’ school built in 1879 by a Mrs. Bailey in memory of her husband.
Chequers. Old pub now a house. 18th building owned by Hodgson’s Brewery in 1870. It was a base for Jerry Abershaw, a young Highwayman who robbed mail coaches. Said to be a tunnel from the inn to the Portsmouth Road, through which Jerry and his chestnut mare could escape the forces of the law. (It was clearly an amazingly big tunnel!!)
Forge – a brick building part of the Chequers. Now a house
Chequers Pond – once much larger but became overgrown and silted up
Ditches along the road – now silted up they were dug by the Canadians in the First World War
Gun emplacements from the First World War on the common inn undergrowth
West End Cottage built by Lord Tyrconnel, one of the owners of Claremont, for his mistress Sarah Thompson,
Claremont Cottage. Scene of a murder – a mother killed her children.
Clover Cottage- once called Alder’s Cottages built by Thos. Alder, a 19th butcher and friend if George Meredith
Albany Lodge, Royal Arms on the front. Home of the physician to the Duchess of Albany
Talbot Lodge – previously called Glenhurst
West End Gardens
The Cedars. Had a ghost of a grey lady. Demolished in the 1930s. New houses now on site.
West End Lodge,
The Orchard belonged to Florence Nightingale.
Winterdown Road
Garsons Farm and garden centre. The farm is first noted in 1526, and called “Gastunfeld,” In 1780 it was farmed with Walton Farm. Run as a garden centre by the Thompson family.
Winterhouse Farm and Moat, also called Walton Farm and dates to the 16th. In 1548 it was known as “Wynterhous”. It was much larger in the 17th when it stretched to Stoney Hills
Prince of Wales. Built 1892
Tower of Hodgson’s Brewery, later used by Mr. Plowman as a boot repairer’s and saddler’s shop. Brewery dated from the 1840s and a red brick building remains from 1899. Used by a coal merchant from the First World War
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