Thames Tributary River Mole - Hatchford Park

Thames Tributary River Mole
The Mole flows south west and then turns north west


Post to the north Painshill Park
Post to the east Chilbrook
Post to the west Chatley Heath

Ockham Lane
Little Brickfield Copse

Pointers Road
Hatchford Park. A manor house was first built on the site around 1740. It belonged to a John Wilson and was purchased in 1744 by John Lewin Smith who rebuilt the house. It passed through several hands including by Isabella Saltenstall in 1802. In the mid 1800s Lady Ellesmere laid out some 70 acres of gardens and woodlands. The original house of 1850 was remodelled in the 1890s by Rowland Plumbe. It was red brick with half timbered gables. Inside some panelling and plasterwork remained along with a Jacobean style staircase. The estate was later bought by Sir Bernhard Samuelson whose mausoleum is in the woods, and Canadian troops were billeted there in the Second World War. It became a private school in 1947. Then the house was for a while a school for handicapped children but this closed in 1990 and the original building was destroyed by fire in 2000 during conversion to luxury flats and despite the efforts of 25 fire brigade appliances 95% of the building was lost. The shell of the original 18th century building was kept and the development called Hatchford Manor. The first episode of Doctor Who which featured Jon Pertwee was filmed at the school in 1963.
Stable court built 1890 by Rowland Plumbe in red brick. There are pavilions built around a courtyard plus a square clock tower with a weathervane. There is also an arched gateway.
Wall, pavilion and gates alongside the main house date from 1890. They are in rubble stone and consist of single storey pavilions with square domed roofs. A stone wall links these pavilions which are decorated with crests and scrolls. In the centre are 10 foot high iron gates.
Woods owned by Surrey County Council.
Ice house in Hatchford Wood. It is an underground structure with a brick entrance corridor and a large dome shaped building 20 feet tall. It is covered in earth.
Pointers. Home of Thomas Page who bought Cobham Manor and the Cobham Park Estates in 1799 and this house became the manor house. He was wealthy and entertained royalty here. He left it all to his daughter in 1842.
The Bogs
Lodge Copse
Bramble Wood
Pointers Farm

Comments

Temple of sleep: the coffin was bronze and was stolen twice, retreived by police on the first occasion. My father raised the alarm having seen the lorry used on his way home to Semaphore Tower.
We left the tower at Easter 1063.
A beech tree fell onto the tomb during the great storm of 1987 and did much damage.
Graham Johnson.

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