[6] From the source to Dorking, the river drains an area of 340km2 (130sqmi), of which approximately 60% is on Wealden or Atherfield Clay, 20% is on Tunbridge Wells Sand and 20% is on greensand. The only contiguous settlement is Walton-on-Thames, its post town. Leaving Dorking, the River Mole skirts the south west of Leatherhead and then Cobham, before heading north between Hersham and Esher. Hersham's large second golf club is Burhill Golf Club (with North and South courses, the latter of which has been added near Burwood Park. [29], In 1972 a sub-debate on the future cleanliness of the Mole was had by the House of Lords, involving a member of the South-East Strategic Committee of the Thames Conservancy (succeeded by the Environment Agency) and four others. [40][41] The Mole is one of only three locations in England where the river shingle beetle (Meotica anglica) is found. ", "Manchester United's Luke Shaw signs new contract at Old Trafford until 2023", Parakeet population booming in borough Molesey News & Mail, 7 July 2004, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hersham&oldid=1134823525. Cobham Mill, downstream of Leatherhead, consisted of two mills used for grinding corn. In 2003, the upper River Mole near Meath Green Lane, Horley, was enhanced to create a gravel spawning area to encourage chub and dace in addition to roach. Esher RFC is a multi-pitch rugby union club in Hersham since approximately 1939 (see notes). [36], The Mole catchment area includes twelve Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) that include wetland habitats,[6] The Mole Gap forms part of a Special Area of Conservation and is an SSSI of European importance. Surrey Fire and. [95], The single-span Shell Bridge stands in the grounds of Thorncroft Manor, to the south of the Town Centre. Just over a mile long and several feet wide, the Bird Island Pier takes you out onto the Niagara River. Flood alert area: River Mole and its tributaries from Kinnersley Manor to South Hersham, including Sidlow, Leigh, Betchworth, Brockham, Pixham, Dorking, Mickleham, Leatherhead, Fetcham, Stoke D'Abernon and Cobham. Single track bridge built in 1842 and refurbished in 1993. [13] =? Four of the victims were never identified but buried in Hersham's Burvale Cemetery and another Vickers worker, 36 year old William E Hunt, was buried close by. River Mole | Canoe | Kayak | SUP | Routes and Launches The woodland, river and ponds are attractive at any time of the year. It was occupied by pre-historic folk whose flint instruments have been found in large numbers beside the River on Southwood Manor Farm.These date mostly from the mesolithic period. [8] In John Speed's 1611 map of Surrey this stretch of the river is denoted by a series of hills accompanied by the legend "The river runneth under". [96] The bridge was renovated and strengthened in 1999 by a group of Canadian engineers working on the Terra Nove project. This is the ultimate river walk - you'll feel like you're floating on water as you make your way down this narrow slice of walkway situated in the middle of the Niagara River's famous vibrant waters. River Mole - London's Lost Rivers - Book and Walking Tours by Paul Talling [132], Slyfield Mill near Stoke d'Abernon is first mentioned in Domesday Book. [2], Between Dorking and Leatherhead the Mole cuts a steep-sided valley through the North Downs, creating a 170-metre-high (560ft) river cliff on the western flank of Box Hill. It is home to Sandown Park Racecourse. [83] In 1810 the engineer John Rennie proposed a canal linking the River Medway to Portsmouth which was to have a branch to London following the Mole for much of its length. Water is therefore able to flow out of the river through swallow holes in the bed and banks, decreasing the volume of water carried in the main channel. [31] The Environment Agency estimated that up to 5200 fish of 14 different species were killed as the pollution drained downstream. The river also provides a corridor for wildlife through the centre of Leatherhead. It rises in West Sussex near Gatwick Airport and flows northwest through Surrey for 80km (50 miles) to the Thames at Hampton Court Palace. Its roll holds approx. [17] The mean flow measured at Horley gauging station (52m[171ft] above OD) is 1.40m3/s (49cuft/s). Queen Victoria wrote in her diary how she saw her first steam train in Hersham when she was a young girl. [10][11], The drainage area of the River Mole is 477km2 (184sqmi) and forms 5% of the River Thames's catchment area above Teddington. quickly develops into a wild ramble along the River Mole and then over beech- and pine-clad hills. History. The bridge is a long structure of 14 segmental arches resting on low piers, finished in red brick in Flemish bond, with some Portland stone dressing. Mole (Horley to Hersham) is a river in Surrey. [137], The river has captured the imagination of several authors and poets,[7] particularly since in very hot summers the river channel can become dry between Dorking and Leatherhead (most recently during the 1976 drought).[22][50]. [73] Remains of a flat-bottomed dug-out canoe were found at the confluence of the Mole and Thames in 1877 by a local boatman. During the following year (1664), an act was passed by both Houses of Parliament to make the River Mole navigable from Reigate to the River Thames, but was never executed. Early to mid-19th-century brick bridge with two semi-circular arches and one elliptical arch. Shoreline Trail | Environment & Planning - Erie County, New York The Heath is an area of rough scrubland and, despite its name, is a reclaimed landfill site hence its large but artificial mound and small plateau. A principal tributary of the Earlswood Brook is the Redhill Brook, which includes The Moors wetland nature reserve within its catchment area. Initially the surveyors tried to fill the holes with rubble to prevent the foundations of the new road subsiding. Something went wrong, please try again later. Not all of the water removed from the river by the swallow holes is returned to the channel at Leatherhead. Leaving Dorking, the River Mole skirts the south west of Leatherhead and then Cobham, before heading north between Hersham and Esher. [134] For many years there may have been two mills on the site for corn grinding and industrial use. a huge defensive earthwork was erected on top of St George's Hill (ecclesiastically in . [9] Domesday Book lists twenty mills on the river in 1086, of which Sidlow Mill was the oldest, dating from Saxon times. Mention of a court held at Hersham in 1272 by Reginald de Imworth and Matilda his wife, may indicate that he was then lord of the manor. The second-largest Sewage Treatment Works (STW) in the Mole catchment is located on the Gatwick Stream 3km (1.9mi) upstream of the confluence with the Mole: Crawley STW discharges 15,000m3 (530,000cuft) of water per day, and in prolonged dry periods it accounts for up to 75% of the flow of the Mole downstream of the confluence. This is part of a larger effort to form a continuous multi-use pathway along Erie County's Lake Erie and Niagara River coast line. large bittercress (Cardamine amara) and the non-native Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera). River Mole at Stoke D'Abernon, Cobham and South Hersham flood warning area. How to get to River Mole Pre School in Walton-On-Thames by Bus or Train? Mole Valley - Walking London's Waterways Look out for. Get more Esher news from SurreyLive straight to your inbox for free here. An old timber structure was replaced by a brick building in the 1820s which can be seen from the bridge over the Ember in Hampton Court Way. Information about angling in Esher, covering fishing venues, tackle shops, supermarkets, and local weather. It also takes in all six ponds of this part of Esher Common, some hidden deep in the woods. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. [61], At Leatherhead the river leaves the chalk bedrock, moving onto London Clay. [131] It was a corn mill, built in the early 19th century, and has been converted into a bed and breakfast hotel. [10][11], Horley Mill was first mentioned in a deed of the early 13th century. The beautiful demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) disappeared from the River Mole during the 1960s owing to deteriorating water quality, but has since recolonised. The stones give their name to the pub in the nearby village of Westhumble. Location. Mole (Horley to Hersham) is 60.133 km long Early in World War II, Barnes Wallis and several hundred staff were evacuated to Burhill Golf Club from the nearby Vickers-Armstrongs aircraft factory at Brooklands and designed the legendary Dambusters 'bouncing bomb' there. In 1929 an aeroplane designed by Anthony Fletcher was constructed in the village by ABC Motors. A flood warning means flooding to some property is expected. [47] The amount of water lost from the river is significant and in very hot summers the channel can become dry between Mickleham and Thorncroft Manor; this was recorded most recently in 1949,[48][49] 1976[50] and 2022. The parapets were rebuilt in 1914 and the structure was given a GradeII listing in 1953. [6], The river has captured the imagination of several authors and poets,[7] particularly since in very hot summers the river channel can become dry between Dorking and Leatherhead, most recently in 2022. [citation needed]. Below Leatherhead the river has historically supported larger predatory fish including chub, perch, pike, and eels, however in recent years chub and eel numbers have begun to decline. 5 0 obj [66][67] Variations in the name are recorded throughout the Middle Ages and the river appears as Amele in the Domesday Book of 1086, and subsequently as Emele in 12th- and 13th-century Court Rolls. The site is a rich habitat for birds including the redshank and little ringed plover. [26] (For the purposes of the remainder of this article, the River Mole and the River Ember are treated as a single entity. Just before the gate take the footpath on the right between 2 tree stumps. [1][3] Twelve Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) that include wetland habitats are located within the Mole catchment area, and the stretch of river through Leatherhead has been designated a Local Nature Reserve.