Cycling from Hampton Wick
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The 15th century Bell Public House is in St Mary's Road Molesey on the way to Molesey Heath, a lesser-known local curiosity, within easy cycling distance. The rose was photographed growing wild on Molesey Heath.
One of the ornate man-made lakes on Molesey Heath has been replaced by this, also man-made, desert. Molesey Heath is largely the product of gravel working.
Semaphore House is just to the South of Kingston Bypass, right near Hinchley Wood. It was used to communicate between the Admiralty and Portsmouth in the early 19th century, during the Napoleonic Wars. There were several such structures. The one on Kingston Hill has unfortunately been demolished. General Eisenhower stayed there while preparing for D-Day. the next semaphore tower can be seen at Wisley, near the M25. It took just eight seconds from sending to receive an acknowledgement from Portsmouth. The semaphore was replaced by the electric telegraph within a few years.The next semaphore tower is at Chatley Heath, between the M25 and Wisley, and is of considerably different appearance.
This miniature railway in Claygate Lane, Ditton, seems to be one of the district's best kept secrets. It opens to the public at 2pm on the first Sunday of every month. The old 14th Century Manor House is just off the river, at Walton On Thames.
We see Hampton Court Palace fairly late in the day, with no people about. I regret that the present management makes a considerable admission charge to most parts of the palace and grounds. In the winter months, this is relaxed and it is possible to view the famous 'Triumphs Of Caesar' series of wallpaintings and the formal gardens, free of charge.
St Mary's Church, Twickenham, is an unexpected combination of a medaeval tower and an 18th Century Palladian building. Around 1715, the old church collapsed, leaving the tower standing. The answer was to ask one of the architects working locally to design something that could be built by local craftsmen, rather than specialised church-builders. Even so, workers who came across the River Thames, from nearby Richmond, were referred to as foreigners. St Mary's Church is opposite the famous Eel-pie Island and is at the start of the historic part of Twickenham, which part includes Marble Hill House, The Octagon, and Montpelier Row.
I had to photograph against the light to capture this late-afternoon view from the ledges on West End Common, just beyond Esher and Claremont. The World War II gun emplacement is right on top of the ridge. My late father said this was ack-ack and other sources agree, but it looks more like a machine-gun nest. Note the surrounding fortification.
It has been suggested by some that this is not actually a shot tower. Nevertheless, it is all that remains of the gun-powder works in Crane Park Whitton, off Powder Mill Lane. This works was in use for several centuries, right up to the 1920s.
I photographed the superb 9th Century, Saxon Brooch at The British Museum. Not everyone will care to cycle up to London from Hampton Wick, but it is well possible and you can choose a pleasant route through Richmond Park. It is about ten miles. On this occasion, I travelled on a train pass. Rail travel can be unpleasant on Sundays, so then is a good time to use your bike, with less traffic on the roads.
St Georges' Church, Esher, is 16th Century, the Tudor Period. I wonder how common this is? The photograph of Oxshott shows part of the pit area, used to dig sand for use in sand-bags during the war. Unlike pits nearer the River Thames, this one has not filled with water.
The side of the hill facing the railway station at Oxshott Heath is covered with purple heather. It has been suggested that the foreground is a baseball pitch, used by Canadian soldiers during the war. The coal-tax post is one of several to be seen in the Oxshott and Claygate area. Anyone carting coal past these posts, towards London, had to pay a tax to the City Of London.
When we were children, my late father had us cycling to Richmond Park, Oxshott, Epsom Downs, Reigate, Wimbledon Common, Wisley, Box Hill, Claremont, Virginia Water, Windsor Castle, Heathrow Airport and even Guildford. Several of these were much too far for children on heavy old bikes. Claremont, the estate of Clive Of India, is now pay-to-enter. The house is a girls' school and is not normally open to the public.
As an adult, I added these to the list: Leith Hill, Ranmore Common, Esher Common, Ashtead Common, Epsom Common, Ripley, The Horsleys, Cobham, Claygate, Arbrook Common, Brooklands Race Track, Brighton and Shere. Some of these would be too far for me now, especially Brighton, a gruelling round trip of around 120 miles.
The area around Hampton Wick is fairly hilly, which is not pleasant for cycling. However, the fact that Hampton Wick is below sea level means that you will be cycling downhill on the way home.
Anyone interested in the history of cycling should cycle to Ripley, a venue for cyclists since the 1870s. Go down the side of the green and follow the path to the interesting Dunsborough Lock on the River Wey. Ockham Mill is close by. Ripley is about ten miles but will feel further and the journey across the M25 is not pleasant. There is a scenic route from Cobham, which crosses the M25 via an access bridge and passes close to the semaphore tower on Chatley Heath. Near the M25, and near the footbridge and car park, on the Pyrford side, is a section of common land, never farmed, and said to be so ancient that it is still possible to see a regular pattern of ditches dug by iron-age man, digging for iron-ore. I remain to be convinced, in spite of twisting my ankle in one of them.
27 September 2006: today I cycled back from Oxshott in the rush-hour, in dull weather. It was not pleasant, and part of the road has no pavement to walk the bike.
See my Thames Path page for further ideas.