Thames Ditton is a town in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey.

Location

Situated about 17 miles South West of Central London (UK) 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.

History

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.

Today

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 retains its railway link to London, mainly thanks to the popularity of Hampton Court as a tourist attraction, and following successful campaigns by villagers against supermarket development in the 1990s, the village's High Street continues to thrive.

Politically, Thames Ditton is part of the Esher and Walton parliamentary constituency, as of 2004 a safe Conservative seat. Locally, the village retains a politically active and influential Residents' Association.