102-740: The Shepperton branch line is a 6-mile-51-ch (10.7 km) railway branch line in Surrey and Greater London , England. It runs from its western terminus at Shepperton to a triangular junction with the Kingston loop line east of Fulwell . There are intermediate stations at Upper Halliford , Sunbury and Hampton . The branch also serves a dedicated station at Kempton Park racecourse . All six stations are managed by South Western Railway , which operates all passenger trains. Most services run between Shepperton and London Waterloo via Kingston , but during peak periods some run via Twickenham . The line
204-637: A Crown-granted monopoly, subject to conditions, existed since the Stuart period : The two remaining join those in London (the Twickenham Ferry and Woolwich Ferry ) and seasonal visitor services in Oxford . Land near the relevant site was said in 1633 to have been washed away, reflecting the lack of the additional river channels at Windsor, Laleham and Weybridge, lack of weirs and former marshiness of
306-587: A circle of 100 feet diameter" and was built so that a single timber could be extracted and repaired without disturbing the rest of the bridge. Old Walton Bridge was completed in August 1750 and acquired some fame, meriting an article in The Gentleman's Magazine , a report in Daniel Defoe 's Tour in 1753 and a painting by Canaletto in 1754. The painting, which shows the rococo -style of this bridge,
408-412: A few years later at least part of it was subject to Mercia, since in 673–675 further lands were given to Chertsey Abbey by Frithuwald , a local sub-king ( subregulus ) ruling under the sovereignty of Wulfhere of Mercia . A decade later Surrey passed into the hands of King Caedwalla of Wessex, who also conquered Kent and Sussex, and founded a monastery at Farnham in 686. The region remained under
510-627: A national average of 11.8% and as such is one of the few counties not to recommend new woodlands in the subordinate planning authorities' plans.In 2020 the Surrey Heath district had the highest proportion of tree cover in England at 41%. Surrey also contains England's principal concentration of lowland heath , on sandy soils in the west of the county. Agriculture not being intensive, there are many commons and access lands, together with an extensive network of footpaths and bridleways including
612-563: A raiding force at Thanet , but suffered heavy losses including their ealdorman , Huda. In 892 Surrey was the scene of another major battle when a large Danish army, variously reported at 200, 250 and 350 ship-loads, moved west from its encampment in Kent and raided in Hampshire and Berkshire. Withdrawing with their loot, the Danes were intercepted and defeated at Farnham by an army led by Alfred
714-579: A residence for the Bishop of Winchester , while other stone castles were constructed in the same period at Bletchingley by the de Clares and at Reigate by the Warennes. During King John 's struggle with the barons , Magna Carta was issued in June 1215 at Runnymede near Egham . John's efforts to reverse this concession reignited the war, and in 1216 the barons invited Prince Louis of France to take
816-479: Is a non-metropolitan county with eleven districts. The county historically included much of south-west Greater London but excluded what is now the borough of Spelthorne , which was part of Middlesex . It is one of the home counties . The defining geographical feature of the county is the North Downs , a chalk escarpment which runs from the south-west to north-east and divides the densely populated north from
918-482: Is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the west. The largest settlement is Woking . The county has an area of 1,663 km (642 square miles) and a population of 1,214,540. Much of the north of the county forms part of the Greater London Built-up Area , which includes the suburbs within
1020-531: Is divided in two by the chalk ridge of the North Downs , running east–west. The ridge is pierced by the rivers Wey and Mole , tributaries of the Thames, which formed the northern border of the county before modern redrawing of county boundaries, which has left part of its north bank within the county. To the north of the Downs the land is mostly flat, forming part of the basin of the Thames. The geology of this area
1122-670: Is dominated by London Clay in the east, Bagshot Sands in the west and alluvial deposits along the rivers. To the south of the Downs in the western part of the county are the sandstone Surrey Hills , while further east is the plain of the Low Weald , rising in the extreme southeast to the edge of the hills of the High Weald. The Downs and the area to the south form part of a concentric pattern of geological deposits which also extends across southern Kent and most of Sussex, predominantly composed of Wealden Clay , Lower Greensand and
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#17327810344561224-474: Is in Dulwich Picture Gallery . Queens' College, Cambridge record that its Mathematical Bridge resembles this much grander structure also by Etheridge — unlike Walton Bridge, Etheridge's bridge there has been rebuilt twice to his design, having encountered minor wood rot, but has never collapsed. The timber structure stood approximately 33 years, that is, until 1783. A report on
1326-405: Is proposed for incorporation into Crossrail 2 . The Shepperton branch line is a railway line in Surrey and Greater London , England. It runs for 6 miles 51 ch (10.7 km) from its terminus at Shepperton station to an at-grade triangular junction with the Kingston loop line around 12.5 mi (20.1 km) down the line from London Waterloo . The maximum speed permitted on
1428-621: Is the Thames , which historically formed the boundary between the county and Middlesex . As a result of the 1965 boundary changes , many of the Surrey boroughs on the south bank of the river were transferred to Greater London , shortening the length associated with the county. The Thames now forms the Surrey– Berkshire border between Runnymede and Staines-upon-Thames , before flowing wholly within Surrey to Sunbury , from which point it marks
1530-447: Is the first Thames road bridge which is on both banks upstream of Greater London . The bridge is the sixth on the site. Before the first bridge, the site had a ferry dating at least to the 17th century. Near Walton Bridge, and removed when the first bridge was built in 1750, were several barrows . Spearheads and earthenware vessels are said by James Douglas to have been found in them. From Elmbridge ferries run by operators under
1632-602: Is two trains per hour in each direction calling at all stations (except Earlsfield ) between Shepperton and London Waterloo via Kingston . In the peak periods, there are additional services to Waterloo via Twickenham that do not call at Kempton Park . Off-peak trains from Shepperton typically reach New Malden on the South West Main Line in around 30 minutes and reach London Waterloo from Shepperton in around 55 minutes. Hampton and Fulwell stations are in Zone 6, but
1734-647: The Nox gaga and Oht gaga peoples in the Tribal Hidage may refer to two groups living in the vicinity of Surrey. Together their lands were assessed at a total of 7,000 hides , equal to the assessment for Sussex or Essex . Surrey may have formed part of a larger Middle Saxon kingdom or confederacy, also including areas north of the Thames. The name Surrey is derived from Sūþrīge (or Suthrige ), meaning "southern region" (while Bede refers to it as Sudergeona ) and this may originate in its status as
1836-615: The Battle of Hastings , the Norman army advanced through Kent into Surrey, where they defeated an English force which attacked them at Southwark and then burned that suburb. Rather than try to attack London across the river, the Normans continued west through Surrey, crossed the Thames at Wallingford in Berkshire and descended on London from the north-west. As was the case across England,
1938-581: The Battle of Lewes in Sussex. Although the rebels were victorious, soon after the battle royal forces captured and destroyed Bletchingley Castle, whose owner Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Hertford and Gloucester , was de Montfort's most powerful ally. By the 14th century, castles were of dwindling military importance, but remained a mark of social prestige, leading to the construction of castles at Starborough near Lingfield by Lord Cobham , and at Betchworth by John Fitzalan , whose father had recently inherited
2040-664: The College of God's Gift in Dulwich with an endowment including an art collection, which was later expanded and opened to the public in 1817, becoming Britain's first public art gallery . Walton Bridge Walton Bridge is a road bridge across the River Thames in England, carrying the A244 between Walton-on-Thames and Shepperton , crossing the Thames on the reach between Sunbury Lock and Shepperton Lock . The bridge
2142-501: The Heart of Walton Development which was not yet complete. The sixth bridge was opened on 22 July 2013. A public inquiry rejected some aspects of the original plan but approval of the funding arrangements was confirmed on 29 December 2010. After extensive preparatory work in 2011, the main construction works began on 9 January 2012, and building completed in July 2013. The bridge replaced
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#17327810344562244-451: The M25 motorway as well as Woking (103,900), Guildford (77,057), and Leatherhead (32,522). The west of the county contains part of built-up area which includes Camberley , Farnham , and Frimley and which extends into Hampshire and Berkshire. The south of the county is rural, and its largest settlements are Horley (22,693) and Godalming (22,689). For local government purposes Surrey
2346-585: The North Downs Way , a scenic long-distance path . Accordingly, Surrey provides many rural and semi-rural leisure activities, with a large horse population in modern terms. The highest elevation in Surrey is Leith Hill near Dorking . It is 295 m (968 ft) above sea level and is the second highest point in southeastern England after Walbury Hill in West Berkshire which is 297 m (974 ft). The longest river to enter Surrey
2448-727: The River Eden , a tributary of the Medway , are in Tandridge District , in east Surrey. The River Colne and its anabranch , the Wraysbury River , make a brief appearance in the north of the county to join the Thames at Staines. Like the rest of the British Isles , Surrey has a maritime climate with warm summers and cool winters. The Met Office weather station at Wisley , about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) to
2550-459: The Thames , with a few paintings of the Wey at that time. The bridge lasted much longer than its predecessor, but part of it collapsed in 1859. A ferry crossing was briefly revived until the completion of the third bridge in 1864. The third bridge, built 1863–64, was an iron girder lattice bridge on stone piers. At the same time, a brick viaduct was constructed to span the flood plain to the south of
2652-498: The de Clare family. In 1088, King William II granted William de Warenne the title of Earl of Surrey as a reward for Warenne's loyalty during the rebellion that followed the death of William I . When the male line of the Warennes became extinct in the 14th century, the earldom was inherited by the Fitzalan Earls of Arundel . The Fitzalan line of Earls of Surrey died out in 1415, but after other short-lived revivals in
2754-463: The 15th century the title was conferred in 1483 on the Howard family , who still hold it. However, Surrey was not a major focus of any of these families' interests. Guildford Castle , one of many fortresses originally established by the Normans to help them subdue the country, was rebuilt in stone and developed as a royal palace in the 12th century. Farnham Castle was built during the 12th century as
2856-464: The 16th century and collapsed in the 17th, harmed by falling standards and competition from more effective producers in other parts of England. The iron industry in the Weald, whose rich deposits had been exploited since prehistoric times, expanded and spread from its base in Sussex into Kent and Surrey after 1550. New furnace technology stimulated further growth in the early 17th century, but this hastened
2958-618: The 16th-century Dissolution of the Monasteries . Now fallen into disuse, some English counties had nicknames for those raised there such as a 'tyke' from Yorkshire , or a 'yellowbelly' from Lincolnshire . In the case of Surrey, the term was a 'Surrey capon', from Surrey's role in the later Middle Ages as the county where chickens were fattened up for the London meat markets. Under the early Tudor kings, magnificent royal palaces were constructed in northeastern Surrey, conveniently close to London. At Richmond an existing royal residence
3060-574: The Catuvellauni died and war broke out between his sons and King Verica of the Atrebates. The Atrebates were defeated, their capital captured and their lands made subject to Togodumnus , king of the Catuvellauni, ruling from Camulodunum ( Colchester ). Verica fled to Gaul and appealed for Roman aid. The Atrebates were allied with Rome during the invasion of Britain in AD ;43. During
3162-661: The Earldom of Surrey. Though Reigate and Bletchingley remained modest settlements, the role of their castles as local centres for the two leading aristocratic interests in Surrey had enabled them to gain borough status by the early 13th century. As a result, they gained representation in Parliament when it became established towards the end of that century, alongside the more substantial urban settlements of Guildford and Southwark. Surrey's third sizeable town, Kingston, despite its size, borough status and historical association with
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3264-611: The East Saxon diocese of London , indicating that it was under East Saxon rule at that time, but was later transferred to the West Saxon diocese of Winchester . Its most important religious institution throughout the Anglo-Saxon period and beyond was Chertsey Abbey , founded in 666. At this point Surrey was evidently under Kentish domination, as the abbey was founded under the patronage of King Ecgberht of Kent. However,
3366-608: The GWR's offer in March 1862 and approached the LSWR instead. The scope of the initial proposal was dramatically reduced, with the removal of the eastern half of the line. Instead, the easternmost point on the branch would be a junction with LSWR line to Kingston (later the Kingston loop line) around 1.5 mi (2.4 km) south of Twickenham. The promoters dropped the word "Metropolitan" from
3468-637: The Great 's son Edward, the future King Edward the Elder , and fled across the Thames towards Essex. Surrey remained safe from attack for over a century thereafter, due to its location and to the growing power of the West Saxon, later English, kingdom. Kingston was the scene for the coronations of Æthelstan in 924 and of Æthelred the Unready in 978, and, according to later tradition, also of other 10th-century Kings of England. The renewed Danish attacks during
3570-502: The Kentish rebel army. In 1082 a Cluniac abbey was founded at Bermondsey by Alwine, a wealthy English citizen of London. Waverley Abbey near Farnham, founded in 1128, was the first Cistercian monastery in England. Over the next quarter-century monks spread out from here to found new houses, creating a network of twelve monasteries descended from Waverley across southern and central England. The 12th and early 13th centuries also saw
3672-556: The LSWR opened a new section of track, enabling trains from Fulwell to reach Twickenham without the need for reversal. The 24-chain (480 m) curve created a triangular junction between the Shepperton branch and the Kingston loop line , allowing access to the South Western Main Line via the existing junction at New Malden. Initially, the new link was used primarily by goods trains, but raceday specials also used
3774-532: The Midlands in the mid-17th century, but the manufacture of paper and gunpowder proved more enduring. For a time in the mid-17th century the Surrey mills were the main producers of gunpowder in England. A glass industry also developed in the mid-16th century on the southwestern borders of Surrey, but had collapsed by 1630, as the wood-fired Surrey glassworks were surpassed by emerging coal-fired works elsewhere in England. The Wey Navigation , opened in 1653,
3876-488: The Roman era, the only important settlement within the historic area of Surrey was the London suburb of Southwark (now part of Greater London ), but there were small towns at Staines , Ewell , Dorking , Croydon and Kingston upon Thames . Remains of Roman rural temples have been excavated on Farley Heath and near Wanborough and Titsey , and possible temple sites at Chiddingfold , Betchworth and Godstone . The area
3978-765: The Surrey–Greater London border as far as Surbiton . The River Wey is the longest tributary of the Thames above London. Other tributaries of the Thames with their courses partially in Surrey include the Mole , the Addlestone branch and Chertsey branch of the River Bourne (which merge shortly before joining the Thames), and the Hogsmill River , which drains Epsom and Ewell . The upper reaches of
4080-468: The TVR 50% of its gross receipts in addition to a 4% return on the original capital, up to £110,000. Two further alterations to the proposed line took place in mid-1862. Firstly, local opposition from residents forced a diversion to avoid the settlement of Sunbury. The diversion required gradients of up to 1 in 100 to enable it to climb away from the Thames. Secondly, the stretch of line from Shepperton to Chertsey
4182-513: The Thames. Coal for the works was delivered by horse-and-cart and by barge from the river. The companies were taken over by the Metropolitan Water Board in June 1904. The board decided to build a 2 ft ( 610 mm ) narrow gauge railway system with transshipment sidings alongside the Shepperton branch line between Kempton Park and Hampton stations. The 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (5.6 km) system opened in 1915 and
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4284-440: The branch is 60 mph (97 km/h). The line is electrified using the 750 V DC third-rail system and, with the exception of Shepperton station, the line is double tracked throughout. Signalling is controlled by Basingstoke rail operating centre and Track Circuit Block is in operation. There is one level crossing on the line, immediately to the west of Hampton station , and a 57 yd (52 m) tunnel, immediately to
4386-491: The branch stimulated housebuilding in the area. By mid-1865, the Hampton Hill Estate Company was starting to construct around 250 villas on the north side of the line and, in 1872, the 480-acre (190 ha) Fulwell Estate was offered for development. By 1887, there were 17 trains per day on weekdays, with a typical journey time from Shepperton to Waterloo of 55 minutes. Amalgamation of the TVR and LSWR
4488-459: The capital boosted the wealth and population of the surrounding area, but urban development elsewhere was sapped by the overshadowing predominance of London and by the lack of direct access to the sea. Population pressure in the 12th and 13th centuries initiated the gradual clearing of the Weald , the forest spanning the borders of Surrey, Sussex and Kent, which had hitherto been left undeveloped due to
4590-520: The chalk of the Downs. Much of Surrey is in the Metropolitan Green Belt . It contains valued reserves of mature woodland (reflected in the official logo of Surrey County Council, a pair of interlocking oak leaves). Among its many notable beauty spots are Box Hill , Leith Hill , Frensham Ponds , Newlands Corner and Puttenham & Crooksbury Commons . Surrey is the most wooded county in England, with 22.4% coverage compared to
4692-465: The company name, which became the "Thames Valley Railway" (TVR). Additionally, the line was to be built to standard gauge only. Many supporters of the M&;TVR were unhappy with the reduced scope of the line and refused to continue their association with the renamed company. A preliminary agreement was made with the LSWR on 1 May 1862. The LSWR was to run train services on the line in exchange for paying
4794-404: The condition of the bridge in 1778 suggested that decay in the wooden frame made it unsuitable for use and it was dismantled five years later. The second bridge made of stone (and internally of brick) was permitted, with additional tolls, under an Act of Parliament obtained by the nephew of Mr. Dicker, Dicker Sanders and designed by James Paine , whose bridge Chertsey Bridge still stands. This
4896-405: The conquest of England by Cnut. Cnut's death in 1035 was followed by a period of political uncertainty, as the succession was disputed between his sons. In 1036 Alfred , son of King Æthelred, returned from Normandy , where he had been taken for safety as a child at the time of Cnut's conquest of England. It is uncertain what his intentions were, but after landing with a small retinue in Sussex he
4998-519: The control of Caedwalla's successor Ine in the early 8th century. Its political history for most of the 8th century is unclear, although West Saxon control may have broken down around 722, but by 784–785 it had passed into the hands of King Offa of Mercia. Mercian rule continued until 825, when following his victory over the Mercians at the Battle of Ellandun , King Egbert of Wessex seized control of Surrey, along with Sussex, Kent and Essex. It
5100-546: The county administration was moved to Newington in 1791 and to Kingston upon Thames in 1893. The county council's headquarters were outside the county's boundaries from 1 April 1965, when Kingston and other areas were included within Greater London by the London Government Act 1963 , until the administration moved to Reigate at the start of 2021. Before Roman times the area today known as Surrey
5202-484: The difficulty of farming on its heavy clay soil. Surrey's most significant source of prosperity in the later Middle Ages was the production of woollen cloth, which emerged during that period as England's main export industry. The county was an early centre of English textile manufacturing, benefiting from the presence of deposits of fuller's earth , the rare mineral composite important in the process of finishing cloth, around Reigate and Nutfield . The industry in Surrey
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#17327810344565304-506: The disastrous reign of Æthelred led to the devastation of Surrey by the army of Thorkell the Tall , which ravaged all of southeastern England in 1009–1011. The climax of this wave of attacks came in 1016, which saw prolonged fighting between the forces of King Edmund Ironside and the Danish king Cnut , including an English victory over the Danes somewhere in northeastern Surrey, but ended with
5406-438: The double bend of the river known as Cowey Sale and opposing small meander of land, Thames Meadow on the north bank. A Shepperton ferry is recorded in the 15th century – at which position however is uncertain. In 1747 Samuel Dicker , local landowner and later MP for Plymouth , obtained permission to build a bridge at Walton. It was designed by William Etheridge and built by White of Weybridge to consist of "timbers tangent to
5508-405: The down side, was provided. The second platform opened on 6 May 1946. The signal boxes at Sunbury, Hampton and Shepperton closed between March 1969 and November 1974. Control of the line transferred to Feltham Signalling Centre from September of that year. A new CLASP station building at Sunbury opened in 1967. Shepperton station was rebuilt in 1988, with the new building incorporating offices for
5610-574: The end of that year. Kempton Park Racecourse opened on 18 July 1878. Although the LSWR was initially reluctant to serve the venue with a dedicated station, a private platform opened to the north of the course that year, funded by the Kempton Park Racing Club. A second platform opened in 1897 and a third in 1890. Initially, Kempton Park station was only available for use by members of the racing club and, until 1890, most racegoers used Sunbury station, around 600 m (660 yd) to
5712-438: The establishment of Augustinian priories at Merton , Newark , Tandridge , Southwark and Reigate. A Dominican friary was established at Guildford by Henry III's widow Eleanor of Provence , in memory of her grandson who had died at Guildford in 1274. In the 15th century a Carthusian priory was founded by King Henry V at Sheen . These would all perish, along with the still important Benedictine abbey of Chertsey , in
5814-465: The extinction of the business as the mines were worked out. However, this period also saw the emergence of important new industries, centred on the valley of the Tillingbourne , south-east of Guildford, which often adapted watermills originally built for the now moribund cloth industry. The production of brass goods and wire in this area was relatively short-lived, falling victim to competitors in
5916-468: The junction with the Kingston branch line. The single line sections were to be controlled by train staff . Aird received £110,000 for constructing the line, the majority of which was paid in shares. He was also given some surplus land in the Sunbury area. He offered to extend the line westwards from Shepperton, which had been laid out as a through station with two platforms. Although a parliamentary notice
6018-440: The largest landowners in Surrey (then Sudrie ) at the end of Edward's reign were Chertsey Abbey and Harold Godwinson , Earl of Wessex and later king, followed by the estates of King Edward himself. Apart from the abbey, most of whose lands were within the shire, Surrey was not the principal focus of any major landowner's holdings, a tendency which was to persist in later periods. Given the vast and widespread landed interests and
6120-632: The line from 1894. Regular passenger services began running over the line on 1 June 1901. Strawberry Hill train maintenance depot, inside the triangle created by the new curve, opened in 1897. The Shepperton branch line was included in the first phase of the LSWR suburban electrification programme . Electric services began on 30 January 1916. At the same time, the timetable was rewritten to reroute most off-peak services to Waterloo via Kingston, running at 30-minute intervals. During peak hours, additional steam-hauled services ran via Twickenham. Stabling at Shepperton
6222-464: The monarchy, did not gain parliamentary representation until 1832. Surrey had little political or economic significance in the Middle Ages. Its agricultural wealth was limited by the infertility of most of its soils, and it was not the main power-base of any important aristocratic family, nor the seat of a bishopric. The London suburb of Southwark was a major urban settlement, and the proximity of
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#17327810344566324-468: The more rural south; it is pierced by the rivers Wey and Mole , both tributaries of the Thames . The north of the county is a lowland, part of the Thames basin. The south-east is part of the Weald , and the south-west contains the Surrey Hills and Thursley, Hankley and Frensham Commons , an extensive area of heath . The county has the densest woodland cover in England, at 22.4 per cent. Surrey
6426-447: The mouth of the Thames in a fleet of about 350 ships, which would have carried over 15,000 men. Having sacked Canterbury and London and defeated King Beorhtwulf of Mercia in battle, the Danes crossed the Thames into Surrey, but were slaughtered by a West Saxon army led by King Æthelwulf in the Battle of Aclea , bringing the invasion to an end. Two years later the men of Surrey marched into Kent to help their Kentish neighbours fight
6528-587: The national and international preoccupations of the monarchy and the earldom of Wessex, the Abbot of Chertsey was therefore probably the most important figure in the local elite. The Anglo-Saxon period saw the emergence of the shire's internal division into 14 hundreds , which continued until Victorian times. These were the hundreds of Blackheath , Brixton , Copthorne , Effingham Half-Hundred , Elmbridge , Farnham , Godalming , Godley , Kingston , Reigate , Tandridge , Wallington , Woking and Wotton . After
6630-493: The native ruling class of Surrey was virtually eliminated by Norman seizure of land. Only one significant English landowner, the brother of the last English Abbot of Chertsey, remained by the time the Domesday survey was conducted in 1086. At that time the largest landholding in Surrey, as in many other parts of the country, was the expanded royal estate, while the next largest holding belonged to Richard fitz Gilbert , founder of
6732-429: The north of the county, extending to Guildford, is within the Greater London Built-up Area . This is an area of continuous urban sprawl linked without significant interruption of rural area to Greater London. In the west, there is a developing conurbation straddling the Hampshire/Surrey border, including the Surrey towns of Camberley and Farnham . Guildford is often regarded as the historic county town , although
6834-400: The north side of the River Thames at Chertsey and the route would also have served Twickenham , Richmond and Isleworth . It would have run along part of the Brentford branch line , which had opened in 1859, and there would also have been spur to Walton Bridge. The line was to have been worked by both the Great Western Railway (GWR) and the London and South Western Railway (LSWR), and
6936-559: The north-east of Guildford, has recorded temperatures between 37.8 °C (100.0 °F) (August 2003) and −15.1 °C (4.8 °F) (January 1982). From 2006 until 2015, the Wisley weather station held the UK July record high of 36.5 °C (97.7 °F). Surrey has a population of approximately 1.1 million people. Its largest town is Woking with a population of 105,367, followed by Guildford with 77,057, and Walton-on-Thames with 66,566. Towns of between 30,000 and 50,000 inhabitants include Ewell , and Camberley . Much of
7038-447: The other four stations on the branch are outside the London fare zones . A railway line serving Shepperton and Sunbury was first proposed in 1861. At the time, the area was rural and the main industry was agriculture. The main motivation for the scheme was to provide a reliable route to London, avoiding Walton Bridge , which had collapsed in 1859 and had not yet been repaired. The Metropolitan and Thames Valley Railway (M&TVR) company
7140-435: The period, armies from Kent heading for London via Southwark passed through what were then the extreme north-eastern fringes of Surrey during the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 and Cade's Rebellion in 1450, and at various stages of the Wars of the Roses in 1460, 1469 and 1471. The upheaval of 1381 also involved widespread local unrest in Surrey, as was the case all across south-eastern England, and some recruits from Surrey joined
7242-424: The publishers, Ian Allan . In June 2019, a project to replace life-expired signalling equipment was completed. Since April 2021, train movements on the Shepperton branch line have been controlled from Basingstoke rail operating centre. The Shepperton branch line is proposed for incorporation into Crossrail 2 . Surrey Surrey ( / ˈ s ʌr i / ) is a ceremonial county in South East England . It
7344-503: The racecourse station in corridor stock , hauled by Southern Railway 4-6-0 or War Department Austerity 2-8-0 locomotives. The station buildings on the up platform at Sunbury were destroyed by bombing on 29 November 1940. Upper Halliford station opened as a halt on 1 May 1944 for workers at the British Thermostat Company factory nearby. Since single-line working was in operation at the time, only one platform, on
7446-462: The rebels heading for London briefly occupied Guildford and fought a skirmish with a government detachment on Guildown outside the town, before marching on to defeat at Blackheath in Kent. The forces of Wyatt's Rebellion in 1554 passed through what was then northeastern Surrey on their way from Kent to London, briefly occupying Southwark and then crossing the Thames at Kingston after failing to storm London Bridge. Surrey's cloth industry declined in
7548-480: The river. The bridge was freed of tolls in 1870. The third bridge was damaged during the Second World War in 1940 leading to a permanent weight restriction. To alleviate this a fourth temporary bridge was constructed and the third bridge was relegated to use by cyclists and pedestrians. Robbins described it in 1953 as "an ungracious structure of iron lattice girders" in his county history. Assisted by
7650-456: The sixth bridge (pictured). Together, the old bridges faced heavy criticism as had the very existence of a rusting, less strong, incongruous, military style foot and cycle bridge and engineers predicted structural weakness by 2015, hence the plans for a new bridge. In 2003 a political impetus grew for rebuilding and was a key local election issue for councillors seeking to run for Elmbridge Borough Council and Surrey County Council combined with
7752-475: The social control exercised there by the local authorities of Surrey was less effective and restrictive than that of the City authorities. Bankside was the scene of the golden age of Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre , with the work of playwrights including William Shakespeare , Christopher Marlowe , Ben Jonson and John Webster performed in its playhouses. The leading actor and impresario Edward Alleyn founded
7854-526: The southern portion of the Middle Saxon territory. If it ever existed, the Middle Saxon kingdom had disappeared by the 7th century, and Surrey became a frontier area disputed between the kingdoms of Kent , Essex, Sussex, Wessex and Mercia , until its permanent absorption by Wessex in 825. Despite this fluctuating situation it retained its identity as an enduring territorial unit. During the 7th century Surrey became Christian and initially formed part of
7956-520: The throne in 1042. This hostility peaked in 1051, when Godwin and his sons were driven into exile; returning the following year, the men of Surrey rose to support them, along with those of Sussex, Kent, Essex and elsewhere, helping them secure their reinstatement and the banishment of the king's Norman entourage. The repercussions of this antagonism helped bring about the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The Domesday Book records that
8058-449: The throne. Having landed in Kent and been welcomed in London, he advanced across Surrey to attack John, then at Winchester , occupying Reigate and Guildford castles along the way. Guildford Castle later became one of the favourite residences of King Henry III , who considerably expanded the palace there. During the baronial revolt against Henry, in 1264 the rebel army of Simon de Montfort passed southwards through Surrey on their way to
8160-487: The two extant bridges (4th and 5th), which remained in use during construction. The new £32.4 million bridge has no piers in the river, thus opening up views along the river and improving navigation for boats. The constructor completed the removal of the old bridges in November 2013 and was set to complete surrounding landscaping works in August 2014. The bridge is used on an unsigned but map-marked cyclists' variation of
8262-409: The weight restriction and metal design it was longer-lasting than the previous two bridges but was finally demolished in 1985. The fourth bridge was constructed in 1953 on the downstream side of the old bridge, using a truss construction designed by A. M. Hamilton in 1930 and is called a Callender-Hamilton bridge . The fourth bridge was retained for use by cyclists and pedestrians when the fifth bridge
8364-489: The west of Fulwell station . The artificial Longford River passes over the line in an aqueduct at Hampton Hill . The six stations on the branch are managed by South Western Railway , which operates all services. Shepperton has one operational platform , but the other five stations have two platforms each. The buffer stop at Shepperton is 18 miles 73 ch (30.4 km) down the line from London Waterloo, when measured via Twickenham . The off-peak service pattern
8466-433: The west. From 1894, special raceday trains to and from London were routed via Kingston. West of Sunbury, the Shepperton branch was operated as a single-line , allowing rolling stock for the specials to be stabled on the up line, whilst keeping the down line free for regular scheduled services. Special raceday trains ceased in the early 1960s and the third platform at Kempton Park station was closed in 1964. On 1 July 1894,
8568-590: Was a founding shareholder of the East India Company who became the company's Governor and later Lord Mayor of London . Southwark expanded rapidly in this period, and by 1600, if considered as a separate entity, it was the second-largest urban area in England, behind only London itself. Parts of it were outside the jurisdiction of the government of the City of London , and as a result the area of Bankside became London's principal entertainment district, since
8670-429: Was completed in 1999. In 1999, while the fourth bridge remained standing for use by pedestrians and cyclists, another temporary structure, the fifth bridge, on the site of the original bridges, was opened for vehicular traffic. This initially had several problems and had to be resurfaced a number of times causing traffic disruptions. The poor architecture of these two co-existing bridges led to demands for construction of
8772-595: Was constructed by the Thames Valley Railway company and opened in November 1864. It became part of the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) the following year. The LSWR was responsible for double tracking and electrifying the line using the 750 V DC third-rail system. The replacement of the signalling was completed in June 2019 and train movements have been controlled from Basingstoke rail operating centre since April 2021. The Shepperton branch line
8874-589: Was drafted, opposition from the LSWR meant that the plans for the Shepperton-Chertsey section were dropped in December 1964. The Shepperton branch line opened on 1 November 1864, with the first train leaving the western terminus at 7:40 am and arriving at London Waterloo around an hour later. The initial service was eight trains in each direction per day Monday-Saturday (at intervals of roughly two hours) and four trains per day on Sundays. The opening of
8976-570: Was focused on Guildford, which gave its name to a variety of cloth, gilforte , which was exported widely across Europe and the Middle East and imitated by manufacturers elsewhere in Europe. However, as the English cloth industry expanded, Surrey was outstripped by other growing regions of production. Though Surrey was not the scene of serious fighting in the various rebellions and civil wars of
9078-632: Was formed and issued its first shares in December 1861. Among the provisional directors of the company were: William Schaw Lindsay , the MP for Sunderland ; Sir William Clay ; Sir James Duke ; Frederick Smith , colonel commandant of the Royal Engineers . The initial proposal was for a 14 mi (23 km) line linking Shepperton and Sunbury to the Great Western Main Line near Ealing . The western terminus would have been on
9180-588: Was improved in 1925 with the installation of an electrified siding and cleaning stage. Electrification stimulated further development in the area served by the line, including the construction of new housing estates at Fulwell in the 1920s and 1930s. Under the terms of the Railways Act 1921 , the LSWR became part of the Southern Railway on 1 January 1923. In 1852, three private companies established pumping stations at Hampton to extract water from
9282-512: Was incorporated into Wessex as a shire and continued thereafter under the rule of the West Saxon kings, who eventually became kings of all of England. In the 9th century England was afflicted, along with the rest of northwestern Europe, by the attacks of Scandinavian Vikings . Surrey's inland position shielded it from coastal raiding, so that it was not normally troubled except by the largest and most ambitious Scandinavian armies. In 851 an exceptionally large invasion force of Danes arrived at
9384-466: Was laid, but the formation was sufficiently wide to allow a second track to be added at a later date. Four stations were constructed (Shepperton, Sunbury, Hampton and Fulwell) all of which except Fullwell were provided with small goods yards. The station buildings were designed in the Italiante villa style using yellow London stock bricks . Trains were able to pass at Shepperton, Sunbury, Hampton and at
9486-479: Was met by Godwin, Earl of Wessex , who escorted him in apparently friendly fashion to Guildford . Having taken lodgings there, Alfred's men were attacked as they slept and killed, mutilated or enslaved by Godwin's followers, while the prince himself was blinded and imprisoned, dying shortly afterwards. This must have contributed to the antipathy between Godwin and Alfred's brother Edward the Confessor , who came to
9588-410: Was not included in the original act of parliament, although the stated intention of the TVR directors was to build this section at a later date. Construction of the Shepperton branch line was authorised on 17 July 1862. The TVR appointed Joseph Quick and Julian Horne Johne as engineers, and John Aird as the contractor to build the railway. Under the terms of the act of parliament, only a single track
9690-460: Was one of England's first canal systems. George Abbot , the son of a Guildford clothworker, served as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1611–1633. In 1619 he founded Abbot's Hospital , an almshouse in Guildford, which is still operating. He also made unsuccessful efforts to revitalise the local cloth industry. One of his brothers, Robert , became Bishop of Salisbury , while another, Maurice ,
9792-488: Was opened in 1788. This bridge inspired three paintings by Turner in 1805 of different scenes featuring the bridge following some sketches which have also been preserved; most of these works are kept by the Tate Gallery , though one painting was sold at Sotheby's in July 2018 for £3.4 million, its export then being blocked by the government for the national benefit. Most of Turner's river tour of 1805 concentrated on
9894-705: Was probably largely occupied by the Atrebates tribe, centred at Calleva Atrebatum ( Silchester ), in the modern county of Hampshire , but eastern parts of it may have been held by the Cantiaci , based largely in Kent . The Atrebates are known to have controlled the southern bank of the Thames from Roman texts describing the tribal relations between them and the powerful Catuvellauni on the north bank. In about AD 42 King Cunobelinus (in Welsh legend Cynfelin ap Tegfan ) of
9996-437: Was proposed in November 1864 and the merger was authorised by act of parliament on 5 July the following year. The owners of the TVR accepted a total of £100,910 in 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 per cent preference stock. The LSWR doubled the line between Thames Valley Junction (the junction with the Kingston branch line) and Fulwell station c. 1867 . Double track was extended westwards to Sunbury by July 1878 and to Shepperton by
10098-467: Was rebuilt on a grand scale under King Henry VII , who also founded a Franciscan friary nearby in 1499. The still more spectacular palace of Nonsuch was later built for Henry VIII near Ewell. The palace at Guildford Castle had fallen out of use long before, but a royal hunting lodge existed outside the town. All these have since been demolished. During the Cornish Rebellion of 1497 ,
10200-405: Was to be laid with dual gauge , meaning that it could accommodate the two companies' trains. The original intention of the promoters was to work with the GWR to raise capital to finance construction. Instead, the GWR offered to run trains on the line in exchange for half of the gross receipts and to provide assistance in obtaining parliamentary authorisation. The directors of the M&TVR rejected
10302-525: Was traversed by Stane Street and other Roman roads. During the 5th and 6th centuries Surrey was conquered and settled by Saxons . The names of possible tribes inhabiting the area have been conjectured on the basis of place names. These include the Godhelmingas (around Godalming ) and Woccingas (between Woking and Wokingham in Berkshire). It has also been speculated that the entries for
10404-527: Was worked by three Kerr, Stuart 0-4-2T locomotives named Hampton, Kempton and Sunbury, supplemented by fourth, named Hurst, some years later. Eventually there were about 140 tipping, hopper and other wagons in use on the railway. With the declining use of coal at the pumping stations, the railway closed in 1947. During the Second World War, Kempton Park Racecourse was used as a reception camp for prisoners of war . The prisoners were transported to
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