Walton & Weybridge
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The neighbouring towns of Walton-on-Thames and Weybridge, in the north-west Surrey district of Elmbridge, share the attributes of life on the river, with the Thames running through both and the River Wey flowing up to join it north of Weybridge. So if you like messing about in boats, or an evening drink by the river, you’ll be in your element, but there’s a whole lot more to discover away from the water’s edge.
Film stars, a President and a man who killed a king
WALTON-ON-THAMES – not to be confused with Walton-on-the-Hill – is an old market town that has grown into a modern shopping hub. Its position on the River Thames and proximity to a lot of good schools and facilities in the surrounding towns makes it a highly desirable place to live.
Like Shepperton across the river, cinema is in the DNA of Walton. Until 1961 there was a thriving studio in the town, initially called Hepworth Studios, then Nettlefold and finally Walton Studios. Walton has provided the location for scenes from Monty Python’s Flying Circus, The Adventures of Robin Hood and Not Going Out.
Film actress Julie Andrews was born in Walton, as was singer-songwriter Nick Lowe and England rugby star Anthony Watson. Actress Fay Ripley grew up there and US President Herbert Hoover lived there for a brief spell in 1902.
The history of Walton-on-Thames dates back at least to the Celts and Romans and there was a Tudor manor house in Ashley Park, which was home to John Bradshaw, who presided over the trial of King Charles I.
There are plenty of good reasons to come to Walton-on-Thames, whether it’s for shopping, leisure or sport. Here are some more details to help you find your feet:
For a relatively small town, Walton boasts a lot of big brand shopping and dining. McDonald’s, KFC, Nando’s, Wagamama and Carluccio’s are all here, as well as Argos, Clarks, New Look, Next, The Body Shop and more. With Aldi, Sainsburys, M&S and Boots all close by, you can get all your weekly shopping done with ease in Walton, but away from the High Street and The Heart shopping centre, there is still room for some funky independents, including some great clothes shops.
When it’s time to take the weight off your feet, try the Surrey Coffee Company at the bottom of the High Street, or Le Petit Cafe in Bridge Street.
Walton Library is handily located in The Heart and offers free wifi.
Walton Station is about a mile south of the centre of town, with regular trains to get you in to London Waterloo in under half an hour.
The A3 is 20 minutes drive and the M3 is 25.
Buses from Walton run regularly to Weybridge, Shepperton, Hersham, Molesey and Kingston-upon-Thames.
The Heart and Drewitts Court are the main car parks in town, but Manor Road and Ashley Park car parks will get you to within an easy walk of the shops.
The jewel in Walton’s crown is the River Thames, which flows serenely by to the north of the town. Take a boat out from Walton Marina or take the pleasure boat around Desborough Island.
For green space, there’s Ashley Park, home to Walton-on-Thames Cricket Club, or you could drive a few miles up the road to Bushy Park and Hampton Court Palace, or cross Walton Bridge for a visit to the picturesque Shepperton Lock.
There are five GP surgeries in Walton: Ashley Medical Practice, Fort House Surgery, The Health Centre, Yellow Practice, and The Red Practice.
There are five dental practices in the town itself, with several more in the surrounding area. For a full list of NHS dentists in and around Walton-on-Thames, click here.
The nearest hospital with A&E services is St Peters in Chertsey and there are outpatient services at nearby Weybridge Community Hospital.
Walton-on-Thames has two secondary school options and a wider choice of nursery and primary schooling:
Pre-school, Infant and Primary schools:Ashley Church of England Primary School
- Building Blocks Preschool And Daycare
- Caterpillars Pre-School Walton
- Explore Learning Walton
- Grovelands Primary School
- Honeypots Pre-School Walton
- Little Squirrels Nursery
- Perfect Start Day Nursery Walton-on-Thames
- Puffin's Pre-School And Day Nursery
- Thamesview Preschool
- The Danesfield Manor School
- Westward School
- Walton Montessori Nursery
- Walton Oak Primary School
Secondary schools:
- Three Rivers Academy
- Walton Leigh School
Why not go and support Walton Casuals FC, who play in the Isthmian League? Their home ground is located north of town at Elmbridge Xcel Sports Hub, which has two swimming pools, a gym, indoor courts and a climbing wall, and is also home to Walton and Hersham FC and Walton Athletics Club.
Walton-on-Thames Cricket Club, in the grounds of Ashley Park, welcomes players of all ages, abilities and genders. If you want to make the most of the river, head along to Walton Rowing Club in Sunbury Lane. Or if you want to work out, there’s a PureGym in The Heart centre.
For entertainment, there is an Everyman Cinema and Riverhouse Barn, which puts on live music, art exhibitions and comedy.
We celebrate and support local businesses at The Surrey Circle and believe that their contribution adds to the allure of Walton. For more information, please visit our Business Hub.
Planes, brains and automobiles
WEYBRIDGE is most famous for its role in the history of British motorsport and aviation. Brooklands, the world’s first motor racing circuit, was built there in 1907 and hosted the first ever British Grand Prix in 1926. It went on to be used for the development of aircraft, such as the Hurricane and Wellington Bomber, which played such an important role in World War II.
Today Brooklands is home to several transport museums, as well as Brooklands College (attended by actor Martin Freeman, comedian Sean Lock and musician Gary Numan, among others) and a business park. Weybridge is attractive for businesses, being a short hop from the M3, M25 and A3, and running regular trains to London Waterloo.
The area is also a hot spot for celebrities, offering the ideal blend of privacy and proximity to London, as well as good schools and some very exclusive places to live. Being on the Thames, it has attracted famous names down from the capital over the centuries, including Henry VIII, who built a palace here and used it as the venue for his wedding with Catherine Howard. The palace was later demolished during the Civil War.
It manages to be both a tranquil and active town, with local nature spots where you can get away from it all, thriving sports clubs, plenty of places to eat and drink and a good range of local shops and businesses. Here are some handy hints to help you navigate the ins and outs of Weybridge:
With three major supermarkets and a selection of independent shops, Weybridge offers every reason to shop local. The middle of town retains its traditional feel, with a mixture of chains and independents and a good selection of places to eat and drink on the winding High Street.
Much of Weybridge’s residential area lies just off the High Street, making it a town for walking, browsing and grazing. But if you need one of the sheds, like Screwfix or Selco, they’re just out of town at Brooklands.
There’s a library and Post Office at the western end of the High Street, conveniently opposite one another.
Weybridge is about a five minute drive from Junction 11 of the M25, with the M3 and A3 one junction further. This brings Heathrow and Gatwick both within a half hour’s drive (on a good day) and you can get on the M3 up at Sunbury to take you into west London.
The fast train from Weybridge to London takes just over half an hour and there are direct routes to Woking, Basingstoke and Portsmouth Harbour.
Buses from Weybridge run to the outlying villages, as well as Chertsey, Byfleet, Walton-on-Thames, Esher and Kingston. There’s also a pedestrian ferry that will take you across the Thames to Shepperton.
There’s 24 hour car parking at Churchfield car park in the middle of town, at Weybridge Station, 20 minutes walk from the High Street, and at Oatlands Village, also 20 minutes walk.
Churchfields Rec is the main green space in the centre of Weybridge, but the riverside offers plenty of places for walks and recreation. A popular spot for a tranquil stroll is Broadwater Lake, which was developed as the fishing lake for Oatlands Palace and has recently had a new footpath open up.
There’s lots to see at Brooklands, especially for transport enthusiasts, with Brooklands Museum, Mercedes-Benz World and the London Bus Museum all located there. Brooklands Museum brings the site’s motoring and aviation history to life, and you can even climb aboard Concorde.
The Rowan Tree and Church Street practices are the most central GP surgeries in Weybridge, but there are several more within a couple of miles of the town centre.
Surrey Community Dental Service is situated in Church Street, right in the heart of town, and there are four or five other practices within a mile radius, as well as a BUPA Dental Practice a mile away in Addlestone. The full list of local NHS dentists can be found here.
Weybridge Community Hospital in Church Street provides community nursing and therapy services and the nearest A&E Department is at St Peters Hospital in Chertsey.
Pre-school, Infant and Primary schools:
- Bright Horizons
- Merry Go Round
- N Family Club
- Ashburton House Day nursery
- St Charles Borromeo Catholic Primary School
- Honeypots
- Kumon Maths And English
- Manby Lodge Infant School
- Pippa’s House Nursery
- Ivy House Nursery
- Oatlands School
- St James CofE Primary School
Secondary schools:
- Heathside School
- St George’s College
Further Education
- Brooklands College
Water sports are hugely popular, with rowing, sailing, kayaking and paddle boarding on offer at a choice of clubs along Walton Lane. There’s rugby, cricket and netball on offer at Weybridge Vandals, a lawn tennis club, bowls club, angling, gymnastics and even a shooting club.
There are also some very good golf clubs around Weybridge, most notably St George’s Hill.
At The Surrey Circle, we showcase and support our local businesses and believe that their contribution adds to the town's charm, uniqueness and appeal.
To get to know them, please visit our Business Hub.