Walton on the Hill
| Walton on the Hill | |
| Surrey | |
|---|---|
 Walton on the Hill | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TQ205605 |
| Location: | 51°16’48"N, 0°14’49"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 1,889 (2001) |
| Post town: | Tadworth |
| Postcode: | KT20 |
| Dialling code: | 01737 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Reigate and Banstead |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Reigate |
Walton on the Hill is a village in Surrey, found midway between Reigate and Epsom, just inside the M25 orbital motorway around London. It is situated close to the larger village of Tadworth. Other neighbouring villages include: Kingswood, Burgh Heath, Headley and Box Hill.
Walton-on-the-Hill is an archetypal English village, having a large pond, a green (where cricket is played), a small primary school, some local shops and several pubs.
Walton-on-the-Hill lies within the Copthorne Hundred.
Name of the village
The name "Walton" is Old English in origin and believed to be from the Old English Weala tun, which means "Welshmen's village", referring to a village inhabited by native Britons rather than Anglo-Saxon settlers. The suffix "on the Hill" serves to distinguish it from another village named Walton in Surrey; Walton-on-Thames, which is about 15 miles to the north-west.
History
The Romans are known to have settled here in the 1st century AD: a substantial villa[1] has been excavated in Sandlands Road, and is believed to have been inhabited until around 400 AD. Roman finds have been discovered here and in the neighbouring village of Headley.
Walton-on-the-Hill was called Waltone in Domesday Book of 1086. It was held by John from Richard Fitz Gilbert. Its Domesday assets were: 2 hides and 1 virgate. It had 5½ ploughs, 1 house in Southwark. It rendered £6.[2] There is an early post-conquest motte within the grounds of Walton Place, the remains of a timber castle.[3]
Parish church
The church of St Peter dates back to the 12th century; one of its oldest features is an 800 year old font, built in lead, although this is thought to have originally stood in a chapel alongside the village's manor house. The interior of the church features examples of 16th century artwork and stained glass. Another old church font was set up as a mounting stone outside the nearby public house.[4]
Local legend has it that the manor house was visited by Henry VIII, and his brief fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, is also thought to have stayed here.
Buildings
There is a wide variety of housing, in size, type and age. Closer to the centre are smaller Victorian houses, while further out and especially to the south of the village are larger detached houses on private roads. Many of these were built in the early to mid-20th century. In the centre of the village are more recent developments of flats, including retirement apartments.
St Cross is a large building to the north of the village which was formerly a boys' school. From 1948 it was a British Transport Police Training Centre with a police dog training school, but this has now closed down.
References
- ↑ Roman Britain
- ↑ Surrey Domesday Book
- ↑ Davis, Philip (November 13, 2007). "Walton on the Hill; Leatherhead". The Gatehouse. http://homepage.mac.com/philipdavis/English%20sites/3466.html. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
- ↑ Westwood, Jennifer (1985), Albion. A Guide to Legendary Britain. London: Grafton Books. ISBN 0-246-11789-3. p. 241.