Walton-on-Thames
Walton-on-Thames, known locally as Walton, is a market town on the south bank of the Thames in northwest Surrey, England. It is in the Borough of Elmbridge, about 15 mi (24 km) southwest of central London. Walton forms part of the Greater London built-up area, within the KT postcode and is served by a wide range of transport links.[1] According to the 2011 Census, the town has a total population of 22,834. The town itself consists mostly of suburban streets, with a historic town centre of Celtic origin. It is one of the largest towns in Elmbridge, alongside Weybridge.
For similarly named settlements, see Walton (disambiguation).
Walton-on-Thames- Walton
- Walton
9.66 km2 (3.73 sq mi)
22,834 (2011 Census)
2,364/km2 (6,120/sq mi)
- n/a
United Kingdom
WALTON-ON-THAMES
01932
Commerce[edit]
The GSS (ONS specifically) identifies a Built-up Area of its name generally cited for other articles of this work as to their populations e.g. Guildford, Salisbury, which has a population of 66,566 and extends to Hersham, Sunbury-on-Thames and Shepperton.[21]
The Heart of Walton is the name given to the re-development of Walton town centre alongside the relatively short High Street.[22] This main area of the town centre was built in the 1960s and had become run down owing to poor maintenance. The redevelopment includes a shopping mall and 279 one- and two-bedroom apartments, many with views over the private gardens, avenues and public section of Ashley Park. The main part of the centre, a covered walkway, has several brand retailers including Next, Waterstone's, River Island and Desire by Debenhams. The public library was moved here. Further redevelopment has upgraded or built new shops, widening the scope high-end fashion, jewellery, bakery and supermarkets. Restaurants along the New Zealand Avenue side of The Heart include three independents, Nando's, Pizza Express, Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Wagamama. Further restaurants exist along the High Street axis and at the far north-eastern and southern parades within the town boundaries. Around the periphery automotive, construction and landscaping businesses have a large presence and the Walton station area has a number of headquarters sized office buildings, including Kia Motors. As well as this, the long-awaited redevelopment of Walton bridge finished in 2013.
Local politics[edit]
Walton-on-Thames is part of the parliamentary constituency of Esher and Walton, which after the 2019 General Election became a marginal Conservative seat, with the Liberal Democrats taking second place. The current MP is Dominic Raab.
In local elections, recent contests for seats on Elmbridge Borough Council and Surrey County Council have been between the local Conservatives, local Liberal Democrats and the local Residents Association, the Walton Society.
The Walton Society was founded in 1975 by the writer and intellectual Ronald Segal, and entered local politics in 1980 with Gordon Chubb who served until his death in 2006. At one point there were nine Society councillors in all four Walton wards during the period of Residents Groups' control of Elmbridge from the 1990s to 2006. Following the 2012 elections, the Society held all three Walton Central seats, with the Conservatives holding all eight seats in the Ambleside, North and South wards. Following the 2024 elections, The Walton Society had only one Walton Central seat remaining, whilst the Conservatives held no seats in any ward. Both had lost power after a marked increase in support for the Liberal Democrats. Walton's most recent Labour councillor was defeated in 2000.
From 2005 to 2013 the Walton division of Surrey County Council was held by The Walton Society's Tom Phelps-Penry. Upon his retirement at the 2013 elections, the seat was gained by Conservative Rachael Lake who had previously held the seat from 1997 to 2005. The Walton South & Oatlands division has been Conservative held since it was created in 1973.
The following people(s) were born in Walton-on-Thames:
The following people(s) have been residents of Walton-on-Thames:
In film and television[edit]
Some of the sketches for Monty Python were filmed in Walton. Walton Town Hall could be seen in one sketch.[32] Another sketch shows an Admiral Nelson dummy being thrown from one of the flats in Wellington Close.[33]
Location scenes for the cinema film Psychomania (1973) were shot in Walton, including the town's centre.
ITV sitcom Is It Legal? was shot in Walton. The Adventures of Robin Hood was filmed at Nettlefold Studios in Walton.
Series 8 of BBC sitcom Not Going Out features aerial views of Walton-on-Thames between scenes.[34]
Find the Lady (1956 film) was filmed in Walton. A restaurant called The Hovel appears in some scenes. Though now gone the sign for the restaurant is available as a poster and jigsaw puzzle.
In the media[edit]
The Walton Hop was a teen disco started by Deniz Corday in 1958, and ran until 1990. It is reputed to have been the first public disco in the UK, enjoyed by thousands from surrounding areas. Musician Luke Haines, born in Walton, released a record titled "The Walton Hop" in 2006. During the 1970s and 1980s, it was frequented by now-convicted child sex offenders such as former Radio 1 DJ Chris Denning, Tam Paton (manager of the Bay City Rollers) and Jonathan King.[35]