Old Malden
| Old Malden | |
  Old Malden |
|
| Population | 9,012 (2001 Census)[1] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | TQ215685 |
| – Charing Cross | 10 mi (16 km) NE |
| London borough | Kingston |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NEW MALDEN, WORCESTER PARK |
| Postcode district | KT3, KT4 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | Kingston and Surbiton |
| London Assembly | South West |
Coordinates: 51°23′17″N 0°15′22″W / 51.388°N 0.256°W
Old Malden is a ward of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London, 10 miles (16 km) south west of Charing Cross. Along with Coombe and Kingston Vale it is one of the more affluent areas in the borough. At the 2001 Census its population was 9,012, out of a total of 147,273 for the whole borough.[1]
History
The area has a long history as the ancient parish of Malden, derived from the Old English mæl duna, meaning 'the cross on the hill'.[2]
Malden appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Meldone, held partly by William de Wateville and partly by Robert de Wateville. Its domesday assets were: 4 hides and 3 virgates; 1 chapel, 1 mill worth 12s, 6½ ploughs, 5 acres (20,000 m2) of meadow, woodland worth 1 hog out of 7 hogs. It rendered £7 12s 0d.
St John the Baptist Church, close to the Hogsmill, dates back to Saxon times. In 1611 the chancel's old flint walls were repaired and the nave and the tower rebuilt in brick. In 1875 a new nave and chancel were added, and in 2004 a two storey extension was completed. The current Vicar is the Revd Kevin Scott MA.
The Grade II listed Manor House, next to St John's, is also mentioned in the Domesday Book; in 1264 Walter de Merton, Bishop of Rochester, founded a college here that was later moved to Oxford as Merton College. The house was later used as a court in the reign of Henry VIII, and in the mid 18th century the house was the home of Captain Cook. In 1852 the Hogsmill River was the setting for the background of Ophelia painted by John Everett Millais.[2]
Malden became Old Malden in 1870, with the development of New Malden, two miles (3 km) to the north in the parish of Kingston upon Thames.
Geography
 Plough Green |
 St John the Baptist Church, showing 2004 extension  The village pond  The Plough  The A Roma restaurant  Old Malden Library |
At the heart of Old Malden is Plough Green, a traditional village green, surrounded by:
- The Plough, a 15th-century public house, containing a Harvester restaurant;[3]
- a small parade of shops, which includes the Plough Bakery, two Indian restaurants (the Rupali and the Shalimar), two hairdressers, a dentist and two convenience stores;
- an Italian restaurant, the Rosmarina;
- a pond, home to a family of moorhens and two mallards.
Plough Green is used in the summer to hold two fetes; one for St John the Baptist Church and the other for the local Scouts.
To the west of Plough Green is Old Malden Library.[4]
The Parish Church of Old Malden is St John the Baptist, and can be found just beyond the width restriction in Church Road. There was a church building here at the time of the Domesday Book. The present building comprises the 1611 re-build, the 1875 extension and another extension added in 2004. The Vicar is the Revd Kevin Scott MA who was licensed to the parish in 2003.
Old Malden is served by Malden Manor station to the north and Worcester Park station to the south, both 25 minutes from Waterloo. Malden Road, joining the green and Worcester Park station was flanked by two rows of over forty mature poplar trees until 2010, when most were felled as a safety measure due to internal rotting. Replacement oaks were planted later that year. A minor tributary of the River Thames, the Hogsmill, flows through the west of Old Malden.
Conservation Area
Old Malden Conservation Area was created in March 1971, designating the area as being "of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance". (Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, Section 69). It contains two distinct parts, St Johns’ and Plough Green, whose special character is summarised in the designation as:
St Johns’: A medieval village center above the Hogsmill River, containing the Saxon Church of St. John the Baptist, the site of its vicarage, the 18th century Manor House and ancient fields.
Plough Green: A village green with a pond, a 15th-century public house, and a picturesque group of mainly 19th century cottages. The public house is currently operated as a restaurant by Harvester, and sells several kinds of lager (from pumps and bottles) but no real ale.
Notable residents
- Ian Hutchinson, former Chelsea footballer, lived in 'The Glebe' during the 1970s.
- Daley Thompson, British double-Olympic champion decathlete, lived near The Plough.
- William Gush, renowned portrait painter
- Thomas Ravis, Church of England clergyman and academic
- Guy Chambers, Songwriter
Education
- For education in Old Malden see the main Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames article.
Nearby places
- To the west: Berrylands, Tolworth
- To the south: Worcester Park
- To the east: Raynes Park, Sutton
- To the north: New Malden, Motspur Park
Notable open spaces close by
Notes
- 1 2 2001 Census: Old Malden (Key Statistics), Office for National Statistics, retrieved 24 August 2006
- 1 2 The Powder Mills (PDF), retrieved 5 March 2009
- ↑ The Plough (Harvester), Worcester Park, beerintheevening.com, retrieved 17 June 2007
- ↑ Old Malden Library, The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, retrieved 17 August 2007
External links
- Statistics from 2001 Census
- Maldens and Coombe neighbourhood
- Photographs of the Conservation Area
- Parish Church website
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