Old Malden facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Old Malden
Old Malden
Population	9,012 (2001 Census) 9,431 (2011 Census)
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	WORCESTER PARK
Postcode district	KT4
Post town	NEW MALDEN
Postcode district	KT3
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Kingston and Surbiton
London Assembly	South West
List of places UK England London 51°23′17″N 0°15′22″W / 51.388°N 0.256°W / 51.388; -0.256

Old Malden is a part of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in south London. It is about 10 miles (16 km) south west of Charing Cross, which is often seen as the center of London. Old Malden is located between New Malden and Worcester Park, along a road called Malden Road.

Sometimes, a part of Old Malden is called Malden Manor. This name became popular because Southern Railway made it up for a local train station built in 1938.

History of Old Malden

Old Malden has a very long history. It was once known simply as Malden. Its name comes from an old English phrase, mæl duna, which means 'the cross on the hill'.

Old Malden is even mentioned in the Domesday Book from 1086. This was a huge survey of England ordered by William the Conqueror. In the book, Malden was called Meldone. It had a chapel, a mill, and lots of farmland and woods.

The St John the Baptist Church is a very old building near the Hogsmill River. It is a Grade II listed building, which means it's historically important. The church was first built in the Middle Ages by Walter de Merton, who was a bishop. Parts of the original stone walls are still there. Over the years, the church has been rebuilt and extended several times, including in 1611, 1863, 1875, and 2004.

Next to the church is the Manor House, which is also mentioned in the Domesday Book. In 1264, Walter de Merton started a college here. This college later moved to Oxford and became Merton College. The house was even used as a court when King Henry VIII was in charge. In the mid-1700s, the famous explorer Captain Cook lived in the house. Later, in 1852, the Hogsmill River nearby was the background for a famous painting called Ophelia by John Everett Millais.

Malden officially became Old Malden in 1870. This happened when a new area, New Malden, grew up about two miles north.

Geography of Old Malden

At the center of Old Malden is a lovely area called Plough Green. It's like a traditional village green. Around it, you'll find:

• The Plough, a pub that is over 500 years old. It also has a restaurant inside.
• A small street with shops. These include a bakery, different restaurants (Persian, Japanese, Italian), a hairdresser, a barber, a dentist, and two convenience stores.
• Plough Pond, a small pond.

Plough Green is a busy spot in the summer. Two fun events, called fetes, are held there. One is for the St John the Baptist Church, and the other is for the local Scouts.

To the west of Plough Green, you can find Old Malden Library.

The main church for Old Malden is St John the Baptist. It's located on Church Road. There has been a church building on this spot since the time of the Domesday Book. The current building includes parts from 1611, an extension from 1875, and another one added in 2004.

Old Malden has two train stations nearby: Malden Manor station to the north and Worcester Park station to the south. Both stations are about 25 minutes by train from Waterloo in central London. Malden Road, which connects Plough Green to Worcester Park station, used to have many tall poplar trees. Most of these were cut down in 2010 because they were rotting inside. New oak trees were planted later that year.

A small river called the Hogsmill flows through the western part of Old Malden. It's a small branch of the River Thames.

Nearby Places

Surrounding areas of London and Surrey

	Berrylands, Tolworth, Tolworth	New Malden,	Motspur Park
	Tolworth		North Cheam, Lower Morden
		Old Malden
	Ewell	Stoneleigh	Worcester Park

Conservation Area

In March 1971, Old Malden was made a "Conservation Area." This means that the area has special buildings or history that should be protected and kept nice. It has two main parts that are special:

• St Johns: This is the old village center, located above the Hogsmill River. It includes the very old St. John the Baptist Church, the old Manor House from the 1700s, and ancient fields.
• Plough Green: This area has the village green, the pond, the 15th-century pub called The Plough, and many charming cottages mostly built in the 1800s.

Notable Residents

Many interesting people have lived in Old Malden:

• Ian Hutchinson, a footballer who played for Chelsea, lived here in the 1970s.
• Daley Thompson, a British athlete who won two Olympic gold medals in the decathlon, lived near The Plough pub.
• William Gush, a painter known for his portraits.
• Thomas Ravis, a Church of England clergyman and academic.
• Guy Chambers, a songwriter.

Also, as mentioned before, the artist Millais painted the background for his famous Ophelia painting at the Hogsmill River in Old Malden.

Education

Notable Open Spaces Nearby

If you're looking for green spaces, there are several large parks close to Old Malden:

• Wimbledon Common
• Richmond Park
• Bushy Park
• Nonsuch Park

Images for kids

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  St John the Baptist Church, showing the 2004 extension

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  Plough Pond

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  The Plough pub

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  The A Roma restaurant (closed in 2018)

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  Old Malden Library