Tolworth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tolworth
Alexandra Recreation Ground, with the Tolworth Tower in the distance
Tolworth
Population	9,833 (From 2016)
OS grid reference	TQ197659
London borough	Kingston
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SURBITON
Postcode district	KT5, KT6
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Kingston & Surbiton
London Assembly	South West
List of places UK England London 51°23′N 0°17′W / 51.38°N 0.28°W / 51.38; -0.28

Tolworth is a lively suburban area located in the Surbiton district of Greater London. It's about 11 miles (17.7 km) southwest of Charing Cross, a famous spot in central London. Tolworth is surrounded by other places like Berrylands, Chessington, Epsom, and Kingston. Surbiton is the closest, just about a mile away. The area is split in two by the major A3 Kingston Bypass.

A Look Back in Time: Tolworth's History

Early Days and Domesday Book

Long ago, in the Domesday Book (a famous survey from 1086), Tolworth was known as Taleorde. It was a small but active area with mills and fields. The land was owned by different people, including Picot and Radulf.

Gunpowder and Landowners

The Evelyn family, who lived in Surrey, became very important in Tolworth. They set up gunpowder mills here around 1561. For much of the 1800s, the Earls of Egmont were the main landowners in Tolworth.

Growing Up: 19th and 20th Centuries

In the late 1800s, Tolworth started to grow quickly. This was because of new brickfields and the opening of the Tolworth Sewage Farm in 1891. With better sewerage, the area was ready for more homes. A church, St Matthew's, was built for many people, and trams started running, making travel easier.

By 1919, Surbiton, including Tolworth, was mostly a residential area. There weren't many big factories. Instead, "Motor Garages" were popping up, where people could get their cars fixed. The Kingston Bypass opened in 1927, which really helped Tolworth expand. This led to new roads and about 2000 new houses. Tolworth Broadway was also built during this time.

Wartime and "The Bluey"

During the 1930s and 40s, a large water-filled pit formed north of the A3. This pit, known locally as "The Bluey," was created by clay being dug out for brickmaking. During World War II, it was used to dump material from buildings damaged by bombs during the "Blitz." Today, this land has been cleaned up and is a recreation ground for everyone to enjoy.

The Station Estate: A Plan That Changed

There were big plans in 1940 for a "Station Estate" near Tolworth Station. This plan included 459 houses and 10 shops. However, the war changed things, and the estate was never fully built as planned. Some parts of the land were later used for buildings like Dean Court and Drayton Court in 1959.

Wartime Bomb Damage

During World War II, Tolworth experienced some bomb damage. Sadly, in June 1944, a V1 flying bomb hit Tolworth Park Road, killing 12 people. Many high explosive bombs also fell on the area between 1940 and 1941.

The Ace of Spades Junction

Near Tolworth is the famous Ace of Spades (junction) at Hook. It's named after the "Ace of Spades Roadhouse," which was a very popular place after the Kingston Bypass opened in 1927. This roadhouse was a huge entertainment spot with a restaurant, dancing, a swimming pool, and even a miniature golf course! It sadly burned down in the 1950s.

A Special Bus Stop

Until 2011, there was a very rare wooden bus stop near the Red Lion Public house. It was a turning point for the 603 trolleybus service, which stopped running in 1962. This unique bus stop was removed because Transport for London decided not to maintain wooden shelters.

Tolworth's Musical History

Tolworth has a cool musical past! David Bowie launched his famous Ziggy Stardust show with the Spiders from Mars at the Toby Jug pub in Tolworth on February 10, 1972. Many other famous bands played there too, including Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, and Black Sabbath. The Toby Jug pub was demolished in 2000, but the nearby Toby Way is named after it. In the 1980s, bands like New Order also played at the Tolworth Recreation Centre.

What Tolworth Looks Like Today

Tolworth is mostly made up of 1930s semi-detached houses. You'll also find many shops and businesses. There's a busy industrial area north of the A3 London-to-Portsmouth road. The main junction for the A3 is called the Toby Jug Roundabout, named after the old pub. Tolworth also has a railway line that connects to London Waterloo.

Cool Places and Things to Do

Tolworth Tower

Tolworth Tower
The Tolworth Tower
General information
Location	Tolworth, London, England
Coordinates	TQ197659
Completed	1964
Height	265 ft (81 m)
Technical details
Floor count	22

The most famous building in Tolworth is the Tolworth Tower. It's a tall office building, 265 feet high with 22 floors, and was opened in 1963. The ground floor has a large Marks and Spencer supermarket and other shops. The upper floors used to be offices, but part of it is now a Travelodge hotel. It's a local landmark and the tallest building around!

View from the top of Tolworth Tower over the local area

View of Tolworth Tower from Epsom Downs

The local radio station, 107.8 Radio Jackie, has its offices on the Broadway. Its broadcast antenna is on top of Tolworth Tower.

The Tolworth Greenway

The Tolworth Greenway is a special public space project. It made the central area of Tolworth Broadway wider and safer for people to walk. You can now walk along the Greenway and cross the Kingston ByPass (A3) at street level. This project aimed to make Tolworth Broadway more lively and improve safety.

Tolworth Court Farm

This old farm site dates back to Norman times! Tolworth Court Farm Fields is now a Local Nature Reserve. It has fields and hedgerows, and you can access it from Kingston Road.

Community Centre

Tolworth is home to an arts centre called The CornerHOUSE. It's a great place for creative activities.

Tolworth Hospital

Tolworth Hospital provides mental health and social care services for people in South West London. It was originally built as an isolation hospital.

Churches in Tolworth

Church of Our Lady Immaculate

Tolworth has two main churches:

• An Anglican church called Saint George's, built in 1934.
• A Roman Catholic church called Our Lady Immaculate, finished in 1958.

There is also a United Reformed Church in Elgar Avenue.

New Developments

There are plans for new buildings in Tolworth, including a 142-bed hotel and conference centre near Tolworth Station.

Tesco Site: From Green Fields to Homes

An 11-acre site in Tolworth, once green fields, was used by the government for various offices after World War II. It employed over 1,000 people at its busiest. Tesco bought the site in 2002. There have been many plans to build a large store and up to 660 homes there. In 2015, Tesco sold the site to Meyer Homes, who got permission in 2019 to build 950 homes, a nursery, a doctor's surgery, and a police building.

Getting Around Tolworth

Trains

Tolworth railway station has trains run by South Western Railway. You can travel directly to London Waterloo (north) or Chessington South (south). Trains usually come every half-hour.

Buses

Several London Buses routes serve Tolworth, including 265, 281, 406, 418, K1, and K2.

Roads

Tolworth is on the A3 road, which connects London to Guildford. This means it has good links to London and the M25 motorway. Epsom town centre is only 4 miles away, and Kingston town centre is just 2 miles away. Surbiton town centre is less than 1 mile away.

Fun Places Nearby

There are many attractions close to Tolworth, such as:

• Rose Theatre, Kingston
• Chessington World of Adventures (a popular theme park!)
• Richmond Park
• Hampton Court
• Brooklands Museum
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
• Bushy Park

Around Tolworth Broadway

Tolworth Broadway has many shops, banks, cafes, an M&S supermarket, and the Tolworth Tower. You can also find a Travelodge hotel and a 'Hollywood Bowl' bowling alley. Near Tolworth railway station, there's a Goals Soccer Centre for football and a go-karting track. Alexandra Park and Fishponds Park are also nearby green spaces.

A local chicken shop, Chicken King, became famous after being reviewed by "The Chicken Connoisseur" on his show The Pengest Munch.

Nearby Places

Destinations from Tolworth

	Surbiton, Thames Ditton, Kingston Upon Thames	Berrylands, Norbiton	New Malden
	Long Ditton, Hinchley Wood		Malden Manor, Worcester Park, Old Malden
		Tolworth
	Hook	Chessington, West Ewell	Ewell, Stoneleigh, Epsom

Local Businesses and Industry

Tolworth has been home to various businesses over the years.

• Gala Cosmetics had a large production site.
• Andre Rubber Co made rubber parts for cars, ships, and other vehicles.
• Siebe Gorman developed diving and breathing equipment.
• J. Lyons and Co. had a bakery nearby.

Sliding Doors and Fireplaces

Hillaldam Coburn was a company that made sliding door parts. They moved to Tolworth in 1959. They were connected to English Fireplaces (Galleon) Ltd, which made fireplaces.

Radar and Cars

Decca Radar had research labs in Tolworth. The area also has a history with car manufacturing.

• Fox and Nicholl were specialists in Lagonda cars.
• HRG Engineering Company made British cars in Oakcroft Road.
• The Cooper Car Company, famous for its racing cars, was also nearby. In the 1950s, Formula 1 cars were even driven along Ewell Road!

Aircraft Parts

During wartime, some Tolworth companies helped make parts for aircraft, like the de Havilland Mosquito. Nash and Thompson made special gun turrets for planes.

Shopping and Services

In the past, Tolworth Broadway had many well-known shops like Co-op, Woolworths, and various local stores. Milk used to be delivered by Jobs Dairy.

Education

Sports and Fun Activities

Tolworth has King George's Field, a sports ground named after King George V.

• Corinthian-Casuals F.C., a non-league football team, plays their home games here.
• Amateur football teams like Tolworth Athletic and West London Blues also play in the area.
• Kingston University has a sports ground at Tolworth Court.
• Tolworth has a Scouting group, 1st Tolworth Scouts.
• There's a 32-lane bowling alley, now called Hollywood Bowl, near the Toby Jug roundabout.
• The Irish Olympian gymnast Kieran Behan is a member of Tolworth Gymnastics Club.

Famous People from Tolworth

Rock guitarist Eric Clapton went to Hollyfield School.

Many interesting people have lived in or had connections to Tolworth:

• Muriel Box – An Oscar-winning screenwriter.
• Eric Clapton – The famous rock musician, who used to live here and went to Hollyfield School.
• Elvis Costello – Another well-known musician.
• Debbie McGee – A magician's assistant and TV presenter, who went to school in Tolworth.
• C. H. Middleton ("Mr Middleton") – A popular radio and TV gardening show presenter.
• Cesar Picton – A coal merchant who was a former slave, moved to Tolworth in 1807.
• Alan Wheatley – An actor who played the Sheriff of Nottingham in a TV series and was the first person killed by a Dalek in Doctor Who.