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Buckingham Gardens, WEST MOLESEY, KT8 1TW

Alongside the River Thames at Molesey

The Heritage Marker in Hurst Park was created as a result of public subscription and was opened in May 2004.

People enjoying Hurst Park on a beautiful day in July. The round topped building in the centre is Garrick's Temple. A lot went one here through the centuries and a memorial, in the background, on the right-centre of the photo remembers this. There has been horse racing here 1737; the grandstand suffered an arson attack by suffragettes in 1913, at times crowds of 100,000, including royalty, attended, the last race was in 1962; in 871 AD a fleet of Viking longships passed on their way upstream to pillage Chertsey Abbey; the Molesey - Hampton ferry has operated continuously since 1519; Henry VIII often hunted here and in 1539 acquired it as part of his hunting grounds; cricket was played here since at least 1731, including a match with the Australian Test Team in 1890; the first recorded game of golf in Surrey was played here in 1758 when David Garrick was visited by some friends from Scotland; in 1785 pioneering balloonist, James Sadler, took off from here and floated overhead for over an hour and a half, this was only 18 months after the first manned balloon flight; from 1805 crowds of up to 20,000 would gather to watch bare-knuckle prize-fighting; in the 18th and 19th century it was a popular site for duelling, with major consequences; regattas have been held here since 1835, with Molesey Boat Club formed in 1866, many current members have Olympic Medals; during World War I the Royal Flying Corps (now RAF) used the racecourse as a training airfield; during both great wars motor torpedo boats were built at Platt's Eyot; during World War 2 thousands of British, American, Canadian & other troops were billeted here in preparation for the liberation of Europe, and last but not least I set up the UK's longest charity relay race in 1995 (222 miles), it's been going ever since - the first and last stage both follow the Thames Path through here.

Set in Hurst Park, which from 1891 to 1962 was the site of Hurst Park racecourse, where crowds of up to 100,000 attended horse races. After the building of the railway many Londoners came and the races became known as 'The Cockney Derby'.

Hurst Park Residents Association Heritage Marker laid out in 2004, it contains a number of illustrations of the history and activities of the area

Passengers boarding the small ferry which links East Molesey with Hampton across the River Thames.

A pedestrian crossing on the Thames between Hampton and Hurst Park. St Mary's Parish Church at Hampton overlooks the ferry.

For the passenger ferry between Hampton and Hurst Park.

St Mary's Church, Hampton, is across the river.

These houses form part of a small estate that now stands on part of the former Hurst Park racecourse which closed in 1962.