Cuddington and Ewell, Surrey

You might have thought the area round Worcester Park station was called Worcester Park, but you would be wrong. Raynes Park, Motspur Park, Worcester Park, Stoneleigh only escaped being a park because the Railway Company thought this was a park too far. So, north of the Worcester Park station is the Parish of Cuddington, part of the borough of Epsom and Ewell. The original church of Cuddington was demolished in the reign of Henry VIII, so he could build the Palace of Nonesuch, and only rebuilt in 1895 - a 329 year interregnum that our current Church leaders can only gaze at with envy. The current church is built with brick and knapped flint and very nice it is too.

The walk meandered round the London and Surrey borders keeping close to the Hogsmill River where Millais painted the Death of Ophelia. There are two packhorse bridges over the Hogsmill in Ewell including this one
although neither are medieval both convey history underfoot.

We have met Ewell before on the London Loop and it is a pleasant and interesting town with a 1960s library, Bourne Hall, with a museum. This is where the Hogsmill River rises from springs in the ground forming into ponds. There is a detached church tower and a castle. there is also a remnant of an old justice system in the lock up.

We walked further on to Cheam, (I've been before) and then on to the station and a weary return home.