Hogsmill River

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Coordinates: 51°24′33″N 0°18′30″W / 51.40917°N 0.30833°W / 51.40917; -0.30833
Hogsmill
River
The Hogsmill at Kingston as it flows into the Thames
Country England
Counties Surrey, Greater London
Districts / Boroughs Epsom and Ewell, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Tributaries
 - left Hogsmill Stream, Horton Stream, Bonesgate Stream, Greens Lane Stream, Surbiton Stream
 - right Ewell Court Stream
Towns Ewell, Old Malden, Berrylands, Kingston upon Thames
Source
 - location Ewell, Surrey
Mouth River Thames
 - location Kingston upon Thames
 - coordinates 51°24′33″N 0°18′30″W / 51.40917°N 0.30833°W / 51.40917; -0.30833
Length 9.9 km (6 mi)
Basin 73 km2 (28 sq mi)
Discharge for Kingston upon Thames
 - average 0.98 m3/s (35 cu ft/s)
 - max 26.3 m3/s (929 cu ft/s) 6 August 1981
 - min 0.33 m3/s (12 cu ft/s) 9 September 1976
Discharge elsewhere (average)
 - Ewell 0.04 m3/s (1 cu ft/s)
The source of Hogsmill River shown within Surrey
(grid reference TQ219627)

The Hogsmill River in Surrey is one of the tributaries of the River Thames; it rises in Ewell and flows into the Thames at Kingston upon Thames on the reach above Kingston road bridge.

Course

The Hogsmill's source is a chalk spring at or near grid reference TQ219627 in Ewell in Surrey. It flows in a northerly direction through Old Malden, New Malden and Berrylands to the River Thames close to the centre of Kingston upon Thames at grid reference TQ177691. The river is 6 miles (9.9 km) in length and has a catchment area (water basin) of 73 km².

The main river flows through much low-lying land, the majority of which is given over to sports grounds, until the final section through the built-up area of Kingston. Epsom and Ewell borough council maintain the Hogsmill Open Space which follows the river until the boundary with Kingston.

Tributaries

Its principal tributary is the Bonesgate Stream, 3 miles (5 km) in length, which rises south of Chessington to join the Hogsmill at Tolworth Court Bridge. Its other tributaries are:

  • Surbiton Stream, 3.75 miles (6 km)
  • Horton Stream, 3.3 miles (5.3 km)
  • Green Lanes Stream, 1 mile (1.8 km)
  • Ewell Court Stream, 1.7 mile (2.7 km)
  • Hogsmill Stream, 0.3 mile (0.5 km)

Art

Ophelia – the play may have been in Denmark and the model in a bath, but the landscape was the Hogsmill near Ewell

The Hogsmill has appeared in the art of John Millais in his rendition of Ophelia, and of William Holman Hunt who painted The Hireling Shepherd on the meadows by the Hogsmill, looking north towards Ewell Court Farm.[1][2] The doorway (to the soul) in Hunt's The Light of the World is believed to be part of a gunpowder mill on the Hogsmill at Ewell.[3]

Industry

The Hogsmill is known for watermills, reputed to have produced gunpowder for the Napoleonic Wars.[3] Additionally the waters were used to generate electricity for Ewell Court House.[4]

Local legend

William the Conqueror is said to have "watered his horse" in the source waters near today's Spring Hotel. Custom states this to be the pool at grid reference TQ218628[citation needed]

See also

The Hogsmill flowing under the Clattern Bridge in Kingston. The bridge is one of the oldest in Surrey, being mentioned in 1293 as "Clateryngbrugge"[1]

References

  1. ↑ Rosenfield, Jason; Smith, Alison (2007). Millais (Exhibition Catalogue). Tate Publishing. ISBN 9789079310029. 
  2. ↑ "Epsom and Ewell History Explorer: The PreRaphaelites". Retrieved 5 May 2012. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Epsom and Ewell History Explorer: Gunpowder Mills". Retrieved 5 May 2012. 
  4. ↑ "Ewell Court House". Retrieved 5 May 2012. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hogsmill.
Next confluence upstream River Thames Next confluence downstream
Longford River, Raven's Ait (north) Hogsmill River Sudbrook (stream) (north)
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