Spotlight On - Walton On Thames

Found on the banks of the River Thames, Walton-onThames had an important role in the development of British cinema and today it offers picturesque riverside walks, a thriving arts scene and world restaurants

- James Knighton

A town that played a part in the founding of the British film industry, Walton on-Thames is found just down the road from the world famous Shepperton Studios, on the banks of the River Thames.

Its iconic bridge, which was opened in 2013 and cost £32 million, dominates the riverside panorama on the town’s western border and is, in fact, the sixth bridge to link the town to the north side of the river. The first bridge, built in 1750, was featured in a painting by Italian artist Canaletto.

Walton-on-Thames is strongly connected to the arts – from ongoing community amateur dramatics, music performances and art exhibitions to its place in British film heritage.

RC Sherriff, the prolific novelist, playwright and screenwriter who wrote Journey’s End, lived nearby and the charitable trust that exists to support the arts in his name today continues to fund projects and performance spaces in the borough of Elmbridge.