Discover Thames Ditton

Thames Ditton offers several distinct points of interest for a trip: church architecture, a long-standing community fair and rowing. St Nicholas’ Church points to the history of the area’s architecture, while The Dittons Fair, as an annual event, offers a different connection to a particular time of year. Rowing also has two distinct aspects: a youth group for learning in Thames skiffs and a regatta with a clearly specified course. If you are looking for a hotel in Thames Ditton, these themes can help you determine the purpose and timing of your stay more precisely.

Church and architectural history

St Nicholas’ Church in Thames Ditton is an Anglican parish church and a Grade I listed building. The Church of St Nicholas also contains a Norman stone baptismal font dating from around 1120. The date refers to the font; it does not automatically date the entire church. For those interested in cultural history, the classification of the building and a dated piece of its interior complement one another.

The Dittons Fair: tradition and dates

For more than 60 years, The Dittons Fair has been the main annual community fair in Thames Ditton and Long Ditton. The first fair on Giggs Hill Green was held on 14 June 1964. This date marks its historic beginning, not the date of any particular current edition. If you would like to plan your stay around the fair, check the date for the year of your trip.

The programme includes more than 25 traditional fairground activities. The individual activities may vary from one edition to another, so the number does not represent an unchanged list for every year. The long tradition and changing programme answer different questions: the founding date provides historical context, while the programme relates to each particular edition.

Rowing: youth group and regatta

The Dittons Skiff and Punting Club offers a youth group where children learn to row Thames skiffs. The Thames Ditton Regatta was founded in 1948; its races travel upstream along a 900-metre course that passes Hampton Court Palace. These are two distinct aspects of rowing: a learning opportunity for children and races with a specified direction and distance.

Thames Ditton Island and riverside views

Thames Ditton Island is one of the larger islands in the River Thames. A suspension footbridge connects it to the mainland. The island itself is residential, so you should not assume public access beyond the bridge and riverside views.

When choosing when to travel, it is useful to distinguish between events and points of interest described as permanent: if the fair is your reason for visiting, the date of that year’s edition matters. The church, regatta course and island are not tied to the fair’s date. This lets you plan a visit to the fair around a specific date and consider other interests separately.

Discover more destinations: Bramley, East Molesey, Salfords, Bookham, Buckland, Hindhead, Copthorne, Ash

For the main travel overview: Surrey.