Article - April 2011

Walton on Thames is the Idyllic location for business start ups
in the South East

Walton on Thames, as the name suggests, lies just off the River Thames and as such is ideally located in the South East of England close to London.  The name ‘Walton’ comes from an Anglo-Saxon term meaning ‘farm of the Britons’, or simplified as ‘Saxon Settlement’.  Even before the Saxons or Romans came to Britain, led by Julius Caesar, there has been a Celtic settlement on the spot.

Such is the idyllic location by the Thames, that Walton was used as a place to house hospitalised troops from New Zealand during World War I in the now demolished Mount Felix House.  In fact, so close are these ties which grew with the New Zealanders that there are several memorials around the town dedicated to them, as well as a street called New Zealand Avenue and The Wellington pub (formerly called ‘The Kiwi’).

Although a relatively small town, in comparison to many others in the region, with a population of just over 22,000, Walton on Thames is no less significant as a location in the area.  The Royal Palace of Oatlands, build by Henry VIII is nearby, as is London with a railway journey to London Waterloo only taking 25 minutes from the town’s central railway station.

Due to the proximity of other major centres in the South East, not least the capital London, Walton suffered bombing by the Luftwaffe in the Second World War.  This was not due to a random overspill of the campaign against London, but because of several important aircraft factories which were nearby; events which subsequently led to the tragic death of an RAF fighter pilot, F/Sgt. Charles Sydney based at Biggin Hill, whose spitfire crashed in station road on 27th September 1940. The event is commemorated by a memorial plaque close to the scene.

Other examples of industry in the area are most notably led by Hersham and Walton Motors (HWM).  They are now an Aston Martin dealer which diversified into Alfa Romeo in 2009, but in the 1950’s they developed their own racing cars, which the world famous racing driver Sterling Moss used to compete in his first ever Formula One Grand Prix.

It is exactly this link with local industry and the proximity with other major centres and towns across the South East of England that Forsyth decided to locate one their fully serviced business centres there.

Forsyth @ Forsyth House, Walton on Thames

Located on Churchfield Road, in the middle of Walton’s bustling town centre, the Forsyth Business Centre in Walton on Thames offers 6,500 square feet of 1st class serviced offices.

The nearby New Zealand Avenue has several decent restaurants and eateries, along with Ashley Park which is also close by with a shopping mall and a stylish redevelopment including 279 1 or 2 bed apartments overlooking the park.  The train station, as mentioned above, is also within walking distance of the business centre with regular journeys into London just a short commute away.

The centre offers many of the top features associated with Forsyth serviced offices, including a staffed reception, 24 hour access, telephone answering, virtual offices, meeting rooms, mail handling and secretarial services.  The centre also boasts air conditioning, is fully furnished and benefits from both a modern IT and Telecoms system as well as having car parking, lifts and Disabled access and facilities, making it fully DDA compliant.

The Forsyth Business Centre in Walton on Thames really is a great location for a new business start up in the South East of England, or for a larger corporation to set up offices close to London without the higher associated costs of being right in the capital. 

To learn more about Forsyth’s serviced offices in Walton on Thames, near London, simply follow the link, or feel free to get in touch with any queries you may have about any of Forsyth’s services on 0800 731 5928.