Hersham began as a small hamlet on the edge of what used to be Walton Common, at a point where the Molesey-Cobham and Esher-Chertsey roads intersected. The name almost certainly goes back to Saxon times.

Henry VIII's conversion of the district into a deer park in 1539 totally engulfed Hersham. Forest laws protected the game and local tenants were inconvenienced. Although, theoretically the tenants  rights were protected, it was impossible to stop the deer devastating their crops. Complaints were innumerable and, in despair, cultivation was neglected and cottagers began to leave the district. It was not until after the King's death in 1548 that the Chase of Hampton Court was discontinued and the Crown released the land to a much smaller number of 'farmers'.

Until 1804 much of the land between Hersham Green and St. George's Hill consisted of open heathland known as Hersham Common. In 1804 it was enclosed by Act of Parliament and the present straight roads laid down. Many of the fine oak trees which survive, date from this period when they were planted as boundary marks.



In the 1820's, Hersham developed as a country retreat for prosperous Londoners who began building villas on the newly enclosed land. For their convenience, a chapel of ease, dedicated to the Holy Trinity and served from Walton, was erected in 1839 on a site to the north east of the present church.

With the arrival of the railway at Walton in 1838, the population began to increase. In 1851, Hersham, hitherto part of the parish of Walton, was established as a separate ecclesiastical parish.

In the 1880's, the old chapel became too small and the present church was erected and dedicated to St. Peter, the consecration taking place in 1887.




In 1895, Hersham became one of the three original wards of the newly formed Walton Urban District.

Since 1918, Hersham has changed from a small country village depending on the large houses and local market gardening into a network of roads and industries. The centre of Hersham was redeveloped around 1985 to provide a shopping complex, 'The Hersham Centre', a new village hall and a day centre for the elderly. These developments have been skilfully sited so as to fit in with a lot of the original buildings and the village green thus maintaining Hersham's old village charm.

Local car dealership, Withams in Hersham Road, took a Skoda franchise in 1974 and have been appointed a
Centre of Quality and Technical Expertise (one of only seven in the UK).
                                                            
      

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