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Oct 29, 2023 · Back to the UK today for a stroll around Kingston upon Thames. A Saxon market town, Kingston is historically very significant as the site of the coronation of the first king of England.
- 39 min
- 1350
- Urban Pathfinder
- History
- Notable Locations
- Culture
- Landmarks
- Transport
- Religious Sites
- London 2012 Summer Olympics
- Town Twinning
- Economy
- Sport
Early history
Kingston was called Cyninges tun in 838, Chingestune in 1086, Kingeston in 1164, Kyngeston super Tamisiam in 1321 and Kingestowne upon Thames in 1589. The name means 'the king's manor or estate' from the Old English words cyning and tun. It belonged to the king in Saxon times and was the earliest royal borough. It was first mentioned in 838 as the site of a meeting between King Egbert of Wessex and Ceolnoth, Archbishop of Canterbury. Kingston lay on the boundary between the ancient kingdoms o...
Economic development
For much of the 20th century, Kingston was a major military aircraft manufacturing centre specialising in fighter aircraft – first with Sopwith Aviation, H G Hawker Engineering, later Hawker Aircraft, Hawker Siddeley and eventually British Aerospace. The renowned Sopwith Camel, Hawker Fury, Hurricane, Hunter and Harrier were all designed and built in the town and examples of all of these aircraft can be seen today at the nearby Brooklands Museumin Weybridge. Well known aviation personalities...
Local government
Kingston upon Thames formed an ancient parish in the Kingston hundred of Surrey. The parish of Kingston upon Thames covered a large area including Hook, Kew, New Malden, Petersham, Richmond, Surbiton, Thames Dittonand East Molesey. The town of Kingston was granted a charter by King John in 1200, but the oldest one to survive is from 1208 and this document is housed in the town's archives. Other charters were issued by later kings, including Edward IV's charter that gave the town the status of...
Central Kingston is a busy, largely pedestrian and predominantly retail centre, with a small number of commercial offices and civic buildings. The shopping centre includes a shopping mall, "The Bentall Centre", containing the Bentalls department store and large branches of chain storesfound in many British high streets. There is a large branch of t...
A notable dramatic arts venue is the Rose Theatre. This theatre opened on 16 January 2008 and seats approximately 899 people. The audience are arranged around the semi-circular stage. All Saints Church is host to classical choral and music concerts mostly on Saturdays and houses a Frobenius organ. There are a number of choral societies including th...
One of the more unusual sights in Kingston is Out of Orderby David Mach, a sculpture in the form of twelve disused red telephone boxes that have been tipped up to lean against one another in an arrangement resembling dominoes. The work was commissioned in 1988 as part of the landscaping for the new Relief Road, and was described by its creator as "...
Rail
Kingston is principally served by Kingston railway station, which opened in 1863. The station is in London fare zone 6 and is served by South Western Railway trains from London Waterloo. Trains to Waterloo link Kingston directly to destinations such as Wimbledon, Clapham Junction and Vauxhall. Eastbound trains travel to Shepperton via Teddington, Hampton and Sunbury. Eastbound trains also travel on the Kingston loop line towards Teddington, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham and Richmond, after whic...
Bus
Kingston is served by two bus stations, Cromwell Road and Fairfield, and a large number of bus stops, with destinations across Greater London and Surrey including links directly to Heathrow Airport.
Road
The Kingston Bypass passes to the south and east of Kingston. The bypass carries the A3, which links the area to Wandsworth, Clapham and the City of London to the north. To the south, the A3 runs to Portsmouth via Guildford and Petersfield. A portion of the bypass carries the A309 to Thames Ditton, Hampton Courtand the A308. There are several radial routes including: 1. A238 towards Raynes Park, Colliers Wood and Tooting 2. A240 towards Bansteadand Epsom 3. A2043 towards New Malden and Cheam...
The 12th century church of All Saints serves the Church of England parish of Kingston which lies ecclesiastically in the Diocese of Southwark, although there has been a church in Kingston since at least 838. The suffragan or Area Bishop of Kingston is the Rt Rev. Dr Richard Cheetham. Other Anglican churches in Kingston, of more recent date, are St ...
The borough was the setting for four cycling events during the 2012 Summer Olympics, the men's road race, women's road race, men's road time trial and women's road time trial. Prior to the opening of the games, Kingston hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics torch relay on two occasions with the flame travelling through the borough on 24 July 2012 and abo...
Kingston upon Thames has been twinned with Oldenburg in Germany since 2010. It also has been historically twinned with the town Delft in the Netherlands. In 2016, Kingston upon Thames has been twinned with Jaffna in Sri Lanka.
Kingston has many pubs and restaurants and several public houses in the centre have become restaurants or bars. The more traditional pubs tend to be in the northern part of the town (Canbury) and include The Canbury Arms, Park Tavern, The Wych Elm and Willoughby Arms. Further south are found the Druid's Head, the Spring Grove, The Cricketers, The A...
Kingston is the home of four association football clubs, AFC Wimbledon who play at the Kingsmeadow Stadium, Corinthian-Casuals and Kingstonian who play in Tolworth and Chessington & Hook United who play in Chessington. AFC Wimbledon have played in League Onesince the 2016–17 season, whereas Kingstonian, Corinthian-Casuals and Chessington & Hook Uni...
Mar 1, 2023 · Join us on a mesmerizing virtual walking tour of Wood Street and Riverside in Kingston Upon Thames, UK. Immerse yourself in the stunning 4K HDR visuals as we...
Apr 5, 2024 · The best things to do in Kingston with kids, from family attractions to the riverside, soft play and historic Kingston-upon-Thames with kids
From scenic riverside walks, boat rides, shopping, ancient market places and not to forget Hampton Court palace within easy reach, Kingston has it all.
Apr 20, 2024 · Fun Things to Do in Kingston upon Thames with Kids: Family-friendly activities and fun things to do. See Tripadvisor's 57,903 traveller reviews and photos of kid friendly Kingston upon Thames attractions.
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Discover the top 20 things to do in Kingston upon Thames, Greater London right now and enjoy unforgettable family days out near you in 2024.
