D. H. Lawrence the youngest Brangwen dreams of a job in Kingston upon Thames in a long, lyrical passage; Mr. Knightly in ''Emma'' by
Jane Austen regularly visits Kingston, although the narrative never follows him there.
Fine art is also a prominent feature in the history of Kingston. Both
John Hoyland
John Hoyland RA (12 October 1934 – 31 July 2011) was a London-based British artist. He was one of the country's leading abstract painters. and
Jeremy Moon worked from permanent studios in Kingston and many prominent artists and designers have studied at the university including
Fiona Banner
Fiona Banner (born 1966), also known as The Vanity Press is a British artist. Her work encompasses sculpture, drawing, installation and text, and demonstrates a long-standing fascination with the emblem of fighter aircraft and their role within cul ...
,
John Bratby
John Randall Bratby RA (19 July 1928 – 20 July 1992) was an English painter who founded the kitchen sink realism style of art that was influential in the late 1950s. He made portraits of his family and celebrities. His works were seen i ...
,
David Nash and
Jasper Morrison.
Early in his music career, the guitarist and singer-songwriter
Eric Clapton spent time
busking in Kingston upon Thames, having grown up and studied in the area. Rock band
Cardiacs were formed in the town.
Kingston is mentioned (and used as a filming location) in episodes of
Monty Python's Flying Circus. More recently, a scene from ''Mujhse Dosti Karoge'', a
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
film starring
Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan (; born 10 January 1974) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. He has portrayed a variety of characters and is known for his dancing skills. One of the highest-paid actors in India, he has won many awards, including six ...
as the leading actor, was filmed by the toppled telephone boxes sculpture in Old London Road. A scene in the television programme ''
The Good Life'' sees
Richard Briers
Richard David Briers (14 January 1934 – 17 February 2013) was an English actor whose five-decade career encompassed film, radio, stage and television.
Briers first came to prominence as George Starling in ''Marriage Lines'' (1961–66), but ...
get on a 71 bus in 'The Avenue' towards Kingston town centre (albeit this route never served the east side of Surbiton where the series is set).
The 1974
Doctor Who story "
Invasion of the Dinosaurs
''Invasion of the Dinosaurs'', simply titled ''Invasion'' in Part One, is the second serial of the 11th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC1 from 12 Januar ...
" used several locations in the town for filming. The 2008 series of ''
Primeval
Primeval may refer to:
* Primeval forest, an area of forest that has attained great age
* Primeval number, a positive integer satisfying certain conditions
* Primeval history, name given by biblical scholars to the first eleven chapters of the Bo ...
'', shown on ITV1 in January, featured almost an entire episode filmed inside the
Bentall Centre and
John Lewis
John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...
department stores. Kingston featured in ''Primeval'' again in May 2009 with several scenes shot in and around the Market Place.
Nipper
Nipper (1884 – September 1895) was a dog from Bristol, England, who served as the model for an 1898 painting by Francis Barraud titled ''His Master's Voice''. This image became one of the world's best known trademarks, the famous dog-and-gr ...
, the famous "His Master's Voice" (
HMV
Sunrise Records and Entertainment, trading as HMV (for His Master's Voice), is a British music and entertainment retailer, currently operating exclusively in the United Kingdom.
The first HMV-branded store was opened by the Gramophone Company ...
) dog, is buried in the town under Lloyds Bank. His owners lived nearby in Fife Road.
Kingston Green Fair was held annually from 1987 to 2008 in Canbury Gardens, next to the river, on the Spring
Bank Holiday. The word "Green" in the title refers to the ethos of the fair as promoting
sustainable development. For instance no meat or other products derived from dead animals were allowed to be sold, and no electricity was permitted on the site unless generated by wind, sun, or bicycle power. Kingston is also home to Crack Comedy Club which opened at The Grey Horse Pub in 2002.
Public art
!['Out Of Order' by David Mach - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/%27Out_Of_Order%27_by_David_Mach_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1102588.jpg)
One of the more unusual sights in Kingston is ''Out of Order'' by
David Mach
David Mach (born 18 March 1956) is a Scottish sculptor and installation artist.
Life and work
Mach was born in Methil, Fife.
His artistic style is based on flowing assemblages of mass-produced objects. Typically these include magazines, ...
, a sculpture in the form of twelve disused
red telephone box
The red telephone box, a telephone kiosk for a public telephone designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, is a familiar sight on the streets of the United Kingdom, Malta, Bermuda and Gibraltar.
Despite a reduction in their numbers in recent years, ...
es 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 "anti-minimalist".
Transport
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
Clapham Junction is an urban locality around Clapham Junction railway station in London, England. Despite its name, it is not located in Clapham, but forms the commercial centre of Battersea.
Clapham Junction was a scene of disturbances during ...
and
Vauxhall
Vauxhall ( ) is a district in South West London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. Vauxhall was part of Surrey until 1889 when the County of London was created. Named after a medieval manor, "Fox Hall", it became well known for ...
. Eastbound trains travel to
Shepperton
Shepperton is an urban village in the Borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, approximately south west of central London. Shepperton is equidistant between the towns of Chertsey and Sunbury-on-Thames. The village is mentioned in a document of 959 AD ...
via
Teddington
Teddington is a suburb in south-west London in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. In 2021, Teddington was named as the best place to live in London by ''The Sunday Times''. Historically in Middlesex, Teddington is situated on a long me ...
,
Hampton
Hampton may refer to:
Places Australia
*Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia
*Hampton, New South Wales
*Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region
* Hampton, Victoria
Canada
* Hampton, New Brunswick
*Ha ...
and
Sunbury. Eastbound trains also travel on the
Kingston loop line towards Teddington,
Strawberry Hill,
Twickenham
Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boroug ...
and
Richmond, after which trains continue towards Waterloo. From Waterloo, trains to Kingston are advertised towards "Shepperton" and "Strawberry Hill".
A nearby station in
Norbiton
Norbiton is an area within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, London. It lies approximately east of Kingston upon Thames town centre, and from Charing Cross. Its main landmarks include Kingston Hospital, Kingsmeadow football stadiu ...
(in
fare zone 5) is on the same lines.
Nearby
Surbiton station - originally named Kingston when it opened in 1838 - is on the
South West Main Line
The South West Main Line (SWML) is a 143-mile (230 km) major railway line between Waterloo station in central London and Weymouth on the south coast of England. A predominantly passenger line, it serves many commuter areas including south we ...
in London fare zone 6. Surbiton is also served by South Western Railway trains from Waterloo. Southbound services link Surbiton to destinations in
Surrey and
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...
, such as
Hampton Court
Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chie ...
,
Guildford,
Woking and
Basingstoke.
The station building at Surbiton was built in 1937, designed in
Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
style by
James Robb Scott
James Robb Scott (11 February 1882 – 1965) was a Scottish architect who became the Chief Architect of the Southern Railway.
He was born on 11 February 1882 in the Gorbals, Glasgow, the son of Andrew Robb Scott (architect) and Mary Fletcher. H ...
. It is
Grade II listed.
Bus
Kingston is served by two bus stations,
Cromwell Road
Cromwell Road is a major London road in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, designated as part of the A4. It was created in the 19th century and is said to be named after Richard Cromwell, son of Oliver Cromwell, who once owned a hous ...
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
Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
Toponymy
Wandsworth takes its nam ...
,
Clapham
Clapham () is a suburb in south west London, England, lying mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, but with some areas (most notably Clapham Common) extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth.
History
Early history ...
and the
City of London
The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...
to the north. To the south, the A3 runs to
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
via
Guildford and
Petersfield
Petersfield is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is north of Portsmouth. The town has its own railway station on the Portsmouth Direct line, the mainline rail link connecting Portsmouth a ...
.
A portion of the bypass carries the
A309 to
Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton is a suburban village on the River Thames, in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey, England. Apart from a large inhabited island in the river, it lies on the southern bank, centred 12.2 miles (19.6 km) southwest of Charing Cross ...
,
Hampton Court
Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chie ...
and
the A308.
There are several radial routes including:
*
A238 towards
Raynes Park
Raynes Park is a residential suburb, railway station and local centre near Wimbledon, London, and is within the London Borough of Merton. It is situated southwest of Wimbledon Common, to the northwest of Wimbledon Chase and to the east of Ne ...
,
Colliers Wood
Colliers Wood is an area in south west London, England, in the London Borough of Merton. It is a mostly residential area, but has a busy high street around Colliers Wood tube station on London Underground's Northern line. The high street is part ...
and
Tooting
Tooting is a district in South London, forming part of the London Borough of Wandsworth and partly in the London Borough of Merton. It is located south south-west of Charing Cross.
History
Tooting has been settled since pre- Saxon times ...
*
A240 towards
Banstead
Banstead is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey, England. It is south of Sutton, south-west of Croydon, south-east of Kingston-upon-Thames, and south of Central London.
On the North Downs, it is on three of the four main ...
and Epsom
*
A2043 towards
New Malden
New Malden is an area in South West London, England. It is located mainly within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and the London Borough of Merton, and is from Charing Cross. Neighbouring localities include Kingston, Norbiton, Raynes ...
and
Cheam
Cheam () is a suburb of London, England, south-west of Charing Cross. It is divided into North Cheam, Cheam Village and South Cheam. Cheam Village contains the listed buildings Lumley Chapel and the 16th-century Whitehall. It is adjacent to ...
*
A307 northbound towards
Petersfield
Petersfield is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is north of Portsmouth. The town has its own railway station on the Portsmouth Direct line, the mainline rail link connecting Portsmouth a ...
,
Richmond and
the M4, or southbound towards Thames Ditton, Esher and
Cobham
* A308 eastbound towards the A3, Putney and Wandsworth and westbound towards Hampton Court,
Sunbury-on-Thames (for
M3) and Staines
*
A310 via A308 northbound towards
Teddington
Teddington is a suburb in south-west London in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. In 2021, Teddington was named as the best place to live in London by ''The Sunday Times''. Historically in Middlesex, Teddington is situated on a long me ...
and
Twickenham
Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boroug ...
Kingston Relief Road
In the 1960s, planners proposed a partially elevated
ring road encircling the town centre, to alleviate congestion on major shopping streets and traffic heading towards
Kingston Bridge.
After objections from local residents, an interim one-way system was implemented in July 1963. Following this, the Kingston Relief Road was constructed in Kingston town centre in the late 1980s.
Commonly known as the "Kingston one-way system",
the road encircles the town centre, allowing for major shopping streets such as Clarence Street to be
pedestrianised
Pedestrian zones (also known as auto-free zones and car-free zones, as pedestrian precincts in British English, and as pedestrian malls in the United States and Australia) are areas of a city or town reserved for pedestrian-only use and in whi ...
. On the western side of the town centre, the road passes underneath
John Lewis Kingston before crossing the
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
via Kingston Bridge. As part of the project, two
bus stations
A bus station or a bus interchange is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. While the term bus depot can also be used to refer to a bus station, it generally refers to a bus garage. A bus station is l ...
were constructed, cycle lanes installed and several artworks commissioned including ''Out of Order'' by
David Mach
David Mach (born 18 March 1956) is a Scottish sculptor and installation artist.
Life and work
Mach was born in Methil, Fife.
His artistic style is based on flowing assemblages of mass-produced objects. Typically these include magazines, ...
and ''River Celebration'' by
Carole Hodgson.
River
Kingston Town End and Kingston Turks piers are situated in Kingston. Turk Launches operates a Summer-only river tour between Hampton Court and Richmond St Helena.
Cycling
There is a network of cycle lanes throughout Kingston linking the area to destinations throughout south-west London and England.
Key routes include:
*
National Cycle Route 4 - A route from
Greenwich
Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...
in south-east London to
St David's
St Davids or St David's ( cy, Tyddewi, , "David's house”) is a city and a community (named St Davids and the Cathedral Close) with a cathedral in Pembrokeshire, Wales, lying on the River Alun. It is the resting place of Saint David, W ...
in
west Wales
West Wales ( cy, Gorllewin Cymru) is not clearly defined as a particular region of Wales. Some definitions of West Wales include only Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, which historically comprised the Welsh principality of ''Deheub ...
. NCR4 follows the route of the River Thames near Kingston, crossing from the south side of the river to the north over Kingston Bridge. Northbound, the route runs towards Central London and Greenwich via
Ham
Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 39. As a processed meat, the term "ham ...
,
Richmond Park
Richmond Park, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is the largest of London's Royal Parks, and is of national and international importance for wildlife conservation. It was created by Charles I in the 17th century as a deer park ...
and
Barnes. Westbound, NCR4 runs towards Reading via Walton,
Egham
Egham ( ) is a university town in the Borough of Runnymede in Surrey, England, approximately west of central London. First settled in the Bronze Age, the town was under the control of Chertsey Abbey for much of the Middle Ages. In 1215, Magna ...
and
Eton. The route is part of
EuroVelo 2, a route from Moscow to Galway.
*
Cycleway 28 - A two-way, segregated
cycle track
A cycle track, separated bike lane or protected bike lane (sometimes historically referred to as a sidepath) is an exclusive bikeway that has elements of a separated path and on-road bike lane. A cycle track is located within or next to the r ...
between Kingston and
Seething Wells
Seething Wells is a neighbourhood in southwest London on the border between Surbiton in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in Greater London, and Elmbridge in Surrey. The area was historically a waterworks that supplied London with water ...
along Portsmouth Road.
*
Cycleway 29 - A cycle route, much of which is two-way and segregated from other road traffic between Kingston and Fishponds Park. Much of the route follows Penrhyn Road and Ewell Road.
*
Cycleway 30 - A segregated cycle track between C29 at Kingston to
Putney Vale
Putney () is a district of southwest London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
History
Putney is an ancient paris ...
, following the route of A308 London Road.
Education
![Tiffin School](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Tiffin_School_coat_of_arms.jpg)
Kingston is the location of
Kingston University
, mottoeng = "Through Learning We Progress"
, established = – gained University Status – Kingston Technical Institute
, type = Public
, endowment = £2.3 m (2015)
, ...
and
Kingston College. Primary schools in the town include Latchmere School, Fernhill School, King Athelstan School and St Agatha's Catholic Primary School. Secondary schools in the town include
The Kingston Academy,
Tiffin School
Tiffin School is a boys' grammar school in Kingston upon Thames, England. It has specialist status in both the performing arts and languages. The school moved from voluntary aided status to become an Academy School on 1 July 2011. Founded in 1 ...
,
Tiffin Girls' School
("Dare to be Wise")
, established =
, closed =
, type = Grammar Academy
, religious_affiliation =
, president =
, head_label = Headteacher
, head = Ian Keary
, r_head_label =
, r_head =
, ch ...
and
Kingston Grammar School
Kingston Grammar School is an independent co-educational day school in Kingston upon Thames, England. The school was founded by Royal Charter in 1561 but can trace its roots back to at least the 13th century. , all of which have large catchment areas across
Greater London and
Surrey.
The growth and development of Kingston Polytechnic, and its transformation into
Kingston University
, mottoeng = "Through Learning We Progress"
, established = – gained University Status – Kingston Technical Institute
, type = Public
, endowment = £2.3 m (2015)
, ...
in 1992, has made Kingston a university town.
Religious sites
The 12th-century
All Saints Church serves the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
parish of Kingston which lies ecclesiastically in the
Diocese of Southwark
The Diocese of Southwark is one of the 42 dioceses of the Church of England, part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The diocese forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. It was created on 1 May 1905 from part of the ancient Dio ...
, 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
Richard Ian Cheetham (born 18 August 1955) is a retired Church of England bishop and former teacher. He served as the area Bishop of Kingston in the Diocese of Southwark, 2002–2022.
Early life
He was educated at Kingston Grammar School. ...
. Other Anglican churches in Kingston, of more recent date, are
St John the Evangelist and
St Luke.
Kingston lies in the Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of Southwark, and there is a
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
dedicated to
Saint Agatha
Agatha of Sicily () is a Christian saint. Her feast is on 5 February. Agatha was born in Catania, part of the Roman Province of Sicily, and was martyred . She is one of several virgin martyrs who are commemorated by name in the Canon of the Ma ...
.
Kingston is also the home of the Kingston Surbiton & District Synagogue. It also has a Quaker meeting house, a Mosque and a Sikh
Gurdwara
A gurdwara (sometimes written as gurudwara) (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ''guradu'ārā'', meaning "Door to the Guru") is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths ...
.
Lady Booth Road, formally Fairfield Road, is named to commemorate the former location of the
Salvation Army citadel.
Sport
Kingston is the home of four association football clubs,
Chelsea F.C. Women
Chelsea Football Club Women, formerly known as Chelsea Ladies Football Club, are an English women's football club based in Norbiton that competes in the Women's Super League, the top flight of women's football in England. Since 2004, the clu ...
who play at the
Kingsmeadow
Kingsmeadow is a football stadium in Norbiton, Kingston upon Thames, London, which is used for home matches by Chelsea Women and Chelsea U21s. It was formerly the home of Kingstonian F.C. and AFC Wimbledon and has a capacity of 4,850, with 2,2 ...
Stadium,
Corinthian-Casuals and
Kingstonian who play in
Tolworth
Tolworth is a suburban area in the Surbiton district, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Greater London. It is southwest of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include Long Ditton, New Malden, Kingston, Surbiton, Berrylands, Hinchley Wood, ...
and
Chessington & Hook United who play in
Chessington
Chessington is an area in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames within Greater London. Historically part of Surrey, today it is the largest salient of Greater London into that county. At the 2011 census it had a population of 18,973. The ...
. Chelsea F.C. Women play in the
FA Women's Super League
The Women's Super League (WSL), currently known as the Barclays Women's Super League (BWSL) for sponsorship reasons, is the highest league of women's football in England. Established in 2010, it is run by the Football Association and features ...
, whereas Kingstonian, Corinthian-Casuals and Chessington & Hook United are
non-league
Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to d ...
clubs.
Kingston Athletic Club and Polytechnic Harriers
The Polytechnic Harriers is an athletic club with long ties to what is now the London Marathon. In 1908 they oversaw the opening and closing ceremonies for the 1908 Olympics, the Game's marathon, and played a large part in the development of the Po ...
are based at the neighbouring Kingsmeadow athletics stadium. This stadium has a 400m track which is floodlit, a gym and 5-a-side football facilities. Kingston Rugby Club is based on the outskirts of the town, and
Kingston Rowing Club
Kingston Rowing Club (KRC) is a rowing club in England founded in 1858 and a member club of British Rowing.
The club is located on the River Thames at Kingston upon Thames, downstream and north-east of Kingston Bridge and Kingston Railway Bri ...
(founded in 1858) is based in Canbury Gardens on the River Thames. The Club holds two large timed race events (HEADs) in the Spring and Autumn.
Kingston Regatta
Kingston Regatta is a rowing regatta, on the River Thames in England which takes place at Kingston upon Thames, Surrey on the reach above Teddington Lock.
The regatta takes place in July and forms part of the Kingston River Festival. It attra ...
takes place on the river just above the bridge over a weekend in early July.
The town has a large leisure centre next to Fairfield named the Kingfisher Centre, which contains an indoor swimming pool and gymnasium. Sport in Kingston is promoted and encouraged by Sport Kingston, an organisation funded by the Royal Borough of Kingston.
Kingston Wildcats
Kingston Wildcats School of Basketball is a community basketball development club originating from Kingston upon Thames, Kingston that compete in the Surrey League and Basketball England National League. The club acts as "school of basketball" ...
School of Basketball is a community
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
development club that practices and plays its home fixtures at Chessington School, competing in the Surrey League and Basketball England National League.
London 2012 Summer Olympics
![Bradley Wiggins 2012 Olympic time trial](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Bradley_Wiggins_2012_Olympic_time_trial.jpg)
Prior to the opening of the
games, Kingston hosted the
2012 Summer Olympics torch relay
The 2012 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from 19 May until 27 July, prior to the London 2012 Summer Olympics. The torch bearer selection process was announced on 18 May 2011.
As well as touring the United Kingdom the schedule included the ...
on two occasions with the flame travelling through the borough on 24 July 2012 and aboard the
''Gloriana'' in a cauldron on 27 July 2012 en route to the
Olympic Stadium
''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games. An Olympic stadium is the site of the opening and closing ceremonies. Many, though not all, of these venues actually contain the words ''Olympic Stadium'' as ...
for the
opening ceremony. The borough was the setting for four cycling events during the Olympics, the
men's road race,
women's road race,
men's road time trial and
women's road time trial.
Following the games, the
London–Surrey Classic
The London–Surrey Classic (also known as the RideLondon–Surrey Classic) was an annual men's professional one-day road cycling race, starting and finishing in London and routed via the picturesque Surrey Hills. The first race of its kind wa ...
professional
road bicycle race
Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most common ...
ran through the town from 2013 to 2018, using a similar course to the Olympic road race. Following the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, the race will not return to Kingston, with the
RideLondon festival using the roads of
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Grea ...
instead.
Geography
Kingston is south-east of
Twickenham
Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boroug ...
, north-east of
Walton-on-Thames
Walton-on-Thames, locally known as Walton, is a market town on the south bank of the Thames in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey, England. Walton forms part of the Greater London built-up area, within the KT postcode and is served by a wide ran ...
, and north-west of
Sutton
Sutton (''south settlement'' or ''south town'' in Old English) may refer to:
Places
United Kingdom
England
In alphabetical order by county:
* Sutton, Bedfordshire
* Sutton, Berkshire, a location
* Sutton-in-the-Isle, Ely, Cambridgeshire
* ...
.
Nearest places
Town twinning
Kingston upon Thames has been
twinned with
Oldenburg in Germany since 2010. It also has been historically twinned with
Delft in the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
.
In 2016, Kingston upon Thames has been
twinned with
Jaffna
Jaffna (, ) is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a peninsula of the same name. With a population of 88,138 in 2012, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th mo ...
in Sri Lanka.
Notable people
*
List of people from Kingston upon Thames
Among those who were born in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, or have dwelt within the borders of the modern borough are (''in alphabetical order''):
Kingston upon Thames (town)
* Joss Ackland, actor, lived at Ravenswood Court in Coo ...
References
Bibliography
* – A guide to the Thames written by the novelist's son
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
The Kingston upon Thames Society*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kingston Upon Thames
Areas of London
Business improvement districts in London
Districts of London on the River Thames
Districts of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Former county towns in England
Market towns in London
Market towns in Surrey
Metropolitan centres of London