74-537: Kingston upon Thames , colloquially known as Kingston , is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames , south-west London, England. It is situated on the River Thames , 10 miles (16 km) south-west of Charing Cross . It is an ancient market town , notable as the place where some Saxon kings were crowned. Historically in the county of Surrey , the ancient parish of Kingston covered both
148-524: A bowling alley , fitness centre, a 15-screen Odeon multiplex cinema and a few restaurants. The ancient market is still held daily in the Market Place, including such produce as fish, jewellery, exotic foods, local foods and flowers. Kingston's civic buildings include Kingston Museum , public library , modern Crown Court , smaller County Court and the Guildhall . The Guildhall is located by
222-554: A large number of bus stops, with destinations across Greater London and Surrey including links directly to Heathrow Airport . The Kingston Bypass passes to the south and east of Kingston. The bypass carries the A3 , which links the area to Merton , 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
296-482: A long history prior to that as a royal manor dating back to Saxon times. The borough was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 , which standardised how most boroughs operated across the country. Kingston was often described as a royal borough , with its right to that title being formally confirmed in 1927. The old borough did not cover
370-585: A majority of 3,731 but she was beaten in the May 2010 election by Conservative Zac Goldsmith with a majority of 4,091. Goldsmith retained his seat at the 2015 general election , with a greatly increased majority of 23,015. Goldsmith stood as an Independent candidate in the by-election held on 1 December 2016, but was defeated by Sarah Olney , a Liberal Democrat, after the Conservative Party decided not to put forward its own candidate. Goldsmith regained
444-536: A market town from the Saxon period, with goods transported on the Thames and over land via the crossing point. Rights to hold markets were amongst the liberties granted by the royal charter of 1208 and the market formally established in 1242. A horse fair was held at a site on the downstream side of the river north of the bridge and a market extended from there to around the church by the 17th century and further south towards
518-526: A meeting between King Egbert of Wessex and Ceolnoth , Archbishop of Canterbury . Kingston lay on the boundary between the ancient kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia , until in the early tenth century when King Æthelstan united both to create the kingdom of England. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , two tenth-century kings were consecrated in Kingston: Æthelstan (925), and Æthelred
592-543: A shopping mall, " The Bentall Centre ", containing the Bentalls department store and large branches of chain stores found in many British high streets. There is a large branch of the John Lewis department store group, with a Waitrose supermarket in the basement. A smaller 1960s shopping centre called Eden Walk exists nearby. The Rotunda, in a former Bentalls furniture depository building (a local landmark), includes
666-521: A thousand years. An earlier church was sacked by the Vikings in 1009 AD. Kingston was the site of the coronations of seven Anglo-Saxon monarchs : The Coronation Stone , on which they are said to have been crowned stands outside the local council offices, the Guildhall. A coin from the reign of each of those kings is set into the base of the stone. The town of Kingston upon Thames was an ancient borough , having been formally incorporated in 1441, with
740-624: Is Bentalls , started by Frank Bentall in 1867 in Clarence Street, where it (or at least the completely rebuilt Bentall Centre ) stands. Close to Kingston, and located between Kingston, Richmond and Roehampton, is Richmond Park , one of the oldest of London's royal parks. The borough is home to the highest number of South Koreans in Europe, in the town of New Malden . Kingston has many attractions in and near it, ranging from nature and historical attractions to theme parks . Some of
814-600: Is a borough in southwest London . The main town is Kingston upon Thames and it includes Chessington , Malden Rushett , New Malden , Surbiton and Tolworth . It is the oldest of the four royal boroughs in England. The others are Windsor and Maidenhead , the site of Windsor Castle , and the London boroughs of Greenwich , and Kensington and Chelsea . The local authority is Kingston upon Thames London Borough Council . The neighbouring districts (clockwise from north) are
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#1732765766029888-638: Is a tree lined river bank fronting the expanse of Hampton Court Park. 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 Albion Tavern, The Duke of Buckingham, and several small local pubs around Fairfield. The Druid's Head
962-623: Is almost identical to the coat of arms of the Swedish municipality of Laholm . Both coats of arms can be traced back to the 16th century. The arms of the Norwegian town of Mandal is also similar, but more recent. In 1966 the newly created London Borough added a set crests and supporters taken from the localities merged into it. The crest came from the Municipal Borough of Malden and Coombe , with that borough's arms hung from
1036-486: Is also served by South Western Railway trains from Waterloo. Southbound services link Surbiton to destinations in Surrey and Hampshire , such as Hampton Court , Guildford , Woking and Basingstoke . The station building at Surbiton was built in 1937, designed in an Art Deco style by James Robb Scott . It has been Grade II listed since 1983. Kingston is served by two bus stations, Cromwell Road and Fairfield , and
1110-602: Is an ancient sarsen stone block which is believed to have been the site of the coronation of seven Anglo-Saxon kings . It is currently located next to the Guildhall in Kingston upon Thames , England . Kingston is now a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames in Greater London . In Old English , tun , ton or don meant farmstead or settlement, so the name Kingston appears to mean farmstead of
1184-467: Is no longer administered by Surrey. Kingston's main open space is the River Thames , with its lively frontage of bars and restaurants. Downstream there is a walk through Canbury Gardens towards Teddington Lock . Upstream there is a promenade crossing the Hogsmill river and reaching almost to Surbiton. Eagle Brewery Wharf is a council-owned public space located on the riverside. Across Kingston Bridge
1258-612: Is notable as one of the first taverns to make syllabub , the famous dessert, in the 18th century. There are several Chinese, Indian, Thai and Italian restaurants. The local newspapers are the weekly Surrey Comet , which celebrated its 150th year in 2004, and the Kingston Guardian . In 2010 retail footprint research, Kingston ranked 25th in terms of retail expenditure in the UK at £810 million, equal to Covent Garden and just ahead of Southampton . This puts it as generating
1332-541: Is represented by Sarah Olney of the Liberal Democrats , and the area south of the railway line (including the ancient town centre) is part of Kingston and Surbiton which is represented by Ed Davey of the Liberal Democrats. 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
1406-577: The Kingston loop line towards Teddington, Strawberry Hill , Twickenham 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 (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 in London fare zone 6. Surbiton
1480-533: The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 , becoming the Municipal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames . It had been long been known as a royal borough through custom; its right to the title was formally confirmed by George V in 1927. Kingston upon Thames was the seat of Surrey County Council from 1893, when it moved from Newington to a new headquarters at County Hall . The county council remained based at County Hall until 2020, despite Kingston having been removed from its administrative area in 1965. In 1965, Greater London
1554-524: The Rose Theatre , which opened in 2008 with Sir Peter Hall as the director. Also, in 2001, the old Kingston bus garage and bus station, closed the previous year, was demolished and the site redeveloped as the Rotunda complex, with an Odeon Cinema , restaurants and tenpin bowling. Kingston straddles two Parliamentary constituencies: the area north of the railway line is part of Richmond Park , which
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#17327657660291628-686: The "High Street Investment Ranking", only bettered by Cambridge , Bath , Chichester and Reading . In 2013 Kingston became the location for a local currency scheme, designed to boost and strengthen the local economy in Kingston, as part of the Transition towns initiative. The Kingston pound began as a digital currency , and from 2018 existed in paper format, with denominations of K£1;K£5;K£10;and K£20 designed by graphic design students from Kingston University . These were taken out of circulation in 2021, but have been sold to many collectors all over
1702-604: The 3rd highest in London. A notable dramatic arts venue is the Rose Theatre , opened on 16 January 2008 and seating about 900 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 the Kingston Orpheus Choir and the Kingston Choral Society , an amateur symphony orchestra
1776-557: The Domesday Book it was held by William the Conqueror . Its domesday assets were: a church, five mills , four fisheries worth 10s, 27 ploughs , 40 acres (16 ha) of meadow , woodland worth six hogs . It rendered £ 31 10s (£31.50). In 1730, the chapel containing the royal effigies collapsed, burying the sexton , who was digging a grave, the sexton's daughter and another person. The daughter survived this accident and
1850-703: The KT postcode , except from the parts of Ham in the borough which use the TW code, and the Kingston Vale area in the north-east which has an SW15 postcode. Areas in the borough include: The local authority is Kingston Council, which is based at Kingston upon Thames Guildhall . Since 2000, for elections to the London Assembly , the borough forms part of the South West constituency. The borough includes
1924-832: The Kingston Philharmonia, and the Kingston and District Chamber Music Society. A number of annual festivals are organised by the Council and Kingston Arts Council including Kingston Readers' Festival, Think-in-Kingston and the Festival of the Voice. Kingston University runs the Stanley Picker Gallery and Kingston Museum has a changing gallery on the first floor. A regular singing group at the Rose Theatre caters to schools and families. John Galsworthy
1998-480: 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 . On the western side of the town centre, the road passes underneath John Lewis Kingston before crossing the River Thames via Kingston Bridge. As part of
2072-426: The London boroughs of Richmond upon Thames , Wandsworth , Merton and Sutton , and the Surrey districts of Epsom and Ewell , Mole Valley and Elmbridge . Kingston upon Thames, on the south bank of the River Thames has existed for many hundreds of years. Many Roman relics have been found in the surrounding areas. A church has stood on the site of All Saints' Church , in the centre of Kingston, for more than
2146-682: The Market Place. Nipper , the famous "His Master's Voice" ( HMV ) 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
2220-741: The Martians in H. G. Wells ' The War of the Worlds are positioned on Kingston Hill; in The Rainbow by 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 and Jeremy Moon worked from permanent studios in Kingston and many artists and designers have studied at
2294-547: The Old English words cyning and tun . It belonged to the king in Saxon times and was the earliest royal borough. There was historically some variation between authorities as to whether Kingston was 'on' or 'upon' Thames, and whether the name should be hyphenated or not. The Post Office initially adopted 'Kingston-on-Thames', the Ordnance Survey used 'Kingston upon Thames', and the old borough council preferred
Kingston upon Thames - Misplaced Pages Continue
2368-520: The Saxon king on the Coronation Stone. He was a pioneer in the photography of the moving image. R. C. Sherriff the playwright is also associated with Kingston, writing his first play to support Kingston Rowing Club. An earlier writer born in Kingston was John Cleland . Kingston has been covered in literature, film and television. It is where the comic Victorian novel Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome begins; cannons aimed against
2442-636: The Unready (978). There are certain other kings who are said to have been crowned there, but for whom the evidence (including the writings of Florence of Worcester and Ralph de Diceto ) is less substantial: Edward the Elder (902), Edmund I (939), Eadred (946), Eadwig (956), Edgar the Peaceful ( c. 960 ) and Edward the Martyr (975). It was later thought that the coronations were conducted in
2516-408: The author was born on Kingston Hill and Jacqueline Wilson grew up, and went to school in Kingston and still lives there today. Both are commemorated at Kingston University – Galsworthy in the newest building and Wilson in the main hall. Also commemorated at the university is photographer Eadweard Muybridge who was born at Kingston and changed the spelling of his first name in reference to the name of
2590-510: The borough are operated by South Western Railway, who provide regular services to and from London Waterloo . Railway stations in the borough: In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were: driving a car or van, 26.1% of all residents aged 16–74; train, 7.1%; bus, minibus or coach, 7.1%; on foot, 6.9%; work mainly at or from home, 4.3%; bicycle, 2.8%; underground, metro, light rail, tram, 2.5%. The Kingston coat of arms displays three salmon and its shield
2664-539: The borough's attractions are: Kingston is the 3rd largest retail centre by employment, in London. Sega Amusements International , responsible for the production of arcade games outside Japan, has its head office in Chessington , Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. Lidl relocated its UK Headquarters to Kingston in 2020. Sopwith Aviation Company had a factory in the Canbury Park area of Kingston, where
2738-491: The borough. The Kingston upon Thames post town roughly corresponds to the six wards of Canbury Gardens, Coombe Hill, Kingston Gate, Kingston Town, Norbiton and Tudor, which had a combined population of 54,925 at the 2021 census , while the borough overall counted 168,063. Kingston was called Cyninges tun in 838 AD, 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
2812-580: The bypass carries the A309 to Thames Ditton , Hampton Court and the A308 . There are several radial routes including: 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,
2886-407: The chapel of St Mary, which collapsed in 1730. Tradition dating to the 18th century holds that a large stone recovered from the ruins played a part in the coronations. It was initially used as a mounting block, but in 1850 it was moved to a more dignified place in the market before finally being moved to its current location in the grounds of the Guildhall . From Medieval times Shrovetide Football
2960-572: The course of the Hogsmill River. Goods traded included oats, wheat, rye, malt, apples and other fruit, flowers, wool, leather and cheese. Cattle, meat and fish were also traded. The regular Saturday market was supplemented by a Wednesday market in 1662. In addition to markets, regular fairs were held. Local industries included pottery, brick making, tanning, leather-working, fishing, milling, brewing and boat-building. The presence of fabric and wood-working craft skills associated with boat-building
3034-448: The early 19th century as a mounting block , but in 1850 it was placed in the market place on a plinth in front of the old Town Hall (on the site now occupied by the 'Market House' today). which had the names of the seven kings believed to have been crowned on it inscribed around the side. In 2017, Kingston Council was considering an option of re-siting the coronation stone from the Guildhall's frontage back to its original location within
Kingston upon Thames - Misplaced Pages Continue
3108-694: The famous Sopwith Camel was produced during World War I . The Hawker Hurricane was designed in a site in Kingston town centre and built in the aviation factory near Ham now known as the Hawker Centre. Primary responsibility for education in the borough lies with the local education authority. Free schools : Academy schools : Grammar schools: Independent Schools Kingston has nine South Western Railway stations and two centrally located bus stations , but no London Underground or other Transport for London stations. In 2008, 64 bus routes served Kingston. Coaching interests in Kingston opposed
3182-526: The fifth highest level of retail sales in Greater London , passing Croydon , with just four West End alternatives ahead. In 2005, Kingston was 24th with £864 million, and 3rd in London. In a 2015 study by CACI, Kingston was ranked 28th in the UK in the Hot 100 Retail Locations - and the second highest in Greater London after Croydon. In 2018, Kingston was ranked joint 5th in the UK by Knight Frank in
3256-408: The hyphenated 'Kingston-upon-Thames'. As late as 1959 the borough council was petitioning the other bodies to standardise the name as 'Kingston-upon-Thames'. The London Borough created in 1965 used the form 'Kingston upon Thames' without hyphens, since when that form has been used by the council, Ordnance Survey, and as the post town. The first surviving record of Kingston is from AD 838 as the site of
3330-403: The kings. A local legend that these Saxon coronations gave Kingston its name is contradicted by the records of the 838 council. Æthelstan was consecrated king at Kingston in 925, Eadred in 946 and Æthelred the Unready in 979. There is also some evidence that Edward the Elder , Edmund I , Eadwig and Edward the Martyr were consecrated in the town. According to John Stow , writing in
3404-518: The late sixteenth century, Æthelstan was crowned on a stage in the market place, but it was later believed that the kings were crowned in the ancient church of St Mary, which collapsed in 1730. A large stone block was recovered soon afterwards from the ruins of the chapel, and it has since been regarded as the "Coronation Stone" of the Kings of the English. It was used for a time in the late 18th century to
3478-746: The leading actor, was filmed by the toppled telephone boxes sculpture in Old London Road. The 1974 Doctor Who story " Invasion of the Dinosaurs " used several locations in the town for filming. The 2008 series of Primeval , shown on ITV1 in January, featured almost an entire episode filmed inside the Bentall Centre and John Lewis department stores. Kingston featured in Primeval again in May 2009 with several scenes shot in and around
3552-876: The neck of the stag, and the supporters taken from Municipal Borough of Surbiton , with again its arms hanging from the stags' necks. Although not officially 'twinned', The Royal Borough of Kingston has a partner city of Oldenburg in Germany and Gwanak-gu , an administrative subdivision of Seoul , in South Korea . Some road signs announce that Kingston is linked with Delft in the Netherlands but this official link has ended. The Borough of Kingston upon Thames has several football clubs in its area: Other sports: 51°23′N 0°17′W / 51.39°N 0.28°W / 51.39; -0.28 Coronation Stone, Kingston upon Thames The Coronation Stone
3626-425: The neighbouring parishes of Coombe and Malden , at which point the urban district was renamed The Maldens and Coombe. Surbiton was also enlarged in 1895, absorbing the parishes of Hook and Tolworth , and again in 1933 when it absorbed Chessington . Both urban districts were incorporated to become municipal boroughs in 1936, at which point The Maldens and Coombe was renamed Malden and Coombe. The modern borough
3700-592: The new borough. Kingston was built at the first crossing point of the Thames upstream from London Bridge and a bridge still exists at the same site. It was this 'great bridge' that gave it its early importance in the 13th century. Kingston was occupied by the Romans , and later it was either a royal residence or a royal demesne . There is a record of a council held there in 838, at which Egbert of Wessex , King of Wessex, and his son Ethelwulf of Wessex were present. In
3774-629: The part- culverted mouth of the Hogsmill River , and houses Kingston Council and magistrates' court . A short distance away is the County Hall Building which houses the main offices of Surrey County Council . From 1893 to 1965, before Kingston became one of the 32 London boroughs of Greater London , it was the county town of Surrey following the period of 1791–1893 when Newington had this role. Guildford has officially reclaimed this ancient, now ceremonial title as Kingston
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#17327657660293848-547: The plan of the London and Southampton Railway to run its line to Southampton near Kingston. The line consequently avoided the town with a station opened in 1838 southwest of the town; it was later resited to the present site of Surbiton station . In 1863 a branch was built from Twickenham to a terminus in Kingston. That line was extended to the main line in 1869 to form the Kingston Loop Line . All rail services in
3922-449: The project, two bus stations were constructed, cycle lanes installed and several artworks commissioned including Out of Order by David Mach and River Celebration by Carole Hodgson . 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. Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
3996-510: The railway in the 1830s, there was much building development to the south of the town. Much of this became the new town of Surbiton , but the Surbiton Park estate, built in the grounds of Surbiton Place in the 1850s, remained part of Kingston during the period of the Municipal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames . A permanent military presence was established in the borough with the completion of The Barracks in 1875. Kingston evolved as
4070-414: The right to hold markets and fairs, with the oldest surviving charter being from King John in 1208. A subsequent charter in 1441 formally incorporated the town as a borough. The borough covered a much smaller area than the ancient parish, although as new parishes were split off the borough and parish eventually became identical in 1894. The borough was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under
4144-587: The seat for the Conservatives in the 2017 general election with a significantly reduced majority of 45 votes. Sarah Olney then regained the seat during the 2019 general election. In 1997 Ed Davey overturned the previous Conservative majority of more than 10,000 in Kingston and Surbiton, to win by 56 votes after three recounts. He retained the seat in 2001 with a majority of 15,676 over the Conservative candidate David Shaw . In 2005 Davey's majority
4218-400: The seat in the 2017 general election . The following table shows the ethnic group of respondents in the 2001 and 2011 census in Kingston upon Thames. Kingston benefits from one of the biggest and most visited shopping areas outside of central London , with a varied selection of high street stores, and a large number of independent boutiques and retailers. The most famous shop in Kingston
4292-508: The town and examples of all of these aircraft can be seen today at the nearby Brooklands Museum in Weybridge . British Aerospace finally closed its Lower Ham Road factory in 1992; part of the site was subsequently redeveloped for housing but the riverside part houses a community centre and sports complex. Following the construction of the Kingston Relief Road (commonly known as the "Kingston one-way system") in 1989, major shopping streets in
4366-408: The town centre and the historic Market Place were pedestrianised . Two major commercial developments were also built in Kingston town centre - with John Lewis Kingston department store opening in 1990 and the Bentall Centre shopping centre opening in 1992. In the early 2000s, the Charter Quay development south of Kingston Bridge completed the riverside walk , as well as adding bars, restaurants and
4440-405: The town itself and a large surrounding area. The town was an ancient borough , having been formally incorporated in 1441, with a long history prior to that as a royal manor . From 1836 until 1965 the town formed the Municipal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames . From 1893 to 2020 Kingston was the seat of Surrey County Council . The town became part of Greater London in 1965, when the modern borough
4514-400: The university including Fiona Banner , John Bratby , 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. Recently, a scene from Mujhse Dosti Karoge , a Bollywood film starring Hrithik Roshan as
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#17327657660294588-424: The whole parish of Kingston upon Thames, and separate local government arrangements were later put in place for the outlying parts of the parish. Surbiton was made an improvement commissioners district in 1855, and New Malden was made a local government district in 1866. Such districts were reconstituted as urban districts under the Local Government Act 1894 . New Malden was enlarged in 1895 to take in
4662-412: The whole of the Kingston and Surbiton Parliamentary Constituency and part of the Richmond Park Constituency with both constituencies being created in 1997. The previous constituencies re-arranged to form these two had been essentially Conservative. In 1997 the Liberal Democrats won both seats. Jenny Tonge took Richmond Park constituency and in 2005 Susan Kramer became its Liberal Democrat MP with
4736-438: The world. The Kingston Pound is a 'tagged' sterling that can be exchanged either way on a 1 for 1 basis without any penalty. As of 2011, Kingston upon Thames has the fourth highest retail turnover for comparison goods in Greater London, £432 million annually, only bettered by the West End , Shepherd's Bush and Stratford . As of 2012, Kingston has 276,438 square metres (2,975,550 sq ft) of total town centre floorspace,
4810-440: Was 8,961, and in the May 2010 general election he again retained the seat with a slightly reduced majority, beating the Conservative candidate Helen Whately . In the 2015 general election , Davey's seat was taken by Conservative James Berry with a majority of 2,834. Davey's was one of six Liberal Democrat losses in London and 49 overall as the party suffered its worst election results since its formation in 1988. Davey regained
4884-693: Was a factor in the choice of Kingston as the site chosen by Tommy Sopwith to expand production of early aircraft from Sopwith Aviation 's origins at Brooklands . Well known aviation personalities Sydney Camm , Harry Hawker and Tommy Sopwith were responsible for much of Kingston's achievements in aviation. 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 jump jet were all designed and built in
4958-506: Was also created as one of the 32 London boroughs . Kingston is identified as a metropolitan centre in the London Plan and is one of the biggest retail centres in the UK, receiving 18 million visitors a year. It is also home to Kingston University . The Kingston upon Thames post town corresponds to the KT1 and KT2 postcodes . The wider borough also includes the post towns of New Malden and Surbiton , parts of Worcester Park and peripheral parts of several other post towns based outside
5032-443: Was created and the old municipal borough was abolished. Its former area was merged with that of the Municipal Borough of Surbiton and the Municipal Borough of Malden and Coombe , to form the London Borough of Kingston upon Thames . At the request of Kingston upon Thames London Borough Council another royal charter was granted by Queen Elizabeth II entitling it to continue using the title "Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames" for
5106-481: Was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963 , covering the combined area of the former municipal boroughs of Kingston-upon-Thames , Malden and Coombe and Surbiton . The area was transferred from Surrey to Greater London to become one of the 32 London Boroughs. Kingston's royal borough status transferred to the enlarged borough. Most of the borough continued to have Surrey postal addresses until postal counties were abolished in 1996. Districts mainly use
5180-478: Was described by its creator as "anti-minimalist". 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
5254-411: Was her father's successor as sexton. Kingston sent members to early Parliaments , until a petition by the inhabitants prayed to be relieved from the burden. Another chapel, the collegiate chapel of St Mary Magdalene, The Lovekyn Chapel, still exists. It was founded in 1309 by a former mayor of London, Edward Lovekyn . It is the only private chantry chapel to survive the Reformation . With the coming of
5328-439: Was outlawed. Kingston upon Thames formed an ancient parish in the Kingston hundred of Surrey. The parish of Kingston upon Thames covered a large area including numerous chapelries and townships which subsequently became separate parishes, including Hook , Kew , New Malden , Petersham , Richmond , Surbiton , Thames Ditton and East Molesey . Kingston was a royal manor. It was granted various charters allowing it
5402-400: Was permitted on the site unless generated by wind, sun, or bicycle power. One of the more unusual sights in Kingston is Out of Order by 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
5476-400: Was played annually at Kingston upon Thames and in surrounding towns including Richmond and Twickenham . The windows of the houses and shops were boarded up and from 12 noon the inhabitants would kick several balls around the town before retiring to the public houses. The last game was played in 1866, by which time the urban development of the town meant it caused too much damage and the custom
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