Back in late June I wrote about a walk along the River Thames from Kingston to Molesey Lock. This time I am back in Kingston at special request!
This is for a friend of mine who has been unable to visit lately and misses a couple of his ‘watering holes’. I hope this will cheer you up!
Kingston is a royal town, a royal borough of London. Kings have been crowned here. Back in AD 838 Kingston was known as Cyninges tun and went through various versions of the name until 1589 when it became Kingestowne upon Thames. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle two kings were consecreated here, AEthelstan (925) and AEthelred the Unready (978). It is said that others were also crowned here, but the evidence is less substantial. It is believed the coronations were held in the chapel of St Mary’s (which collapsed in 1730) and that a large stone recovered from the wreckage played an important part in the coronations.. This stone now stands in the grounds of the Guildhall.
Today Kingston is a thriving town with lots of history. There is a mix of old and new, and Kingston has been featured greatly on TV for films and TV drama, and during the Olympics in 2012 the cycling road race ran through here. In fact there is a yearly road race now held here. The Olympic Torch came through here too, and I was luckily enough to be there for that.
Kingston boats two big department stores that face each other on a corner – John Lewis and Bentalls. Bentalls was founded in 1867 by Frank Bentall who bought a drapery store and the buildings were completed in 1935. The stonework on the facade was designed by Eric Gill, whose work I came across only a few years ago and I really admire his engravings. Bentalls went on to open stores in Tunbridge Wells, Bracknell, Worthing and Bristol. However, in 1992 Bentalls in Kingston developed into The Bentall Centre, as more franchise stores located there. In 2001 Bentalls sold out to The House of Frazer, who went on to sell top Fenwick who are the current owners. The other stores had been sold off gradually due to loss-making, though I believe the store in Bracknell remains. Bentalls is rather dear to me because my family have all worked there over the years from grandparents onwards, and I had my first job there!
John Lewis opened in 1990. You can read more here. When excavating for the store remains were found of the old Kingston Bridge and Undercroft. Some of these can still be seen today at the back of the building on the river side. I don’t think these are open to the public daily, but you can see them through a glass window. However, I have been observed them close up on a day when they were opened for a special viewing. See here for more information.
There is so much more to Kingston that I could say – the ancient market place has been here since 1242. A statue of Queen Victoria stands over it, and Old London Road with its antique shop (featured in TV’s Bargain Hunt!) and Lovekyn Chapel founded in 1309, which can be hired for weddings and can be viewed on Open House Weekend in September. There is Nipper Alley (where the famous dog and gramaphone logo of HMV is commemorated) and the Clattern Bridge. The most famous person to originate from Kingston was Eadweard Muybridge born in 1830. A strange man (he like to change the spelling of his name now and then!), but a brilliant one. He famously photographed a horse running to prove that at one point all feet were off the ground. He is a most interesting man and worth reading about. I have seen his work in various exhibitions and the Kingston Museum is home to some of the best. Have a look at this website for information about these and other places in Kingston.
My final mention must go to Turks Boatyard who run river cruises to Hampton Court and Richmond. They have been running a service for over three hundred years. The boatyard has now gone, but services continue. Turks got a mention in a book I was reading recently about Istanbul by Bettany Hughes. The family have connections to medieval times in Kingston, but their business goes back further. Read here for more information.
I hope I have done Kingston justice!
My London+ 