Visit Kennington Places

Welcome to Visit Kennington Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Kennington

  

Kennington Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Kennington

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Kennington history

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Toponymy

Kennington appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Chenintune . It is recorded as Kenintone in 1229 and Kenyngton in 1263 . Mills (2001) believes the name to be Old English meaning “farmstead or estate associated with a man called Cēna”

Early history

The presence of a tumulus, and other locally significant geographical features, suggest that the area was regarded in ancient times as a sacred place of assembly . According to the Domesday Book it was held by Teodric (Theodoric) the Goldsmith . It contained: 1 hide and 3 virgates; 3 ploughs, 4 acres (16,000 m) of meadow .

18th century

Francis Towneley and eight men who had taken part in the Jacobite rising were hanged, drawn and quartered at Kennington Common in 1746 .

19th century

The modern street pattern of Kennington was formed by the early nineteenth century . The village had become a semi-rural suburb with grand terraced houses .

20th-century history

Two social forces were at work in Kennington at different times during the twentieth century: decline, and gentrification . Middle-class households ceased to employ servants and no longer sought large houses of Kennington, preferring the suburbs of outer London .

21st-century gentrification

In recent years, Kennington has experienced gentrification, principally because of its location and good transport links to the West End and the City of London . In London: A Social History, Roy Porter describes “Victorian villas in … Kennington”

Kennington landmarks

Kennington Park

Kennington Park was laid out by Victorian architect James Pennethorne . St Mark’s Churchyard now cover the site of Kennington Common . Park was originally designated one of the Royal Parks of London .

Kennington Oval (The Oval)

The Oval was the first ground in the United Kingdom to host Test cricket . It was the location for the first ever international football match, the first FA Cup final in 1872 . Surrey County Cricket Club hosts the final Test match of the English summer season .

Stane Street

Roman Stane Street ran down from Roman London Bridge to Chichester via the gap in the North Downs at Box Hill near Dorking . Another Roman road branched off opposite Kennington Road and went through what is now Kennington Park and down the Brixton Road .

Kennington geography / climate

Kennington has no official boundaries but the ancient manorial boundaries are easily discerned. Within the London post town, the postcode district for Kennington is SE11. The SE11 postcode captures most of the district, although the peripheries of Kennington are within the SE17, SE1, SW8 and SW9 postcodes.

You can visit Kennington places with Walkfo Kennington to hear history at Kennington’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Kennington has 2142 places to visit in our interactive Kennington map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Kennington, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Kennington places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Kennington & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 2142 audio facts unique to Kennington places in an interactive Kennington map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Kennington Places Map
2142 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Kennington historic spots	Kennington tourist destinations	Kennington plaques	Kennington geographic features
Walkfo Kennington tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Kennington

  

Best Kennington places to visit

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Kennington has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Kennington’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Kennington’s information audio spots:

Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Walk The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Walk is a 7-mile (11 km) long circular walking trail in central London, England, dedicated to the memory of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Japanese Village, Knightsbridge The Japanese Village in Knightsbridge, London, was a late Victorian era exhibition of Japanese culture located in Humphreys’ Hall, which took place from January 1885 until June 1887. The exhibition employed around 100 Japanese men and women in a setting built to resemble a traditional Japanese village.

Bowater House Bowater House was a 17-floor office block at 68 Knightsbridge in London SW1, completed in 1958. The building occupied a site between Knightsbridge and South Carriage Road, at the southern edge of Hyde Park. It was demolished in 2006 and redeveloped by Candy & Candy to create One Hyde Park.

Knightsbridge Knightsbridge is a residential and retail district in central London, south of Hyde Park. It is identified in the London Plan as one of two international retail centres in London, alongside the West End.

Bulgari Hotel and Residences The Bulgari Hotel and Residences is a luxury hotel in Knightsbridge, London. When it opened in 2012, it was the most expensive hotel in London.

Royal Cornwall Yacht Club Situated on the waterfront setting of the Greenbank area in Falmouth, the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club (RCYC) was formed in 1871, and is the 15th oldest “Royal” yacht club in England.

Royal Thames Yacht Club The Royal Thames Yacht Club (RTYC) is the oldest continuously operating yacht club in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are located at 60 Knightsbridge, London, England, overlooking Hyde Park. The club has a clear purpose: “To provide the members with outstanding yacht cruising, racing and social opportunities in the UK and internationally, building on the Club’s unique heritage, central London facilities and close reciprocal relationships with other leading yacht clubs around the world.”

Trevor Square Trevor Square is an elongated garden square in Knightsbridge, London. It was designed in the 1810s chiefly by architect William Fuller Pocock, and the mid-rise, basemented houses fronting its two long sides, with slate mansard roofs are listed in the British protective and recognising scheme, and were built in the 1820s. The main stonemason employed was Lancelot Edward Wood after whom is named neighbouring street Lancelot Place (originally Petwin Place).

Esmeralda’s Barn Esmeralda’s Barn was a nightclub owned by the Kray twins from 1960 to 1963 . The Krays used the club as a way of expanding their criminal activities into London’s West End .

South Audley Street South Audley Street is a major shopping street in Mayfair, London . It runs north to south from the southwest corner of Grosvenor Square to Curzon Street .

Visit Kennington plaques