Visit Kingston upon Thames Places

Welcome to Visit Kingston upon Thames Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Kingston upon Thames

  

Kingston upon Thames Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Kingston upon Thames

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Kingston upon Thames history

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Early history

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 the Old English words cyning and tun .

Urban development

Kingston was built at the first crossing point of the Thames upstream from London Bridge . In the Domesday Book it was held by William the Conqueror . In 1730, the chapel containing the royal effigies collapsed, burying the sexton and his daughter . The Lovekyn Chapel is the only private chantry chapel to survive the Reformation .

Economic development

For much of the 20th century, Kingston was a major military aircraft manufacturing centre specialising in fighter aircraft . Sopwith Camel, Hawker Fury, Hurricane, Hunter and Harrier Jump Jet were all designed and built in the town .

Recent developments

Following construction of the Kingston Relief Road in 1989, major shopping streets in the town centre were pedestrianised . John Lewis Kingston department store opened in 1990 and Bentall Centre shopping centre opened in 1992 . Charter Quay development south of Kingston Bridge completed the riverside walk, adding bars, restaurants and the Rose Theatre .

Kingston upon Thames culture & places

A notable dramatic arts venue is the Rose Theatre, which seats about 900 people. Kingston University runs the Stanley Picker Gallery and Kingston Museum has a changing gallery. Kingston Green Fair was held annually from 1987 to 2008 in Canbury Gardens, next to the river.

Public art

Out of Order by David Mach is a sculpture in the form of twelve disused red telephone boxes . The work was commissioned in 1988 as part of the landscaping for the new Relief Road .

Kingston upon Thames geography / climate

Kingston is 2.6 miles (4.2 km) south-east of Twickenham and 5.8 miles (9.3 km) north-west of Sutton.

You can visit Kingston upon Thames places with Walkfo Kingston upon Thames to hear history at Kingston upon Thames’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Kingston upon Thames has 181 places to visit in our interactive Kingston upon Thames 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 Kingston upon Thames, 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 Kingston upon Thames places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Kingston upon Thames & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 181 audio facts unique to Kingston upon Thames places in an interactive Kingston upon Thames map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Kingston upon Thames Places Map
181 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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

  

Best Kingston upon Thames places to visit

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

Coronation Stone, Kingston upon Thames The Coronation Stone is believed to have been the site of the coronation of seven Anglo-Saxon kings . It is presently 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 .

Outside the Box Comedy Club Outside the Box is a comedy club located in the backroom of The Fighting Cocks pub in Kingston-upon-Thames . It was opened in November 2006 by comedian Maff Brown .

Giggs Hill Green Giggs Hill Green is a triangular park in Thames Ditton bordered on one side by the Portsmouth Road which has, since 1833, contained as a major part of it, the village’s cricket green .

Surbiton Lagoon Surbiton Lagoon was an open air swimming pool located in SurBiton, London, England . It was located on the banks of the River Thames in the early 1960s and early 1970s .

Nipper Nipper 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 was the basis for one of the world’s best known trademarks, the famous dog-and-gramophone.

St Andrew’s Square, Kingston upon Thames St. Andrews Square is a mainly 1876 to 1884-built garden square in Surbiton in the borough of Kingston upon Thames, London.

Raeburn Open Space Raeburn Open Space, locally known as Berrylands Nature Reserve, is a 5-hectare Local Nature Reserve and Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade 1, in Berrylands in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in London. The site is a linear park along the Tolworth Brook (also known as the Surbiton Stream), a tributary of the Hogsmill River.

Visit Kingston upon Thames plaques