Kingston upon Thames is a vibrant market town in south-west London, just 12 miles from central London. It was established as a coronation site for Anglo Saxon kings and has a population of over 43,000. Kingston is comprised of four wards: Canbury, Grove, Norbiton and Tudor. It is also a very green location with many open spaces and parks. The A3 road runs from the centre of London in the direction of Kingston before continuing to the east.
There are three railway stations which pass from London Waterloo to Kingston; Kingston, Norbiton and Hampton Wick. Kingston is home to a number of association football clubs – AFC Wimbledon, Kingstonian, Corinthian-Casuals, and Chessington and Hook United. Kingston Athletic Club and Polytechnic Harriers are the local athletics teams, with Kingston Rugby Club and Kingston Rowing Club also based in the town. The Kingston Regatta has taken place there each year since 1857, on the River Thames.
There is much culture to be enjoyed in Kingston, with the Rose Theatre seating almost 900 spectators for regular dramatic arts shows, plus weekly classical music performances at the All Saints Church. There are also a variety of choral societies and an amateur symphony orchestra. Annual festivals include Kingston Readers’ Festival, Think-in-Kingston and the Festival of the Voice.
Notable names associated with Kingston include authors Jacqueline Wilson, John Galsworthy and John Cleland, photographer Eadweard Muybridge, playwright RC Sheriff and Eric Clapton, who grew up in the town and used to busk there. There are a range of things to see and do in Kingston:
- Rose Theatre Kingston
- Canbury Gardens
- Out of Order, an iconic sculpture by David Mach
- Kingston Bridge
- Ancient Market
- Clattern Bridge
- Kingston Museum & Heritage Service
- Bentall Centre
- Coronation Stone
- Guilded Statue of Queen Anne
- The Wood and Richard Jefferies Bird Sanctuary
- Park Brewery
