Kingston upon Thames Things to Do

The memorial was placed in the market in 1882 for Henry Shrubsole who was mayor of Kingston for three terms At the side is a water fountain and the two figures, one of which is a woman carrying a water jug and the other is a child. There is also a outline of a man's face, supposedly the mayor himself whho came from a family of undertakers.

You will find the memorial in a small park next to or part of the Baptisit Church in Union Street which lists all the Kingston men who lost their lives serving their country during the wars. It was designed in 1920 by R R Goulden and shows a nude figure of a man holding a burning cross while standing on a serpent and killing it with his sword as two children seek protection at his side.

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There was a church here in 838 during the Saxon era of King Egbert, but King Henry I started the present church in 1120 and has been extended and repaired several times since then. Outside the south door there are some stones which are all that remain of the old Saxon Church of St Mary. In 1730 the remains of the St Mary's Chapel collapsed killing the sexton and injuring his daughter Of interest is a memorial inside the church dedicated to Kingston lawyer Robert Skerne and his wife who happened to be the daughter of King Edward III and his mistress

The Guildhall was open in 1935 by Queen Victoria's granddaughter, Alice, and inside the round building there are portraits of Queen Anne and Queen Elizabeth. There is still some wooden panelling taken from the old Tudor Town Hall but perhaps the most important thing is the Coronation Stone which can be seen on the grounds. The stone was used for the coronation of 7 Saxon Kings in the 10th century and are written around the base. The stone was actually use for horseman to mount their horses in the market until 1850.

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Kingston Market, although probably only 30 stalls is worth a visit and for sure you will end up buying something. There are meat, fish and vegetable stalls as well as handicrafts and bread stalls. But maybe the best are the stalls selling burgers, bratwursts and various other types of delicious meals.
The market surrounds the old Market House and is a "must see".

The information centre can be found in the ground floor of the Market House and has excellent information about Kingston and surrounding area. It also supplies Oyster cards, travel info, National Express Bus Info, and buses to Epsom, timetables and accommodation advice.

Closed Tuesdays
Open daily 10 am - 5 pm (Sunday 11 am - 5 pm)

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The building was open in 1840 and was originally the Town Hall, and replaced the Tudor Town Hall Building. The beautiful gilded statue of Queen Anne was transferred from the old building and stands proudly on top of the new one. In 1935 the town Hall was transferred to the new Guildhall and the building was used as the Market House until 1935. The rooms can be booked for functions and the market operates Tuesday to Sunday around the house.

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You can walk by the river along the Barge Walk or the Thames Walk from Hampton Court to Teddington Lock and enjoy seeing some of the birds or just view life by the river. Several other walks can be done such as the Royal Walk, or the Parks Walk if you open the link below.

http://www.kingston.gov.uk/walking_map.pdf

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If you stand on Kingston Bridge you can see a few barges and boats but the view of the river is ruined by the construction of shopping centres, apartments and offices. However the view is more interesting in the summer when there is more activity on the river. Trains pass over the railway bridge 200 metres upstream.

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The original bridge was known to be there in 1318 and was the only other bridge across the Thames before London Bridge until 1729 when Putney Bridge opened. The old bridges were made from timber and were partly destroyed in the War of the Roses and Wyatt's Rebellion so tolls were payable to help pay for the repairs until 1567 when they were abolished, but there are some records of tolls being charged again in the early 18th century. In 1828 the wooden bridge was replaced by a stone bridge a few metres upstream and tolls were charged again until 1870. The bridge was widened in 1912, 1924 and lastly in 2000 allowing for cycling lanes, a bus lane and wider pavements.