Kingston upon thames Information: 10 top things to know... more
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1. History
One piece of visible history in Kingston upon Thames is the Coronation Stone, situated next to the Guildhall in the town centre. The stone contains the names of seven Anglo-Saxon kings who are said to have been crowned in Kingston in the 10th century. Clattern Bridge is the oldest bridge in Surrey still in use. It was built in 1293 and is now a scheduled ancient monument.
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2. Now
Kingston is a popular place with shoppers and is home to the award-winning Bentall Shopping Centre. There is plenty of history and culture to be found in the town, with art galleries, museums and theatres on offer. Kingston University contributes to the atmosphere of the town and has over 25,000 students. Its sports, fitness, health and entertainment facilities are also open ...Read more
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3. Events
The Harvest Extravaganza takes place at the Kingston Environment Centre every September and includes a day of fun and music aimed at all ages. Kingston Food Festival takes place in June and is centred around the town’s Ancient Market Place. This event runs for 10 days and includes demonstrations, tastings, visiting markets, events for children and more. Think In Kingston is...Read more
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4. Attractions
Kingston Museum tells the history of the borough from its ancient origins to modern times. The museum has changing temporary exhibitions, lectures, talks, special events and children’s holiday activities. Chessington World of Adventures is within the borough of Kingston and includes rides for all ages, The Land of the Dragons, Chessington Zoo and more. Hampton Court Palace ...Read more
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5. Things To Do
Kingston is based on an attractive section of the River Thames and visitors can choose from a number boat trips that are on offer. The riverside also has walking and cycling routes, pubs and restaurants. The list of art galleries in the town includes Dorich House, which has a collection of art and artefacts from Imperial Russia; the Penny School Gallery, which hosts exhibition...Read more
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6. Business
The Bentall Shopping Centre attracts over 14 million visitors every year. It contains more than 80 shops, cafes, restaurants, a health club, crèche and more. The centre building includes a huge glass atrium containing 2,000 fibre optic lights. The Eden Walk Shopping Centre contains shops, cafes and restaurants as well as hundreds of parking spaces. The Ancient Market Place i...Read more
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7. Transport
Kingston is close to the A3, which links to London to the north east and Portsmouth to the south. The M3 can be easily accessed to the west of the town and this links to the M25. Train services to and from the town are good and trains to London’s Waterloo leave regularly and take just 30 minutes. The nearest airport to Kingston is Heathrow, which is about nine miles from t...Read more
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8. Entertainment
The Rose Theatre is a relatively new venue offering a selection of live events from some of the country’s leading companies and performers. Live music and arts performances take place regularly at The Toilet Gallery and the Kingston College Theatre. There are plenty of small venues for live music in the town, including The Grey Horse, The Peel and The Bacchus.
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9. Famous Landmarks
Kingston Bridge is a road bridge that was built in 1828. This bridge replaced an old wooden bridge, which had been the only crossing of the River Thames north of London Bridge until 1729. Picton House is a building in the town centre that was owned by a man called Cesar Picton, who was brought from Africa in 1971 as a child servant. He became a rich and well respected gentleman...Read more
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10. Interesting Fact
Famous people born in Kingston upon Thames include publicist to the stars Max Clifford, TV personality Debbie McGee and actress Susannah Doyle.
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Music unites communities
Music has been used to bring communities together with a major initiative in the Kingston borough. The major music project involved 40 free taster workshops being run for members of the public, covering everything from singing and songwriting to vocal...
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Table tennis star has big plans
Young table tennis star Marcus Giles is not content with his latest victory – he now has his eye on the Olympics. Marcus, 13, from Kingston, recently won the Surrey U18 Open Championship title in the sport. He has also been...
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Teenager sits in the House of Commons
Teenager Rhammel Afflick took his seat in the House of Commons to take part in an annual debate by the UK’s Youth Parliament. Rhammel, 17, is Kingston’s representative on the Youth Parliament, which met in the House in November for...
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Boost for women’s football
Women’s football has been given a boost thanks to a new women’s football academy at Kingston College. England International Footballer Alex Scott officially opened The Alex Scott Academy. The facility is the first of its kind in the UK and...
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