Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames, colloquially known as Kingston, is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, south-west London, England.
It is situated on the River Thames, 10 miles (16 km) south-west of Charing Cross. It is an ancient market town, notable as the place where some Saxon kings were crowned.
Getting to Kingston upon Thames
Much of South London, including Croydon is not served by the London Underground network. The historical explanation for the lack of coverage is that at the time the London Underground was built, the area was well-served by private railways, most of London's urban expansion was north of the River Thames and the ground below was too marshy to be excavated in the traditional cut-and-cover method.
Worth seeing
- 01Red House
Red House Lane, Bexleyheath, DA6 8JF (rail: Bexleyheath ), redhouse@nationaltrust.org.uk.
- 02Danson Park
- 03Woolwich Dockyard
Historic area for both ship and weapon-making.
- 04Charlton House
Formerly housing a museum and archives, the mansion is now a community centre, and much of the former pleasure grounds are parks.
- 05Lesnes Abbey Woods
- 06Crossness Engines
Bazalgette Way, Abbey Wood SE2 9AQ (rail: Abbey Wood ELI ).
Things to do
Green Chain Walk, begins at the gardens by the Thames Barrier and is a leafy pedestrian and cycle path that continues deeper into the south-eastern suburbs. Can also check the pretty villages of Kent dotted around just outside London. Walk or cycle the Thames Path which follows the south bank of the river from Greenwich to Erith. Most sections are paved although there are some gravel/rough sections.
- 01Churchill Theatre
- 02Quaser
- 03Fairfield Halls
Park Lane, Croydon, CR9 1DG, Box Office).
- 04BRIT School
Performing Arts and Technology school owned by the BRIT Trust (known for the BRIT Awards).
- 05Croydon Grants
Includes a large 11-screen Vue Cinema, The Milan Bar (a Wetherspoons chain pub), Reflex 80s Bar and Disco, Nando's and Tiger Tiger restaurant and nightclub.
- 06Crystal Palace FC
Selhurst Park Stadium, Whitehorse Lane SE25 6PU, Ticket office).
Where to eat
- 01Cinnamon Culture
46 Plaistow Ln, Bromley, BR1 3PA, info@cinnamonculture.com.
- 02Cafe Giardino
30 N End, Croydon, CR0 1TY (Centrale & Whitgift).
- 03Chat House Tandoori
14-16 Brighton Rd, South Croydon, CR2 6AA,.
- 04Little Bay Croydon
32 Selsdon Road, South Croydon, CR2 6PB, croydon@littlebay.co.uk.
- 05The Spread Eagle Ale & Pie House
39-41 Katharine St, Croydon, CR0 1NX, spreadeagle@fullers.co.uk.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Gordon Leggett (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.