Kingston Vale
Encyclopedia
Kingston Vale is a district in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
in the south west of London
. It is a leafy residential area nestling between Richmond Park
, Wimbledon Common
and Coombe Hill. The main road is the A308 which is a common through route for traffic passing to and from Kingston Hill to the A3
trunk road
(formerly known as the Kingston By-pass). Many of the branch roads are cul-de-sac
s.
Although not as prestigious as neighbouring areas Coombe, and Old Malden
, nevertheless recent years have seen soaring property prices in this area and Kingston as a whole with annual rises over 30% being commonplace. This has led to amenities such as the two pubs
and the one petrol station being closed down for redevelopment. Paradoxically, the attractiveness of the area has led to its amenities being depleted.
It has an active local amenity group - the Kingston Vale Residents Association (KVRA). This is a democratic body which deals with matters such as planning
, conservation
, transport
, environment
and social
. There is a popular newsletter known as the "Bottom Line". This took its name from the original Middle Ages name of the area: Kingston Bottom. The name was changed to Kingston Vale in Victorian times
apparently to save some blushes.
The earliest record of the change from 'Kingston Bottom' to 'Kingston Vale' occurs in the 1861 Census Returns, where the area is referred to as 'Kingston Vale Hamlet'. By the time of the 1891 Census, the area is described as a 'civil parish, township or place' under the name of 'Kingston Vale'.
on the A308; the village straddles both the A308 and the A3
London - Portsmouth Road. The closest junction of the A3
is the Robin Hood Roundabout, which is located at the north-eastern end of the village.
and Tolworth
to the south, Kingston
and Surbiton
to the south west and Roehampton
and Putney
to the north east. The bus routes serving Kingston Vale are as follows:
to the north east and Norbiton
to the south west. Bus connections are also available within a short walk of the stations at Kingston
, New Malden
, Surbiton
, Tolworth
and Barnes.
station is Putney Bridge
station on the District Line
, with direct bus connections to Kingston Vale on routes 85 and 265. An indirect connection with South Wimbledon
station on the Northern Line
is also possible, via New Malden
, Coombe Lane or Kingston
.
. The Village Hall plays host to the Oranges and Lemons Nursery School, whilst a Montessori nursery school and a children's dancing school, Kingston Vale Dance Academy operate from the Parish Hall.
of Kingston
and the Archdiocese of Southwark
. In addition to its religious functions, the church acts as a focal point for community activities in Kingston Vale, which are held within the Village Hall and the two Parish Halls. These include social clubs, dancing and table tennis, as well as providing facilities for local associations and for two local nursery schools. Every year the Church holds a summer fete and a fireworks night event, which both attract local residents and their friends and are a good opportunity for them to interact with their neighbours. The Parish Office manages the booking of four halls (three on the site at St. John's and the Village Hall), which are used for parties and social events.
, offering horse-riding in and around Richmond Park
and Wimbledon Common. The Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields, adjacent to Wimbledon Common, play host to a variety of sporting activities including football, rugby football
, cricket
, Australian rules football
and frisbee
, with the site being used to host the UK Ultimate Frisbee Championships in 2007 and the European Ultimate Frisbee Championships in 2008. The site is also home to the annual National Schools Rugby Sevens
Tournament.
site, which caters to some 60 plot holders from around the Borough and organises a range of social events centred on the site.
and Imperial Russian art which is run both as a museum
and a conference centre by Kingston University
.
event for the London area, a community rally attracting some 30,000 members of the British Tamil
community.
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames is a borough in southwest London, England. The main town is Kingston upon Thames and it includes Surbiton, Chessington, New Malden and Tolworth. It is the oldest of the three Royal Boroughs in England, the others are Kensington and Chelsea, also in London,...
in the south west of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It is a leafy residential area nestling between Richmond Park
Richmond Park
Richmond Park is a 2,360 acre park within London. It is the largest of the Royal Parks in London and Britain's second largest urban walled park after Sutton Park, Birmingham. It is close to Richmond, Ham, Kingston upon Thames, Wimbledon, Roehampton and East Sheen...
, Wimbledon Common
Wimbledon and Putney Commons
Wimbledon Common is a large open space in Wimbledon south-west London, totalling 460 hectares . There are three named areas: Wimbledon Common, Putney Heath, and Putney Lower Common which together are managed under the name Wimbledon and Putney Commons...
and Coombe Hill. The main road is the A308 which is a common through route for traffic passing to and from Kingston Hill to the A3
A3 road
The A3, known as the Portsmouth Road for much of its length, is a dual carriageway, or expressway, which follows the historic route between London and Portsmouth passing close to Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield. For much of its length, it is classified as a trunk road...
trunk road
Trunk road
A trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major road—usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports, and other things.—which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic...
(formerly known as the Kingston By-pass). Many of the branch roads are cul-de-sac
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
s.
Old Malden
Old Malden is a ward of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames south west of Charing Cross.It is one of the more affluent areas in the borough, with Coombe , and Kingston Vale...
, nevertheless recent years have seen soaring property prices in this area and Kingston as a whole with annual rises over 30% being commonplace. This has led to amenities such as the two pubs
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
and the one petrol station being closed down for redevelopment. Paradoxically, the attractiveness of the area has led to its amenities being depleted.
It has an active local amenity group - the Kingston Vale Residents Association (KVRA). This is a democratic body which deals with matters such as planning
Planning
Planning in organizations and public policy is both the organizational process of creating and maintaining a plan; and the psychological process of thinking about the activities required to create a desired goal on some scale. As such, it is a fundamental property of intelligent behavior...
, conservation
Conservation biology
Conservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...
, transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
, environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
and social
Social
The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
. There is a popular newsletter known as the "Bottom Line". This took its name from the original Middle Ages name of the area: Kingston Bottom. The name was changed to Kingston Vale in Victorian times
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
apparently to save some blushes.
Etymology
The area was known as Kingston Bottom up until the middle of the 19th Century; the name is featured in a variety of documents dating from 1791 to c. 1850. The Last Will and Testament of one Philip Cawston, dated 26 September 1791, refers to his ownership of the Robin Hood premises in Kingston Bottom at that time; the name also features in maps and wills held by the National Archives dating from 1791 to 1856 inclusive.The earliest record of the change from 'Kingston Bottom' to 'Kingston Vale' occurs in the 1861 Census Returns, where the area is referred to as 'Kingston Vale Hamlet'. By the time of the 1891 Census, the area is described as a 'civil parish, township or place' under the name of 'Kingston Vale'.
Road
Kingston Vale is located north east of KingstonKingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
on the A308; the village straddles both the A308 and the A3
A3 road
The A3, known as the Portsmouth Road for much of its length, is a dual carriageway, or expressway, which follows the historic route between London and Portsmouth passing close to Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield. For much of its length, it is classified as a trunk road...
London - Portsmouth Road. The closest junction of the A3
A3 road
The A3, known as the Portsmouth Road for much of its length, is a dual carriageway, or expressway, which follows the historic route between London and Portsmouth passing close to Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield. For much of its length, it is classified as a trunk road...
is the Robin Hood Roundabout, which is located at the north-eastern end of the village.
Bus
Kingston Vale is served by three local bus routes, connecting the village with New MaldenNew Malden
New Malden is a town and shopping centre in the south-western London suburbs, mostly within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and partly in the London Borough of Merton, and is situated from Charing Cross...
and Tolworth
Tolworth
Tolworth is a mostly residential area of outer South London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, located south west of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include: New Malden, Kingston, Surbiton, Berrylands, Chessington, Ewell and Worcester Park....
to the south, Kingston
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
and Surbiton
Surbiton
Surbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is situated next to the River Thames, with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, more recent residential blocks and grand, spacious 19th century townhouses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates...
to the south west and Roehampton
Roehampton
Roehampton is a district in south-west London, forming the western end of the London Borough of Wandsworth. It lies between the town of Barnes to the north, Putney to the east and Wimbledon Common to the south. The Richmond Park golf courses are west of the neighbourhood, and just south of these is...
and Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
to the north east. The bus routes serving Kingston Vale are as follows:
- 85 - KingstonKingston upon ThamesKingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
to PutneyPutneyPutney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, via NorbitonNorbitonNorbiton is a place in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, London. It lies approximately east of Kingston upon Thames's town centre, and from Charing Cross. Its main landmarks include Kingston Hospital and Kingsmeadow football stadium, which is currently used for the home matches of both...
, Kingston Vale and RoehamptonRoehamptonRoehampton is a district in south-west London, forming the western end of the London Borough of Wandsworth. It lies between the town of Barnes to the north, Putney to the east and Wimbledon Common to the south. The Richmond Park golf courses are west of the neighbourhood, and just south of these is... - 265 - TolworthTolworthTolworth is a mostly residential area of outer South London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, located south west of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include: New Malden, Kingston, Surbiton, Berrylands, Chessington, Ewell and Worcester Park....
to PutneyPutneyPutney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, via New MaldenNew MaldenNew Malden is a town and shopping centre in the south-western London suburbs, mostly within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and partly in the London Borough of Merton, and is situated from Charing Cross...
, CoombeCoombe-Places in England:* Coombe, Buckinghamshire* Coombe, Bude, Cornwall* Coombe, Camborne, Cornwall* Coombe, Liskeard, Cornwall* Coombe, Redruth, Cornwall* Coombe, St...
, Kingston Vale, RoehamptonRoehamptonRoehampton is a district in south-west London, forming the western end of the London Borough of Wandsworth. It lies between the town of Barnes to the north, Putney to the east and Wimbledon Common to the south. The Richmond Park golf courses are west of the neighbourhood, and just south of these is...
and Barnes - K3 - EsherEsherEsher is a town in the Surrey borough of Elmbridge in South East England near the River Mole. It is a very prosperous part of the Greater London Urban Area, largely suburban in character, and is situated 14.1 miles south west of Charing Cross....
to Roehampton Vale, via ClaygateClaygateClaygate is a village in the English county of Surrey, approximately south west of London and within the Metropolitan Green Belt.It is primarily a residential area but with offices, farms and two shopping areas with a supermarket, five pubs and numerous restaurants...
, Thames DittonThames DittonThames Ditton is a village in Surrey, England, bordering Greater London. It is situated 12.2 miles south-west of Charing Cross between the towns of Kingston upon Thames, Surbiton, Esher and East Molesey...
, SurbitonSurbitonSurbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is situated next to the River Thames, with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, more recent residential blocks and grand, spacious 19th century townhouses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates...
, KingstonKingston upon ThamesKingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
, NorbitonNorbitonNorbiton is a place in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, London. It lies approximately east of Kingston upon Thames's town centre, and from Charing Cross. Its main landmarks include Kingston Hospital and Kingsmeadow football stadium, which is currently used for the home matches of both...
and Kingston Vale
Rail
Kingston Vale is not directly accessible by rail; the nearest stations are PutneyPutney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
to the north east and Norbiton
Norbiton
Norbiton is a place in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, London. It lies approximately east of Kingston upon Thames's town centre, and from Charing Cross. Its main landmarks include Kingston Hospital and Kingsmeadow football stadium, which is currently used for the home matches of both...
to the south west. Bus connections are also available within a short walk of the stations at Kingston
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
, New Malden
New Malden
New Malden is a town and shopping centre in the south-western London suburbs, mostly within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and partly in the London Borough of Merton, and is situated from Charing Cross...
, Surbiton
Surbiton
Surbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is situated next to the River Thames, with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, more recent residential blocks and grand, spacious 19th century townhouses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates...
, Tolworth
Tolworth
Tolworth is a mostly residential area of outer South London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, located south west of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include: New Malden, Kingston, Surbiton, Berrylands, Chessington, Ewell and Worcester Park....
and Barnes.
Tube
The nearest TubeLondon Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
station is Putney Bridge
Putney Bridge
Putney Bridge is a bridge crossing of the River Thames in west London, linking Putney on the south side with Fulham to the north. Putney Bridge tube station is located near the north side of the bridge.-History:...
station on the District Line
District Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
, with direct bus connections to Kingston Vale on routes 85 and 265. An indirect connection with South Wimbledon
South Wimbledon
South Wimbledon is a locality in the London Borough of Merton in southwest London, England.-Toponymy:It is marked on an Ordnance Survey map of 1876 as New Wimbledon and on a 1907 map as South Wimbledon...
station on the Northern Line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
is also possible, via New Malden
New Malden
New Malden is a town and shopping centre in the south-western London suburbs, mostly within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and partly in the London Borough of Merton, and is situated from Charing Cross...
, Coombe Lane or Kingston
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
.
Education
Kingston Vale benefits from a local primary school, the Robin Hood Primary School, and is also home to the Kingston Hill Campus of Kingston UniversityKingston University
Kingston University is a public research university located in Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, United Kingdom. It was originally founded in 1899 as Kingston Technical Institute, a polytechnic, and became a university in 1992....
. The Village Hall plays host to the Oranges and Lemons Nursery School, whilst a Montessori nursery school and a children's dancing school, Kingston Vale Dance Academy operate from the Parish Hall.
- For education in Kingston Vale see the main Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames article.
St. John the Baptist
The first church in the area was built in 1839 and became the centre of its own Parish in 1847. The present village church, the Parish Church of St. John the Baptist on Robin Hood Lane, was consecrated on 22 July 1861 and after various additions, was completed in 1886 by the addition of the Choir Vestry. It is an Anglican church within the DeaneryDeanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
of Kingston
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
and the Archdiocese of Southwark
Archdiocese of Southwark
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark is a Latin Rite Roman Catholic archdiocese in England. The Archepiscopal see is St. George's Cathedral, Southwark and is headed by the Archbishop of Southwark...
. In addition to its religious functions, the church acts as a focal point for community activities in Kingston Vale, which are held within the Village Hall and the two Parish Halls. These include social clubs, dancing and table tennis, as well as providing facilities for local associations and for two local nursery schools. Every year the Church holds a summer fete and a fireworks night event, which both attract local residents and their friends and are a good opportunity for them to interact with their neighbours. The Parish Office manages the booking of four halls (three on the site at St. John's and the Village Hall), which are used for parties and social events.
Other faiths
There are no known facilities for other faiths within the village of Kingston Vale. A guide to the places of worship in the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames can be found via the Kingston Inter-Faith Forum.Sports
Kingston Vale is surrounded by open spaces and this is reflected in the range of local activities; the village is home to Stag Lodge Stables, adjacent to the Robin Hood Gate of Richmond ParkRichmond Park
Richmond Park is a 2,360 acre park within London. It is the largest of the Royal Parks in London and Britain's second largest urban walled park after Sutton Park, Birmingham. It is close to Richmond, Ham, Kingston upon Thames, Wimbledon, Roehampton and East Sheen...
, offering horse-riding in and around Richmond Park
Richmond Park
Richmond Park is a 2,360 acre park within London. It is the largest of the Royal Parks in London and Britain's second largest urban walled park after Sutton Park, Birmingham. It is close to Richmond, Ham, Kingston upon Thames, Wimbledon, Roehampton and East Sheen...
and Wimbledon Common. The Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields, adjacent to Wimbledon Common, play host to a variety of sporting activities including football, rugby football
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
and frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
, with the site being used to host the UK Ultimate Frisbee Championships in 2007 and the European Ultimate Frisbee Championships in 2008. The site is also home to the annual National Schools Rugby Sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
Tournament.
Community activities
Kingston Vale benefits from a variety of halls, notably the Village Hall and two Parish Halls, which are used to host a variety of community activities including an Art Club, the local Operatic and Dramatic Society, a Coffee Club run by the local church, a table tennis club, meetings of the Residents' Association and other community events. The village also has a self-managed allotmentAllotment (gardening)
An allotment garden, often called simply an allotment, is a plot of land made available for individual, non-professional gardening. Such plots are formed by subdividing a piece of land into a few or up to several hundreds of land parcels that are assigned to individuals or families...
site, which caters to some 60 plot holders from around the Borough and organises a range of social events centred on the site.
Museums
The village is also home to the Dorich House Museum, a museum of sculptureSculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
and Imperial Russian art which is run both as a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
and a conference centre by Kingston University
Kingston University
Kingston University is a public research university located in Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, United Kingdom. It was originally founded in 1899 as Kingston Technical Institute, a polytechnic, and became a university in 1992....
.
Cultural events
The playing fields host the annual Pongu TamilTamil Eelam
Tamil Eelam , is the name given by certain Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora to the independent state which they aspire to create in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Tamil Eelam has no official status or recognition by any other state or authority...
event for the London area, a community rally attracting some 30,000 members of the British Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
community.
Famous residents
- Ronnie Wood - member of the Rolling Stones
- George CareyGeorge CareyGeorge Leonard Carey, Baron Carey of Clifton PC, FKC is a former Archbishop of Canterbury, holding the office from 1991 to 2002. He was the first modern holder of the office not to have attended Oxford or Cambridge University...
- ex-Archbishop of Canterbury
- Rich JohnstonRich JohnstonRich Johnston is a writer who writes about the comic book industry.-Early life:Johnston grew up in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, studied politics at University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and was an advertising copywriter until 2009; he currently lives in Kingston Vale, London, with his wife, Janice...
- cartoonist and writer