What to See in Kingston upon Thames - Top Sights and Attractions

War memorial in Kingston, England. Kingston upon Thames War Memorial, in the Memorial Garden on Union Street, Kingston upon Thames, London, commemorates the men of the town who died in the First World War. After 1945, the memorial was updated to recognise casualties from the Second World War. The memorial was commissioned by the town council and was designed by the British sculptor Richard Reginald Goulden. The memorial includes a bronze statue of a nude warrior, carrying a flaming cross and wielding a sword with which he defends two children from a serpent, erected on a granite plinth, with bronze plaques listing the names of the dead. Goulden designed a number of such allegorical memorials, including others at Crompton, Greater Manchester, and Redhill, Surrey. The Kingston memorial was designated a Grade II listed structure in 1983. This was revised upwards in 2016 to Grade II*, denoting a building or structure of particular importance.^[1]

The Fighting Cocks is a music venue built prior to 1890,, active since the 1930s and located in Kingston upon Thames, the administrative center of the Royal Borough of Kingston, southwest London, England.,,, Historically, it specializes in Rock'n'roll, Punk, Metal, Folk, Ska, Alternative, Rockabilly, Electro, Comedy, & Cabaret performances. It was conspicuous for hosting touring Jazz acts in the late 1930s and in the 1940s.,, It is now a standard on the London Live Circuit. It was a popular watering hole, and host to many jam sessions including such artists as Eric Clapton, CBE, Shirley Collins, Frank Turner, Gallows, The Stupids, June Tabor or The Rolling Stones. Since 1992, it is also a live-audience training platform and term assessments venue for Kingston University's Drama and Music students.,,^[2]

Historical landmark in England. The Hampton Wick War Memorial in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is situated on the Hampton Wick side of Kingston Bridge, between the bridge and the entrance to Home Park. Several dozen casualties of both world wars are commemorated. Most of these men will have been lost or buried abroad, but a few are buried in the London area. The memorial has been Grade II listed since 2015.

The Hampton Wick War Memorial was unveiled on 3 May 1921, commemorating 47 local servicemen who died during the First World War. In 1933 the memorial was floodlit using gas from the Hampton Wick Gas Company. Following the Second World War a further 17 names were added to commemorate those who fell during that conflict.^[5]

The Normansfield Theatre is a Victorian era building in Teddington, England.

The theatre is on the site of Normansfield Hospital, which was a self-sufficient Victorian hospital complex run by Dr. John Langdon Down. The hospital was where he conducted the pioneering research into the syndrome now known as Down Syndrome. The theatre was constructed in 1877 and completed in 1879 for the use of the patients.

The theatre is held in care by the Langdon Down Centre Trust. It hosts productions by many different groups, including West London amateur opera company Richmond Opera (formerly Isleworth Baroque).

Work on restoring the previously derelict Grade II* listed building began in 2010. It has now been converted for residential use and the former hospital workshops have been re-developed as social housing. The building has been removed from English Heritage's At Risk register.

It is a popular filming location. It appeared in the Agatha Christie's Poirot episodes "The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor," "The Case of the Missing Will," "Double Sin," and "After the Funeral." It was also used in Dorian Gray (2009), the ITV series Downton Abbey, and the Netflix series Bridgerton^[7]

Bridge in Kingston, England. The Clattern Bridge is a bridge over the Hogsmill River in Kingston upon Thames. It was built around 1175 and is thus one of the oldest intact bridges in England. It replaced an older Saxon bridge which was known as the Clatrung Bridge. Its various names, such as the Clateryngbrugge, are thought to derive from the clattering of horses' hooves as they crossed the bridge. The bridge still carries a full load of modern vehicle traffic.

Up to the 18th century, the bridge was used as a site for the ducking of scolds with a cucking stool. The bridge also featured in the traditional game of football held in the centre of Kingston each year on Shrove Tuesday. It was the goal for one of the teams, while the nearby Kingston Bridge was the other goal.^[8]