Moving to Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is about ten miles south-west of Central London. It’s often referred to as just Kingston. There are some amazing houses and wonderful places to live in this leafy suburb.
The town is well connected when it comes to transport and it’s in London’s Zone 6. Living in Kingston upon Thames is popular with commuters into Central London and for those who love to go west at weekends. The population is about 43,000.
Kingston is almost surrounded by lovely big parks. Hampton Court Park and Bushy Park are opposite across the Thames, Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common to its north-west.
Kingston is an aspirational place to live, with aspirational property prices too. Families love to live here, particularly in the exclusive areas of North Kingston and Coombe.
The area is served by big name retail stores including John Lewis, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Zara and of course the Bentall Centre with its Bentalls department store. There are excellent educational establishments, including Kingston University. With six clubs in the area, including the 18 hole Hampton Court Palace Golf Club, golfers are spoiled for choice!
Getting About
Kingston isn’t far from Central London and is well inside the M25 London orbital motorway about eight miles away. The main A3 road runs passed the town, connecting London to Guildford and the South.
Kingston station has trains running into London Waterloo every 15 minutes at peak times, the trip taking around half an hour.
There are many bus routes through Kingston. The nearest airport is London Gatwick, less than an hour’s drive away.
Schools
There are lots of Ofsted-rated Good and Outstanding pre-schools, primary and secondary schools in and around Kingston.
Independent schools and further education establishments are also well represented, the main draws of the latter being the impressive Kingston University with over 20,000 students, Kingston College, Kingston Business School and Hillcroft College.
Things to Do in Kingston upon Thames
Hampton Court Palace
This extraordinary Grade II listed Tudor and Baroque palace with its Tudor Great Gatehouse and stunning grounds is an essential visit. Make sure you see the yew hedge maze.
Kingston Museum
A visit here is a great way to get to grips with all things Kingston. The Ancient Origins exhibition will help you delve into the Kingston area’s prehistory. The Town of Kings exhibition will hold your hand through the dark Middle Ages right up to the Second World War.
Out of Order
This Out of Order artwork on Old London Road is made up of a dozen old British telephone boxes frozen in falling as they topple onto each other like dominoes. The frozen motion will make you wonder if there’s anyone inside any of them.
Ancient Market
If you like eating and moseying at the same time any day of the week, this is the place to come to in Kingston for fresh produce. This historical market in Market Place dates way back to the 13th century. Think hot dogs and burgers, but also some more exotic cooking like Vietnamese, Thai, Moroccan and French. It’s good fun at Christmas, too.
Eating and Drinking in Kingston upon Thames
The Druid’s Head
There’s no need to worry about what happened to the poor druid, Kingston’s oldest pub on Market Place used to be two pubs: The Druid and the Hog’s Head. They merged into this wonderful watering hole in the 1980s. Charles Dickens and Jerome K Jerome quaffed a pint or two here – not together, obviously!
The Fighting Cocks
Come to this venue pub on Old London Road if you like to party. The Cocks rocks. It’s been a standard stop-off on the London live circuit since the 1930s. It’s rumoured that The Stones and Eric Clapton, among other rockers, used to jam here. They host live comedy every Monday, too.
Trattoria Calabrese
This awesome, authentic and relaxing Italian restaurant on Coombe Road is a favourite among locals and a must-try for visitors to Kingston. The food is simple and delicious. They source their burrata artigiana from Puglia and barilotto from Campania.
There’s also a great selection of eateries alongside Kingston Riverside including Cote, Browns, Bills and Busaba.
If you’re thinking about moving to Kingston upon Thames, let us help you with all the information you need, so that you can move with confidence!