| Hampton Wick | |
|---|---|
  Hampton Wick Location withinGreater London | |
| Area | 2.74 km2 (1.06 sq mi) |
| Population | 10,221 (2011 census)[1] |
| • Density | 3,730/km2 (9,700/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TQ1769 |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | KINGSTON UPON THAMES |
| Postcode district | KT1 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| UK Parliament | |
| London Assembly | |
| 51°24′54″N0°18′36″W / 51.415°N 0.310°W /51.415; -0.310 | |
Hampton Wick is aThamesside area of theLondon Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England, contiguous withTeddington,Kingston upon Thames andBushy Park.
Market gardening continued until well into the twentieth century. With its road and rail connections toLondon along theM4 corridor, it is within theLondon commuter belt.
Although north of the River Thames, the area forms part of theKingston upon Thames andEast Moleseypost towns based on the south side of the river.[2] As the river flows north past Hampton Wick and Kingston, it is actually west of Kingston.
There is evidence ofRoman occupation.Kingston Bridge, the first bridge linking the village withKingston upon Thames is dated from about 1219 and replaced the Romanford at this point.
Cardinal Wolsey is believed to have lived in Hampton Wick (in Lower Teddington Road) while waiting forHampton Court Palace to be built.[3] The parish of Hampton was split in the century after this time to form Hampton Wick.[4]
SirRichard Steele also lived in Hampton Wick, in a house he whimsically called "The Hovel". He dedicated the fourth volume ofTatler toCharles, Lord Halifax "from the Hovel at Hampton Wick, April 7, 1711", around the time he became Surveyor of the Royal Stables at Hampton Court Palace, Governor of the King's Comedians, aJustice of the Peace and aknight.[5]
The Hampton WickLocal Board wasestablished in 1863 with headquarters at the "idiosyncratic, tall, Dutch gabled"Hampton Wick Local Board Office[6] located at 45A High Street. It was built in 1884 by local architect Richard T. Elsam[7] in an "exuberant"Jacobean style. The building presently serves as private housing.[8][9]
ReverendFrederick Champion de Crespigny was avicar of Hampton Wick who was also involved in many secular affairs, most notably at the Local Board where he was clerk. An excellent cricketer, he founded and presided the Hampton Wick Royal Cricket Club inBushy Park in 1863. De Crespigny resided at a now demolishedGothic Revival Vicarage formerly located on Park Road, directly across from the Hampton Wick entrance to Bushy Park at Cobbler's Walk.[10][11]
The architectEdward Lapidge both designed and donated the land for a church,St John's Hampton Wick, built in 1831. Lapidge had been born in the village.[12] He also designed the present Kingston Bridge. In 2010, after five years of closure, the church re-opened its doors under theChurch of England's church planting scheme. Services were resumed in December 2010.
A tone poemHampton Wick for orchestra was composed byHarry Waldo Warner and won theHollywood Bowl Competition in 1932, then was premiered byCincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 1934. The music was based on a poem by Onslow Frampton which was the pen name of Warner himself.[13]
InCockney rhyming slang, "Hampton Wick" (often shortened to "Hampton") means "dick" or "prick", both of which are British vulgar slang names for thepenis.[14] Hence a character calledHugh Jampton (a Cockneyhomophone of "huge Hampton") in the 1950s BBC radio programmeThe Goon Show.[15] Another use of the term appeared in the 2000s BBC TV seriesThe Office whenTim Canterbury bemoans the quality ofSlough's nightlife, recollecting aTudor-themed club memorably displaying apunning notice stating "Don't get yourHampton Court" in the men's toilets. The title of rockerSammy Hagar's 1982 albumStanding Hampton also relates to the same piece of rhyming slang.[16]Ian Dury used the name, and the phrase "Hamptons don't leave fingerprints", in the song "Blackmail Man" on his 1977 albumNew Boots and Panties!![17]
Hampton Wick was the setting for the 1970sThames Televisionsituation comedyGeorge and Mildred. The area is near the formerThames studios atTeddington and filming took place at Manor Road in Teddington.[18]Hampton Wick was also the title ofThe Two Ronnies' first "classic serial" spoof drama in their first BBC series (1973).[19] Hampton Wick is referenced by British singer-songwriterJamie T in the title track of his 2009 EPSticks 'n' Stones.[20]The Two Ronnies also use the word to comic effect in their 1971 sketch "The Ministry of Pollution" where the Minister of Pollution (Barker) says, "North and Southampton will be joined together into one enormous hampton".
Hampton Wick (Station) also featured in the sitcomThe Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin as the first of his train-based excuses for arriving late for work: "Eleven minutes late, staff difficulties, Hampton Wick."[21]
Hampton Wick Royal Cricket Club, founded in 1863,[22] is a cricket club at the Royal Cricket Grand Pavilion in Bushy Park. The team currently plays in division three of theSurrey Championship League. The club's first eleven finished the 2006 season as unbeaten champions of the Fullers League Division 2 1st-XI league and gained promotion to Division 1.[23][24][25]
The Royal PaddocksAllotments are adjacent to Bushy Park and Hampton Wick Royal Cricket Club. They were established following a lease made byKing George V in 1921.
| Output area | Detached | Semi-detached | Terraced | Flats and apartments | Caravans/temporary/mobile homes | Shared between households[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (ward) | 520 | 797 | 813 | 2,256 | 21 | 48 |
| Output area | Population | Households | % Owned outright | % Owned with a loan | hectares[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (ward) | 10,221 | 3,918 | 30 | 32 | 274 |
The main economic features here are transport.Kingston University has a largehall of residence in the town. Some professional offices are byKingston Bridge and these include a major office ofHSBC bank. TheA308 splits the Royal Parks, leading nearby to theA309 and A312 roads, north–south. Equally, theA311 passes through the heart of the district forming its short, convenienceHigh Street and provider further connections than another B road by the park to the larger commercial centre ofTeddington, centred less than 1 mile (1.6 km) from Hampton Wick's railway station which is another economic hub of the area.
Hampton Wick railway station has connections toLondon Waterloo.
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