| Hampton | |
|---|---|
| Suburb | |
 TheRiver Thames at Hampton | |
  Hampton Location withinGreater London | |
| Area | 8.83 km2 (3.41 sq mi) |
| Population | 20,000 [1] |
| • Density | 2,265/km2 (5,870/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TQ135705 |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HAMPTON |
| Postcode district | TW12 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| UK Parliament | |
| London Assembly | |
| 51°25′19″N0°22′01″W / 51.422°N 0.367°W /51.422; -0.367 | |
Hampton is a suburb ofGreater London on the north bank of theRiver Thames, in theLondon Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England, and the historic county ofMiddlesex. Hampton is bounded byBushy Park to the east (and to the north ofSt Albans Riverside facingTagg's Island), the suburbs ofHampton Hill andFulwell to the north,green belt to the west,[2] and the Thames to the south.
Historically, themanor of Hampton includedHampton Court Palace (andBushy Park),Hampton Hill, andHampton Wick (which are now known collectively as "The Hamptons"). Originally settled inSaxon times, the manor was awarded to the Norman lordWalter of Saint-Valéry following the 1066Norman Conquest, passed by his heirs to theOrder of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem in 1237, and acquired byHenry VIII following theAct of Supremacy 1534 (26 Hen. 8. c. 1). Theenclosure of common land in 1811 and rapid growth of19th-century London saw agricultural fields converted tomarket gardens, and laternurseries. The construction of theHampton Water Treatment Works in the late 1850s and early 1860s, and the opening of theShepperton Branch Line toLondon Waterloo in 1864, led to a steady growth in the population of Hampton, and fields in south Hampton near the station being converted tosuburban housing in the late 19th century andinterwar period. Refrigeration,air freight and cheaper overseas labour ultimately rendered the market gardens and nurseries uncompetitive and derelict, and after a lengthy planning process the Nurserylands estate was established in north Hampton in the 1980s.
Today Hampton is a primarily residential suburb ofGreater London. The population at the2021 Census was 27,307 (20,000 excludingHampton Hill).[a][3]
TheRiver Thames was displaced southwards to its present course throughBerkshire andLondon following theAnglian glaciation c. 450,000 BCE. The local geology comprisesKempton Park Gravel aboveLondon Clay, on which the Thames deposits fertile, well-drained alluvial soils, making it an attractive area for human habitation and settlement.[4][5][6]
There is evidence of small hunter-gatherer communities in the Thames Valley in thePalaeolithic period, who would have hunted migrating animal herds (reindeer and horse) depending on seasonal conditions. Hand-axes and a flint from that era have been recovered from sites in Hampton, indicating the presence of human activity as early as theWolstonian Stage.[7]
The resettlement of Britain following theLast Glacial Maximum and the start of theHolocene is evidenced in Hampton and surrounding areas by the artefacts (predominantly flintwork) ofMesolithic hunter-gatherers, who would have favoured the diversity of habitats and food resources offered by rivers and their floodplains for settlement and resource procurement.[8] Three Mesolitihictranchet axes were discovered during construction of the Hampton Waterworks.[6][9]
Evidence ofNeolithic andBronze Age settlement activity in the area is widespread, during a period when the level of the River Thames would have been significantly lower than at present. Finds onGarrick's Ait (Neolithic stone axe), Hurst Park (Neolithic pits), andPlatt's Eyot (early Bronze Age axe); and the excavation in 1854 of a significant Bronze Agebarrow in Bushy Park (containing the cremated remains and offerings of a local chieftain) indicate the transition to settled agriculture.[10]
Before theRoman invasion of Britain, the Hampton area was occupied by theCatuvellauni, aCeltic tribe with its centre of government atWatamestede, near modern-daySt Albans. There is little archaeological evidence ofRoman activity in the Hampton area (which was concentrated around theriver crossing atKingston-upon-Thames), except for a small collection of finds atHampton Hill,[6] a corn drier in Hurst Park,[11] and field boundaries laid out to Roman proportions in what would becomeBushy Park.[12]
Following theend of Roman rule the Hampton area would have been on the fringes of theAnglo-Saxon Kingdom ofMercia, in territory which came to be known asMiddlesex.[13] The settlement of Hampton first developed under theSaxons, centred on a village clustered around the intersection of theWindsor-Kingston road running east–west along the river with the road north toTwickenham, around the hillock on whichSt Mary's Church stands.[b] The Anglo-Saxonparish of Hampton included the area comprising present-day Hampton,Hampton Hill,Hampton Wick,Bushy Park, parts ofTeddington, andHampton Court.[14]
The Hampton settlement developed under themanorial system (where tenant serfs work the arable farm and grazing land of the manor on behalf of the absentee lord) as an agricultural domain primarily supporting neighbouringKingston, which by the 9th century was a significant royal estate.[15][c]Bushy Park shows extensive use of theridge and farrow system of agriculture introduced by the Saxons.[12] The 1086Domesday Book records that prior to theNorman Conquest the Manor of Hampton belonged toAelfgar, Earl of Mercia, but indicated that, as Aelfgar had not passed his lands to his son Edwin upon his death in 1062, they were instead held by King Harold at the time of theNorman Invasion.[d][17]
The nameHampton may come from theAnglo-Saxon wordshamm meaning an enclosure in the bend of a river andton meaning farmstead or settlement.[18][e]Hamntone is recorded in the Domesday Book,[f] the entry listing 41 villagers and 4 smallholders (accounting for households comprising ~200 individuals) occupying 35hides, each comprising the area that could be ploughed by eight oxen in a year (~120 acres, or ~4,200 acres total). Thedemesne (lands belonging to the lord of the manor) comprised 18 hides tilled by only 3 ploughs, indicating it was used mostly for sheep pasture.[19] The other 17villanes (hides leased to serfs) each had a plough, suggesting cultivation. The entry also recorded a substantial meadow (for the provision of hay for plough animals) and a significant fishery.[20][21][g]
The Domesday Book records the total annual value of the estate in 1086 (used to calculate how much tax the lord should be charged) as 39 pounds. The assessed 1086 value was 9 poundsless than prior to the conquest, attributed to the devastation caused by Norman forces on their circuitous route around London as they sought its subjugation.[23][24]
After the Conquest the Manors of Hampton andIsleworth (comprising thehundred ofHounslow) were granted toWalter of Saint-Valéry, from whose home town inFlanders,Saint Valery-sur-Somme,William had sailed in 1066.[h][25] Walter probably never resided in Middlesex, and he and his heirs were active participants in theFirst andSecond Crusades.[26] In 1189 the estate passed toThomas de St Valerie, who, as a baron in the "extraordinarily difficult" position of holding large possessions on both sides of theEnglish Channel in the time ofMagna Carta and therebellion againstKing John, appears to have taken the precaution of severing the two holdings—transferring the Manor of Hampton to Henry de St Albans, a London merchant, and the Manor of Isleworth to his daughter Annora's husband,Robert III of Dreux—at some point before the 1217Battle of Lincoln (in which he was implicated and ultimately exiled).[27] The Manor of Hampton transferred from the hundred ofHounslow to that ofSpelthorne in the late 12th or early 13th century.[28]
The Manor was acquired in 1237 by theOrder of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (known as theKnights Hospitaller). ABenedictine order charged with the care anddefence of theHoly Land,[i] the Knights Hospitaller operated from headquarters onRhodes, using their holdings in England (received via bequests from returningCrusaders) to fund their operations. The Order became established in Hampton around 1180[j] (probably by a gift from Reginald St Valery[k]), and by 1237 owned a house and sheep pasture on the site of present-dayHampton Court Palace.[26] In 1338, the Order commissioned a financial survey of its possessions in England, which showed the Manor of Hampton comprising 800 acres ofdemesne (rented arable land), 40 acres of meadow by the Thames, pasture for 24 oxen, 18 cows, 10 store cattle and 2000 sheep, a fish weir and a pigeon house.[30]
The Knights Hospitallers developed their estate at Hampton Court into one of the largest and best-appointed of their manors in England, and it was frequently used by the royal court as alternative accommodation toSheen Palace (the royal palace on the Thames atRichmond),[l] and as a way station and guest house for visitors en route to theroyal manor at Byfleet on theRiver Wye (constructed byEdward II in the early 14th century).[31]
The destruction by fire of Sheen Palace in 1497 saw the royal court move to Hampton Court. In 1500 theLord ChamberlainSir Giles Daubeney ordered that 300 acres of the demesne near Hampton be enclosed for hunting, taking out a lease for the entire manor in 1505. After his death in 1508, the lease passed to Sir Giles' wife, who allowed it to lapse.Cardinal Wolsey purchased the lease from the Knights Hospitaller in 1514, and continued development of the site into thehistoric palace ultimately acquired byHenry VIII after Wolsey's demise in 1530.[32]
The 1534Act of Supremacy enshriningHenry VIII as supreme head of theChurch of England saw theexpropriation of Catholic properties throughout England. The Knights Hospitallers Order was formerly dissolved by an Act of Parliament in 1540 and the manor annexed by the Crown.[33] In 1536 Henry acquired part ofTeddington from theAbbot of Westminster, enclosing the land for hunting. In 1537 Henry emparked the arable land around Upper Lodge and ordered the construction of brick walls from Hampton Court to Teddington and Hampton Wick. The boundaries of modern-dayBushy Park were set in 1620 with the addition of the Hampton Eastfield (nearest the town).[34][35]
The supply of water for the ever-increasing population of the royal complex at Hampton Court had been problematic since the time Wolsey had first taken the Hospitallers' lease,[m][36] but it was not untilCharles I ordered the construction of acanal connecting theRiver Colne to the Thames via Hampton Court that thepalace secured a steady supply for its household and expanding water features. Designed by Nicholas Lane, thecanal started atLongford on theColne, and was built swiftly in 1638–39, cutting throughFeltham,Hanworth,Hounslow Heath, and the north Hampton heath on its route to Bushy Park. Initially unpopular for blocking roads and dividing parishes, the original river (variously known as the Cardinal's, Queen's or King's River) was poorly made and prone to flooding. Protesters dammed the river in 1649 and the river fell into disuse and ran dry during theProtectorate. After theRestoration,Charles II sought to replicate in Bushy Park thegarden atVersailles, establishing the Long Water in Home Park as a wedding present forCatherine of Braganza, and thus ordered theLongford River restored.[37][38]
Between 1500 and 1700 the population of Hampton and Hampton Wick grew from 300–350 to 1100–1200.[39] This growth came despite regular outbreaks ofplague in London, which both culled the citizenry and swelled the population of Hampton with the migration of London citizens out of the city.[40] In 1603, 99 of the 119 deaths recorded among Hampton's 400-500 inhabitants were attributed toplague, compared to 11 total deaths the previous year.[41][42]
All the villages around Hampton Court are infected, and I found yesterday, I, the Duke of Verneuil, while having my walk along the main road, the body of a man who had just died of plague.
In the Christmas of 1603-04 the newly crownedJames I moved his court toHampton Court Palace to escape the outbreak that had blighted London (and Hampton) that summer,[44] before hosting theconference of bishops and clerics (also postponed due to plague) which would commission theBook of Common Prayer and theKing James Version of the Bible.[45] In July 1665 the court ofCharles II escaped London to Hampton Court after an escalating outbreak of plague in the spring (which would come to be known as "The Great Plague"), but would be forced to move again to Oxford in September after the infection reached Hampton.[46]
| Hampton Inclosure Act 1811 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act for inclosing Lands in the Parish of Hampton, in the County of Middlesex. |
| Citation | 51 Geo. 3. c. cxxxviii |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 31 May 1811 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
Hampton's transition from medieval manor to privately owned land and housing began with the passage of theHampton Inclosure Act 1811 (51 Geo. 3. c. cxxxviii),[47] which led to the parcelling and enclosure of common land, and a steady increase in population. The rapid growth and urbanisation of19th-century London saw agricultural production pushed out to the city's perimeter. Land in north Hampton which had been used for grazing and farming was enclosed and, after unsuccessful attempts at residential development,[n][48] was converted to market gardens and nurseries to service the increased demand from London markets.[49]
Having last been used as a royal residence byGeorge II,Queen Victoria opened the State Apartments ofHampton Court Palace to the general public in 1838, displaying artworks from theRoyal Collection. The 1840-46 restoration and redecoration of the Great Hall[o] saw the palace became a major tourist attraction. Visitor numbers increased further following the opening of theHampton Court branch line (off theLondon and Southampton Railway mainline) in 1849 (seeHampton Court Palace).[50]
The passage of theMetropolis Water Act 1852 made it unlawful for any water company to extract water for domestic use from the tidal reaches of the Thames (i.e. belowTeddington Lock). This led to theSouthwark and Vauxhall,Grand Junction andWest Middlesex water companies to jointly construct water works on the Thames at Hampton, between theSunbury andMolesey Locks, which began operations in 1855, and became a major employer (seeHampton Water Treatment Works).[51]
TheShepperton branch line, includingHampton andFulwell stations, was opened in 1864, and electrified in 1916. The curve of the railway line would come to define the suburb of Hampton distinct from the original village, but did not immediately lead to an increase in population (unlike neighbouring Teddington).[52] The 'New Street' (now Station Road) was developed along the route of a historic trackway to link Hampton Station to the village.[53] The area around the station between the railway line and the water works began to be developed for housing in the 1880s and 1890s, and was occupied primarily byMetropolitan Water Board staff and their families.[54][p]
Hampton recorded a population[a] of 1,722 in theCensus of 1801, rising to 3,134 in theCensus of 1851, and 9,220 in theCensus of 1911. The passage of theLocal Government Act 1858 allowed for the creation of electedLocal Boards, which, unlikecivil parishes, had the power to borrow money against future revenue, allowing for capital projects. Hampton residents initially voted in 1865 against establishing a Local Board, but after being subsumed into the Kingston RuralSanitary Authority in 1872, voted in favour of establishment in 1884. Permission was however denied on the basis of Hampton being too small an area, and a Local Board was not created for Hampton until 1890. The Board converted to anUrban District Council in 1895, and established its office in Rosehill in 1902 (seeRosehill and Hampton Library).[55]
St Mary's Church had been demolished in 1829 and replaced by the present larger building in 1831, at which time the parish ofHampton Wick was separately established.[q][56] The parish of Hampton was further divided with the establishment of the parish ofSt James's Hampton Hill in 1863,[r][57] and the parish ofAll Saints' in 1929 following the consecration of All Saints Church in 1908.[58]
Hampton developed into its current form of a residential suburb ofLondon over the course of the late 19th and 20th centuries, as the families of professional workers settled withincommuting distance of the city, and demand for local shops and services grew.[59] A police station was first opened in Hampton in c1840, and moved into purpose-built premises at 12 Station Road in 1846 (with an inspector and 9 constables[60]). A "new and more commodious" Police Station was opened at 68 Station Road in 1905.[61][62] Hampton fire station was built in 1897.[53]London United Tramways extended its network from Twickenham to Hampton, Hampton Court, East Twickenham (west ofRichmond Bridge) andTeddington in 1903.[63]
Following the outbreak of theGreat War recruitment drives were held by both services on Hampton Court Green in the summer of 1915.[s] A mass meeting on Hampton Court Road in June 1916 calling for government action regardingaliens was followed later that month by a meeting of 5,000 people on Hampton Court Green calling for the internment of all Germans and Austrians. St Mary's Hospital was used throughout the war as a military hospital, and the Whitehall Hotel[t] was converted to a military hospital in January 1917. Food shortages led to the ploughing and cultivation of fields in Bushy Park, and allotments established in Nine-Acre Field in Percy Road and other open land throughout Hampton.[64]
Suburban development of the area bound north of the railway line took place mostly during theInterwar period:[u][65] the streetplan laid out generally following old lanes and field boundaries.[v][66] The commercial centre of Hampton also gravitated away from the original triangle of streets around St Mary's Church to along Station Road near Hampton Station, as the increased popularity of the motor car led to increased traffic (and associated dust, mud, noise) along the road between Sunbury and Kingston.[67][68] The Electric Theatre opened in 1912 on Station Road, seating 400.[w] RenamedThe Palaceum in the 1920s, it operated until 1938.[69][70]Hampton Pool was built in 1922 (on land previously occupied by the Hampton and Hampton Hill Rifle Club) after plans approved in 1914 were delayed due to the outbreak of theWorld War I (seeHampton Pool).
The four storey telephone exchange on High Street near St Mary's was built in 1927 as a replacement for the original telephone exchange at Manor Road inMolesey (hence known as the Molesey Telephone Exchange).[71][72] The exchange switched from manual operation toSubscriber Trunk Dialling in the 1960s, and an additional building constructed on the other side of Old Farm Passage[x] ini 1982. The exchange was enabled for ADSL broadband internet in 2000, and the newer building demolished in 2001.[y][73][74][75]
Preparations by the Borough of Twickenham for the outbreak of hostilities in theSecond World War began in 1936,[76] and a public meeting held to discuss the enlistment ofAir Raid Precaution (ARP) wardens held in the Public Hall on Church Street on 30 November that year.[77]Anderson shelters were distributed to houses in Hampton, and public shelters constructed,[z] during 1939-1940. Three air-raid rescue parties (out of 11 for the Borough) were established in Oldfield Road.[78]
The first bomb to fall on the Borough in theBattle of Britain fell on 153 Tudor Road in the first night attack on London on 24 August 1940,[79][80] and properties throughout Hampton were damaged and destroyed asbombing continued through 1940. On 7 October a high-explosive bomb landing in Warfield Road demolished most of the houses on Station Road between theWorlds End andRailway Inn pubs, killing four.[81] Four nights later a high-explosive bomb damaged another five neighbouring shops[aa] on Station Road.[82] On the night of 7 November Hampton was hit by 8 high-explosive bombs,[ab] killing six people.[83]
In 1944, Bushy Park was a huge, mainlyUS military base. One sunny morning in June we were cycling through the park, past lines of American tents. Nearby was a sandbagged gun emplacement with an anti aircraft gun inside. As we neared it, a soldier rushed out and wound a warning siren denoting imminent danger. A few seconds later we saw and heard a V1 coming straight toward us. The gun crew started elevating the gun to fire at the V1. Just then an officer rushed out of the tent and shouted,"Don't fire at the goddamned thing – let it go over and hit some other poor sons of bitches – get in the ditch and take those boys with you." As we dived into the ditch, the V1's engine cut out ...
— David Fisher (Hampton Grammar schoolboy), June 1944[84]
In 1944V1 flying bombs and laterV2 rockets either passed over or landed in or near Hampton (their distinctive noises recorded in residents' diaries)[ac]. On 19 June 1944 two V1 bombs landed in Hampton, one nearHampton Grammar School (breaking two panes of glass), the other falling into a reservoir at theHampton Water Treatment Works blowing out the windows of the nearby Grange building.[ad][85] On 7 January 1945, a V2 rocket was heard to pass over Hampton and land inTeddington.[86]
VE Day celebrations were held inCarlisle Park, with dancing from 8 to 11 pm; a drumhead service[ae] was held on Sunday 9 June, and children's events on 10 June, culminating with fireworks.[87]
Post-warausterity and recovery meant construction activity in Hampton focussed on the immediate needs of house rebuilding and repair, with construction of new roads and housing not returning to pre-war levels until the mid-1950s.[88] The 1970s and 1980s saw the demolition and regeneration of significant parts of Hampton, including land occupied by the nurseries, and derelict properties along the riverfront.
The Hampton nurseries had begun to face competition in the 1960s from overseas and domestic produce sourced using refrigeration,air freight and cheaper labour, and by the 1970s had become uncompetitive and increasingly derelict. After a lengthy planning process,[89] work to develop the area into the Nurserylands Housing estate began in 1980, with 48 new roads built by 1989.[90] TheSainsbury's 'superstore' built on the site of the St Clare's nursery in 1989-90 was at the time the largest built by Sainsbury's in the UK.[af][91] The population of Hampton North / Hampton Nursery rose from 3,977 to 6,426 between the1981[92] and1991[93] Censuses.
During the 1970s several historic Thames Street properties backing onto the river became derelict, partly due to the planning blight associated with proposals to construct an elevated road along the riverside,[ag], and were successively demolished during the 1980s.Spring Grove, constructed in the 1760s by the Clerk of Works atHampton Court Palace on the site of the original conduit house supplying the palace, was demolished in 1981, having fallen into disrepair and despite repeated proposals for restoration.[ah]St Albans, an imposingRestoration-era riverside property on Hampton Court Road, had been bequeathed to the Borough of Twickenham upon the death of the owner in 1961,[ai] but inaction on the part of the Council saw the property fall into disrepair and become unstable, and the property was demolished in February 1972.[aj] The gardens of St Albans are retained asSt Albans Riverside.[94][95]
The population of Hampton in the2021 Census was recorded as 27,307,[a] with 77.4% recording the United Kingdom as their country of birth.[3] During theCOVID-19 pandemic, 52% of Hampton residents in employment recorded in the 2021 Census that they worked mainly from home, compared to 32% for England,[96] reflecting Hampton's status as a commuter suburb.
Hampton stands on the north bank of a bend in theRiver Thames, and has a close historical association with the river as a trading post, commercial/industrial centre, and recreation destination.
Boatyards and slipways have led down to the river from the village for centuries. Benn's boathouse on Thames Street was reputed to have been built before 1704 (being demolished in 1946-7[97] and merging with Constable's boatyard next door).[98]
Platt's Eyot was the site of multiple boatyards during the 19th and 20th centuries. Thomas Tagg constructed the first boatyard on the island's eastern end in 1866, with German electric engine builderMoritz Immisch taking over the site to build electric launches from 1888. In 1904 shipbuilderJohn Isaac Thornycroft established theHampton Launch Works, generating cabin cruisers and pleasure craft, including world water speed record holderMiss England III. During wartime, production shifted: to torpedo-carrying motor launches in the First World War, and constructingmotor torpedo boats, motor launches andlanding craft during theSecond World War.[99]
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In the 19th century the growth of the Londonmiddle class, increase in leisure time (assisted by the passage of theBank Holidays Act 1871), and the extension of rail and tram networks to London's perimeter, saw attractions on the Thames become destinations for mass recreation. Rowing became a popular activity from the mid-19th century and Hampton Reach came to host regular regattas (seeRowing). Significant numbers of day-trippers would travel by river, tram and rail to visit Hampton Court Palace after it was opened to the public (with free admission) in 1838 (seeHampton Court Palace).Tagg's Island became the site of multiple resort hotel developments, culminating with the grandKarsino Hotel in 1913.[101] As Henry Ripley wrote in 1883:[102]
And what a view it is that strikes the observer when at length he reaches the "Bell" Hill, especially if he makes its first acquaintance at the close of a fine summer's day! ... The fishing punts moored in the Deeps, the numerous sailing-craft (chiefly claiming affinity with the Thames Valley Sailing Club) cruising merrily about, the countless row-boats with their gay and merry occupants, the constant relays of steam-launches, ruining the fishing and river banks, and keeping timid oarsmen in perpetual fear and dread, the noisy tugs, churning the river into masses of foam as they haul in their wakes long strings of heavily-laden barges, the picturesque picnic parties on Garrick's Eyot, with the comfortable-looking and gaily-decked house-boats moored under its banks; all those features (to begin with) form a picture that rivets the eye and impresses the mind at once.
— Henry Ripley, The History and Topography of Hampton-on-Thames, 1883
Hampton comprisesPlatt's Eyot,Benn's Island andTagg's Island, but historically also includesGarrick's Ait andAsh Island.
Platt's Eyot is a large island opposite theHampton Water Treatment Works. Historicallywillow was cultivated on the island forosiers, with the island becoming the site of multiple boatyards and light industry in the late 19th and 20th centuries (seeIndustry). In 1910, the height of the island's western end was augmented by fill from the excavation of theStain Hill Reservoirs. The island was connected to the north bank of the Thames by a pedestrian bridge in 1941. Boat building ceased in the 1960s and the boatsheds reverted to light industrial use, including being used as music studios.[103] The boatyards were largely destroyed by fire in 2021.
Benn's Island is a small uninhabited island close to the Hampton riverbank below St Mary's Church. In the 19th century the island was occupied by the Thames Valley Sailing Club (since relocated toSunbury Lock Ait), and since 1945 has been leased by the Hampton Sailing Club.
Tagg's Island is an inhabited private island surrounded by 62 houseboats in a self-styled community of artists and creatives. Historically, the island has been the site of multiple hotel and resort developments, including the Island Hotel established by Thomas Tagg (after whom the island is named), the famousKarsino built by impresarioFred Karno, which, following Karno's bankruptcy, became known as the Thames Riveria under various owners. The island was bought by car manufacturerAC Cars in 1940, who converted the skating rink and tennis courts into factory space for wartime munitions, and later,Invacars for the Ministry of Pensions. The hotel was demolished in 1971. In 1980 houseboat owners Gerry and Gillian Braban bought the island, excavating a lagoon in the centre of the island (increasing the number of houseboats by 20) and rebuilding a road bridge to the north bank.
Hampton Ferry has linked Hampton to the south bank of the Thames at Hurst Park,Molesey since at least 1514, and reputedly since the time of theDomesday book.[53]
A ferry had also operated linking Hampton Court to present-day East Molesey since the Tudor period, with a bridge first constructed on the site in 1753. The present-day Hampton Court Bridge, opened in 1933, is the fourth iteration.
Hampton lies on the River Thames upstream ofMolesey Lock and downstream ofSunbury Lock.
TheRiver Thames has always been a key waterway for the supply of goods along its banks and in and out of London. In the 19th century, barges carrying up to 200 tons of material, hauled by men or horses along tow paths, were a common sight along the Hampton/Molesey Reach and an integral part of the river economy. But as river traffic increased, thead hoc wooden weirs and dams constructed to maintain the river level became unsatisfactory. A lock was first proposed to manage the shallows at "Kenton Hedge and Sundbury Flatts above" in 1802, but it was not until 1812 that Parliament passed an Act for the construction of a lock, and Molesey Lock was completed in 1815. There had been a weir atSunbury to divert water for better navigation since 1789, and the first lock was opened in 1812. The lock was rebuilt downstream in 1856 after the Hampton Water Treatment Works were built. A second lock was opened in 1927.[104][105]
The Hampton Water Treatment Works, currently owned and operated byThames Water, occupy a 66 hectare site located between theA308 Upper Sunbury Road and the Thames. The Waterworks were constructed in the late 1850s and 1860s as a joint venture of three London water companies, after the passage of the1852 Metropolis Water Act[106] which made it unlawful to take drinking water from the tidal Thames belowTeddington Lock because of the amount of sewage in the tidal river. The original works were designed byJoseph Quick and J.W. Restler, and the site comprises filter beds and four massive engine pump houses constructed inGault brick, with large arched windows and decorative balustrades.[107] The Waterworks was in the past a significant local employer, and its brick pumphouses dominate the local landscape.[53] The Waterworks currently has a maximum output of 700 megalitres a day, and supplies about 30% of London's fresh water.[108]
David Garrick, a renowned 18th century actor and playwright, purchased Hampton House, an established country house facing the Thames on the road to Hampton Court, in 1754. Numerous alterations were made to the house during Garrick's residence by theneoclassical architectRobert Adam, including an imposing portico, the building of anorangery and the construction of a tunnel under the road to connect with his riverside lawn. The house became known asGarrick's Villa, and receivedGrade I listing in 1952.[109]
In 1755 Garrick commissioned an (unknown) architect to construct a gardenfolly as a temple to his muse,William Shakespeare. The architect designed an octagonal domed building modelled on thePantheon in theClassical style with anIonicportico, to be constructed in the villa's riverside garden. The temple's interior was furnished as a shrine to Shakespeare, exhibiting Garrick's collection of Shakespearean relics, and used by Garrick quite place to study, learn lines and entertain guests. Garrick's collection was sold on the death of his widow, but the temple was preserved and restored,[110] becoming known asGarrick's Temple to Shakespeare, and also receiving Grade I listing in 1952.[111] Garrick's Temple is now a museum, concert venue and educational facility, open to the public on Sunday afternoons in the summer.[112]
Cardinal Wolsey began construction in 1514 of a royal palace on the site of Hampton Court formerly occupied by the Knights Hospitaller, which was continued and expanded byHenry VIII after Wolsey's demise in 1530.Hampton Court Palace went on to become a centre of royal power in theTudor period. The palace underwent extensive renovation in theBaroque style during the reign ofWilliam III, designed byChristopher Wren.Queen Victoria opened the palace to the public in 1838 and the site became and remains a major tourist attraction. The palace is managed today byHistoric Royal Palaces, an independent charity.[113]
A cannon in Roy Grove marks the Hampton end of the baseline measured in 1784 by GeneralWilliam Roy in preparation of theAnglo-French Survey (1784–1790) to measure the relative situation ofGreenwich Observatory andParis Observatory.[114] This high precision survey was the forerunner of thePrincipal Triangulation of Great Britain which commenced in 1791, one year after Roy's death. In the report of the operation Roy gives the locations of the ends of the baseline as Hampton Poor-house and King's Arbour.[115] The latter lies with the confines ofHeathrow Airport. The exact end points of the baseline were originally made by two vertical pipes which carried flag-poles but in 1791, when the base was remeasured, the ends were marked by two cannons sunk into the ground.
Rosehill is a prominent 18th century Grade II Listed stock-brick built house on the Upper Sunbury Road. Built for the celebrated 18th century tenorJohn Beard, it was purchased by theUrban District Council (UDC) in 1902 and used as Council Offices and Library until 1937 when Hampton Council was joined withTwickenham andTeddington, and the whole house was given over for use as the Hampton Library.[116] The building sports blue plaques for former residents, the singerJohn Beard andWilliam Ewart MP, the Politician behind thePublic Libraries Act 1850.
The oldest buildings and most longstanding businesses in Hampton are current and former pubs and inns. These include:[117]
Hampton Youth Project is a youth centre established in Tangley Park in 1990. Built in a converted coach depot on the Nurserylands Estate it offers a wide programme of activities for those aged 11–19.
The Beveree Wildlife Site to the north of Station Road is aSite of Local Importance for Nature Conservation. It is a small secluded area of green open space, mixed woodland, self-seeded fruit trees, scrub, two small meadows, and orchard trees.[53]
In the park ofSt Albans Riverside beside the bridge leading toTagg's Island is asundial, "a globe with numbered longitude fins and tropic latitudes, resting on three balls, all upon a bell-shaped base" designed by David Harber.
Hampton Cemetery is acemetery on Hollybush Lane in Hampton. The cemetery was opened in 1879, and fourteenCommonwealth servicemembers ofWorld War I and seven ofWorld War II are buried in the cemetery.
Hampton & Richmond Borough F.C. are a semi-professional club playing at step 2 ofNon-League football in theNational League South. The club has played at Beveree Stadium (capacity: 3,500) since 1959.
TwickenhamRugby Football Club can trace its establishment to 1867, and moved to its current home ground at Parkfields west of Hampton in 1930.[118]
Hampton's first cricket club, the Royal Clarence Cricket Club, was founded in 1828. Sponsored by its patron theDuke of Clarence, the club played its matches on what is nowHurst Park inMolesey.[119][120]
Hampton Hill Cricket Club was established in 1855 (as New Hampton Cricket Club) and moved to its present ground in Bushy Park in 1890. The club also plays atCarlisle Park in Hampton.[121]
The River Thames widens at Hampton Reach, and the prevailing south-westerly breeze over Hurst Park makes the river an attractive venue for sailing.Benn's Island was occupied by the Thames Valley Sailing Club in the 19th century, and since 1945 has been leased by the Hampton Sailing Club, which operates a clubhouse and boatyard. The club's racing course runs from upstream of Platt's Eyot down to Tagg's Island.[122]
AWatermen's Regatta was first run at Hampton in 1835, and which ran until 1910, becoming an informal entertainment (including water jousting and canoe polo) in its final years.[123]
Molesey Boat Club has operated theMolesey Regatta since 1867. For much of its early history, the race course finished downriver fromGarrick's Temple, with crowds and officials massing onGarrick's Lawn.[124] The current race course follows an 850-metre course starting upstream ofPlatt's Eyot and finishing opposite the Waterworks and Hurst Park.[125]
The rowing clubs ofHampton School andLady Eleanor Holles School jointly operate the Millennium Boathouse, opposite the upstream end ofPlatt's Eyot on the north bank of the Thames. Both clubs have produced multiple British school champions, competitors in theOxford and Cambridge Boat Race, and international representatives.
Originally founded as the Westel Club in 1970, Hampton Canoe Club has operated from the old pumping station at Bell Hill since 1990.[126]
Thames Turbo Triathlon Club was established in 2012, and is based at Hampton Pool. The Club runs an annualtriathlon on the first Bank Holiday Monday in May, with the swim leg at Hampton Pool, the cycle course along Hampton Court Road/Lower Sunbury Road/B375 fromHampton Court toDumsey Meadow, and the run leg inBushy Park. The Club also runs an annual junioraquathlon atLady Eleanor Holles School in June.[127]
Hampton Heated Open Air Pool and Gym near Bushy Park was built in 1922 after plans approved in 1914 were delayed due to the outbreak of theFirst World War. A diving pit and filtration system was added in 1939, and the pool widened in 1961. The pool was closed by the council in 1980 due to financial reasons, and re-opened with community support in 1985, with management transferred to a dedicated charity.[128][129]
Following the outbreak of theFranco-Prussian war someImpressionist artists sought refuge in England.[130] Anglo-French Impressionist painterAlfred Sisley came to England in 1874 at the invitation of baritoneJean-Baptist Faure, settling in Hampton Court in the summer and painting a series of paintings along the banks of theRiver Thames around Hampton Court andMolesey.Regatta at Molesey near Hampton Court features theMolesey Regatta, with the recently constructed Island Hotel visible onTagg's Island in the background.The Thames with Hampton Church shows the view up river from Molesey towards Hampton, featuringSt Mary's Church andGarrick's Temple to Shakespeare.[131] French Impressionist painterCamille Pissarro first visited London in 1870, and made further visits throughout his lifetime. During a short visit to visit his son George in May–June 1890 Pissarro painted six canvases of various London outdoor scenes (includingCharing Cross Bridge[132],Old Chelsea Bridge[133] andPrimrose Hill, London[134]). Among these works wasHampton Court Green, depicting a cricket match on the green.
The 1857 novelThe Three Clerks byAnthony Trollope is set in Hampton, which was then a village on the western outskirts of London.
There are still, however, some nooks within reach of the metropolis which have not been be-villaged and be-terraced out of all look of rural charm, and the little village of Hampton, with its old-fashioned country inn, and its bright, quiet, grassy river, is one of them...
— Anthony Trollope, The Three Clerks
Hampton features in twoCharles Dickens novels. InOliver Twist, Oliver and Bill Sikes stop in a public house in Hampton on their way to the planned burglary in Chertsey.
They turned round to the left, a short way past the public-house; and then, taking a right-hand road, walked on for a long time: passing many large gardens and gentlemen's houses on both sides of the way, and stopping for nothing but a little beer, until they reached a town. Here against the wall of a house, Oliver saw written up in pretty large letters, "Hampton." They lingered about, in the fields, for some hours. At length, they came back into the town; and, turning into an old public-house with a defaced sign-board, ordered some dinner by the kitchen fire.
— Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist
InNicholas Nickleby, Sir Mulberry Hawk and Lord Frederick visit the 'Hampton Races', which refers to a racecourse at 'Moulsey Hurst'.
The little race-course at Hampton was in the full tide and height of its gaiety; the day as dazzling as day could be; the sun high in the cloudless sky, and shining in its fullest splendour. Every gaudy colour that fluttered in the air from carriage seat and garish tent op, shone out in its gaudiest hues. Old dingy flags grew newagain, faded gilding was re-burnished, stained rotten canvas looked a snowy white, the very beggars' rags were freshened up, and sentiment quite forgot its charity in its fervent admiration of poverty so picturesque.
— Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby
H.G. Wells moved toWoking in 1895 after his marriage to Catherine Robbins. Wells planned and wroteThe War of the Worlds while living in Woking, which mentions Hampton Court in Chapter 14 of Part I:
There's hosts of people driving into Kingston in traps and carts and things, with boxes of valuables and all that,” he said. “They come from Molesey and Weybridge and Walton, and they say there's been guns heard at Chertsey, heavy firing, and that mounted soldiers have told them to get off at once because the Martians are coming. We heard guns firing at Hampton Court station, but we thought it was thunder. What the dickens does it all mean? The Martians can't get out of their pit, can they?” My brother could not tell him.
— H.G. Wells, War of the Worlds
In 1936,T.S. Eliot sought respite from the intrigues of London's literary circles (and his wifeVivien) by holing up at the Bell Inn in Hampton, writing to his editor John Hayward under the nom-de-plume 'White Cargo'.[135] Eliot's residence at the Bell Inn led to a reference inOld Possum's Book of Practical Cats.
His bucko mate, Grumbuskin, long since had disappeared,For the Bell at Hampton he had gone to wet his beard;
And his bosun, Tumblebrutus, he too had stol'n away-
In the yard behind the Lion he was prowling for his prey.
— T.S. Eliot, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
Hampton is also mentioned in humoristJerome K. Jerome'sThree Men in a Boat.
In24: Live Another Day terrorist Margot Al-Harazi's first hideout is stated to be in Hampton.
Serial killerLevi Bellfield murdered Marsha McDonnell near her home in Hampton on 4 February 2003.
The streetscape on Station Road, Hampton near the old Police Station has been used as a backdrop for TV series includingFleabag[136] andThe Gold.[137]
Thegraveyard within thechurchyard ofSt Mary's Church holds the tombs and graves ofvarious notable individuals from the 17th to 20th centuries.
As a predominantly residential suburb, Hampton has a significant number of primary and secondary schools.
Church buildings are a significant presence in the area, with thelisted St Mary's Church and St James's Church standing out against the surrounding 20th century housing.
Local churches include:
The Christian churches in Hampton and Hampton Hill work together as Churches Together around Hampton.[165]
In keeping with its lack ofhigh rise buildings, the district has no dual carriageways, its main routes theA308 andA312, have in their busiest sections an additional filter or bus lane.
Bus routes that serve Hampton are the111,216,R68 andR70. The411 and285 serve Hampton Court and Hampton Hill respectively.[166]
Hampton railway station is towards the south-west and by the main parades of shops on either side of the line; just north of Hampton Hill isFulwell railway station; both are on theShepperton Branch Line. Just south of Hampton Court neighbourhood, clustered about theTudor, Stuart and Georgian Palace and Gardens isHampton Court railway station on theHampton Court branch line.Hampton Wick railway station is on theKingston loop line. The London terminus for both lines isLondon Waterloo.
| Climate data for Hampton Water Works - Climate Station (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.5 (47.3) | 8.9 (48.0) | 11.5 (52.7) | 14.7 (58.5) | 18.0 (64.4) | 20.9 (69.6) | 23.2 (73.8) | 22.8 (73.0) | 19.8 (67.6) | 15.7 (60.3) | 11.6 (52.9) | 8.9 (48.0) | 15.4 (59.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.9 (37.2) | 2.8 (37.0) | 4.1 (39.4) | 6.0 (42.8) | 9.0 (48.2) | 12.0 (53.6) | 14.1 (57.4) | 14.0 (57.2) | 11.5 (52.7) | 8.8 (47.8) | 5.6 (42.1) | 3.3 (37.9) | 7.9 (46.2) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 57.5 (2.26) | 44.1 (1.74) | 37.5 (1.48) | 40.6 (1.60) | 42.1 (1.66) | 48.9 (1.93) | 43.3 (1.70) | 55.5 (2.19) | 49.9 (1.96) | 65.8 (2.59) | 66.0 (2.60) | 57.2 (2.25) | 608.5 (23.96) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 1 mm) | 11.2 | 9.6 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 7.8 | 8.3 | 7.3 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 10.4 | 11.0 | 10.6 | 109.5 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 56.8 | 78.0 | 120.4 | 168.0 | 202.9 | 203.2 | 212.8 | 196.4 | 153.5 | 111.8 | 64.2 | 50.8 | 1,618.9 |
| Source:Met Office[167] | |||||||||||||
Barnfield, Paul (2001).When the Bombs Fell: Twickenham, Teddington and the Hamptons under Aerial Bombardment during the Second World War. Paper 80. London: Borough of Twickenham Local History Society.ISBN 0903341735.
Batey, Mavis; Buttery, Henrietta; Lambert, David; Wilkie, Kim (1994).Arcadian Thames: The River Landscape from Hampton to Kew. London: Barn Elms.ISBN 1899531009.
Calabria, Verusca; Carney, Sarah (2014),"Hampton Nurserylands Factsheet"(PDF),Jam Yesterday, Jam Tomorrow – History of Market Gardens in Middlesex, retrieved25 August 2023
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Fowler, G. Herbert (1914)."De St Valery".Genealogist.XXX:1–17 – via archive.org.
Garside, Bernard (1951).The Manor Lordship and Great Parks of Hampton Court during the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries (with a description of Hampton Wick Fields and the Thames Islands). Richmond: Dimblebys of Richmond.
Gover, J. E. B.; Mawer, Allen; Stenton, F. M. (1942).The Place-Names of Middlesex apart from the City of London. English Place-Name Society. Vol. XVIII. London: Cambridge University Press.
Hawkins, Duncan (Autumn 1998)."Anglo-Saxon Kingston: A Shifting Pattern of Settlement"(PDF).London Archaeologist.VIII (10):271–278.
Heath, Gerald (1981).A Chronicle of Hampton 1956–1981. London: Hampton Residents' Association.
Heath, Gerald (2000). White, Kathy; Heath, Joan (eds.).Hampton Court: the story of a village. Hampton Court Association.ISBN 978-0953870004.
Historic England (2022).London Borough of Richmond – Archaeological Priority Areas Appraisal. London: Historic England.
Hodges, N. J .M.; Latham, E (1991).Hampton Village Study (Conservation Area no. 12) Hampton Court Green Study (Conservation Area no. 11)(PDF). London: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.
Hugo, Thomas (1861).The History of Mynchin Buckland Priory and Preceptory, in the County of Somerset. London: J.R. Smith.
Kelsall, A. F. (1972).St. Albans, Hampton. Paper 25. London: Borough of Twickenham Local History Society.
Larking, Rev Lambert (1857).The Knights hospitallers in England: being the report of prior Philip de Thame to the grand master Elyan de Villanova for A. D. 1338. Ed. by the Rev. Lambert b. Larking, M. A., with an historical introduction by John Mitchell Kemble, M. A.(PDF). Camden Society.
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames (2022),Hampton Village: Draft Conservation Appraisal Conversation Area No 12, retrieved27 August 2023
Museum of London Archaeology Service (2000).The archaeology of Greater London: An assessment of archaeological evidence for human presence in the area now covered by Greater London(PDF). London: Museum of London Archaeology Service.ISBN 1-901992-15-2.
Orton, Margery, ed. (1965).The Birth and Growth of Hampton Hill. Kingston upon Thames: The Parochial Church Council of St. James's Church.
Page, William, ed. (1911).A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 2, General; Ashford, East Bedfont With Hatton, Feltham, Hampton With Hampton Wick, Hanworth, Laleham, Littleton. London: British History Online.
Phillips, Geoffrey (1981).Thames Crossings: Bridges, Tunnels and Ferries. London: David & Charles Inc.ISBN 0715382020.
Reynolds, Susan, ed. (1962).A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3, Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington. London: British History Online.
Rice, Ken (2009).Hampton Grammar School in wartime 1939–1945. Hampton: Hampton School.ISBN 9780952211310.
Ripley, Henry (1883).The History and Topography of Hampton-on-Thames. London: Wyman & Sons.
Russell, Gareth (2023).The Palace: From the Tudors to the Windsors – 500 Years of History at Hampton Court. London: William Collins.ISBN 9780008436988.
Sargent, Andrew (2015).The Story of the Thames. Stroud: Amberley Publishing.ISBN 9781445646626.
Sheaf, John; Howe, Ken (1995).Hampton and Teddington Past. London: Historical Publications.ISBN 0948667257.
Sheaf, John (1997).Edwardian Hampton: The story of Hampton and Hampton Hill from 1900–1914. Paper 76. London: Borough of Twickenham Local History Society.
Sheaf, John (2005).Hampton 1915–1937: The story of Hampton from the First World War to the amalgamation with the Borough of Twickhenham. Paper 86. London: Borough of Twickenham Local History Society.
Sheaf, John (2014).The Changing Face of Station Road, Hampton – Developments in the Area since the 1860s and a Short History of Every Building in Station Road. Paper 93. London: Borough of Twickenham Local History Society.ISBN 9780903341929.
Sheaf, John (2015).Hampton 100 Years Ago. Paper 95. London: Borough of Twickenham Local History Society.
Sheaf, John (2017).Images of Hampton in the 1920s and 1930s – the Roads and Buildings, Businesses and Shops, the River and Recreation. Paper 100. London: Borough of Twickenham Local History Society.ISBN 9780903341998.
Sheaf, John (2019).Pictures of Hampton in the 1940s, 1950s & 1960s: The Roads and Buildings, Businesses and Shops, the River and Recreation. Paper 104. London: Borough of Twickenham Local History Society.ISBN 9781911145042.
Sheaf, John (2021).Images of Hampton in the 1970s & 1980s: The Roads and Buildings, Businesses and Shops, The River and Recreation. Paper 106. London: Borough of Twickenham Local History Society.ISBN 9781911145066.
Stevenson, Bruce (1972).Middlesex. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd.ISBN 0713400706.
Sullivan, David (1994).The Westminster Corridor: The Anglo-Saxon story of Westminster Abbey and its lands in Middlesex. London: Historical Publications.ISBN 0948667249.
Thurley, Simon (2003).Hampton Court: A Social and Architectural History. London: Yale University Press.ISBN 0300102232.
Urwin, A. C. B. (1982).Commercial Nurseries and Market Gardens. Paper 50. London: Borough of Twickenham Local History Society.
White, Kathy; Foster, Peter (1997).Bushy Park: Royals, Rangers and Rogues. East Molesey: Foundry Press.ISBN 0953024504.
Media related toHampton at Wikimedia Commons
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