Kingston upon Thames

Sister cities

• Oldenburg

History

The first surviving record of Kingston is from AD 838 as the site of a meeting between King Egbert of Wessex and Ceolnoth, Archbishop of Canterbury. Kingston lay on the boundary between the ancient kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia, until in the early tenth century when King Æthelstan united both to create the kingdom of England. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, two tenth-century kings were consecrated in Kingston: Æthelstan (925), and Æthelred the Unready (978). There are certain other kings who are said to have been crowned there, but for whom the evidence (including the writings of Florence of Worcester and Ralph de Diceto) is less substantial: Edward the Elder (902), Edmund I (939), Eadred (946), Eadwig (956), Edgar the Peaceful () and Edward the Martyr (975). It was later thought that the coronations were conducted in the Chapel of St Mary, which collapsed in 1730. Tradition dating to the 18th century holds that a large stone recovered from the ruins played a part in the coronations. It was initially used as a mounting block, but in 1850 it was moved to a more dignified place in the market before finally being moved to its current location in the grounds of the Guildhall. From Medieval times Shrovetide Football was played annually at Kingston upon Thames and in surrounding towns including Richmond and Twickenham. The windows of the houses and shops were boarded up and from 12 noon the inhabitants would kick several balls around the town before retiring to the public houses. The last game was played in 1866, by which time the urban development of the town meant it caused too much damage and the custom was outlawed. Kingston upon Thames formed an ancient parish in the Kingston hundred of Surrey. The parish of Kingston upon Thames covered a large area including…

Geography

Kingston is south-east of Twickenham, north-east of Walton-on-Thames, and north-west of Sutton.

Most-observed species

• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  55,040
• Carrion Crow

  Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  52,256
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  49,962
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  48,155
• Rose-ringed Parakeet

  Psittacula krameri (Scopoli, 1769) · Aves
  46,330
• Rock Pigeon

  Columba livia J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  44,471
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  39,827
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  39,272

Most recent

• M 3.1 — 2020-09-22
  5 km N of Aylesbury, United Kingdom
• M 3.9 — 2020-09-08
  2 km WSW of Pitstone, United Kingdom
• M 3.3 — 2019-02-27
  3 km SE of Dorking, United Kingdom
• M 2.8 — 2018-07-05
  1 km S of Ewhurst, United Kingdom
• M 2.6 — 2018-06-27
  5 km W of Capel, United Kingdom
• M 2.7 — 2018-04-01
  4 km E of Holmwood, United Kingdom