Hampton, London
Encyclopedia
Hampton is a suburban area, centred on an old village on the north bank of the River Thames
, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
in England. Formerly it was in the county
of Middlesex
, which was formerly also its postal county. The population is about 9,500. It is served by Hampton railway station
.
The Anglo-Saxon parish of Hampton included present-day Hampton, Hampton Hill
, Hampton Wick
and Hampton Court which together are called The Hamptons. The name Hampton may come from the Anglo-Saxon words hamm meaning an enclosure in the bend of a river and ton meaning farmstead or settlement.
It is near Bushy Park
and the shopping town of Kingston
. The Hampton Heated Open Air Pool
is one of the few such swimming pools remaining in Greater London
. The riverside, on the reach above Molesey Lock
, has many period buildings including Garrick's House and Shakespeare's Temple, also on the river is the Astoria Houseboat
recording studio. Hampton Ferry
provides access across the Thames to East Molesey
.
The town is home to Richmond's only senior level football side, Hampton & Richmond Borough F.C.
, though there are numerous rugby union
teams.
The affiliated churches are:
has been a popular youth centre in the area since 1990. Built in a converted coach depot on the Nurserylands Estate it offers a wide programme of activities for those aged 11–19.
Hampton Station is on the Waterloo to Shepperton line.
The Library is in a Georgian building above the A308 with a double blue plaque to two former residents, the singer John Beard
and William Ewart MP, the Politician behind the Public Libraries Act 1850
.
, is situated between the Upper Sunbury Road (A308) and the River Thames. It was built in the 1850s after the 1852 Metropolis Water Act made it illegal to take drinking water from the tidal Thames below Teddington Lock
because of the amount of sewage in the river. Three companies had established waterworks by 1855 — the Grand Junction Waterworks Company
, the Southwark and Vauxhall Waterworks Company
, and the West Middlesex Waterworks Company
. The site includes old Victorian
buildings, filter beds and some larger water storage beds. The site well demonstrates the successful accommodation of nature conservation with operational considerations. The Water Treatment Works is next to the Sunnyside Reservoir
and the Stain Hill Reservoirs
- sites of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation and contains flower-rich grassland and habitats for water birds.
The extensive areas of open water, especially the Grand Junction Reservoir in the north-west of the site, are used by large numbers of birds, particularly in winter. Most of the site is still in operational use so marginal vegetation, where it occurs, is generally sparse. However, the grasslands surrounding the filter beds and buildings are among the most herb-rich grasslands in the Borough and contain several scarce London species often associated with chalk grassland.
Thames Water completed a five year modernisation in 1993 and has installed advanced water treatment facilities at the plant to filter out pesticides. Water is supplied via the Staines Aqueduct from the King George VI Reservoir
and Staines Reservoirs
which receive their input from the River Thames
at Hythe End
, just above Bell Weir Lock
. The aqueduct passes the Water Treatment Works at Kempton Park
, which used to be connected to Hampton via the Metropolitan Water Board Railway
. The Hampton library is across the road from Hampton Water Works.
A cannon in Roy Grove marks the Hampton end of the baseline measured in 1784 by General William Roy
at the start of the Principal Triangulation of Great Britain
.
Other people associated with Hampton include:
novels. In Oliver Twist
, Oliver and Sykes stop in a public house in Hampton on their way to the planned burglary in Chertsey. In Nicholas Nickleby, Sir Mulberry Hawk and Lord Frederick visit the 'Hampton Races', which refers to a racecourse at Moulsey Hurst
. It is also briefly mentioned in War of the Worlds. The Bell public house in Hampton is mentioned in T S Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
.
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is a London borough in South West London, UK, which forms part of Outer London. It is unique because it is the only London borough situated both north and south of the River Thames.-Settlement:...
in England. Formerly it was in the county
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
of Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, which was formerly also its postal county. The population is about 9,500. It is served by Hampton railway station
Hampton railway station
Hampton railway station, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is on the Shepperton branch line. It is in Travelcard Zone 6. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South West Trains.- Services:...
.
The Anglo-Saxon parish of Hampton included present-day Hampton, Hampton Hill
Hampton Hill
Hampton Hill is a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, bounded approximately by Fulwell Golf Course to the north, Bushy Park to the east and the Longford River to the south and west...
, Hampton Wick
Hampton Wick
Hampton Wick is a Thames-side area, formerly a village, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in London, England.Famous for its market gardens until well into the twentieth century, it is now commuter-belt territory, housing developments having been built on these areas...
and Hampton Court which together are called The Hamptons. The name Hampton may come from the Anglo-Saxon words hamm meaning an enclosure in the bend of a river and ton meaning farmstead or settlement.
It is near Bushy Park
Bushy Park
- External links :***...
and the shopping town of Kingston
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
. The Hampton Heated Open Air Pool
Hampton Pool
Hampton Pool, High Street, Hampton, London is a heated open air pool or lido which unusually is open 365 days of the year .- Description :The pool is 36 x 14 meters. There is a diving board and two slides...
is one of the few such swimming pools remaining in Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
. The riverside, on the reach above Molesey Lock
Molesey Lock
Molesey Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England at East Molesey, Surrey. It is near Hampton Court Palace to the west of London.The lock was built by the City of London Corporation in 1815 and is the second longest on the river at over 268 ft . Beside the lock there are rollers for the...
, has many period buildings including Garrick's House and Shakespeare's Temple, also on the river is the Astoria Houseboat
Astoria (recording studio)
Astoria is a grand houseboat, adapted as a recording studio by its owner, Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. It is moored on the River Thames near Hampton Court...
recording studio. Hampton Ferry
Hampton Ferry (River Thames)
Hampton Ferry is a pedestrian and cycle ferry service across the River Thames in England. The ferry links Hampton, on the north bank and in the London Borough of Richmond, with Moulsey Hurst, on the south bank and in the county of Surrey....
provides access across the Thames to East Molesey
East Molesey
Molesey is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England. Situated on the outskirts of Greater London, approximately from Charing Cross, it is a typical suburban area. There are two distinct areas in the town: West and East Molesey...
.
The town is home to Richmond's only senior level football side, Hampton & Richmond Borough F.C.
Hampton & Richmond Borough F.C.
Hampton & Richmond Borough F.C. are an English football club based in the suburb of Hampton, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. They were founded in 1921 and formerly known as Hampton F.C. until 1999 when they changed their name in an attempt to draw a wider support base from around the...
, though there are numerous rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
teams.
Education
- Hampton Academy http://www.hamptonacademy.org.uk/ (formerly Rectory School, latterly Hampton Community College), Hampton's mixed comprehensive school.
- Hampton SchoolHampton SchoolHampton School is an independent boys' day school in Hampton, London, England.-History:In 1556, Robert Hammond, a wealthy brewer who had acquired property in Hampton, left in his will provision for the maintenance of a 'free scole' and to build a small schoolhouse 'with seates in yt' in the...
, an independent school for boys, which recently celebrated its 450th anniversary and is 61st in the schools' league table. - Lady Eleanor Holles SchoolLady Eleanor Holles SchoolThe Lady Eleanor Holles School is an independent school for girls in Hampton, London, England. The school was founded in 1711.-Admissions:...
is an independent school for girls. It is 5th in the schools league table.
The latter two schools share a new Millennium Boathouse. Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race participants attended Hampton School. - Hampton Junior School (which recently celebrated its 100th year anniversary)
- Hampton Infants School
- Carlisle Infants school
- Buckingham Primary School
Churches
The Christian churches in Hampton and Hampton Hill work together as Churches Together Around Hampton. The church buildings are a significant presence in the area. The ministers and members provide a range of services for the community.The affiliated churches are:
- Hampton Methodist Church, Hampton
- Hampton Baptist Church, Hampton
- Hampton Hill United Reformed Church, Hampton Hill
- S Theodore of Canterbury (Roman Catholic) Hampton
- S Frances de Sales (Roman Catholic) Hampton Hill
- All Saints (Church of England) Hampton
- S Mary (Church of England) HamptonSt Mary's Parish Church, Hampton-Location:St Mary's Parish Church is to be found at the junction of two major roads A308 and A311, leading to Twickenham, Kingston upon Thames and Sunbury-on-Thames. Standing tall on Bell Hill it marks the ancient heart of Hampton....
- S James (Church of England) Hampton Hill
Facilities in Hampton
Hampton youth projectHampton youth project
The Hampton Youth Project is a youth centre located in Hampton, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames. It caters to young people aged 11-19 in the Hampton area, and is open 6 evenings a week. The facility is currently being refurbished. The club is part of the Richmond Youth...
has been a popular youth centre in the area since 1990. Built in a converted coach depot on the Nurserylands Estate it offers a wide programme of activities for those aged 11–19.
Hampton Station is on the Waterloo to Shepperton line.
The Library is in a Georgian building above the A308 with a double blue plaque to two former residents, the singer John Beard
John Beard (tenor)
John Beard was an English tenor of the 18th century. He is best remembered for creating an extensive number of roles in the operas and oratorios of George Frideric Handel....
and William Ewart MP, the Politician behind the Public Libraries Act 1850
Public Libraries Act 1850
The Public Libraries Act 1850 was an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament which first gave local boroughs the power to establish free public libraries...
.
Hampton Water Treatment Works (WTW)
The large operational Water Treatment Works, owned by Thames WaterThames Water
Thames Water Utilities Ltd, known as Thames Water, is the private utility company responsible for the public water supply and waste water treatment in large parts of Greater London, the Thames Valley, Surrey, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Kent, and some other areas of in the United Kingdom...
, is situated between the Upper Sunbury Road (A308) and the River Thames. It was built in the 1850s after the 1852 Metropolis Water Act made it illegal to take drinking water from the tidal Thames below Teddington Lock
Teddington Lock
Teddington Lock is a complex of three locks and a weir on the River Thames in England at Ham in the western suburbs of London. The lock is on the southern Surrey side of the river....
because of the amount of sewage in the river. Three companies had established waterworks by 1855 — the Grand Junction Waterworks Company
Grand Junction Waterworks Company
The Grand Junction Waterworks Company was a utility company supplying water to parts of west London in England. The company was formed as an off-shoot of the Grand Junction Canal Company in 1811 and became part of the publicly-owned Metropolitan Water Board in 1903.-Origins:The company was created...
, the Southwark and Vauxhall Waterworks Company
Southwark and Vauxhall Waterworks Company
The Southwark and Vauxhall Waterworks Company was a utility company supplying water to parts of south London in England. The company was formed by the merger of the Southwark and Vauxhall Water Companies in 1845 and became part of the publicly-owned Metropolitan Water Board in 1903.-Southwark Water...
, and the West Middlesex Waterworks Company
West Middlesex Waterworks Company
The West Middlesex Waterworks Company was a utility company supplying water to parts of west London in England. The company was established in 1806 with works at Hammersmith and became part of the publicly-owned Metropolitan Water Board in 1903.-Origins:...
. The site includes old Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
buildings, filter beds and some larger water storage beds. The site well demonstrates the successful accommodation of nature conservation with operational considerations. The Water Treatment Works is next to the Sunnyside Reservoir
Sunnyside Reservoir
Sunnyside Reservoir is a reservoir forming part of the Hampton waterworks complex within the London borough of Richmond-upon-Thames.The reservoir was originally built by the Southwark and Vauxhall Waterworks Company for pre-treatment water storage, but is now used as a settlement lagoon for...
and the Stain Hill Reservoirs
Stain Hill Reservoirs
The Stain Hill Reservoirs lie to the north of the River Thames near Kempton Park Racecourse between Kempton Park and Hampton.The reservoirs were built by the Southwark and Vauxhall Waterworks Company and are now managed by Thames Water....
- sites of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation and contains flower-rich grassland and habitats for water birds.
The extensive areas of open water, especially the Grand Junction Reservoir in the north-west of the site, are used by large numbers of birds, particularly in winter. Most of the site is still in operational use so marginal vegetation, where it occurs, is generally sparse. However, the grasslands surrounding the filter beds and buildings are among the most herb-rich grasslands in the Borough and contain several scarce London species often associated with chalk grassland.
Thames Water completed a five year modernisation in 1993 and has installed advanced water treatment facilities at the plant to filter out pesticides. Water is supplied via the Staines Aqueduct from the King George VI Reservoir
King George VI Reservoir
The King George VI Reservoir in England lies to the south of Stanwellmoor near Stanwell and Heathrow. The reservoir was opened in November 1947 and named after the then reigning monarch King George VI. It is owned by Thames Water....
and Staines Reservoirs
Staines Reservoirs
The Staines Reservoirs lie to the east of the King George VI Reservoir near Heathrow airport in the county of Surrey within the Colne Valley regional park. The village of Stanwell is nearby as is the town of Staines. The two reservoirs are placed between the A3044 and the A30...
which receive their input from the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
at Hythe End
Hythe End
Hythe End is a place in Berkshire between Wraysbury and Staines, England on the northern bank of the River Thames close to Bell Weir Lock.Hythe End consists of several riverside homes, mainly on The Island, Hythe End. There are gravel pits to the north which make up a Site of Special Scientific...
, just above Bell Weir Lock
Bell Weir Lock
Bell Weir Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England situated on the Surrey bank near Egham. It is just upstream of the M25 Runnymede Bridge which carries the M25 and A30 road across the river...
. The aqueduct passes the Water Treatment Works at Kempton Park
Kempton Park, Surrey
Kempton Park is a locality in the Spelthorne district of Surrey, which is the location of Kempton Park Racecourse.Kempton Park appears on the Middlesex Domesday Map as Chenetone. It was held by Robert, Count of Mortain...
, which used to be connected to Hampton via the Metropolitan Water Board Railway
Metropolitan Water Board Railway
The Metropolitan Water Board Railway was a narrow gauge industrial railway built to serve the Metropolitan Water Board's pumping station at Kempton Park near London. The line was opened in 1916 and closed shortly after the Second World War.- History :...
. The Hampton library is across the road from Hampton Water Works.
General Roy
William Roy
Major-General William Roy FRS was a Scottish military engineer, surveyor, and antiquarian. He was an innovator who applied new scientific discoveries and newly emerging technologies to the accurate geodetic mapping of Great Britain....
at the start of the Principal Triangulation of Great Britain
Principal Triangulation of Great Britain
The Principal Triangulation of Britain was a triangulation project carried out between 1783 and about 1853 at the instigation of the Director of the Ordnance Survey General William Roy ....
.
Notable inhabitants
Notable people born in Hampton include:- Richard DollRichard DollSir William Richard Shaboe Doll CH OBE FRS was a British physiologist who became the foremost epidemiologist of the 20th century, turning the subject into a rigorous science. He was a pioneer in research linking smoking to health problems...
(epidemiologist) - Martin SalterMartin SalterMartin John Salter is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Reading West from 1997 to 2010.-Early life:...
(politician)
Other people associated with Hampton include:
- John BeardJohn Beard (tenor)John Beard was an English tenor of the 18th century. He is best remembered for creating an extensive number of roles in the operas and oratorios of George Frideric Handel....
(tenor) - William Ewart MP (politician and promoter of free libraries)
- David GarrickDavid GarrickDavid Garrick was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of theatrical practice throughout the 18th century and was a pupil and friend of Dr Samuel Johnson...
(actor, playwright and producer) - David GilmourDavid GilmourDavid Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
(musician) - Brian MayBrian MayBrian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
(musician) - Crispian MillsCrispian MillsCrispian Mills is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is the son of actress Hayley Mills and director Roy Boulting, the grandson of John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell , nephew of Juliet Mills and Jonathan Mills, and half-brother to Jason "Ace" Lawson...
(musician) - Hayley MillsHayley MillsHayley Mills is an English actress. The daughter of John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell, and sister of actress Juliet Mills, Mills began her acting career as a child and was hailed as a promising newcomer, winning the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for Tiger Bay , the Academy Juvenile Award...
(actor) - Alan TuringAlan TuringAlan Mathison Turing, OBE, FRS , was an English mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, and computer scientist. He was highly influential in the development of computer science, providing a formalisation of the concepts of "algorithm" and "computation" with the Turing machine, which played a...
(code breaker and computing pioneer)
Hampton in popular culture
The area is featured briefly in two Charles DickensCharles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
novels. In Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens, published by Richard Bentley in 1838. The story is about an orphan Oliver Twist, who endures a miserable existence in a workhouse and then is placed with an undertaker. He escapes and travels to...
, Oliver and Sykes stop in a public house in Hampton on their way to the planned burglary in Chertsey. In Nicholas Nickleby, Sir Mulberry Hawk and Lord Frederick visit the 'Hampton Races', which refers to a racecourse at Moulsey Hurst
Moulsey Hurst
Moulsey Hurst is located in what is now West Molesey, Surrey on the south bank of the River Thames above Molesey Lock. It is one of England's oldest sporting venues and was used in the 18th and 19th centuries for cricket, prizefighting and other sports....
. It is also briefly mentioned in War of the Worlds. The Bell public house in Hampton is mentioned in T S Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats is a collection of whimsical poems by T. S. Eliot about feline psychology and sociology, published by Faber and Faber. It is the basis for the record-setting musical Cats....
.
Nearest places
- Hampton HillHampton HillHampton Hill is a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, bounded approximately by Fulwell Golf Course to the north, Bushy Park to the east and the Longford River to the south and west...
- Hampton Court
- Sunbury-on-ThamesSunbury-on-ThamesSunbury-on-Thames, also known as Sunbury, is a town in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne, England, and part of the London commuter belt. It is located 16 miles southwest of central London and bordered by Feltham and Hampton, flanked on the south by the River Thames.-History:The earliest evidence of...
- TeddingtonTeddingtonTeddington is a suburban area in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London, on the north bank of the River Thames, between Hampton Wick and Twickenham. It stretches inland from the River Thames to Bushy Park...
- TwickenhamTwickenhamTwickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
- HanworthHanworthHanworth lies to the south east of Feltham in the London Borough of Hounslow. The name is thought to come from the Anglo Saxon words “haen” and “worth”, meaning “small homestead”....