Shopping in Kingston upon Thames

Kingston is a renowned shopping and leisure destination in the South East of England only 12 miles from central London.

You can spend hours of happy shopping in Kingston. The layout lends itself to a relaxing and stress free day out. Old churches, timber framed buildings, elegant facades provide the backdrop for a huge variety of shops. You'll find regular markets, independent shops and the main highstreet stores all in easy reach of each other. Pedestrian areas make it a safe and relatively quiet place to shop.

The Bentall Centre, (pictured left) is the largest shopping mall with its main entrance on Kingston's main pedestrianised area, Clarence Street. 

You can travel to Kingston by train from Waterloo, catch a bus or arrive by car and park at one of the many car parks. Better still come by bike. There are 3 shopping malls in the centre of town, linked by streets flanked by more great shops.

Kingston even has its own antiques market which is close to the iconic tumbledown telephone boxes, a short walk from the rail station. The town centre also has regular markets and festivals throughout the year. 

Leisure in Kingston upon Thames

The River Thames provides a focus for leisure in the area. There are sailing and rowing clubs, fabulous walks (you can walk from Surbiton to Kew along the river) well planned cycle routes and boat trips to Hampton Court and Richmond.

As you would expect, Kingston has a huge variety of pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes. The Rotunda is opposite Kingston station and is home to the Odeon multi screen cinema and restaurants and cafes. In the town centre you'll find Carluccios, Jamie's Italian, Patisserie Valerie, to name a few. Kingston is home to some fantastic fringe theatres in and around the area plus the new Rose Theatre which opened in January 2008 and took it's inspiration from the Elizabethan theatre of the same name.

Kingston is really making its name as a comedy venue. There is always something going on in one of the main pubs or clubs plus there is a monthly meeting of the Comedy Store at the Rose Theatre.

Kingston is also a university town and the university contributes towards the theatre, music and arts of the area.

Historical Kingston

Kingston's position on the river and its bridge secured its success as a town destined for growth. From origins as a small inland port and a mention in the Doomsday Book of 1086, Kingston prospered through trading, brewing, malting and provision of timber. When Cardinal Wolsey developed Hampton Court in 1514 Kingston became an important source of goods for its occupants.

The building shown on the left is the Market House in the Market Place. Built in 1840 it is now the home of the Tourist Information Centre. which is surrounded by shops and cafes and is home to a vibrant fruit and vegetable market. Throughout the year this area also plays host to visiting European markets.

With a recorded history dating back to 838 Kingston naturally has its own museum which is on the corner of the Fairfield.

Charter Quay and the Hogsmill River Kingston

Charter Quay is a new riverside development in Kingston. It has a lively atmosphere day and night as people gather to enjoy the bars and restaurants in the area. This is a view of the Hogsmill river which flows into the Thames at Charter Quay.

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