The London/Buckinghamshire border. Marling Park

TQ 12 72
The Spelthorne/London/Kingston boundary continues northwards through Kempton Park and goes north along the site of an old reservoir with Hatherope Road Playing Field to the north.

Post to the west Kempton Park
Post to the south Kempton Park

Sites on the London, Richmond side of the border

Hatherop Park
Park on the old council burning ground. It includes conservation areas, a children’s play area, winter sports pitches and allotments. There is a walk past a restored pond, along the railway with views of the wild birds on the reservoirs opposite. Lots of common flowers and butterflies. There are dead elms which provide habitat for woodpeckers and fungi. The pond is interesting because it is not on older maps but two coppiced alders show it had been a wet area for a long time.

Marling Park
Formerly known as Tangley Park. Site of hotel built in 1869 which subsequently became the Female Orphan Home in 1890 after Major Marling bought it and named it after himself. Developed in the 1930s and 1950s. The Old Farm House also stood here but it was demolished in the 1960s. The Orphan home was set up by Joseph Stevenson. He was a City accountant who had become concerned about destitute children and first tried to help by getting fostering arrangements and then set up the orphanage, which moved to various places.

Railway Line
The Shepperton Line, 1864. Had to loop north in order to avoid Kempton Manor grounds.


Sites on the Buckinghamshire, Spelthorne side of the border

Reservoir
Red House Reservoir, constructed c1907 and is supplied by the Staines Reservoirs Aqueduct. It is still operational and is secluded in woodland and popular with bats.


Sites on the London, Hounslow side of the border

South Road
Parkfields. Twickenham Rugby Club Ground. This is not the England Rugby Club but a local club based in Twickenham which derives from a Twickenham School in 1867. After the school closed the old boys kept on playing and in the 1890s formed the basis of the current club.

Material has been gathered over many years and from many sources

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