Edith's Streets

Riverside.south of the Thames and west of the Tower. Walton at Sunbury Lock This post consists of sites south of the Thames for this square only. North of the Thames is Sunbury Riverside Post to the east Walton Apps Court  and Sunbury Rivermead Post to the west Wheatley's Ait  and Walton Waterside Sunbury Lock Ait Sunbury Lock Ait. This island has no residential accommodation and is accessible by a footbridge over the lock as well as walkways on the lock gates. There is a bridge to Wheatley's Ait across the weir, but this is not open to the public.  The island predates the deepening of the navigation and was previously known as "Sunbury Church Ait". It was bought by the City of London Corporation from about six proprietors for the site of the lock, which was predated by a flash weir. The footbridge and old lock house are on the site of the original lock Coal post in the grounds of the Yacht Club, north side of Sunbury Lock Ait. Middle Thames...

Riverside - south bank west of the Tower. Walton Apps Court This post shows sites to the south of the river only. North is  Sunbury Rivermead Post to the east West Molesey Post to the west Walton Sunbury Lock  and Sunbury riverside Post to the north Sunbury Kempton Park Hurst Road Apps Court Farm . Apps Court Farm is now a multipurpose 82 acre park comprising grassland with woods and fishing lakes. There are also many activities such as car boot sales and the like. The farm is the only remaining part of the Apps Court Estate which lay on both sides of Hurst Road and was purchased by the Metropolitan Water Board in 1899.  The main part of the manor now lies under the Bessborough and Knight reservoirs. When the water board bought the site they also bought a duty of customary tenure which had existed since the time of Edward II. This meant that ale and bread had to be given to the poor on All Saints Day. The board intended to ignore this but was eventually forced to...

The London/Surrey border - West Molesey and Platts Eyot The London/Surrey boundary carries on up the middle of the river.  North of the river is Hampton This post covers only sites south of the River Post to the east Hampton  and Hurst Park Post to the south West Molesey Post to the west Kempton Park South of the River - Surrey, Elmbridge West Molesey Wharf was a busy cargo wharf, pick up place for ferries, Hurst Park was next to it. Lambeth Waterworks intake in 1872 and Chelsea Waterworks Intake in 1875. Both had pumping stations and concrete wharves on the bank. Chelsea abandoned in 1924, engine house foundations there, very overgrown. Lambeth also abandoned then and foundations and front steps of Engine House still there. West Molesey wharf , until early this .century it was very active with cargoes generally carried in sailing barges) of coal, timber, building materials. The-wharf was also used as a pick up point for Platt’s Eyot the works ferryman for- sta...

v The Surrey/London Boundary carries on up the middle of the river Post to the west Hampton  and West Molesey and Platt's Eyot Post to the south East Molesey This post covers only sites south of the river. North of the river is Hampton Hampton South Bank - Surrey, Elmbridge Hurst Park Hurst Park Racecourse boxing previously. Now a housing estate. Wates 1962 onwards. Hurst Park Racecourse at one time was provided with electricity from the Immisch charging plant on the Island. Old People’s Homes 1967 Hurst Park Primary School. 1965 neat Hurst Park Open Space. River Thames Taggs Island Used by gypsies 1907 Karsino - used by Fred Karno Small colonies of bungalows and houseboats Thames Guidelines. Bridge to it from the shore, flat, small scale colourful. Was Walnut Tree Island, no evidence Tagg moved there from Platt’s Eyot. Motor factory for AC Garrick’s Ait This work has been compiled over many years and from many sources - clearly The Buildings of Engla...

The London/Surrey border - Thames Ditton A square by square look at London This square includes only sites to the north of the river. To the south is Thames Ditton The London/Surrey boundary goes straight up the middle of the river The river Ember flows north east Post to the west Molesey Post to the north Hampton Court Post to the east Hampton Court Park and Thames Ditton to the south North Side - London, Richmond Pavilion Terrace This work has been compiled over many years and from many different sources

The London/Surrey Border - East Moseley/Hampton Court The boundary between Surrey/London goes on up the middle of the river The River Mole joins the River Ember and they flow into the Thames Posh houses - many with great pedigrees clustered round the grandeur of Hampton Court - but there is, or was, some riverside industry here. This post includes sites south of the river only. North of the river is Hampton Court Post to the west East Molesey Post to the south Thames Ditton South of the River - sites in Surrey, Elmbridge Bridge Road 23 Prince of Wales pub . Was The Railway Hotel but originally ‘The Prince of Wales and Railway Hotel’ 1853. Gothic. Hampton Court bridge was opened by the Prince of Wales in 1933. 45 old bank with a carved front. Cloud Nine was the Caernarvon Castle 1867. also called Ferryboat Inn Tagg’s (or Thames) Hotel 1887. In other use and has lost part of its roof. In 1887, Harry Tagg, a member of the family of watermen, had a house in Bridge ...

The London/Surrey boundary - Thames Ditton The London/Surrey boundary goes along the middle of the river, passing on the north side of Thames Ditton Island. This post shows only sites south of the river on this square. North is Hampton Court Park Post to the west Thames Ditton  and Hampton Court Park Post to the east Seething Wells  and Hampton Court Palace Golf Clubhouse South Bank - sites in London, Richmond Boyle Farm Road Home of Compassion. This was originally was Boyle Farm, probably Georgian and facing the river. 19th stables and chapel built in 1925. Closed. The house was built on the site of Forde's Farm by Charlotte Boyle Walsingham in the late 18th century. Some farm buildings and outhouses remain. There were many alterations done by later owners and much of the grounds were sold for building. In 1906 it was bought by an Anglican religious order and used as a nursing home. There is said to be a tunnel under the road going to the Home Farm. Church W...

Riverside west of the Tower South (in this case it's - east) bank - Kingston Portsmouth Road This post shows only sites 'south' of the river. North of the river is Hampton Court Park Rick Pond ost to the north Kingston  and Hampton Wick Post to the east Kingston Post to the south Seething Wells  and Hampton Court Palace Golf Clubhouse Anglesey Road Built by developer Woods on the site of the grounds of Surbiton Hall, which was to the east of this square East Lane Archaeological investigations here show economic activity over a very long period but which may be associated with buildings in surrounding streets. High Street In the 18th it was called West by Thames. 25-29 The Malt House Office block, 39-41 these are all now chain restaurants but were a series of timber framed houses from the 16th. 52 Picton House. Built 1730 with a brick front and weatherboarded back. In the 1740s the entrance was moved to the side and a wing added. Inside are garlanded cei...

Riverside south of the river and west of the Tower. Canbury Gardens This post shows sites south of the river only. North of the river is Teddington Normansfield and Trowlock Post to the north Ham and Hawker  and Teddington Broom Hall Post to the south Kingston  and Hampton Wick Albany Mews Albany Park Canoeing and Sailing Centre . Part of Albany Outdoors, Kingston Council Canbury Gardens Canbury Gardens . This riverside area had been marshland and osier beds. From 1863. It was known as Corporation Eyot and was a rubbish dump. In 1884, Samuel Gray a local maltster and lighterman who had founded the Canbury Ratepayers' Association in the early 1880s suggested there should be a garden here. Plans were drawn up by Henry Macaulay, the Borough Surveyor, and work began in 1889 on topsoil brought in from the nearby reservoir excavations. The gardens were raised above the tow path and plane trees were planted along it and The Park was opened in 1890. A bandstand was erected...

Riverside - south of the river and west of the Tower. Ham and Hawker This post shows sites south of the river only, North of the River is Teddington Broom Hall Post to the west Ham Lands and Teddington Lock  and Teddington Post to the south Canbury Gardens  and Teddington Normansfield and Trowlock Broughton Avenue Meadlands Primary School Dukes Drive Sewage pumping station – this was extant in the 1930s to the south of the road Ham Common Much of the Common was lost when Richmond Park was created, but some remains. The area of crossed by Ham Gate Avenue is mostly scrub and woodland. That on the west side of the main road is like a village green, with a cricket pitch in the middle. 1 Cassell Hospital . The Cassel Hospital was founded by Ernest Cassell in 1919 for the treatment of shell shock. It was located in Penshurst and then went to Stoke on Trent in the Second World War. In 1948 it moved to Ham Common. The building was built in the late 18th and called as...

Riverside - south of the river and west of the Tower. Ham Lands and Teddington Lock This post has sites south of the river only. North of the river is Teddington Post to the north Ham Lands  and Twickenham Crossdeep Post to the east Ham and Hawker  and Teddington Broom Hall Ham Lands Nature reserve – this covers the area between Riverside Drive and the river. This is    a stretch of low-lying fields extending into grasslands and scrub, sometimes of considerable width following the curve of the Thames. Recently Part of these lands once belonged to Secrett Farm and part were half yearly Lammas lands. Much of Ham belonged to the Dysarts and ensured their privacy but this did not save these lands being dug for gravel in the late 19th.   Freshwater marsh plants provide some of the flora for this strip of diverse habitat. Three types of orchid grow which is partly due to the chalky character of the infill used at the former gravel workings. Other u...

Riverside south of the river and west of the Tower. Ham Lands This post shows sites south of the river only. North of the river is Twickenham Crossdeep Post to the north. Ham Street riverside  and Twickenham Post to the south, Ham Lands and Teddington Lock  and Teddington Ashburnham Road Part of housing development on land given by Wates building company. St Richards Church of England Primary School . This was originally opened in 1890, to replace Ham Village School.  It was then called St Andrew’s School at Ham Common.  In 1966 the school re-opened on the Wates Estate as St Richard's with St Andrew's Primary School.  The school developed a successful School Choir which sang on television and radio many times.  The school swimming pool opened in 1972 paid for by local fund raising. It was opened by Hugh Wheldon, Managing Director of BBC Television. St Richard's Church . This church was built on Wates land and the foundation stone was laid in 1964 ...

Riverside - south bank West of the Tower. Ham Street Riverside This posting only shows sites south of the river. For sites in this square north of the river go to Twickenham Post to the east Ham House  and Marble Hill Post to the north St.Margarets Post to the west Twickenham Post to the south Ham Lands  and Twickenham Crossdeep Ham Street Ham House entrance and lodges. This is the entry to the stable yard, which is itself in the square to the east Playing Fields and riverside car park Ham Well of the Richmond Water Works on the car park site King George's Fields entrance. The gate piers have the standard heraldic stone plaques that denote all King George's Fields. Sources

Riverside, south bank, west of the Tower. Ham House This post shows sites south of the river only. North of the river is Marble Hill Post to the east Richmond Star and Garter Post to the west Twickenham  and Ham Street Riverside Post to the north Richmond Riverside and Central Douglas House Meadow Petersham and Ham Sea Scouts . This is one of the oldest scout troops still in existence, beginning in 1908. It is called the Phoenix troop because the scout hut has burned down on several occasions. Spitfire. A Spitfire from the Second World War is rumoured to be buried in the field. Ham House Ham House .   Originally built in 1610, Ham House was built for William Murray first Earl of Dysart who was educated with the young Prince Charles.  William was given the lease of Ham House and its estate as a gift from the King in 1626. It had originally been built by Sir Thomas Vavasour in 1610 as a typuical H-plan Elizabethan hioiuse.  From 1637-9 he began altera...

Riverside south of the river and west of the Tower. Richmond Star and Garter Post to the north Richmond Hill Post to the west Ham House  and Marble Hill Buccleugh Gardens Buccleugh Gardens . This was once part of Hill Common, common land in the Royal Manor where in the mid 17th tile kilns stood, which was closed down in 1767.  Land was bought here for George Brudenell, Earl of Cardigan and Duke of Montagu to the gardens of his riverside house and the house was rebuilt in the mid 18th. The estate passed to the Duke’s daughter who was married to the Duke of Buccleugh and then their children. The 5th Duke bought Lansdowne House which he demolished added the gardens to his own. The 6th Duke sold the gardens to the Vestry of Richmond and they opened Terrace Gardens.  Buccleuch Gardens was the site of the Duke's House which Richmond Vestry had sold. This was bought back by Richmond Council in 1937 following concerns about drainage on the hill above the gardens and the li...