Description
Situated between Kingston Bridge and the entrance to Hampton Court's Home Park is the Hampton Wick War Memorial Garden. The Memorial commemorates casualties of both World Wars, 47 of whom fought in WWI. It was unveiled on 3 May 1921 with the Church Lads Brigade and a bugler from the East Surrey Regimental Depot at Kingston in attendance. In 1933 the Memorial was floodlit using gas from the Hampton Wick Gas Co. The Memorial Garden is not only the venue for the annual extremely well attended Remembrance Sunday service but also a tranquil place to visit all year round.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Memorial Gardens, Hampton Wick |
|---|---|
| Site location | Hampton Wick Roundabout, Hampton Wick |
| Postcode | KT1 4AE |
| What3Words | ///claims.valley.bared |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Richmond |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Public Transport | Rail: Hampton Wick. |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2016 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Hampton Wick dates from at least medieval times, with evidence that there has been a bridge crossing the Thames to Kingston from 1193. The present Kingston Bridge dates from 1828 but has been widened since then. The riverside village prospered and grew, benefiting from not only the river crossing but from nearby Hampton Court Palace and Bushy Park (q.q.v.), which attracted the wealthy who built substantial properties along the river from the C18th. The arrival of the railway in 1863 led to further growth of Hampton Wick. The Memorial Garden is maintained with considerable input from the Hampton Wick Association. In 2014 they were supported by the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association with a mass planting of spring bulbs. The Memorial is now the focal point for a significant piece of historical research, being catalogued by Alison Merrington at www.hwremembers.org.uk.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ175693 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Richmond |
| Site Management | Richmond; Hampton Wick Association |
| Dates | 1921 |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Richmond |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Hampton Wick |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Thames Policy Area |
| Other LA Designation | Public Open Space |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Hogsmill River Park is a linear park created in the 1980s that continues the link to other open spaces through the borough along the route of the Hogsmill River, which flows north through New Malden and Berrylands to the Thames just by the Guildhall. Evidence of bronze and iron age settlements have been found by the river, which was called the Hogsmill relatively recently, and was previously known as the Malden River, and in 1439 as the Lurteborne.
King George V donated the site to the National Playing Fields Association in June 1927 for use by local children. It now houses the borough's first skateboard park following fund-raising by a keen group of local skaters, which opened in June 1998.
There was a large parish church in Kingston by the C12th, an earlier church having been rebuilt by Gilbert, Sheriff of Surrey, who gave it to Merton Priory. The foundations of a small chapel of earlier date, which was possibly the site of coronations, were excavated in 1926 and are visible in the churchyard, with a plaque marking the site. The churchyard to the north of the church has been cleared of gravestones, except for some table tombs and a sarcophagus, and some headstones have been placed on the boundary facing the east end of the church and on the south side. The ornamental gates were donated as a war memorial. Trees in the churchyard include mature limes, a yew and a number of chestnuts.