Kingston upon Thames
In the outer south-west of London is Kingston upon Thames. This royal borough’s coat of arms shows three salmon – a sign of its ancient connection to the river.
Records show a bridge has stood at Kingston since at least medieval times, but even before that it was possible to cross the Thames there by foot.
Kingston itself was given a market charter in 1200. The historic marketplace still operates as part of a large shopping area that includes the Bentall Centre. Nearby is the famous sculpture Out of Order by David Mach.
Surbiton is famous now as the setting for the 1970s sitcom The Good Life. But in 1648 it was where Parliamentarian forces won one of the final battles of the English Civil Wars.
In 1931, a privately-owned zoo opened in Chessington, at one point becoming the world’s largest. The site is better known today for its theme park than its animals.
David Mach's Out of Order, a street sculpture in Old London Road, Kingston upon Thames
