Hampton, London
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coordinates: 51°25′19″N 0°22′00″W / 51.4220°N 0.3667°W
| Hampton | |
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  Hampton shown within Greater London |
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| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| London borough | Richmond |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HAMPTON |
| Postcode district | TW12 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| European Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | Twickenham |
| London Assembly | South West |
| List of places: UK • England • London | |
Hampton is a suburban area, centred on an old village on the north bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in England. The population is about 18,000. It is served by Hampton railway station.
The Anglo-Saxon parish of Hampton included present-day Hampton, Hampton Hill, Hampton Wick and Hampton Court which together are called The Hamptons. The name 'Hampton' may come from the Anglo-Saxon words "Hamm" meaning an enclosure in the bend of a river and "Ton" meaning farmstead or settlement.
It is near Bushy Park and the shopping town of Kingston. The Hampton Heated Open Air Pool [1] is one of the few such swimming pools remaining in Greater London. The riverside, on the reach above Molesey Lock, has many period buildings including Garrick's House and Shakespeare's Temple, also on the river is the Astoria Houseboat recording studio. Hampton Ferry provides access across the Thames to East Molesey.
The town is home to Richmond's only senior level football side, Hampton & Richmond Borough F.C., though there are numerous rugby union teams.
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[edit] Education
- Hampton Community College [2] (formerly Rectory School), Hampton's mixed comprehensive school.
- Hampton School, an independent school for boys, which recently celebrated its 450th anniversary and is 6th in the schools' league table.
- Lady Eleanor Holles School is an independent school for girls.
The latter two schools share a new Millennium Boathouse. Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race participants attended Hampton School. - Hampton Junior School (which recently celebrated its 100th year anniversary)
- Hampton Infants School
- Carlisle Infants school
[edit] Youth facilities in Hampton
Hampton youth project has been a popular youth centre in the area since 1990. Built in a converted coach depot on the Nurserylands Estate it offers a wide programme of activities for those aged 11-19.
[edit] Hampton Water Treatment Works (WTW)
The large operational Water Treatment Works, owned by Thames Water, is situated between the Upper Sunbury Road (A308) and the River Thames. It was built in the 1850s after the 1852 Metropolis Water Act[1] made it illegal to take drinking water from the tidal Thames below Teddington Lock because of the amount of sewage in the river. Three companies had established waterworks by 1855 — the Grand Junction Waterworks Company, the Southwark and Vauxhall Waterworks Company, and the West Middlesex Waterworks Company. The site includes old Victorian buildings, filter beds and some larger water storage beds. The site well demonstrates the successful accommodation of nature conservation with operational considerations. The Water Treatment Works is next to the Sunnyside Reservoir and the Stain Hill Reservoirs - sites of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation and contains flower-rich grassland and habitats for water birds.
The extensive areas of open water, especially the Grand Junction Reservoir in the north-west of the site, are used by large numbers of birds, particularly in winter. Most of the site is still in operational use so marginal vegetation, where it occurs, is generally sparse. However, the grasslands surrounding the filter beds and buildings are among the most herb-rich grasslands in the Borough and contain several scarce London species often associated with chalk grassland.[2]
Thames Water completed a five year modernisation in 1993 and has installed advanced water treatment facilities at the plant to filter out pesticides. Water is supplied via the Staines Aqueduct from the King George VI Reservoir and Staines Reservoirs which receive their input from the River Thames at Hythe End, just above Bell Weir Lock. The aqueduct passes the Water Treatment Works at Kempton Park, which used to be connected to Hampton via the Metropolitan Water Board Railway. The Hampton library is across the road from Hampton Water Works.
[edit] General Roy
A cannon in Roy Grove marks the Hampton end of the baseline measured in 1784 by General William Roy at the start of the Principal Triangulation of Great Britain.
[edit] Notable Hampton people
Notable people born in Hampton include:
- Brian May (musician)
- Martin Salter (politician)
- Richard Doll (epidemiologist)
- David Gilmour (musician)
[edit] Hampton in Popular Culture
The area is featured briefly in two Charles Dickens novels. In Oliver Twist, Oliver and Sykes stop in a public house in Hampton on their way to the planned burglary in Chertsey. In Nicholas Nickleby, Sir Mulberry Hawk and Lord Frederick visit the 'Hampton Races', which refers to a racecourse at Moulsey Hurst. It is also briefly mentioned in War of the Worlds.
[edit] Nearest places
[edit] References
- ^ An Act to make better Provision respecting the Supply of Water to the Metropolis, (15 & 16 Vict. C.84)
- ^ Mayor of London London Wildweb
[edit] External links
- Hampton Online
- Hampton People's Network
- Hampton Youth Project
- Hampton Water Works
- The 9am Tuesday Chlorine Warning Siren Test
- The Thames from Hampton Court to Sunbury Lock - Hampton Waterworks
- The Twickenham Museum
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