Teddington

For the village in Gloucestershire, see Teddington, Gloucestershire.
Teddington

Teddington Lock Bridge (west)
Teddington
 Teddington shown within Greater London
Area  4.27 km2 (1.65 sq mi)
Population 10,330 (2011 census)[1]
   – density  2,419/km2 (6,270/sq mi)
OS grid referenceTQ159708
London borough Richmond
Ceremonial county Greater London
RegionLondon
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town TEDDINGTON
Postcode district TW11
Dialling code 020
Police Metropolitan
Fire London
Ambulance London
EU Parliament London
UK ParliamentTwickenham
London Assembly South West
List of places
UK
England
London

Coordinates: 51°25′26″N 0°19′55″W / 51.424°N 0.332°W / 51.424; -0.332

Teddington is a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Until 1965, it was in the historic county of Middlesex. Teddington is on the north bank of the Thames, just after the start of a long meander, between Hampton Wick and Strawberry Hill, Twickenham. Mostly residential, it stretches from the Thames to Bushy Park with a long high street reaching down to pubs, restaurants, leisure premises, fields and fitness clubs by the riverside, having a pedestrian suspension bridge over the lowest non-tidal lock on the Thames, Teddington Lock. Teddington has no dual carriageways or high-rise residential buildings and its centre is mid-rise urban development.

Economy

Teddington is bisected by an almost continuous road of shops, offices and other facilities running from the river to Bushy Park. There are two clusters of offices on this route; on the edge of Bushy Park the NPL, NMO and LGC form a scientific centre. Around Teddington Station and the town centre are a number of offices in industries such as direct marketing and IT, which include Tearfund and BMT Limited. Several riverside businesses and houses were redeveloped in the last quarter of the 20th century as blocks of riverside flats. As of 2016 the riverside side of the former Teddington Studios is being developed to provide modern apartment blocks and other smaller houses.[2]

The first/last lock on the Thames, Teddington Lock, which is just within Ham's boundary, is accessible via the Teddington Lock Footbridges. In 2001 the RNLI opened the Teddington Lifeboat Station, one of the four Thames lifeboat stations, below the lock on the Teddington side. The station became operational in January 2002 and is the only volunteer station on the river.

History

Etymology

The name "Teddington" comes from the name of an Old English tribal leader, Tuda. The place was known in Saxon and Norman times as Todyngton and Tutington.[3]

Teddington's beginnings

There have been isolated findings of flint and bone tools from the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods in Bushy Park and some unauthenticated evidence of Roman occupation.[4] However, the first permanent settlement in Teddington was probably in Saxon times. Teddington was not mentioned in Domesday Book as it was included under the Hampton entry.

Teddington Manor was first owned by Benedictine monks in Staines and it is believed they built a chapel dedicated to St. Mary on the same site as today's St. Mary's Church. In 971, a charter gave the land in Teddington to the Abbey of Westminster. By the 14th century Teddington had a population of 100–200 and with most land was owned by the Abbot of Westminster, the remainder was rented by tenants who had to work the fields a certain number of days a year.

The Hampton Court gardens were erected in 1500 in preparation for the planned rebuilding of a 14th-century manor to form Hampton Court Palace in 1521 and were to serve as hunting grounds for Cardinal Wolsey and later Henry VIII and his family. In 1540 some common land of Teddington was enclosed to form Bushy Park and acted as more hunting grounds.

Sluice gates on the River Thames
St Alban's Church, now the Landmark Arts Centre
The chapel at Teddington Cemetery
Tram at Teddington in about 1905
Carnegie Library (1906), built in the Edwardian Baroque style
Lloyds Bank, Teddington

Bushy House was built in 1663, and its notable residents included British Prime Minister Lord North who lived there for over twenty years. A large minority of the parish lay in largely communal open fields, restricted in the Middle Ages to certain villagers. These were inclosed (privatised) in two phases, in 1800 and 1818.[5][6] Shortly afterwards, the future William IV of the United Kingdom lived there with his mistress Dorothy Jordan[7] before acceding to the throne, and later with his Queen Consort, Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen. The facilities were later converted into the National Physical Laboratory.

Economic change

In subsequent centuries, Teddington enjoyed a prosperous life due to the proximity of royalty and by 1800 had grown significantly. But the "Little Ice Age" had made farming much less profitable and residents were forced to find other work. This change resulted in great economic change in the 19th century.

The first major event was the construction of Teddington Lock in 1811 with its weir across the river.[8] This was the first (and now the biggest) of five locks built at the time by the City of London Corporation. In 1889 Teddington Lock Footbridge consisting of a suspension bridge section and a girder bridge section was completed, linking Teddington to Ham (then in Surrey, now in London). It was funded by local business and public subscription.

After the railway was built in 1863, easy travel to Twickenham, Richmond, Kingston and London was possible and Teddington experienced a population boom, rising from 1,183 in 1861 to 6,599 in 1881 to 14,037 in 1901.

Many roads and houses were built, continuing into the 20th century, forming the close-knit network of Victorian and Edwardian streets present today. In 1867, a local board was established and an urban district council in 1895.

In 1864 a group of Christians left the Anglican Church of St. Mary's (upset at the High Church tendencies there) and formed their own independent and Reformed, Protestant in style, congregation at Christ Church. Their original church building was to be found on what is now called "Church Road".

The Victorians attempted to build a massive church, St. Alban's, based on the Notre Dame de Paris; however, funds ran out and only the nave of what was to be the "Cathedral of the Thames Valley" was completed. In 1993 the temporary wall was replaced with a permanent one as part of a refurbishment that converted St Alban's Church into the Landmark Arts Centre, a venue for concerts and exhibitions.

A new cemetery, Teddington Cemetery, opened at Shacklegate Lane in 1879.[9]

Several schools were built in Teddington in the late 19th century in response to the 1870 Education Act, putting over 2,000 children in schools by 1899, transforming the previously illiterate village.

The 20th century

On 26 April 1913 a train was almost destroyed in Teddington after an arson attack by suffragettes.[10]

Great change took place around the turn of the 20th century in Teddington. Many new establishments were springing up, including Sim's Opticians and Dowsett's newsagents, which still exist today. In 1902 the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), the national measurement standards laboratory for the United Kingdom, and the largest applied physics organisation in the UK, started in Bushy House (primarily working in industry and metrology and where the first accurate atomic clock was built) and the Teddington Carnegie Library was built in 1906. Electricity was also now supplied to Teddington allowing for more development.

Until this point, the only hospital had been the very small cottage hospital, but it could not manage the growing population especially during the First World War. Money was raised over the next decade to build Teddington Memorial Hospital[11] in 1929.

By the beginning of the Second World War, by far the greatest source of employment in Teddington was in the NPL. Its main focus in the war was military research and its most famous invention, the "bouncing bomb", was developed. During the war General Dwight D. Eisenhower planned the D-Day landings at his Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) in Bushy Park.

Teddington Studios

The "towpath murders" took place across the river in 1953. On 1 June, Barbara Songhurst was discovered floating in the River Thames, having been stabbed four times. Her friend Christine Reed, then missing, was found dead on 6 June. On 28 June, Alfred Whiteway was arrested for their murder, and the sexual assault of three other women that same year. Whiteway was hanged at Wandsworth Prison on 22 November 1953. Whiteway and the girls were all from Teddington. The case was described as "one of Scotland Yard's most notable triumphs in a century".[12]

Teddington Studios, a digital widescreen television studio complex and one of the former homes of Thames Television, opened in 1958.

Most major rebuilding from bomb damage in World War II was completed by 1960. Chain stores began to open up, including Tesco and Sweatshop in 1971.

Society

The Teddington Society, which was formed in 1973 by local residents, seeks to preserve the character of Teddington and to support local community projects.[13]

Education

The education authority for Teddington is Richmond upon Thames London Borough Council.

Primary schools in Teddington include Collis Primary School (Fairfax Rd), St Mary's & St Peter's Primary School (Church Rd), Sacred Heart RC School (St Marks Road) and Stanley Juniors and Infants (Strathmore Road).[14] Secondary schools include Teddington School.[15]

Sport

The Lensbury
Cricket and hockey clubs in Bushy Park

In the late 19th century, Bushy Park became home to Teddington Cricket Club.[16] From this, stemmed Teddington Hockey Club in 1871, which was responsible for introducing important rules of the modern game of hockey including the striking circle and the "sticks" rule.[17][18]

Others

Transport

Nearest railway stations

Teddington railway station

Teddington railway station is on the long-electrified Kingston Loop Line close to the junction of the Shepperton Branch Line. Trains run both ways to London Waterloo: one way via Kingston upon Thames and Wimbledon every 15 minutes, the other via Richmond and Putney every 30 minutes. Trains also run to Shepperton every 30 minutes.

Buses

Buses are the 285 (24 hr service to Kingston direct via Hampton Wick, and London Heathrow via Hampton Hill, Hanworth, Feltham and Hatton), 281 (24 hr service to Tolworth via Hampton Wick, Kingston and Surbiton, and Hounslow via Fulwell, Twickenham and Whitton), 33 (24 hr service to Hammersmith via Twickenham, Richmond, East Sheen, Barnes and Castelnau, and Fulwell), R68 (to Hampton Court via Hampton Hill and Hampton, and Kew via Twickenham and Richmond), 481 (limited Monday to Saturday service to Kingston via Hampton Wick, and West Middlesex Hospital via Fulwell and Whitton) and X26 (to West Croydon via Kingston, New Malden, Worcester Park, Cheam, Sutton, Carshalton, Wallington Green and East Croydon, and London Heathrow via Hatton).

Geography

Neighbouring districts
Fulwell and West Twickenham Strawberry Hill Twickenham and Ham
Hampton Hill Ham and Kingston upon Thames
   Teddington  
Hampton Hampton Court, Hampton Hampton Wick

Demography and housing

2011 Census homes
Ward Detached Semi-detachedTerracedFlats and apartmentsCaravans/temporary/mobile homes/houseboatsShared between households[1]
(ward)339 972 1,217 2,065 1 22
2011 Census households
Ward Population Households % Owned outright % Owned with a loanhectares[1]
(ward)10,330 4,853 31 35 427

Places of worship

St Mary's parish church, Teddington

Notable residents

Noël Coward, 1972
Photograph by Allan Warren

Only people who are sufficiently notable to have individual entries on Wikipedia have been included in the list and, in each instance, their birth or residence has been verified by citations.

Living people

Historical figures

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 3 Key Statistics; Quick Statistics: Population Density United Kingdom Census 2011 Office for National Statistics Retrieved 20 December 2013
  2. ↑ "Media group plots move to Teddington (From Your Local Guardian)". Yourlocalguardian.co.uk. 26 June 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
  3. ↑ Sheaf, John; Howe, Ken (1995). Hampton and Teddington Past, Historical Publications. ISBN 0-948667-25-7 p. 9
  4. ↑ Twickenham Museum
  5. ↑ Map of the parish
  6. ↑ Susan Reynolds (ed.) (1962) "Twickenham: Introduction", in A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3, Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington London: Victoria County History, pp. 139-147. Accessed 10 August 2015
  7. ↑ Jerrold, Clare A. (1914). The Story of Dorothy Jordan. Eveleigh Nash.
  8. ↑ Thacker, Frederick S. (1968) [1920], The Thames Highway, II: Locks and Weirs, Newton Abbott: David & Charles
  9. ↑ "Teddington Cemetery". Cemeteries. London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  10. ↑ Buchanan, Clare (20 April 2013). "Teddington suffragette attack remembered 100 years on". Richmond and Twickenham Times. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  11. ↑ Teddington Memorial Hospital
  12. ↑ Cullen, Pamela V. A Stranger in Blood: The Case Files on Dr John Bodkin Adams, London, Elliott & Thompson, 2006, ISBN 1-904027-19-9
  13. ↑ Buchanan, Clare (14 October 2013). "Teddington Society celebrates 40th anniversary, then gets straight back to work". Richmond Guardian. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  14. ↑ Collis School, St Marys & St Peters, Sacred Heart RC School, Stanley Juniors, Stanley Infants.
  15. ↑ Teddington School
  16. ↑ Teddington Cricket Club
  17. ↑ Teddington Hockey Club
  18. ↑ Egan, Travie; Connolly, Helen (2005). Field hockey: rules, tips, strategy, and safety. The Rosen Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-4042-0182-8.
  19. ↑ Hewitson, Jessie (25 October 2007). "Homes a world away from the city". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  20. ↑ Teed, Paul (19 September 2012). "Teddington's Mo Farah to be granted freedom of Richmond". Richmond and Twickenham Times. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  21. ↑ Adams, Fiona (July 2013). "Page to Stage". Richmond Magazine.
  22. ↑ "Royal Richmond timeline". Local history timelines. London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. 23 July 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  23. ↑ Boyes, Valerie (2012). Royal Minstrels to Rock and Roll; 500 years of music-making in Richmond. London: Museum of Richmond.
  24. ↑ "Blue Plaques". Visit Richmond. London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  25. ↑ Historic England. "Teddington Library (1396400)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  26. ↑ "Residences of the French Royal House of Orleans" (PDF). Local History Notes. London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  27. ↑ Buchanan, Clare (22 April 2013). "Teddington plaque pledge for South African poet Eugene Marais". Richmond and Twickenham Times. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  28. ↑ Murray-Smith, S. "Selfe, Norman (1839–1911)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography at the Australian National University. Retrieved 12 April 2013.

Further reading

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