Local Area

The rural atmosphere provided both by nearby Richmond Park and the school’s extensive grounds belies the school’s proximity to central London and all of the amenities that the nation’s capital city has to offer.

The area surrounding the school contains a number of London’s top sporting attractions such as Wimbledon and Twickenham with Hampton Court and Kew Gardens being within easy reach.

The close proximity of both Gatwick and Heathrow Airports provide a number of major traffic routes into and around London, consequently travelling to and from the school by road and rail is very straightforward.

THE SURROUNDING AREA

Kingston

Kingston was built at the first crossing point of the  Thames upstream from London Bridge and a bridge still exists at the same site. In Old English, tun, ton or don meant farmstead - so the name Kingston may have been thought to mean farmstead of the kings. Seven Saxon kings are traditionally said to have been crowned at Kingston, while seated on a large stone - The Coronation Stone - that stands outside the Guildhall. Kingston is also home to the Lovekyn chapel founded in 1309 by a former mayor of London, Edward Lovekyn. It is the only private chantry chapel to survive the Reformation.

Wimbledon

The Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon have developed from the first meeting 1877, witnessed by a few hundred spectators to a highly professional tournament attracting an attendance of over 450,000 people and a following of millions throughout the world. It is now widely regarded as the premiere tennis tournament on the calendar.

Hampton Court

With over 500 years of royal history, Hampton Court Palace has something to offer visitors from the magnificent State Apartments to the domestic reality of the Tudor kitchens.

Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens are often referred to as the Royal Botanic Gardens. They contain over three hundred acres of collections of over 40,000 varieties of plants. Kew is also well known for its architecture; most notably the Palm House and the later Temperate House built by the engineer Richard Turner and the great architect Decimus Burton.

Central London

Central London provides a unique ability to experience the breadth of English history, innovation and cultural endeavour in a single visit. London holds over a hundred theatres and contains many world class museums and galleries. The Tate Modern is one of the latest additions to the capital’s extensive inventory which also includes the Science and Natural History Museums, the National Maritime Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the Tate Gallery, the Royal Academy and many more.