Kingston-on-Thames; an ancient English borough, and a place we love to return to each year as the summer is coming to a close, and the sense of the autumn is on the breeze.

Three hours on the train from Oxenholme – Kendal’s main west-coast station – a quick snack in London, then on to Waterloo Station and another train out to the south-west, getting off seven stops later alongside the River Thames at Kingston-on-Thames.

I love the ‘soft’ light here and, for this year’s trip, had an idea to create a ‘mood’ for a series of photos that would bring out some of the corresponding shapes and tones that we like so much in this fascinating town.

These are the results…

After arriving an checking into our budget hotel, we did our usual walk through the town and down to the river. Many of the streets are curved rather than straight – it’s a delightful change from colder and more clinical grids!

We love being here for our special weekend. There’s so much to do. Cafes and casual restaurants are plentiful – many on the banks of the Thames, itself.

The central attraction is a plethora of local boat trips from Kingston to places like Hampton Court, Cardinal Wolsey’s palace during the reign of Henry VIII.

Thomas Wolsey was an English statesman and Catholic cardinal. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king’s almoner. Wolsey’s affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the controlling figure in virtually all matters of state. His significant personal income – enabling the building of Hampton Court – was paid by Rome.

King Henry, profligate and increasingly desperate for money, saw Wolsey as an easy target and, following the Cardinal’s failure to negotiate the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon, the King turned on him, stripping most of his titles, and confiscating Hampton Court as his own at the same time as he separated the church from Rome and created the Church of England.

Hampton Court is a vast estate which hosts important festivals through the year. Arriving by boat just adds to the charm…

Kingston’s summers get a lot more sunshine than we do in Cumbria, so we actually get to use warm weather garments for a change!

Kingston Upon Thames, to give it its full name, has a long history and was England’s earliest royal borough, first referenced in 838 AD as Cyninges tun, meaning ‘Kings Estate’. Its position on the River Thames, with the only bridge over the river upstream of London Bridge for many years, resulted in Kingston’s importance and was a major factor in the town’s rapid growth.

There are many beautiful buildings in the ancient Market Place, not all of which are what they appear to be. The terraces on the North side (to the right on the photo) are resplendent with mock Tudor features, which were added to the existing Edwardian building in the twentieth century. The small, unassuming building next door dates to the early years of the 16th century and is actually one of the oldest buildings in Kingston.

It would be wrong to close without mentioning the Bentall Centre, since its such a dramatic piece of architecture… and divides opinion in our household!

I love its open spaces and the gentle infusion of light from outside. My wife is less enthusiastic.

Modern architecture tends to divide opinion. Visit it yourself and see!

©Stephen Tanham 2024

All photos taken and processed on an iPhone 12 ProMax.

Stephen Tanham is a writer-photographer and mystical teacher. He is the founding Director of the Silent Eye, which offers a monthly Zoom-based gathering of companions, each one on their own, unique journey to deeper states of self-realisation.