Surbiton

Coordinates: 51°23′32″N 0°18′11″W / 51.3923°N 0.3030°W / 51.3923; -0.3030

Surbiton
Surbiton  Surbiton shown within Greater London
OS grid reference	TQ180673
London borough	Kingston
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SURBITON
Postcode district	KT6
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Kingston & Surbiton
London Assembly	South West
List of places: UK • England • London

Surbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is situated next to the River Thames, with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, more recent residential blocks and grand, spacious 19th century townhouses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates. Surbiton is a popular rail commuter town, located approximately 10 miles to the south west of central London (12 miles by rail from London Waterloo).

History

The town started to prosper when a plan to build the main railway line down to the south coast closer to nearby Kingston was rejected by Kingston Council, fearing the detrimental effect it would have on the busy coaching trade. This resulted in the line being routed further south, through a cutting in the hill south of Surbiton. Surbiton railway station opened in 1838, and was originally named Kingston-upon-Railway.^[1] It was only renamed Surbiton to distinguish it from the new Kingston railway station on the Shepperton branch line, which opened on 1 January 1869. The present station has a fine art deco façade.

Surbiton railway station at night

As a result, Kingston is now on a branch line, whereas passengers from Surbiton (smaller in comparison) can reach Central London in about 15 minutes on the main line, with a fast service into London Waterloo, as well as places further afield, including Portsmouth and Southampton. This has made Surbiton a convenient location from which to commute into Central London, reflected in the size of its population.

Starting in the early 2000s, a West London Orbital underground railway, which would terminate at Surbiton, has been promoted by the influential West London Business group.

• See the article on Thomas Pooley for his rôle in the establishment of the present-day town of Surbiton.

• See also the article on the Municipal Borough of Surbiton for the period 1855-1965.

In popular culture

The Pre-Raphaelite painters John Everett Millais (1829–1896) and William Holman Hunt (1827–1910) came to Surbiton in 1851, 26 years before Richard Jefferies (1848–1887). Millais actually used the Hogsmill, close to Tolworth Court Bridge, as the background for his painting ‘Ophelia’. Holman Hunt used the fields just south of this spot as the background to ‘The Hireling Shepherd.’^{[citation needed]}

In the mid 1870s the novelist Thomas Hardy (1840–1928) lived in a house called 'St. David's Villa' in Hook Road, Surbiton for a year after his marriage to Emma Gifford. The writer Enid Blyton (1897–1968) was governess to a Surbiton family for four years from 1918, at a house called 'Southernhay', also on the Hook Road.^{[citation needed]} C.H. Middelton (1886-1945), who broadcast on gardening during the Second World War, lived in Surbition, where died suddenly outside his home.^[2]

A 1972 episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus featured a mock documentary which investigated whether the residents of Hounslow, another London area suburb, had been long-ago descendants of the people of Surbiton "who had made the great trek north."^[3]

Surbiton's main claim to popular fame is as an icon of suburbia in such British television programmes as The Good Life (starring Richard Briers, Penelope Keith, Paul Eddington and Felicity Kendal, though location filming was done in Northwood, North-West London),^{[citation needed]} and John Sessions' comedy series Stella Street, which has on occasion led to the town being nicknamed "Suburbiton".

The Surbiton train station features in the 2009 film version of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Blood Prince with actors Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter and Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore. Filming took place in November 2007.^[4]

Transport links

London Bus services through Surbiton

• 65 - (Chessington to Ealing Broadway via Surbiton, Kingston, Richmond and Brentford) Night Service
• 71 - (Chessington to Kingston via Surbiton)
• 281- (Tolworth to Hounslow via Surbiton, Kingston, Teddington, Twickenham and Whitton) 24 Hour
• 406- (Epsom to Kingston via Tolworth and Surbiton Hill Road)
• 418- (Epsom to Kingston via Ruxley Lane, Tolworth and Surbiton Hill Road)
• 465- (Dorking to Kingston)
• K1 - (New Malden to Kingston via Malden Manor, Tolworth Hospital and Surbiton)
• K2 - (Hook to Kingston Hospital via Tolworth, Berrylands, Surbiton and Kingston)
• K3 - (Roehampton Vale to Esher via Kingston Hospital, Surbiton and Claygate)
• K4 - (Mansfield Park to Kingston Hospital via Hook, Surbiton and Villiers Road) Not on Sundays

Education

There are a number of primary schools in Surbiton. There is also a selection of Secondary Schools situated here these of which are; Southborough High School a community secondary school, Hollyfield School a foundation secondary school and Surbiton High School a private secondary school.

For education in Surbiton see the main Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames article.

Sport

From 1998 to 2008 Surbiton hosted the first round of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) season. The Surbiton Trophy was part of the ATP Challenger Series and in 2009 the venue was moved to Nottingham as part of a reorganisation by the LTA.

Surbiton is the current home of both male and female football teams, Surbiton Wanderers and Surbiton Town Ladies FC.

Notable people

• George Best — footballer
• Alfred Bestall — illustrator of the Rupert books
• Charlie Brooks — actor
• Julian Clary — comedian and novelist
• John Cooper — car maker
• Edward L. Dark — director
• John Foxx — musician and digital artist
• Jennifer Guy — actor, Cavegirl
• Eamonn Holmes — television presenter
• Art Malik — actor
• John McCririck — horse racing pundit, Celebrity Big Brother (2005), and Ultimate Big Brother (2010)
• James McQuillan — contestant on television series The Apprentice, 2009
• Elizabeth Norton — historian and author
• David Spinx — actor

Nearby places

• Berrylands
• Chessington
• Claygate
• Esher
• Epsom
• Hampton
• Hinchley Wood
• Kingston upon Thames
• Long Ditton
• New Malden
• Norbiton
• Petersham
• Surbiton Park
• Teddington
• Thames Ditton
• Tolworth
• Twickenham
• Wimbledon
• Worcester Park

Gallery

• 

  The clock tower at Surbiton was built to celebrate the 1902 coronation of King Edward VII.

• 

  A street in Surbiton.

• 

  Some shops in Surbiton.

• 

  Surbiton.

• 

  Surbiton.

• 

  The bus station beside Surbiton railway station.

See also

• Hollyfield School
• Raven's Ait
• Shrewsbury House School^[5]
• Southborough High School
• Surbiton Lagoon

References

1. ^ "Railways South East". http://www.steamindex.com/magrack/rse.htm. Retrieved 2007-08-10. "A township developed on the hill near the railway. This was named New Kingston, New Town and Kingston-upon-Railway before becoming Surbiton" 
2. ^ Daniel Smith (2011) The Spade as Mighty as the Sword
3. ^ Monty Python's Flying Circus, Episode #28, first aired 28 October 1972
4. ^ thisislocallondon.co.uk
5. ^ shrewsburyhouse.net

External links

• Kingston Borough Council
• Surbiton - 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article
• Surbiton Town Ladies, pitchero.com

References

1. ^ "Railways South East". http://www.steamindex.com/magrack/rse.htm. Retrieved 2007-08-10. "A township developed on the hill near the railway. This was named New Kingston, New Town and Kingston-upon-Railway before becoming Surbiton" 
2. ^ Daniel Smith (2011) The Spade as Mighty as the Sword
3. ^ Monty Python's Flying Circus, Episode #28, first aired 28 October 1972
4. ^ thisislocallondon.co.uk
5. ^ shrewsburyhouse.net