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Kew Green

Coordinates: 51°29′06″N 0°17′17″W / 51.485°N 0.288°W / 51.485; -0.288
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Kew Green
The cricket pavilion on Kew Green
Map
TypeVillage green
LocationKew, London
Coordinates51°29′06″N 0°17′17″W / 51.485°N 0.288°W / 51.485; -0.288
Area30 acres
Operated byLondon Borough of Richmond upon Thames
StatusOpen all year

Kew Green is a large open space in Kew in west London. Owned by the Crown Estate, it is leased to the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames.[1] It is roughly triangular in shape, and its open grassland, framed with broadleaf trees, extends to about thirty acres. Kew Green is overlooked by a mixture of period townhouses, historic buildings and commercial establishments. Since the 1730s, Kew Green has been a venue for cricket matches.

The eastern and southwestern sides of the Green are residential; the northern side is largely residential, with a few pubs, restaurants, and the Herbarium Library; and a small number of commercial and retail buildings cluster in the southeast corner. To the north of the Green is Kew Bridge, carrying the busy South Circular Road, which in turn runs across the Green, dividing it into a large western part and a smaller eastern part. At the south end is St Anne's Church, Kew's parish church. At the west end of the Green is Elizabeth Gate, one of the two main entrances into Kew Gardens.

History

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Most of the older houses in Kew are built round the Green and along the eastern side of the Kew Road looking towards Kew Gardens. The Green itself is a big triangular space. It is mentioned in a Parliamentary Survey of Richmond taken in 1649, and is there described as 'a piece of common or uninclosed ground called Kew Green, lying within the Township of Kew, conteyning about 20 acres.' An 18th-century view, taken from a meadow to the east, shows Kew Bridge on the right, a small irregular lake with an island to the left. A road led to the western point of the Green, where the palace was visible, a windmill behind it; and trees, the trunks engirdled by seats, grew opposite the square-built church which stood isolated on the Green. Some land at the end of the Green was enclosed by George IV, and a meadow east of the bridge was made common land, as part of a design, never carried out, of building a new palace at Kew in place of the Dutch House. In the early 19th century Sir Richard Phillips described the Green as 'a triangular area of about 30 acres bounded by dwelling-houses,' and another description of a slightly later date speaks of the 'well-built houses and noble trees' surrounding it.[2]

Kew Green was in use as a venue for cricket by the 1730s and was used for a match between London and a Middlesex XI in 1732. A Women's One Day International between New Zealand and Jamaica was scheduled to be held on the Green in 1973 as part of the inaugural Women's Cricket World Cup but the match was abandoned without a toss being made. This would have been the first Women's One Day International match ever played.[3] The Green is still used for club cricket today as the home of Kew Cricket Club.

Kew Pond

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Originally thought to have been a natural pond fed from a creek of the tidal Thames, later enlarged in the 10th century to serve as a fishery. By the 17th and 18th centuries, it had become a village pond used for watering livestock. A herdsman was in appointed in 1824, and the creek was partly filled in and built over to give access to the new King’s School built to the north of the pond. It now has no natural inflow. During high (spring) tides sluice gates are opened to allow river water to fill the pond via an underground channel. The pond is concreted, rectangular in shape and contains an important reed bed habitat which is vital for conservation and resident water birds. Since 2010 the pond is managed in partnership with the Friends of Kew Pond.[4][5]

Notable buildings

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Kew Green is also a street address. The odd-numbered buildings face the west side, and the even-numbered buildings face the east.

50, Kew Green was the original home of the King's School, founded in 1824. (The school's name changes to the Queen's School during a female monarch's reign.) The building was rebuilt in 1887. In 1969 the school moved to new premises in Cumberland Road and the Victorian schoolhouse was demolished.[6] To preserve its legacy, there is an embroidery of the original building in the pew kneelers of St Anne's Church.


Kew Green Conservation Area[7]
Image Building Dates Grade History
Caxton House,
110, Kew Green		 Early C19 BTM From 1964 the Caxton Name Plate Manufacturing Company, which ceased trading in 1997. The company's name is still visible on the exterior of the building.[8] The artist Banksy painted one of his London animal series in August 2024 on the wall near Kew Bridge; it features a goat perched on a thin wall, with rocks tumbling down.[9]

At the back of Caxton House facing Westerley Ware is the Victorian mortuary building. To the west used to stand the blacksmiths, which had originally been the Rose & Crown; this was demolished in 1900 for the construction of the third Kew Bridge.[10]

108, Kew Green BTM Since 19C there had been several tea rooms and cafés along Waterloo Place. This was the last to close in 2006.
98-106, Kew Green Early C19 II Terrace of five houses.[11]
90-96, Kew Green 1816 II A terrace of four houses. On No. 96 a stone tablet is inscribed "Waterloo Place. 1816".[12]
The Greyhound,
82, Kew Green		 1937 BTM Replaced the Victorian pub
68 & 70, Kew Green BTM 68 and 70 are a pair of Italianate houses.
62 & 64, Kew Green Early C19 II Originally a terrace of three cottages. No. 66 was rebuilt.[13]
52-56, Kew Green 18C II Row of three cottages.[14]
40-46, Kew Green 19C BLM Victorian terrace
28-38, Kew Green 19C BLM Victorian red-bricked terrace
26, Kew Green 19C BLM Bay fronted Victorian house
Haverfield House,
24, Kew Green		 C19 BTM Home of the Superintendent of Kew Gardens 1766-1784, John Haverfield (1694 - 1784), who managed the royal estates in Kew for Princess Augusta. He is buried at St Anne's church. His son, also John Haverfield (1744-1820), was gardener and landscape architect. His daughter was painted by Gainsborough.[15][16] The Hon. Gilbert James Duke Coleridge (1859-1953), barrister and sculptor, son of the 1st Baron Coleridge, died here in 1953.[17]
Eastside House,
22, Kew Green		 Early C19 house II The home of the painter Arthur Hughes; it has a blue plaque.[18][19]
20, Kew Green Mid to late C18 II [20]
14-16, Kew Green BTM Shops mostly retaining their original shopfronts. No. 14 was formerly the Post Office.In 1912 suffragettes destroyed the contents of the pillar box.[21] What is outside now is a Queen Elizabeth pillar box.

In the C18 this was a pub called the Cock and Hoop, later the Ewe and Lamb.[22]

10, Kew Green BTM There is a Blue plaque on the Gloucester Road wall of No. 10a Kew Green to the impressionist painter Camille Pissarro who stayed here in 1892.
Coach and Horses,
8, Kew Green		 BTM Kew's oldest inn, now a pub and restaurant.
Bank House,
2 & 4, Kew Green		 C18 II No. 4, formerly Barclays Bank. Reputedly where the Palace Guard lodged in the late 18th century.[23][7]
9 & 11, Kew Green Late C18 or early C19 II Two houses with shops below retaining their Victorian shop fronts.[24]
Gumley Cottage,
17 & 19, Kew Green		 early C18 II 1 Cambridge Terrace. Two storeys with dormers, the door for No. 17 replaced with a window. Used as student accommodation for Kew students.[25]
21, Kew Green Mid C18 house II [26]
23 & 25, Kew Green C18 II [27] The botanical artist Walter Hood Fitch lived at 4, Cambridge Terrace.[28]
29 & 31, Kew Green C18 II Late C18 or early C19 pair of houses.[29]
Kings Cottage,
33, Kew Green		 C18 II Home from 1751 to 1754 of John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute (1713-1792), honorary director of Kew Gardens, 1754–1772, and, later, Prime Minister. It was later home of Cosmo Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury. It has also been known as Church House. Originally a royal residence, built by Queen Charlotte when it was called 'Princess Elizabeth's House, it was a 'grace and favour' house.[30][31]
Cambridge Cottage,
37, Kew Green		 Early C19 II It was built by Christopher Appleby, a barrister, in the early 18th century. In 1758 it was then leased by Lord Bute. In 1772 it was purchased by George III as a home for two of his sons. In 1838 it became the home of his seventh son, the Duke of Cambridge (1774–1850), who remodelled and extended it in 1840, becoming his permanent residence and renamed Cambridge Cottage. His widow, the Duchess of Cambridge (1797–1889) died here and was buried in St Anne's Church; her body was later moved. Prince George, Duke of Cambridge (1819–1904) owned the house after the death of his mother, and when he died in 1904 Edward VII donated it to Kew Gardens and was formerly Museum No 3.[32]
The Gables,
39-45, Kew Green		 C18 II The cast iron gates are listed.[33] Rebuilt in 1908 on the former stables of Cambridge Cottage for gardening staff.
49, Kew Green Early C18 II Since 1851 the official residence of the director of Kew Gardens. There is a blue plaque to Sir William Hooker and his son, Sir Joseph Hooker.[34][35]
47, Kew Green 1931 BTM The Admin block. Formerly the entrance to the gardens.
Royal Cottage,
51, Kew Green		 C18 II Formerly two houses, used as a grace and favour residence. Conrad Noel (1869-1942), a prominent Christian socialist, was born here.[36]
Herbarium House,
55, Kew Green		 early C18 II Next to the main gates it is the official residence of the keeper of the Herbarium.[37]
Sewer Vent early C19 II Cast-iron Sewer Vent opposite is marked with the maker's name "F. Bird & Co., 11 Gt. Castle St. Regent St.".[38]
Elizabeth Gate 1848 II* Designed by Decimus Burton.[39]
lamp standards Early C19 II Outside the main gate are early C19 cast-iron gas lamp standards with monograms GIIIIR or WIIIIR.[40]
The Herbarium,
Kew Green		 C18, 1877 and later II* The original house dates from the 1770s, built for Peter Theobald, sold to Robert Hunter in 1800 and known as Hunter House. It was bought by the Crown in 1818 as the home of the Duke of Cumberland, who became king of Hanover in 1837; the house was then called Hanover House. It was then used to house the Herbarium, established in 1853 by William Hooker, with new wings added in 1877, Wing C, by John Lessels, Wing B 1902-1903, Wing A 1932, Wing D 1969, 1988 Wing Q, and 2009 the new library extension.[41][42]
Hanover House,
57, Kew Green		 C18 II Next to the Herbarium is Meyer’s House (now called 'Hanover House') home of the artist Jeremiah Meyer. Sir Peter Lely also had a house in this location.[43]

The road next to Hanover House was originally called Water Lane, later named Ferry Lane.[10]

K6 red telephone box 1935 II Outside the Herbarium is a K6 Telephone Box, designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V.[44]
59 & 61, Kew Green Late C18 II No. 61, Abingdon House, formerly The Imperial Restaurant opened in 1913 by Will Evans. It was home of Joshua Kirby, the architect for the reconstruction of St Anne's Church in 1770; he is buried at St Anne's.[15][10][45]
63, Kew Green C18 II Originally known as Snailwell House, it was restored after a fire in 1909 by Will Evans as the Dieudonne Restaurant.[46][10][47]
Warden House,
65, Kew Green		 C18 II [48]
White House,
67, Kew Green		 Early C19 II [49]
Ada Villa,
69, Kew Green		 Mid C18 II In the early 20th Century Pitt's Restaurant was a meeting place for various groups and societies.[50][51][52]
71, Kew Green Late C18, Early C19 II [53]
Danebury House,
73, Kew Green		 C18 II [54]
Beaconsfield,
77, Kew Green		 1668 II Originally known as 'The Little Red House'. The home of Friedrich Albert, a page, barber and hairdresser to Queen Charlotte. His daughter was Charlotte Papendiek, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Charlotte, who wrote memoirs about the household of George III. It later was the home of Francis Engleheart (1713-1773).[10][55]

This was the home for 53 years of Clementina Jacobina Sobieski Schnell (1760–1842), daughter of Colonel Allan Macdonald of Kinlochmoidart who had escaped after the Battle of Culloden; she was related to Flora MacDonald. Her husband, Dr Francis Schnell, was tutor to Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland. She died in 1842 when her headdress caught fire.[56][57]

The Cricketers,
79, Kew Green		 BTM Called the Rose and Crown until 2013.
Flora House,
81, Kew Green		 1880 BTM Once The Flora Restaurant owned by Will Evans. He died here in 1949.[10][58]
Capel House,
83, Kew Green		 Early C18 II Reputedly the dower house of Lady Capel (d 1719), widow of Henry Capell, Baron Capell of Tewkesbury, who in her will left money to five schools, including the King's School in Kew. There is a memorial to her in St Anne's church.[59]
Ask,
85, Kew Green		 BTM Formerly the King's Arms.[60] Next to the King's Arms used to stand 87, Thames House, & 89 a sweet shop; they were demolished in 1900 for the construction of the third Kew Bridge.[10]
St Anne's church 1714 II* The churchyard contains the tombs of Thomas Gainsborough and Johan Zoffany, also Grade II*.[61]

The cross-shaped war memorial near the church is Grade II listed.[62]

References

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  1. ^ "Kew Green". richmond.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Parishes: Kew". British History. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  3. ^ Kew Green, Kew, CricketArchive. Retrieved 9 December 2020. (subscription required)
  4. ^ "Kew Pond". richmond.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 14 February 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  5. ^ Adams, Mike (September 2017). "The History of Kew Pond" (PDF). The Kew Society.
  6. ^ Cassidy, plate 62.
  7. ^ a b "Kew Green Conservation Area Appraisal Conservation area no.2". London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. 2024.
  8. ^ "Caxton Name Plate Manufacturing Company Limited". Company Check. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  9. ^ Davies, Caroline (5 August 2024). "Banksy confirms new goat mural in south-west London is his creation". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Cassidy, G E (1982). Kew As It Was. Hendon Publishing Co Ltd.
  11. ^ "98-106, Kew Green". British Listed Buildings.
  12. ^ "90-96, Kew Green". British Listed Buildings.
  13. ^ "62 and 64, Kew Green". British Listed Buildings.
  14. ^ "52-56 Kew Green". British Listed Buildings.
  15. ^ a b Cassidy, G E. "The Pew Cushions in St Anne's Church, Kew" (PDF). Richmond History Society.
  16. ^ Holman, Mish J (8 July 2022). "'Miss Haverfield': Gainsborough at Kew". The Swan Circle.
  17. ^ "The Hon. Gilbert Coleridge". Times. 9 November 1953. p. 11 – via The Times Digital Archive.
  18. ^ "22, Kew Road". British Listed Buildings.
  19. ^ "HUGHES, Arthur (1832-1915)". English Heritage.
  20. ^ "20, KEW ROAD". British Listed Buildings.
  21. ^ "Pillar-box Outrage". Nottingham Evening Post. 2 November 1912. p. 5 – via British Library Newspapers.
  22. ^ "Riverside - south of the river, west of the Tower. Kew". Edith's Streets. 29 May 2016.
  23. ^ "2 AND 4, KEW GREEN". British Listed Buildings.
  24. ^ "9 and 11, Kew Green". British Listed Buildings.
  25. ^ "17 AND 19, KEW ROAD". British Listed Buildings.
  26. ^ "21, KEW GREEN". British Listed Buildings.
  27. ^ "23 AND 25, KEW GREEN". British Listed Buildings.
  28. ^ Kelly, E R, ed. (1878). Post Office Directory of Surrey, 1878. London: Kelly & Co. p. 2257 – via University of Leicester.
  29. ^ "29 and 31, Kew Green". British Listed Buildings.
  30. ^ "Kings Cottage". British Listed Buildings.
  31. ^ "Dr Lang's new home". The Times. 27 February 1942. p. 2 – via The Times Digital Archive.
  32. ^ "Cambridge Cottage (Museum 3)". British Listed Buildings.
  33. ^ "Cast Iron Gates". British Listed Buildings.
  34. ^ "49, Kew Green". British Listed Buildings.
  35. ^ "HOOKER, Sir William (1785–1865) & HOOKER, Sir Joseph (1817–1911)". English Heritage.
  36. ^ "Royal Cottage". British Listed Buildings.
  37. ^ "Herbarium House". British Listed Buildings.
  38. ^ Historic England. "Sewer vent (1065408)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  39. ^ "Principal Entrance Gates and Railings Fronting Kew Green, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew". British Listed Buildings.
  40. ^ Historic England. "Lamp standards (1194067)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  41. ^ "Herbarium Complex, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew - Hunter House and Wings C, B and A, including the entrance gates and railings". British Listed Buildings.
  42. ^ Malden Willis, G; Howes, F N (1950). "Notes on Early Kew and the King of Hanover". Kew Bulletin. 50 (3): 299–318. doi:10.2307/4109419. JSTOR 4109419 – via JSTOR.
  43. ^ "Hanover House". British Listed Buildings.
  44. ^ Historic England. "K6 Telephone Kiosk (1254349)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  45. ^ "59 and 61, Kew Green". British Listed Buildings.
  46. ^ "Serious Fire at Kew Green". Richmond and Twickenham Times. 6 March 1909. p. 7.
  47. ^ "63 Kew Green". British Listed Buildings.
  48. ^ "Warden House with attached railings". British Listed Buildings.
  49. ^ "White House". British Listed Buildings.
  50. ^ "Ada Villa". British Listed Buildings.
  51. ^ "Kew". Richmond Herald. 17 April 1937. p. 24. Mr. Richard Pitt, of Kew Green, who died at the age of 86 years, on Monday. Pitt was born in Cornwall, and came to Kew 35 years ago, where he has been a proprietor of a restaurant.
  52. ^ "Kew Debating Society". Richmond Herald. 13 October 1923. p. 16.
  53. ^ "71, Kew Green". British Listed Buildings.
  54. ^ "Danebury House". British Listed Buildings.
  55. ^ "77 Kew Green". British Listed Buildings.
  56. ^ "Richmond old and new". Richmond Herald. 26 November 1932. p. 13. This lady (who was over 6ft, in height and wore a wig like Queen Elizabeth's hair and style, and dressed like her) was a staunch Jacobite, and fled from Scotland during the troublous Stuart times and took refuge at a house on Kew Green - now known as Beaconsfield House and occupied by our worthy citizen Coun. Frost. Here she frequently entertained Royalty, being herself the god-daughter of James III as she considered him (or of the Old Pretender), and possessing a painting of her god-parent under which was painted, 'Remember, this is King James, and no Pretender'. Among frequent visitors were Duke Ernest of Cumberland - whose memory survives in the Cumberland Gate of Kew Gardens - son of George III, who succeeded William IV as King of Hanover, and his blind son Prince George. Cards were played and the Royal visitors entertained by music. This lady met her death under tragic circumstances, being burnt to death while playing with some children.
  57. ^ "A Link With Prince Charlie". The Times. 27 September 1938. p. 8 – via The Times Digital Archive.
  58. ^ "Boys' Cricket Match Patron Dies". Richmond Herald. 9 July 1949. p. 12. Mr. William Evans, a well-known personality in Kew, died on Friday of last week at his home, Flora, 81, Kew Green. Aged 75, Mr. Evans is best known as the owner of the Dieudonne and Imperial restaurants, Kew Green, which took up most of his time even till just before death. A native of Shropshire, Mr. Evans for well over 20 years had been a keen patron of the annual Kew boys' cricket match on the Green, and it was he who provided the tea for the boys at the Dieudonne Restaurant. Mr. Evans, who was a well-known Freemason, was a member of the Kayhough and Joppa lodge.
  59. ^ "Capel House". British Listed Buildings.
  60. ^ "King's Arms, Kew, Surrey". Closed Pubs. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  61. ^ "Parish Church of St Anne". British Listed Buildings.
  62. ^ Historic England. "Kew War Memorial (1425802)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 February 2017.

Further reading

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Bibliography

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  • Cassidy, G. E. (1982). Kew As It Was. Nelson: Hendon Publishing Co. Ltd. ISBN 9780860670742.
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Media related to Kew Green, London at Wikimedia Commons

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