Hi John, I grew up in Kingston and so was very excited to see you walking through my home town. I managed to persuade a small group of friends to walk the entire Hogsmill with me a few years ago inspired by your rambles, was a fantastic walk. Aside from the Millias connection (btw did you see the plaque where it claims the painting was done?) the other interesting thing about the river is its connection to gunpowder industry. Apparently there were 12 gunpowder mills on the river from 1754 to 1875, one of which blew up several times and supposedly blew out the windows of a nearby church. Unsure if any of the workers were hurt. Supposedly they produced gunpowder for the Napoleonic and American civil war. Last thing, that pink flower you see all along the river is Impatiens grandiflora, I think its quite beautiful but its seen as highly invasive weed due to the way it takes over river banks. Anyway look forward to more videos. Rob
I was going to post and ask for you to do a Kingston walk, then I saw this- fantastic stuff! It'd be great to see a more detailed walk of the Kingston area though- it's such a significant historic market town and was one of the most important stops along the trade route to the south coast In later years, it was the birthplace of Hawker aircraft, there's an island where the precursor to the magna carts was signed, look into the coombe conduit, so much fascinating history! Pints are on me next time you're near the Westway
"... my god, a Toby Carvery. As much a symbol of the edge lands as a water treatment works." Absolutely wonderful comment. Thanks for all your film-making John. As you can see from all of the comments sections, it's greatly appreciated. I just wish more people would watch your excellent interview with Raja Shehadeh.
Ah, I just love it when Richard Jefferies is brought into the topic of conversation. Only very few people mention RJ these days. I used to really gorge myself on Jefferies' writings a couple of decades ago and still, occasionally, dig out some of his works when the mood grabs me. Definitely one of England's finest writers, ever. But, I must admit, I'm not familiar with the Hogsmill River (not being a Londoner) but it looks wonderful. That was a fantastic and really interesting walk John and you looked like you were enjoying every minute of it yourself. Thanks for sharing.
There's a wooden plaque inside Surbiton library commemorating Jefferies, mentioning his former home in Ewell Road, Surbiton where there is an additional blue plaque.
I really loved that one, I was raised in West Ewell, about 20 yards from the river in the 50s, wish I had a quid for every time I fell in the bleedn thing...anyway, we used to fish in there for sticklebacks and red bellies as kids, the natural wildlife around the river was amazing then, less pollution in those days I suppose...wished you had spent more time walking the river from the Kingston by pass, a mile or so South of Tolworth ..to Ewell Court House, love the History of it all from Anglo Saxon times..the King Stones, Athelstan the first King of England..your reference to his Father kicking out the Danes during your Pymmes Brook Walk made me laugh as true as it was...I live in Thailand now, I very much appreciate videos like yours, its a look back at all our yesterdays...love to see you visit a traditional Pub on route, have a Pint and a proper Home made Pie, better than a Balti slice and Topic anyday..keep up the good work.
So many memories come up to my mind when i see some places all around Uk! I was living in Kingston for two years and i love it! I feel i left a part of my heart in England! Hopefully one day i could repeat the amazing adventure of living in a different country! Thank you so much Mr. Jefferies! ❤️
A D with a line through it is actually an Eth - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eth One of the letters, along with Thorn, (which is where we get Ye instead of The on Olde Pubbe Signs), which we lost when Caxton imported the letters for his printing press from the Continent. (this is related to the King's Stone section, where EÐELSTAN really does say Ethelstan)
Could watch your walks and listen to your calming voice on a loop, John! You're the man I defer to these days as I haven't got the time myself to explore London, Essex, Kent like I used to as a student, often walking all day and night. Reality bites... but your vids make it bearable at the mo, and are a joy to watch.
Thanks John a cracking corner of London, nice to be reminded of the lighter evenings, still light at 6.20 pm, look forward to the next one, take care of yourself, till I see you again, blessings.....
I think the loop was for me the best way to know London as for most people they know the centre and where ever they live in London. I must say I came to love some part of that walk. at the time I was living in Higham Hill (Walthamstow) and working down the city. I came to love the western part of the loop apart from the Heathrow section. but the loop is definably the best way to know London in those quieter part away from our busy lives.
I always love your videos and really enjoyed this one also. If you ever come back to this part of Kingston here are 3 small pieces of a walk I wrote. You may enjoy them. As for The London Loop, it's not great, done too quick with no real research. I prefer my walk around London and Iain Sinclair's London Orbital. Anyway, 3 short notes of history within 100 yards of The King's Stone. Quotes from a walk of mine. 1. The white house on the corner of the alley and High Street is only weatherboarded at the rear. It has two plaques on it. One on the chimneystack states it is historically listed, another on the front reads "CESAR PICTON c.1755 - 1836. A native of Senegal, West Coast of Africa. Brought to England in 1761 as a servant to Sir John Philipps of Norbiton, Kingston upon Thames. Later a coal merchant and gentleman. LIVED HERE 1788 - 1807". You can read more about Cesar Picton at Wikipedia or view a short narrative of his life, below at UA-cam. 2. Soon to the LHS is The Ram pub and two buildings later, a plaque on the first floor front of Barkman Computers reads "Childhood home of EADWEARD MUYBRIDGE Pioneer Photographer 1830 - 1904". I lived and worked in Kingston for many years, but I'd never heard of Eadweard Muybridge until I started writing this walk. His work was ground-breaking in capturing separate images and putting them together to form what appeared to be moving pictures. He is famous as the man who first showed how a horse's legs moved when running. Most of his work was done in America where he even got acquitted for his wife's lovers murder on grounds of justifiable homicide. He died in Kingston in 1904, the same year Kingston Museum opened and lots of his equipment and work was bequeathed to the museum. A building at Kingston University is named after him. You can read more and watch some of his work at Wikipedia. An hour long documentary by BBC at UA-cam, entitled "The Weird World of Eadweard Muybridge" is also worth watching. There is a huge amount of information about this man on the Internet. 3. Continue on, past the Rose Theatre and for another 35 yards stop at the Clattern Bridge. This bridge over the Hogsmill River dates from c.1175 and replaced the Saxon ‘Clatrung Bridge’. According to Wikipedia (and a few other sources) there is the story about the mass, yet violent, football match held here for centuries and also on a darker side the bridge was where "scolds" were punished by the cucking stool: "Up to the 18th century, the bridge was used as a site for the ducking of scolds with a cucking stool. The bridge also featured in the traditional game of football held in the centre of Kingston each year on Shrove Tuesday. It was the goal for one of the teams, while the nearby Kingston Bridge was the other goal."... "The game was finally displaced from the public highway in 1867, when the authorities managed to move the game to a local playing field." The older side of the bridge, where you are now, does date back to the 12th century. The bridge has been widened a few times and still holds a full load of traffic across it. The ornamental railings on the opposite side were added in 1852. For historical purposes the bridge is classified as grade 1 listed. A plaque on the wall of the bridge states: "Clattern Bridge, which crosses the Hogsmill River, is one of the oldest bridges in Surrey and it is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The earliest known reference is in a deed of 1293 and the medieval name 'Clateryngbrugge' is thought to have been descriptive of the sound of horses crossing the bridge. The stone arches on the downstream side are the oldest parts of the bridge which until the 19th century was only 8ft wide." I'm sorry this is such a long post and the links don't carry thru to the post, but I think you can looks the up yourself and may enjoy. sites.google.com/site/thefreedomtrails/home/5-walton-on-thames-to-hampton-court is the link to this section of my walk. I also spent 25 years working on a walk around London it's at www.greenbeltrelay.org.uk/green_belt_way.htm
Hi John 😀 just watching this episode while having my porridge in Illinois 😂. I attended Kingston College 77/79 ish, I used to walk from Surbiton Station (a beautiful art deco) after a fry up in a cafe just outside the station. I remember boozy lunchtime sessions in the Seven Saxons, is it still there? I often wonder how my old friends from Kingston college are doing, we were all so young then (17/19). One other thing, I saw a ghost, yes, seriously, and it wasn't a hallucination caused by too many mushrooms in the fry-ups😂 it was a very tall, skinny guy with a bowler hat, briefcase etc, he was walking towards me, looking directly at me, he looked odd, so As he passed I turned to watch him walk away......he had completely disappeared 😳 I wrote about the full experience in 'Wyatt's Weird World' around 10 years ago. Cheers, John, I love your videos, and hope to return to Blighty soon to walk some of your walks👍
Wonderful to walk ‘vicariosly’ with you.... really perked me up...having done it both way your doing the best imho. Clockwise you hardly ever meet others, this way you realise how many people do the loop. Areas that normally you would never go to. Love those houses!
A very calming and nice video, quite similar feel as in Des de Moor's excellent but very rare postings in his London underfoot blog. Interesting, although I am more familiar with the walks around North Downs way in Surrey.
Fascinating. I really enjoy your videos, so good to explore random places that only locals know and to wonder about the history in the street names. Great stuff!
@@JohnRogersWalks I'm hoping there will be a book of your London Loop walks capturing your unique, relaxed, informative style similar to This Other London. Ian
What an idyllic walk that section is, John. I walked it (clockwise!) just last week. I think you'll find that the inhabitants of Kingston have fun with the LOOP signs from time to time - I've almost been misled by one of them myself.
Hi John. I've done the London LOOP too and it was great to see my home town in one of your videos. There's been a lot of construction work in the town centre so a more modern and less of a Slough vibe 08:25, that insect environment is still there! 10:30 yep home of "The Good Life" But it wasn't filmed there. "Stella Street" was though 14:18 The parakeets supposedly came from the filming of "The African Queen" in Isleworth The Hogsmill is a very charming river
Only just found your channel. This walk is always so beautiful as always. Seeing tye hogsmill brings back memories as I dont live far away from it at ewell court park.
As someone who grew up in Kingston (technically Berrylands), and the Hogsmill was minutes from my house and now lives in Leytonstone, this was a walk of yours I’d been looking forward to. Inspired me to walk from current home to old home and back again, maybe 2020’s goal! I haven’t finished watching the video yet, but the landscape of the painting Ophelia (of Shakespeare fame) by Sir John Everett Millais was painted around the Hogsmill in Ewell.
That’s wonderful to hear Matt - apologies it’s taken me so long to get it online. That’d be a great walk from Leytonstone to Berrylands - look forward to hearing about it
@@JohnRogersWalks I should have waited to have watched the full video, as you'd seen the Ophelia artwork. What I hadn't realised was that you'd walk down Lower Marsh Lane. My father grew up just off there, my first job was at a Unigate Dairy just on the corner as you enter Lower Marsh (now gone), and quite a few of my family are buried in that cemetery. I used to love and loathe that lane in equal measure; the cycle along Lower Marsh from Berrylands station, passing the sewage works at 3:30am on a Saturday morning. During the summer the sun was rising, so it was less spooky, but with the sun meant the sewage work stank. The winter months were dark, cold, and very very scary (I started the Saturday milk round when I was 12), but at least it didn't smell!
An interesting little perambulation John, which actually took you past and away from some of the area's most interesting locations. Although you got the King's Stone in, you missed a lot of interesting stuff located within a stone's throw of the Stone itself and where you were actualy filming; including Kingston's historic church. The King's Stone was originally located there in a now demolished chapel that stood directly adjacent to the church, before being transported to its present location. Of further interest is the fact that Kingston's historic Hocktide Traditional Football Game, which was stopped by the town's Burghers and Aldermen back in the nineteenth century, is supposedly the oldest football game on record! You can hear the full story in an interview here in this 2006 clip from my 'Legendary London' series of films headed 'Legendary London's Lost Templar Legacy'. The clip takes you on a journey from London's Temple Church to Glastonbury and back to Kingston again, the common thread between the three locations here referred to being none other than the former Saxon Bishop of London and Abbot of Glastonbury responsible for crowning several of the Kings listed on the plinth from which you were reading, St. Dunstan! ua-cam.com/video/NrtR0jBGht4/v-deo.html As regards the naming of Barrow Hill, I think I am right in saying that there is a connection with nearby 'Castle Hill', which is located further up the Hogsmill from where you yourself left it, at a place where it meets another of its tributaries, the so called 'Bonesgate Stream'. Close at hand is an area of woodland referred to on the map as 'Butchers Grove' in which there are the remains of an ancient prehistoric earthwork referred to as 'Castle Hill Camp' in some sources. According to tradition this mound, or camp, in Latin 'Castra', may have given its name to nearby Chessington. How true this is though I just don't know! The fact that a Roman coin was actually found there suggests that the Romans may have created a use for the place after the suppression of the local Iron Age Celic inhabitants and before the arrival of the Saxons.
@@JohnRogersWalks It's a good old walk round there. Did it myself more than twenty years ago now. During the course of perambulation around what is generally referred to as 'Castle Hill Camp' I found a mysterious stone shaped like a lion's head. Needless to say the place is supposed to be on the Leonine Effigy of the Kingston Zodiac.
Thanks John for another wonderful video. I was interested in your comment about the green parakeets. I live opposite claybury park and while walking over there recently saw a flock of approximately twenty parakeets. As they are not native in the u.k. I assume that they must have escaped from captivity and have succeeded in breeding in the wild. Bob.
Thanks Robert. There are so many theories about where the parakeets originate from, somebody’s even written a book about it. I saw a flock in Wanstead Park one evening
The film set for The Good Life not too far from the end of The LOOP Section 13 near Moor Park which I of course had to make a short detour to see...Great video John, as usual.
Kingston, Ewell, New Malden, Worcester Park - my roots, of sorts, but never walked there - being too young - though in later years I would visit my mother in Richmond, and then 'Suburbiton'
Love the way you show us the unhealthy junk food bought along the way ( many, including myself, occasionally and surreptitiously partake of the evil delights of course). It might not be as interesting but why don't you prepare a sandwich/bap etc, a piece of fruit and a flask of something tasty and show and discuss us that? It would probably be equally as edifying. The new Topics don't taste as good as the old and haven't the price of Mars Bars shot up!
What a lovely reminder of another season. You found the site of the Surbiton Pet Club, founded by King Athelstan in 931AD to counter the ravages of the Viking pet stealers !!!! The present building, a prime example of Ye Olde Garden Shed architecture, stands on the site of a much older hovel, which was destroyed in the Great Purge of St. Swithun by Dave the Arsonist and his merry band of benefits fraudsters.
Two low railway bridge videos in a row. That's rather jolly. I wonder how many other places there are around London where one has to 'limbo' under the infrastructure..?
JOHN, HOW DID YOU GET CARS RUNNING BACKWARDS FROM 6.30 ?? & WHAT WAS THE EX PUB C\LLSD BEFORE CONVERSION TO WHAT PLEASE, AS IT SEEMS YOU DID NOT FILM IT !!!! ????.
Walking clockwise is about following the passage of the sun I think . Walking anti clockwise is called widdershins - which has all sorts of negative associations . Buddhists , Hindus , Jain's all walk around sacred places or objects because there is an idea of the spiritual heart being on the right side of the chest . 🙏🕉️☸️
Hi John, I grew up in Kingston and so was very excited to see you walking through my home town. I managed to persuade a small group of friends to walk the entire Hogsmill with me a few years ago inspired by your rambles, was a fantastic walk. Aside from the Millias connection (btw did you see the plaque where it claims the painting was done?) the other interesting thing about the river is its connection to gunpowder industry. Apparently there were 12 gunpowder mills on the river from 1754 to 1875, one of which blew up several times and supposedly blew out the windows of a nearby church. Unsure if any of the workers were hurt. Supposedly they produced gunpowder for the Napoleonic and American civil war. Last thing, that pink flower you see all along the river is Impatiens grandiflora, I think its quite beautiful but its seen as highly invasive weed due to the way it takes over river banks. Anyway look forward to more videos. Rob
I was going to post and ask for you to do a Kingston walk, then I saw this- fantastic stuff!
It'd be great to see a more detailed walk of the Kingston area though- it's such a significant historic market town and was one of the most important stops along the trade route to the south coast
In later years, it was the birthplace of Hawker aircraft, there's an island where the precursor to the magna carts was signed, look into the coombe conduit, so much fascinating history!
Pints are on me next time you're near the Westway
"... my god, a Toby Carvery. As much a symbol of the edge lands as a water treatment works." Absolutely wonderful comment. Thanks for all your film-making John. As you can see from all of the comments sections, it's greatly appreciated. I just wish more people would watch your excellent interview with Raja Shehadeh.
Ah, I just love it when Richard Jefferies is brought into the topic of conversation. Only very few people mention RJ these days. I used to really gorge myself on Jefferies' writings a couple of decades ago and still, occasionally, dig out some of his works when the mood grabs me. Definitely one of England's finest writers, ever. But, I must admit, I'm not familiar with the Hogsmill River (not being a Londoner) but it looks wonderful. That was a fantastic and really interesting walk John and you looked like you were enjoying every minute of it yourself. Thanks for sharing.
There's a wooden plaque inside Surbiton library commemorating Jefferies, mentioning his former home in Ewell Road, Surbiton where there is an additional blue plaque.
I really loved that one, I was raised in West Ewell, about 20 yards from the river in the 50s, wish I had a quid for every time I fell in the bleedn thing...anyway, we used to fish in there for sticklebacks and red bellies as kids, the natural wildlife around the river was amazing then, less pollution in those days I suppose...wished you had spent more time walking the river from the Kingston by pass, a mile or so South of Tolworth ..to Ewell Court House, love the History of it all from Anglo Saxon times..the King Stones, Athelstan the first King of England..your reference to his Father kicking out the Danes during your Pymmes Brook Walk made me laugh as true as it was...I live in Thailand now, I very much appreciate videos like yours, its a look back at all our yesterdays...love to see you visit a traditional Pub on route, have a Pint and a proper Home made Pie, better than a Balti slice and Topic anyday..keep up the good work.
Thanks for that comment, glad I could help bring back some memories
So many memories come up to my mind when i see some places all around Uk! I was living in Kingston for two years and i love it! I feel i left a part of my heart in England! Hopefully one day i could repeat the amazing adventure of living in a different country! Thank you so much Mr. Jefferies! ❤️
Thank you for this marvelous walk, John.
my pleasure Victor - thanks for watching
A D with a line through it is actually an Eth - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eth
One of the letters, along with Thorn, (which is where we get Ye instead of The on Olde Pubbe Signs), which we lost when Caxton imported the letters for his printing press from the Continent.
(this is related to the King's Stone section, where EÐELSTAN really does say Ethelstan)
One of my more local parts of the Loop. Another fantastic walk John. Thank you!
thanks for watching Neil - it's a lovely part of the world
Another excellent video John
Thanks Ross
Could watch your walks and listen to your calming voice on a loop, John! You're the man I defer to these days as I haven't got the time myself to explore London, Essex, Kent like I used to as a student, often walking all day and night. Reality bites... but your vids make it bearable at the mo, and are a joy to watch.
thanks so much Will - greatly appreciated
Thanks John a cracking corner of London, nice to be reminded of the lighter evenings, still light at 6.20 pm, look forward to the next one, take care of yourself, till I see you again, blessings.....
Thanks Leslie- it was a joy to finally edit this and be transported back to those long warm days
I didn’t know you could still get Topics........ great video John, your commentary is spot on.
Little know fact .... TOPICS are one of the 5 major food groups. Thanks John.
Always a pleasure watching your films
I think the loop was for me the best way to know London as for most people they know the centre and where ever they live in London. I must say I came to love some part of that walk. at the time I was living in Higham Hill (Walthamstow) and working down the city. I came to love the western part of the loop apart from the Heathrow section. but the loop is definably the best way to know London in those quieter part away from our busy lives.
Another great walk. The hoggs mill river started off looking like you could drink it and finished off decidedly murky.
Thanks Tim - that’s often the way I find - we go back to the mud and the clay
But you can see shoals of large fishes from the bridges, watching and waiting just before the Hogsmill empties into the Thames.
Thanks John,
Cheers Dave
Yes. thanks John.
These London loop segments are excellent - thank you!
I always love your videos and really enjoyed this one also. If you ever come back to this part of Kingston here are 3 small pieces of a walk I wrote. You may enjoy them. As for The London Loop, it's not great, done too quick with no real research. I prefer my walk around London and Iain Sinclair's London Orbital. Anyway, 3 short notes of history within 100 yards of The King's Stone. Quotes from a walk of mine. 1. The white house on the corner of the alley and High Street is only weatherboarded at the rear. It has two plaques on it. One on the chimneystack states it is historically listed, another on the front reads "CESAR PICTON c.1755 - 1836. A native of Senegal, West Coast of Africa. Brought to England in 1761 as a servant to Sir John Philipps of Norbiton, Kingston upon Thames. Later a coal merchant and gentleman. LIVED HERE 1788 - 1807". You can read more about Cesar Picton at Wikipedia or view a short narrative of his life, below at UA-cam. 2. Soon to the LHS is The Ram pub and two buildings later, a plaque on the first floor front of Barkman Computers reads "Childhood home of EADWEARD MUYBRIDGE Pioneer Photographer 1830 - 1904".
I lived and worked in Kingston for many years, but I'd never heard of Eadweard Muybridge until I started writing this walk. His work was ground-breaking in capturing separate images and putting them together to form what appeared to be moving pictures. He is famous as the man who first showed how a horse's legs moved when running. Most of his work was done in America where he even got acquitted for his wife's lovers murder on grounds of justifiable homicide. He died in Kingston in 1904, the same year Kingston Museum opened and lots of his equipment and work was bequeathed to the museum. A building at Kingston University is named after him. You can read more and watch some of his work at Wikipedia. An hour long documentary by BBC at UA-cam, entitled "The Weird World of Eadweard Muybridge" is also worth watching. There is a huge amount of information about this man on the Internet. 3. Continue on, past the Rose Theatre and for another 35 yards stop at the Clattern Bridge.
This bridge over the Hogsmill River dates from c.1175 and replaced the Saxon ‘Clatrung Bridge’. According to Wikipedia (and a few other sources) there is the story about the mass, yet violent, football match held here for centuries and also on a darker side the bridge was where "scolds" were punished by the cucking stool:
"Up to the 18th century, the bridge was used as a site for the ducking of scolds with a cucking stool. The bridge also featured in the traditional game of football held in the centre of Kingston each year on Shrove Tuesday. It was the goal for one of the teams, while the nearby Kingston Bridge was the other goal."... "The game was finally displaced from the public highway in 1867, when the authorities managed to move the game to a local playing field."
The older side of the bridge, where you are now, does date back to the 12th century. The bridge has been widened a few times and still holds a full load of traffic across it. The ornamental railings on the opposite side were added in 1852. For historical purposes the bridge is classified as grade 1 listed.
A plaque on the wall of the bridge states:
"Clattern Bridge, which crosses the Hogsmill River, is one of the oldest bridges in Surrey and it is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The earliest known reference is in a deed of 1293 and the medieval name 'Clateryngbrugge' is thought to have been descriptive of the sound of horses crossing the bridge. The stone arches on the downstream side are the oldest parts of the bridge which until the 19th century was only 8ft wide." I'm sorry this is such a long post and the links don't carry thru to the post, but I think you can looks the up yourself and may enjoy. sites.google.com/site/thefreedomtrails/home/5-walton-on-thames-to-hampton-court is the link to this section of my walk. I also spent 25 years working on a walk around London it's at www.greenbeltrelay.org.uk/green_belt_way.htm
Thanks for those notes Sean
Hi John 😀 just watching this episode while having my porridge in Illinois 😂. I attended Kingston College 77/79 ish, I used to walk from Surbiton Station (a beautiful art deco) after a fry up in a cafe just outside the station. I remember boozy lunchtime sessions in the Seven Saxons, is it still there? I often wonder how my old friends from Kingston college are doing, we were all so young then (17/19). One other thing, I saw a ghost, yes, seriously, and it wasn't a hallucination caused by too many mushrooms in the fry-ups😂 it was a very tall, skinny guy with a bowler hat, briefcase etc, he was walking towards me, looking directly at me, he looked odd, so As he passed I turned to watch him walk away......he had completely disappeared 😳 I wrote about the full experience in 'Wyatt's Weird World' around 10 years ago. Cheers, John, I love your videos, and hope to return to Blighty soon to walk some of your walks👍
Some really nice interesting open spaces and architecture along that route....thanks John :-)
It was a real treat Hazel - can’t wait to get back out there
Wonderful to walk ‘vicariosly’ with you.... really perked me up...having done it both way your doing the best imho. Clockwise you hardly ever meet others, this way you realise how many people do the loop. Areas that normally you would never go to. Love those houses!
Thanks Jean - can’t wait to get back out there
Thanks for another brilliant walk John!
Thanks Jonny
A very calming and nice video, quite similar feel as in Des de Moor's excellent but very rare postings in his London underfoot blog. Interesting, although I am more familiar with the walks around North Downs way in Surrey.
Ah near my hometown. Nice to see some familiar and unfamiliar places
How dare you equate charming Kingston with average Slough!! lol
The Kingston market square centre area is really nice!
Fascinating. I really enjoy your videos, so good to explore random places that only locals know and to wonder about the history in the street names. Great stuff!
Yes Sue, completely agree
Thanks John, a great reminder of the summer.
My pleasure Ian - it was wonderful to revisit it editing this video
@@JohnRogersWalks I'm hoping there will be a book of your London Loop walks capturing your unique, relaxed, informative style similar to This Other London. Ian
Great video
What an idyllic walk that section is, John. I walked it (clockwise!) just last week.
I think you'll find that the inhabitants of Kingston have fun with the LOOP signs from time to time - I've almost been misled by one of them myself.
Thank you John it was a great walking explore
Hi John. I've done the London LOOP too and it was great to see my home town in one of your videos. There's been a lot of construction work in the town centre so a more modern and less of a Slough vibe
08:25, that insect environment is still there!
10:30 yep home of "The Good Life" But it wasn't filmed there. "Stella Street" was though
14:18 The parakeets supposedly came from the filming of "The African Queen" in Isleworth
The Hogsmill is a very charming river
I seem to remember there used to be a lido in Berrylands?
Yep. Surbiton Lagoon. Much of my misspent youth in the70s
Thank you
Only just found your channel. This walk is always so beautiful as always. Seeing tye hogsmill brings back memories as I dont live far away from it at ewell court park.
Welcome to the channel Peter - I think this is one of the most beautiful sections of the Loop due to the Hogsmill
As someone who grew up in Kingston (technically Berrylands), and the Hogsmill was minutes from my house and now lives in Leytonstone, this was a walk of yours I’d been looking forward to. Inspired me to walk from current home to old home and back again, maybe 2020’s goal!
I haven’t finished watching the video yet, but the landscape of the painting Ophelia (of Shakespeare fame) by Sir John Everett Millais was painted around the Hogsmill in Ewell.
That’s wonderful to hear Matt - apologies it’s taken me so long to get it online. That’d be a great walk from Leytonstone to Berrylands - look forward to hearing about it
@@JohnRogersWalks I should have waited to have watched the full video, as you'd seen the Ophelia artwork.
What I hadn't realised was that you'd walk down Lower Marsh Lane. My father grew up just off there, my first job was at a Unigate Dairy just on the corner as you enter Lower Marsh (now gone), and quite a few of my family are buried in that cemetery. I used to love and loathe that lane in equal measure; the cycle along Lower Marsh from Berrylands station, passing the sewage works at 3:30am on a Saturday morning. During the summer the sun was rising, so it was less spooky, but with the sun meant the sewage work stank. The winter months were dark, cold, and very very scary (I started the Saturday milk round when I was 12), but at least it didn't smell!
love the music
John - the area where I was brought up - fascinating!
Wonderful walk!
Great walk john as ever very informative 👍😊
Thanks Tomgirl - I really need to get back out on the London Loop
Cracking walk and great chat 👍
Thanks David
yep cracking vid buddy
I absolutely loved The Good Life 🥰😂🤩
An interesting little perambulation John, which actually took you past and away from some of the area's most interesting locations. Although you got the King's Stone in, you missed a lot of interesting stuff located within a stone's throw of the Stone itself and where you were actualy filming; including Kingston's historic church. The King's Stone was originally located there in a now demolished chapel that stood directly adjacent to the church, before being transported to its present location. Of further interest is the fact that Kingston's historic Hocktide Traditional Football Game, which was stopped by the town's Burghers and Aldermen back in the nineteenth century, is supposedly the oldest football game on record! You can hear the full story in an interview here in this 2006 clip from my 'Legendary London' series of films headed 'Legendary London's Lost Templar Legacy'. The clip takes you on a journey from London's Temple Church to Glastonbury and back to Kingston again, the common thread between the three locations here referred to being none other than the former Saxon Bishop of London and Abbot of Glastonbury responsible for crowning several of the Kings listed on the plinth from which you were reading, St. Dunstan!
ua-cam.com/video/NrtR0jBGht4/v-deo.html
As regards the naming of Barrow Hill, I think I am right in saying that there is a connection with nearby 'Castle Hill', which is located further up the Hogsmill from where you yourself left it, at a place where it meets another of its tributaries, the so called 'Bonesgate Stream'. Close at hand is an area of woodland referred to on the map as 'Butchers Grove' in which there are the remains of an ancient prehistoric earthwork referred to as 'Castle Hill Camp' in some sources. According to tradition this mound, or camp, in Latin 'Castra', may have given its name to nearby Chessington. How true this is though I just don't know! The fact that a Roman coin was actually found there suggests that the Romans may have created a use for the place after the suppression of the local Iron Age Celic inhabitants and before the arrival of the Saxons.
Fascinating stuff Rupert, particularly the info on Barrow Hill - makes me want to go back!
@@JohnRogersWalks It's a good old walk round there. Did it myself more than twenty years ago now. During the course of perambulation around what is generally referred to as 'Castle Hill Camp' I found a mysterious stone shaped like a lion's head. Needless to say the place is supposed to be on the Leonine Effigy of the Kingston Zodiac.
Thanks John; great photography in the Autumn light.
Yes, agree
Thanks John for another wonderful video. I was interested in your comment about the green parakeets. I live opposite claybury park and while walking over there recently saw a flock of approximately twenty parakeets. As they are not native in the u.k. I assume that they must have escaped from captivity and have succeeded in breeding in the wild. Bob.
Thanks Robert. There are so many theories about where the parakeets originate from, somebody’s even written a book about it. I saw a flock in Wanstead Park one evening
The film set for The Good Life not too far from the end of The LOOP Section 13 near Moor Park which I of course had to make a short detour to see...Great video John, as usual.
Yes it was set in kewferry Road Northwood
Maybe you were thinking of Reginald Perrin, with Leonard Rossiter, in the show he lives in Surbiton. I love that show ;)
Kingston, Ewell, New Malden, Worcester Park - my roots, of sorts, but never walked there - being too young - though in later years I would visit my mother in Richmond, and then 'Suburbiton'
Love the way you show us the unhealthy junk food bought along the way ( many, including myself, occasionally and surreptitiously partake of the evil delights of course). It might not be as interesting but why don't you prepare a sandwich/bap etc, a piece of fruit and a flask of something tasty and show and discuss us that? It would probably be equally as edifying. The new Topics don't taste as good as the old and haven't the price of Mars Bars shot up!
What a lovely reminder of another season.
You found the site of the Surbiton Pet Club, founded by King Athelstan in 931AD to counter the ravages of the Viking pet stealers !!!!
The present building, a prime example of Ye Olde Garden Shed architecture, stands on the site of a much older hovel, which was destroyed in the Great Purge of St. Swithun by Dave the Arsonist and his merry band of benefits fraudsters.
And another myth of suburbia is created - thanks Rob
i grew up in west Ewell we moved away when I was 12. I would love to see a walk through West Ewell.
lovely rivers you have..
we do not have rivers here in our province only beaches and rough tides.
have you ever tried to fish on one of those rivers??
I haven’t personally Zieff but I have a friend who does, he goes searching for brown trout
wonderful, why not join your friend fishing and make video from it😁
John Rogers Is that a euphemism? #hellosailor
@@aalexjohna 😂😂😂
Two low railway bridge videos in a row. That's rather jolly. I wonder how many other places there are around London where one has to 'limbo' under the infrastructure..?
that feels like it would make a great video - find all those places and cut the limbo clips together
Although you're correct in saying that it was (supposedly) set in Surbiton...
The Good Life, set in Surbiton but filmed in the Metroland heartland of Northwood, if I'm not mistaken.
I'd love to see what is going to be left of the original London Loop in 100 years from now.
JOHN, HOW DID YOU GET CARS RUNNING BACKWARDS FROM 6.30 ?? & WHAT WAS THE EX PUB C\LLSD BEFORE CONVERSION TO WHAT PLEASE, AS IT SEEMS YOU DID NOT FILM IT !!!! ????.
Hi Peter - I just reversed the footage. Sorry no idea what the pub used to be called- the name sign had been taken down
Chees John.
Of course the Centre For Useless Splendour begs the question, is there a Centre For Useful Splendour? I don't know which one I would prefer.
Good point Douglas - sounds like it could be a reference to William Morris
Centre for useless splendour use to be The Swan Pub 🙂
JOHN, WERE YOU IN SUMMER ONE HOUR FORWARD TIME OR NORMAL HOURS WINTER TIME !!!!!.
It was the 11th August Peter
if you renamed this as a river walk you would get double the viewsthe tributary you got lost on is the tolworth brook
That’s a good point Greg - I’ve actually just got home from filming a river walk with Tom Bolton. Thanks for the info on the tributary
Walking clockwise is about following the passage of the sun I think . Walking anti clockwise is called widdershins - which has all sorts of negative associations .
Buddhists , Hindus , Jain's all walk around sacred places or objects because there is an idea of the spiritual heart being on the right side of the chest . 🙏🕉️☸️
I bet you walk around IKEA the wrong way too😏
IKEA freaks me out
HI JOHN I HAVE PICKED UP A MUG OF ABBEY ROAD FOR AN INCREDIBLE £1
great find