Kingston Heritage Service

Join us at Kingston Museum for a fun FREE Easter Egg Trail to find the nine eggheads of Kingston, then win a prize!🐰🐥🍬 28 March - 11 April, 10am - 5pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (excluding Good Friday) Suitable for 5-12 years #KingstonHeritage #easteregghunt #eggcellent #kingstonmueum #easterholiday

We're delighted to welcome Anstee Bridge to the Museum's Community Case with their extremely creative and colourful display, showcasing their vital work supporting vulnerable young people across the Borough who struggle with their social, emotional and mental health needs. All items on show have been created by these children, and crafted into an absorbing display which we encourage you to visit and enjoy! Added support for this display comes in the form of the Anstee Bridge official mascot, Gloria, a colourfully decorated lifesize zebra(!) residing nearby - which on its own justifies a visit! #communitycase #RBKheritage @Anstee_Bridge

Did you know that you used to have to pay a toll to cross Kingston Bridge? These tolls were very unpopular and eventually, in March 1870, they were removed. This photograph shows the celebrations that were held on the 12th March 1870 by Kingston residents to celebrate the occasion (Image reference: K1-0637) #kingstonheritage

Saturday Snappity - Easter! 4th April - 10:15 am to 11am How egg-citing! trybooking.com/uk/GEHD Join us for an egg hunt, making a craft and reading a story! All materials are provided. These workshops are for children under 5, adult supervision is required. The workshop will be held in the Kids Activity Area - Ground Floor. To avoid disappointment, please book in advance as these workshops can get fully booked. Thank you! See you there!📷 Snap snap #saturdaysnappity #easter #kingstonuponthames #kingstonmuseum #kingston #rbkheritage #under5s

Sneak peek at the next Saturday Snappity! There are only a few spots left! 21st March - Spring is Here! trybooking.com/uk/GDIR

Today is #SchoolArchivesDay, dedicated to celebrating school heritage! 🎓 ✏️ Photographed here is the original Fairfield site of the Tiffin Schools c.1900. The schools opened in 1880, with 86 students combined in attendance. However, by the late 1890s that number had increased dramatically and over 700 pupils were in attendance, resulting in the decision to open a separate building for the Tiffin Girls' School in 1899 (Image reference: K1-4877) #kingstonheritage

Throughout Kingston’s history, the Hogsmill River has been a habitat for all kinds of wildlife, from eels to dragonflies to herons. Kingston History Centre holds many photographs of the Hogsmill in our collections, this one likely dating from the 1920s (Image reference: K1-4470) #EYAWildlife #kingstonheritage

This photograph, taken by Andrew Sillett, shows the emotions felt by healthcare workers during the clap for carers on the 23rd April 2020. It was the winner of our 2020 Capture Kingston photograph competition themed around ‘Lockdown and Out’, which aimed to collect photographs to document the impact of the pandemic on Kingston. #COVID19DayOfReflection #kingstonheritage

Here's a link to the playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=…

Happy International Women's Day! Here's a selection of women's oral histories that were recorded as part of "Kingston Unwritten," an exhibition displayed in Kingston's Ancient Market House between 20-30 November 2025 #internationalwomensday #internationalwomensday #oralhistory #history #stories #women #kingstonuponthames #heritage #héritage #peoplesstories #Kingston2025 #kingston2025

For this year’s #InternationalWomensDay, we’re highlighting the history of a lesser-known Kingston resident, Jane Dewhurst (1801-1895). Though she worked in service most of her life, she was also the author of a book of religious poetry entitled ‘Poems by J.D’, which was published with the help of her employer the Duchess of Sutherland. It had three editions printed, and a copy of the third edition published in 1858 is held today at Kingston History Centre! Born in Claygate, she was the daughter of a Welsh clergyman. She began working for the Duke of Clarence (the future William IV) at age 24, becoming his cook at Hampton Court Palace after he became King. Her other employers throughout her life included Sir William Cooper of Teddington and the Duchess of Sutherland. She moved away from Kingston when she was 91 to Gloucestershire, where she passed away at the age of 94. (Image reference: K1-5713) #kingstonheritage

trybooking.com/uk/GDIR Saturday Snappity - Spring is Here! 21st March 10:15 am to 11am Join us in making a spring craft and reading a story. All materials are provided. These workshops are for children under 5, adult supervision is required. The workshop will be held in the Kids Activity Area - Ground Floor. To avoid disappointment, please book in advance as these workshops can get fully booked. Thank you! See you there!🐊 Snap snap #kingston #kingstonmuseum #saturdaysnappity #spring #kingstonheritage

Happy 10th birthday to @artukdotorg 🎉 Thank you for making the UK’s public art collection accessible to everyone, everywhere, all the time. Our ‘one in a million’ artwork from Art UK is a glass lantern slide '"Sallie Gardner", running,' by Eadeard Muybridge (1830 - 1904). 👉 Explore a million artworks at artuk.org #ArtUK10thBirthday #artuk #artukdotorg #eadweardmuybridge #muybridge

trybooking.com/uk/GBIA Saturday Snappity - Celebrating International Women's Day and Mother's Day! 7th March 10:15 am to 11am Join us in making Mother's Day Cards, doing a clay craft and learning about ceramicist Denise Wren and her daughter Rosemary. All materials are provided. These workshops are for children under 5, adult supervision is required. The workshop will be held in the Kids Activity Area - Ground Floor. ✨ You can book a slot on TryBooking, scan the QR code or click the link in our bio. To avoid disappointment, please book in advance as these workshops can get fully booked. Thank you! See you there!🐊 Snap snap

This photograph taken in 1941 shows the bomb damaged offices of the Surrey Advertiser newspaper on St James Road. Kingston experienced a first wave of bombing during the Blitz between August and December 1940, then again in 1944-5. (Image reference: K1-1203b) #kingstonheritage

trybooking.com/uk/GBIA Saturday Snappity - Celebrating International Women's Day and Mother's Day! 7th March 10:15 am to 11am Join us in making Mother's Day Cards, doing a clay craft and learning about ceramicist Denise Wren and her daughter Rosemary. All materials are provided. These workshops are for children under 5, adult supervision is required. The workshop will be held in the Kids Activity Area - Ground Floor. Please enter the museum through the library entrance (opposite Fairfield Park), as the front entrance is closed. ✨ You can book a slot on TryBooking, scan the QR code or click the link in our bio. To avoid disappointment, please book in advance as these workshops can get fully booked. Thank you! See you there!🐊 Snap snap

Happy Valentine's Day! 💝 Below is a photograph of Kingston residents queueing outside the Odeon cinema to see the 1954 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, starring Laurence Harvey and Susan Shentall (Image reference: K1-6608) #kingstonheritage #valentinesday

For this month’s Explore Your Archive theme, #EYAConnections, this photograph from around 1910 of the telegraph office, located in the Post Office on Eden Street, gives a look into how Kingston communicated and stayed connected during the early 20th century. (Image reference: K1-4111) #kingstonheritage #ExploreYourArchive

Taken 66 years ago, this photograph of a busy Apple Market gives a glimpse into Kingston life in February 1959! The area was historically known for selling fresh produce since at least the 17th century, which is likely where it got its name 🍎 (Image reference: K1-2357)

💖With Valentine’s Day only 2 weeks away, you should come and check out our beautiful new cards in the gift shop 😊Treat your loved ones whilst supporting your local museum! #kingstonuponthames #kingston #kingstonheritage #card #valentines