What if Whitton’s High Street could talk? It would tell tales of a transformation. Whitton is an area in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It was once a semi-rural part of Twickenham.
Whitton’s story is tied to its growth. It became a separate parish in 1862. St Philip and St James Church opened then. Rapid development led to another division in 1958.
Let’s journey back. Imagine the Bronze Age. Excavations near Whitton found an Iron Age furnace. Round house remains were unearthed too. The River Crane holds secrets of former mills. This area is an Archaeological Priority Area.
In Norman times, Whitton was Twickenham’s western part. It belonged to the Manor of Isleworth. William the Conqueror granted it to Walter de Saint-Valery after 1066.
Around 1540, gunpowder production began. The Hounslow Gunpowder Mills chose this site. It was far from built-up areas. This lessened explosion risks. The site operated until 1927.
By the 16th century, large houses appeared. Fashionable Twickenham society expanded. Sir John Suckling built a house near Murray Park. His son, the poet, was born in Whitton in 1609. Sir John later built a grander house near Warren Road.
Around 1640, Edmund Cooke built a large house. Sir Godfrey Kneller bought it in 1709. He demolished it and built a larger house. Some say Sir Christopher Wren designed it. It was first called Whitton Hall. After Kneller’s death in 1723, it became Kneller Hall. It became a teacher training college in 1847. Until 2021, it housed the Royal Military School of Music.
The White Hart Inn is near Kneller Hall. It dates back to the mid-17th century. Records suggest Whitton was more important than realized. A document from 1685 shows three beds and stabling for ten horses. This seems much for a small hamlet.
At Whitton’s north end was Whitton Park. Archibald Campbell, the third Duke of Argyll, established it in 1722. He imported exotic plants and trees. James Lee advised him. After the Duke’s death in 1761, John Stuart moved many plants to Kew. These became part of Kew Gardens. Some of the Duke’s trees still stand there.
Whitton was a renowned market garden. It was known for roses and orchards. Until the 1920s, fields separated it from other towns. Much of the old village character remained into the 1940s.
The railways arrived in the mid-19th century. Housing developed along Nelson, Kneller, and Hounslow Roads. Hounslow railway station initially served Whitton. It opened on February 1, 1850.
Whitton grew rapidly after the opening of Whitton railway station in 1930. Houses replaced market gardens. New shops lined Percy Road. This stretch became High Street Whitton.
Around the same time, the A316 Chertsey Road was built. Today, it connects to the M3 motorway.
During World War II, bombs damaged houses. In 1944, a V-1 bomb hit 81 High Street. Part of the shops and flats were destroyed. People died. A house on Lincoln Avenue was also destroyed. RAF fighters often flew low overhead.
Today, Whitton has good transport links. Many residents commute to Central London. London Heathrow Airport is important to the local economy.
Whitton’s town centre is the third largest in Richmond upon Thames. It received a regeneration program. This included new lighting and pavements. The railway station was redeveloped.
Whitton offers much green space. There are parks and open spaces. Residents enjoy leisure activities.
Whitton is a town with a village feel. It blends history with modern life. Its High Street reflects its journey through time. The history of Whitton is one of growth and transformation.