Ham, London
Ham | |
---|---|
Housing by Ham Parade | |
Location within Greater London | |
Area | 9.26 km2 (3.58 sq mi) |
Population | 10,317 (Ham Petersham and Richmond Riverside wards 2011)[1] |
• Density | 1,114/km2 (2,890/sq mi) |
OS grid reference | TQ1813673150 |
London borough | |
Ceremonial county | Greater London |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | RICHMOND |
Postcode district | TW10 |
Dialling code | 020 |
Police | Metropolitan |
Fire | London |
Ambulance | London |
UK Parliament | |
London Assembly | |
Ham is a suburban
Geography
Ham is centred 9.25 miles (14.89 km) south-west of the
The neighbouring land is semi-rural Petersham, Richmond Park, and the town of Kingston. On the opposite side of the river is Teddington and Twickenham (including Strawberry Hill).[3]
Ham is bounded on the west, along the bank of the River Thames, by ancient
Mostly on low-lying river terrace, Ham today is bounded to the east by Richmond Park, where the land rises at the escarpment of the Richmond and Kingston hills. Small streams that drain this higher ground flow into a watercourse that flows south–north along the foot of the hill, known as Latchmere Stream[6] to the south and Sudbrook to the north. Now subterranean for most of its course, it emerges in Ham Common, near Ham Gate and flows briefly through Richmond Park and exits into Sudbrook Park Golf Course, returning underground before discharging into the Thames at Petersham.[7]
Geology
Ham lies within the
Toponymy
The name derives from the
Archaeology
The Thames Valley has been inhabited since the
A few finds of Romano-British pottery from the late Iron Age, mid 1st and early 2nd centuries AD show that the area remained inhabited to some extent, though the closest indications of modest Roman settlements are further south in the Canbury area of North Kingston.[12]
The first early
History
Ham does not appear in
Historically, Ham covered a larger area. The boundaries shown in the tithe map of 1843 are believed to have changed little, if at all, for centuries. The southern boundary between Ham and Kingston spanned the width of the hundred, from near present-day Canbury Gardens on the Thames, about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) eastwards crossing Richmond Park to Beverley Brook. The northern boundary returned through Richmond Park from Beverley Brook, south of White Lodge through the northern Pen Pond, across Sudbrook Park westwards towards Ham Street then veering north back to the Thames.[16]
The earliest known written record of Ham as a separate village dates from the 12th century when Hamma was included in the royal demesne as a member of Kingston, contributing 43s. 4d. in 1168 towards the marriage of Matilda, the eldest daughter of Henry II.[note 1][19]
Between the royal courts at
When the park was enclosed by Charles I in 1637, Ham parish lost the use of most of the affected land, over 800 acres (3.2 km2) stretching towards Robin Hood Gate and Kingston Hill, almost half of which was common land. In return for this, a deed was struck which has effectively protected most of the remaining common land, Ham Common, to the present day. The enclosed land, whilst lost to agriculture, remained within Ham's administrative boundaries.
The whole area was referred to as Ham cum Hatch, or Ham with Hatch, until late Victorian times.[20] The enclosure of Richmond Park disrupted the former common land link between the settlements near the present Upper Ham Road and an ancient small settlement near the park's Robin Hood Gate and A3, London road. Local historian, Evelyn Pritchard, assumed that the Robin Hood lands settlement was the location of Hatch, but more detailed examination of Petersham, Ham and Canbury manorial land records by John Cloake provides evidence that Hatch was a hamlet centred around the north-east area of Ham Common, whilst Ham itself lay to the west and north-west of the present common, on the Ham Street approach to the Thames.[21]
Between 1838 and 1848, Ham Common was the site of a
There is a memorial bench outside the Sainsbury's store (formerly Barclays Bank) at Ham Parade to commemorate Angela Woolliscroft, who was murdered in 1976 during a bank robbery. There is also a memorial bench (installed 2024) for Malcolm Singleton (died 2022) who ran M&J Hardware since 1988 and had worked for the previous owner, Dorling’s, starting at age 16.[23][24]
Government
Since 1965 Ham has been mostly in the
As the system of hundreds and
The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 established a Board of Guardians, comprising 21 elected guardians for Kingston and its surrounding parishes. Ham always had one or two representatives, but sent very few of its poor to the workhouse, mainly assisting them locally in almshouses.[27] Ham Common Local Government District was formed under the
The urban district was abolished in 1933, when a county review order included it in an enlarged Municipal Borough of Richmond.[31] The main impact on Ham was that the northern area was linked with Petersham to create a Sudbrook ward, whilst the boundary with Kingston was moved further north to more or less its present limit with Ham "losing" the factories and surrounding land and housing. This substantial boundary change makes meaningful demographic analysis very difficult. The ward itself is now Ham, Petersham and Richmond Riverside. This contains the largest proportion of Richmond Park and of all six main wards which adjoin it.[32]
Economy
Agriculture
Ham was an agricultural community for centuries, with meadow and pasture land mostly along the river, and common grazing. The tithe map of 1842 showed a total area of 1,920 acres (780 ha), but when adjusted for the land in Richmond Park, 449 acres (182 ha) were
Gravel
In 1904
Engineering
Towards the end of World War I, Lord Dysart sold some land south of Ham Common to the Ministry of Munitions for the construction of an aircraft factory on land adjoining what was then still called Upper Ham Road. National Aircraft Factory No. 2 was built in 26 weeks during the winter of 1917. The factory was leased to the Sopwith Aviation Company, based a mile to the south in Canbury Park Road, Kingston, and the company were able to increase greatly its production of Snipe, Dolphin and Salamander fighter planes as a result. At the end of the war, demand ceased. Sopwith tried to buy the factory outright but the government refused. Sopwith Aviation went into voluntary liquidation and reformed in 1920 as H. G. Hawker Engineering at their original Kingston base.[39]
The remaining Ham Factory lease was sold to Leyland Motors, which initially used it to recondition ex-War Department lorries for civilian use. It was then used to produce under licence the Trojan Utility Car between 1922 and 1928.[40] During the 1930s, the factory produced Leyland Cub trucks. World War II shifted production to military vehicles, fire engines, other equipment and munitions. After the war the site produced the chassis for Leyland's trolleybus.[41]
In 1948 the site was sold back to
Paint and varnish
In 1929 the site on the opposite side of the road to the Leyland factory was developed for the Cellon Doping Company, originally producing Cellon aircraft dope, a synthetic varnish used to waterproof aircraft fabric.[42] The company became part of Pinchin Johnson and was acquired by Courtaulds in 1960, continuing under the International Paint group banner from 1968.[43][44] The factory closed in the 1980s[when?] and the site was redeveloped as a small industrial estate.
Today
Apart from one plant nursery, local community, retail and small scale offices, Ham today is predominately a commuter residential area dependent on employment outside the immediate area.
Landmarks
The main feature in Ham is Ham Common which has a cricket pitch, a pond and a woodland.
A straight tree-lined path leads from Ham Common to Ham House, the most significant house in Ham. The section of the path from Ham Common to Sandy Lane is called Great South Avenue and the section from Sandy Lane to Ham House is called Melancholy Walk.
Several notable period houses in Ham cluster around the Common including the Cassel Hospital, Langham House and Ormeley Lodge, which is currently owned by Lady Annabel Goldsmith. Victorian buildings include Latchmere House. Beaufort House in Ham Street, dating from 18C, is Grade II listed and was the home of Lady Juliana Penn from 1795 to her death in 1801.[45] In the grounds of Grey Court School is the Georgian, grade II listed Grey Court House, now called Newman House after Cardinal Newman, who lived there as a child in the early 19th century.[46]
In contrast, Langham House Close, to the west of Ham Common, completed in 1958, is an early example of brutalist architecture. Parkleys, the first large-scale residential development by the pioneering SPAN Developments Ltd of Eric Lyons and Geoffrey Townsend, was begun in 1954 and completed in 1956: it lies just to the north of Ham Parade.[47]
There are four churches: Ham Christian Centre, St Andrew's Church, St Thomas Aquinas Church and St Richard's Church.
Transport
Ham is served by three bus routes: the 65, 371 and K5. All link the town with Kingston upon Thames, with the first two serving Richmond.
Sport
The Ham and Petersham Cricket Club was established in 1815 and cricket is still played on Ham Common.
The Ham Polo Club is at the end of a driveway off the Petersham Road. Though the club has been in existence since 1926 it was in 1954 that the old orchard of Ham House was converted into a polo ground for the club.
The Ham and Petersham Lawn Tennis Club has courts on the south avenue to Ham House in conjunction with Grey Court School.[48]
The former meadow land along the Thames near Ham House became the location of a King George's Field in the 1930s. Covering 10 acres (4.0 ha), it provides cricket, football and tennis facilities. Several sports clubs and activities are based on and nearby.[49][50]
The Ham and Petersham Rifle and Pistol Club, dating from 1907 or perhaps earlier, is near Ham House, with both indoor and outdoor ranges and caters for archery, pistol and rifle shooting.[51]
The Kew and Ham Sports Association provides football and baseball facilities on the playing fields between Ham House and Thames Young Mariners.[52]
The Richmond Baseball and Softball Club plays its home games during the summer season at Connare Field and Flood Field in Ham.
The Thames Young Mariners provides sailing, canoeing, open-water swimming and other sport and outdoor activity facilities.[5]
Demography and housing
Ward | Detached | Semi-detached | Terraced | Flats and apartments | Caravans/temporary/mobile homes/houseboats | Shared between households[1] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(ward) | 461 | 688 | 1,368 | 1,918 | 0 | 15 |
Ward | Population | Households | % Owned outright | % Owned with a loan | hectares[1] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(ward) | 10,317 | 4,174 | 31 | 29 | 926 |
Notable people
Living people
- Mitch Benn (born 1970), musician, comedian and author, lives in Ham.[53]
- Christian Furr (born 1966), royal portrait painter and artist, lives in Ham.[54]
- Jemima Khan, writer and campaigner; Zac Goldsmith, Tory life peer and MP for Richmond Park; and Ben Goldsmith, financier and environmentalist.[55][56]
- Stephen Jakobi, crime fiction writer and human rights lawyer who founded Fair Trials Abroad, lives in Ham.[57]
- Tony Lit, managing director of Sunrise Radio, lives in Ham.[58]
Historical figures
- Princess Marie of Orléans was born in Ham in 1865.
- King George VI. Her elder sister, Violet Hyachinth Bowes-Lyon (1882–1893), died of diphtheria at Forbes House and is buried at St Andrew's Church, Ham.
- Nigel Dempster (1941–2007), British journalist, author and broadcaster, lived at Ensleigh Lodge, Ham Common.[60][61]
- George Gale (1929–2003), cartoonist, lived in Ham and on Little Green, Richmond.[62]
- James Goldsmith (1933–1997), billionaire financier, and his family lived at Ormeley Lodge.[55]
- Emily Hornby (1833–1906), mountaineer and travel writer, died at the Manor House in 1906.
- John Minter Morgan (1782–1854), writer and philanthropist, lived on Ham Common in what is now the Cassel Hospital.[63]
- John Henry Newman, later Cardinal Newman (1801–1890), spent some of his early years at Grey Court, Ham Street, Ham. The site is marked by a blue plaque.[64]
- Beverley Nichols (1898–1983), an English writer and playwright, lived at Sudbrook Cottage from 1958 until his death,[65] with the actor and director Cyril Butcher (1909–1987).[66]
- Sir
- Hesba Stretton (real name Sarah Smith; 1832–1911), the evangelical children's writer, retired to Ivycroft, Ham Common in 1892 and died there in 1911.[22]
In popular culture
The 2014 television film The Boy in the Dress, based on the novel by David Walliams, was largely filmed in Ham.[69] For example, the local newsagent's shop used in the film is opposite St Richard's Church, Ham,[citation needed] and other scenes were filmed at Grey Court School.[70]
Scenes from the 2016 film Now You See Me 2 were also filmed in Ham.[71]
See also
- List of schools in Richmond upon Thames
Notes
References
- ^ a b c "Key Statistics; Quick Statistics: Population Density". Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 11 February 2003. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
- ISBN 1-85261-393-9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2014.)
{{cite book}}
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ignored (help - Ordnance surveywebsite
- ^ "Park Details – Ham Lands". London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Archived from the original on 28 October 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
- ^ a b "Thames Young Mariners". Surrey County Council. Archived from the original on 31 December 2010. Retrieved 25 December 2010.
- ^ Hawkins, Duncan; Green, Christopher (2007). "A product of its environment: revising Roman Kingston" (PDF). London Archaeologist. 11 (8): 199–203.
- ^ Wilkie, Kim; Battaggia, Marco; Batey, Mavis; Lambert, David; Buttery, Henrietta; Pearce, Jenny; Goode, David; Bentley, David (1994). Landscape Character Reach No 8: Ham. Thames Landscape Strategy. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2010.
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ignored (help) - ^ McDowall 1996, p. 18.
- ^ doi:10.5284/1000168.
- ^ Pritchard 2000, p. 2.
- ^ McDowall 1996, pp. 15–21.
- ^ a b c Barber, Sue (15 June 2011). "The Archaeology of Ham" (PDF). Ham & Petersham magazine. pp. 4–5.
- ^ Lacaille, A.D. (1966). "Mesolithic Facies in the Transpontine Fringes" (PDF). Surrey Archaeological Collections. 63. Surrey Archaeological Society: 21–29.
- ISBN 978-0-520-04922-2.
- ^ "Kingston Hundred". Open Domesday. 1086. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
- ^ Pritchard 1999, p. 3.
- ^ Lysons, Daniel (1792). "Kingston upon Thames". The Environs of London: volume 1: County of Surrey. Institute of Historical Research. pp. 212–256. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Event: Charter-witnessing, Grant and GiftS416 – Athelstan 18 granting land to Wulfgar 10". Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- ^ Malden, H. E., ed. (1911). "Kingston-upon-Thames: Manors, churches and charities". A History of the County of Surrey. Institute of Historical Research.
- ^ Pritchard 1999, p. 6.
- ^ Cloake, John (2006). "The Robin Hood Lands, the Hamlet of Hatch and the Manor of Kingston Canbury". Richmond History: Journal of Richmond Local History Society (27): 74–76.
- ^ doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/36158. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ "Malcolm Singleton; Hardware store owner, Ham Parade, May 2011". Richmond2001. 20 July 2011. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Shops & Shopping". Ham is where the Heart is. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Richmond upon Thames Registration District". UKBMD. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ Pritchard 1999, p. 53.
- ^ Pritchard 2000, p. 11.
- ^ Kelly's Directory of Kent, Surrey & Sussex. Historical Directories. 1891. p. 1327. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
- ^ Pritchard 2000, p. 10.
- ^ Kelly's Directory of Surrey. Historical Directories. 1913. p. 234. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
- ISBN 978-0-86193-127-9.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ^ Pritchard 2000, p. 25.
- ^ Pritchard 1999, p. 8.
- ^ Pritchard 1999, pp. 10–18.
- ^ Pritchard 2000, p. 19.
- ^ Pritchard 2000, p. 26.
- ^ Green & Greenwood 1980, p. 17.
- ^ "The Ham River Grit Company & The Ham Lands". The Arcadian Times. 7 May 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
- ^ a b "Sopwith and Hawker at the Ham Factory, North Kingston" (PDF). Kingston Aviation Centenary Project. 9 July 2012.
- ^ "Early history". Trojan Owners' Club. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ a b Adlam, James (5 December 2003). "Ham's past as a centre of industry". Surrey Comet.
- ^ "Aviation Industry Suppliers in Kingston" (PDF). Kingston Aviation Centenary Project. 9 July 2012.
- ^ "Cellon". Retrieved 7 June 2013.
- ^ "Pinchin, Johnson and Co". Grace's Guide. 21 March 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ "BEAUFORT HOUSE". Historic England.
- ^ "NEWMAN HOUSE". Historic England.
- ^ "Character Appraisal & Management Plan Conservation Areas – Petersham no.6, Ham Common no.7, Ham House no.23 & Parkleys Estate no.67" (PDF). London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. July 2008. p. 23. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
- ^ "Ham and Petersham LTC is a friendly tennis club". Retrieved 8 December 2012.
- ^ "Park details – King Georges Field – London Borough of Richmond upon Thames". London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
- ^ "Area analysis Ham and Petersham" (PDF). London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2012.
- ^ "WELCOME to Ham & Petersham Rifle & Pistol Club!". Ham and Petersham Rifle and Pistol Club. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
- ^ "Kew and Ham Sports Association – Home". Retrieved 23 March 2019.
- ^ "Ham comic raises money for charity" (PDF). Ham and Petersham Magazine: 4. Spring 2013.
- ^ "Bus shelter revolution!" (PDF). Ham and Petersham Magazine. Summer 2011. p. 7. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- ^ a b Berens, Jessica (13 April 2003). "Young, gifted and Zac". The Observer. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- ^ Berridge, Vanessa (2007). "Portrait of a Lady". The Lady. London. Archived from the original on 23 December 2007. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
- ^ "MP backs Ham based human rights charity". News Shopper. 28 May 2002. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ Frot, Mathilde (28 December 2018). "All the south west Londoners awarded an MBE this year". Richmond and Twickenham Times. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
- ^ White, Geoffrey & Cokayne, G. E. (1953). The Complete Peerage. Vol. 12. London: St Catherine's Press. pp. 402–403.
- ^ "I have left my Ham home, Nigel Dempster reveals after divorce hearing". Richmond and Twickenham Times. 5 November 2002.
- ^ "Daily Mail's Nigel Dempster, doyen of newspaper diarists, dies aged 65". Evening Standard. 12 July 2007.
- ^ "Cartoonist who was 'a very nice guy'". Richmond and Twickenham Times. 26 September 2003. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
- ^ Boase, George Clement (1894). Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 39. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 22–23. . In
- ^ "Blue Plaques in Richmond upon Thames". Visit Richmond. London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ISBN 978-0-9563244-0-5.
- ^ "Beverley Nichols' will". The Observer. 22 January 1984. p. 5. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
- ^ "The Manor House, Ham (1864–9, 1872–5)". Gilbert Scott org. 5 April 2018.
- ^ Historic England (23 March 2000). "Tomb of Albert Henry Scott in the Churchyard of St Peter's Church (1380183)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- ^ "Film Richmond Newsletter" (PDF). London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. 2015.
- ^ "The Boy in the Dress (2014 TV Movie) Filming & Production". IMDb.
- ^ "Now You See Me 2 (2016) Filming & Production". IMDb.
Sources
- Fison, Vanessa (2009). The Matchless Vale: the story of Ham and Petersham and their people. Ham and Petersham Association. ISBN 978-0-9563244-0-5.
- Green, James; Greenwood, Silvia (1980). Ham and Petersham as it was. ISBN 0-86067-057-0.
- McDowall, David (1996). Richmond Park: The Walker's Historical Guide. David McDowall. OL 8477606M.
- Pritchard, Evelyn (1999). A Portrait of Ham in Early Victorian times 1840–1860 (2nd ed.). Alma Books. ISBN 978-0-9517497-5-3.
- Pritchard, Evelyn (2000). "The historical background". In Chave, Leonard (ed.). Ham and Petersham at 2000. Ham Amenities Group. pp. 2–28. ISBN 0-9522099-4-2.