Teddington
Teddington is a suburb in the London borough of Richmond, on the north bank of the River Thames. The non-tidal Thames ends here at Teddington Lock - the longest of the Thames locks (about 200m long) and from here, the river becomes tidal.
RTG photo
This means that the level rises and falls twice daily, with the tides- hence the intervention of the lock to enable the waters to be separated and navigated. The water below the lock is salt-water despite being more than 30 miles from the coast while above the lock, the river contains only fresh water. It is a very different river in contour and content.
RTG photo
In 2001, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution began building the Teddington Lifeboat Station, which became operational in 2002. It is one of the four Thames lifeboat stations that is below the Teddington lock and is also the only volunteer station on the river.
Teddington has a long and interesting history. Its name derives from the name of an Old English tribal leader. It was then known in Saxon and then Norman times as Todyngton or Tutington. We do not believe its name is derived from "Tide's End Town", (as claimed by Rudyard Kipling amongst others.)
Picture taken by David Burgess
Teddington has had a notorious recent past with suffragette outrages including an arson attack nearly destroying a train in 1913.There were also gruesome towpath murders- that horrified Londoners but the murderer Alfred Whiteway was caught, tried and hanged).Nowadays it is more genteel but busy town, home of famous faces including double Olympian Mo Farah.
Teddington is a mostly residential area with the typical town layout-out of a continuous road of shops, restaurants, offices running throughout the town. It has a long association with boats and boating whether for commercial transport or for the wealthy who may have commissioned a new boat from a local boat builder in the town. Teddington like many other towns along the Thames will host a number of riverside festivals and regatta's each year including this Septembers'-Teddington River Festival and Lifeboat Station Open Day.
Picture taken by David Burgess
The town is well connected via railway with the Kingston loop line, served by South West trains. They run both ways to London Waterloo, one way via Kingston upon Thames and Wimbledon every 15 minutes and the other via Richmond and Putney every 30 minutes. There are plenty of buses which can be a nice way to see an area for the first time-from above in particular. Last but not least and for the adventurous-reasonable parking for the car or bike or boat.
Places to Eat and Drink:
Restaurants
The Kings Head
The Wharf
Shambles Bar
Pubs
The Anglers
The Tide End Cottage
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