Kingston is a beautiful place to live, work and visit, but often its natural and historical wealth is overshadowed by its reputation as the shopping hub of South West London. We wanted to encourage residents and visitors to look at Kingston afresh and tap into the fascinating history, flora and fauna the Royal Borough has to offer, and so Kingston Trails was born.

Developed over a year, the website is very much a partnership project, with Kingston University academics, local professionals and Kingston Museum all collaborating to make this site possible. We wanted local experts who were passionate about their field to be able to share their knowledge in an accessible and easy way, so ‘Talking Head’ videos were created, and a selection of photos from past and present sourced to give you a rounded picture of our points of interest.

The creation of the site was also used to engage Kingston University students with the local community and aide their studies. Third year history students were recruited to research historic points of interest, giving them, research and archive experience, as well as a taster of what being a TV Historian might be like.

Launched in the summer of 2012 to coincide with increased visitor numbers to the Borough due to the Olympic Road Cycling Races and Time Trials, Kingston Trails is a contribution to both the cultural themes of the Games and local Olympic legacy. It encourages all to get active, and discover the rich heritage and green spaces on our doorstep.

We invite you to explore our interactive maps, and watch video clips of sites of interest before setting off on one of the trails. Enjoy!