The Village

The name Teddington is of Saxon origin and has been spelt, and no doubt pronounced, variously as Toynton, Todington, Toddington or Taddington.  In the Enclosure Act of 1800 however it was spelt Teddington and has remained so ever since.

Two hundred years ago (c. 1780) Teddington was a pretty little Thameside agricultural village dominated, as now, by Bushy Park which had been enclosed by Cardinal Wolsey in 1514 out of the old sheep pastures of Hounslow Heath to enhance the setting of his new Palace at Hampton.  Later, fearing for his life, he was to present the whole to his sovereign, Henry VIII, who promptly stocked it with deer.

The village then was remote and insignificant and possibly its only claim to fame was that half its population of 500 had died in the plague of 1348.  The inhabitants occupied themselves in farming, basket weaving and fishing and were still doing so until the 19th century dawned.

In the mid-18th century, the village had a 13th century parish church (St. Mary’s) which had replaced one dating from Saxon times, it had two 17th century hostelries (The King’s Head and The Royal Oak) and a comparatively new one (The Clarence Arms).  There were two farms, about 100 cottages, five almshouses, a lock up (or ‘cage’) and a number of large houses in extensive grounds.  What development there had been since Wolsey’s day could be ascribed to the proximity of Hampton Court Palace.

The village extended from the present railway bridge to the river, that is the area now known as Lower Teddington.  There was a pond with willow trees at the end of Waldegrave Road (then called Fry’s Lane) at the point where it meets the High Street (then Teddington Town Street).  From that intersection Park Road ran along Bushy Park wall to join the Turnpike at Kingston Bridge and Park Lane led across what was called locally the Old Common Field to a clapper-stile which gave access over the wall into Bushy Park.  The present Twickenham and Kingston Roads formed part of the Turnpike Road, made in 1769, from Brentford to Hampton Court.  Between St. Mary’s Church and Hampton Wick the Turnpike passed over another piece of common land known as Teddington Field.