St Margarets, London
| St Margarets | |
 The front of St Margarets station can be seen at the end of the parade of shops on St Margarets Road |
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  St Margarets |
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| Population | 3,872 2011 Census |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | TQ168742 |
| London borough | Richmond |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | TWICKENHAM |
| Postcode district | TW1 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | Twickenham |
| London Assembly | South West |
Coordinates: 51°28′N 0°19′W / 51.46°N 0.32°W
St Margarets is a suburb[1] in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, about 9 miles (14 km) west-southwest of central London. It is within the Twickenham post town. It is bounded by the River Thames to the north, east and south, and the River Crane to the north-west; the northern limit, less well defined, has changed with local government boundary revisions.[2] St Margarets does not pass any further south than Richmond Road, Twickenham. The area closer to Richmond Bridge is known as East Twickenham and is not regarded as part of St Margarets.
History
St Margarets takes its name from the former St Margaret's House. It was the country house of Lord Cassilis, Marquess of Ailsa, and later belonged to the Earl of Kilmorey. Their names can be found in local street names, including Kilmorey Gardens and Ailsa Road.
Many Victorian houses remain in St Margarets. In 1854 the St Margaret's Estate was laid out for building family houses, becoming one of the first garden suburbs.[3]
Modern St Margarets dates from the arrival of the railway. There are some tree-lined residential roads and a range of shops and cafés. Twickenham Studios are in the middle of the area. Between St Margarets Road and the railway line (to the east of the "village") is a residential estate, "Twickenham Park".
The St Margarets Fair is held each July in the principal public space, Moormead Park by the River Crane.
Buildings
In 1814 the painter J. M. W. Turner built Solus Lodge in Sandycoombe Road. The house survives as Sandycombe Lodge.
Gordon House is a Grade II listed[4] Georgian mansion on the river Thames at St Margarets. Like St Margaret's House it was previously owned by Lord Kilmorey.[5] The house has a Robert Adam wing, added in 1738. For many years, it was used as part of Brunel University.[6] In recent years the house has been redeveloped by Octagon Developments, with the former chapel and coachhouse converted to private homes.
The Kilmorey Mausoleum has been moved several times, and is now located on the northern edge of St Margarets, near the boundary with Isleworth. It was built in the 1850s by the 2nd Earl of Kilmorey and contains the bodies of the Earl and his mistress, Priscilla Anne Hoste. Now a Grade II* listed building,[7] it was built to resemble an ancient Egyptian monument. It is jointly maintained by Richmond upon Thames Council and English Heritage.[8] The mausoleum is occasionally open to the public.[9]
The Roman Catholic Church of St Margaret of Scotland on St Margarets Road was built to a modern design of the architect Austin Winckley and opened in 1969. In 1999 it became a Grade II listed building.[10]
Education
There are three main schools in the town: Orleans Park School (secondary), St. Stephen’s Primary School (primary) and Orleans Primary School (primary).
Local community
The high street is flourishing with local, independent businesses. Small businesses elsewhere have suffered in the harsh economic climate, but here, local residents' support may have contributed to an increase in the number of boutique shops opened for business.[11]
Neighbouring areas
Neighbouring districts include East Twickenham to the east, Richmond further to the east (across Richmond Bridge or Richmond Lock), Twickenham to the southwest and Isleworth to the northwest, across the River Crane. Access to the east is restricted by the lack of a fixed river crossing between Richmond Lock and Kew Bridge.
Marble Hill House and Marble Hill Park are immediately to the south of St Margarets.
Transport
Road
St Margarets is cut through by the busy Chertsey Road (A316), which connects central London to the M3 motorway. Much of south St Margarets is in a controlled parking zone (CPZ), which restricts parking to residents and holders of vouchers. See map of CPZ in south St Margarets
Rail
The normal service from St Margarets station is 4 trains per hour to and from Waterloo.
Bus
The H37 bus between Hounslow and Richmond is the only route through St Margarets. Other nearby bus routes are H22, 33, R68, R70 and 490 coming from central Twickenham along Richmond Road; all of these, except 33, go past Richmond station.
References
- ↑ A City of Villages: Promoting a sustainable future for London's suburbs (PDF). SDS Technical Report 11 (Greater London Authority). August 2002. ISBN 1 85261 393 9. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ↑ "Review of Greater London, the London boroughs and the City of London: London Borough of Hounslow Report no 652". Local Government Boundary Commission for England. 10 February 1992. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
- ↑ "History". St Margarets Estate Residents Association.
- ↑ Historic England. "Gordon House Maria Grey Training College (1240076)". National Heritage List for England.
- ↑ "The Earl of Kilmorey". Twickenham Museum.
- ↑ "Gordon House today".
- ↑ Historic England. "The Kilmorey Mausoleum, including enclosure wall, railings and gate (1240128)". National Heritage List for England.
- ↑ Rachel Bishop (14 June 2013). "Egyptian tomb was damaged by repairs". Richmond and Twickenham Times. p. 4.
- ↑ "Home page". Kilmorey Mausoleum. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
- ↑ Historic England. "Church of St Margaret of Scotland (1387183)". National Heritage List for England.
- ↑ "Feature on the Flourishing of Local, Independent Businesses in St Margarets". Richmond and Twickenham Times. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
External links
- St Margarets Community Website
- St Margarets Fair
- St Margarets at the DMOZ open directory project.
