Getting to the Kingston Green Fair

The Green Fair is held in Canbury Gardens on Lower Ham Road, which is next to the river Thames a short walk north of Kingston bridge running parallel to Richmond Road. The site is easy to access, so please try to travel green - go by bike, bus, boat, train, or on foot. Kingston's Tourist Information Centre (phone 020 8547 5592) carries maps and travel information. Quick jump links to information on this page:

• Public Transport - Bus, Train, Boat
• Private Transport - Foot, Cycle, Car, Parking

Public Transport

Kingston is well served by public transport. The Council's web site has a comprehensive list of transport operators, and the Richmond & Kingston Accessible Transport (phone 020 8481 0031) provide for local residents with restricted mobility. Alternatively, ask another visitor for a lift in their car... a liftshare scheme is available via Freewheelers - register first. To get from transport drop points to the Green Fair, see On Foot below.

By Bus

The following buses stop in the town centre. Check with Transport for London's 24-Hour bus information (phone 020 7222 1234) for times and connections.

• Kingston Cromwell Road: 71, 111, 216, 218, 285, 406, 411, 427, 431, 451, 461, 465, 479, 513, 592, 727, K1, K2, K4, K10
• Kingston Brook Street: 131
• Kingston Fairfield Bus Station: 57, 65, 85, 213, 371, K5, N9
• Mobility Buses: 904, 938, 968, 969

By Train

South West Trains to Kingston Station will run a Sunday Service; four trains per hour from Waterloo and four per hour from Shepperton. Full timetables are available from National Rail (phone 08457 48 49 50). Additionally there are London Underground services at Morden, Richmond and Wimbledon for connecting bus/trains to Kingston.

By Boat

Frequent services to Turks Pier (phone 020 8546 2434) from Hampton Court and Richmond (which gives you the added pleasure of a good view of the Green Fair from the river).

Private Transport

Kingston's one-way system is not the easiest to navigate for newcomers, so look out for special signs to the Fair.

On Foot

From the town centre, the easiest route is to head for the river, turn right to walk along the Thames path, pass under Kingston bridge (staying on the Kingston side), and enter the site at gate 1 on Thames Side. Specific directions from:

• The Market Area - follow signs to the river via Charter Quay.
• Kingston train station - walk along Richmond Rd. out of Kingston (counter-flow to the traffic running under the rail bridge, noting the beautiful community mosiac as you pass). Walk past Sainsbury's and Kings Rd., turning left down Eastbury Rd. The site is accessible via gates 3, 4, & 5 along Lower Ham Road.
• Cromwell Road bus stops - walk back along Cromwell Rd. (counter-flow to the traffic), turn right into Richmond Rd. by the train station, and follow the above instructions.
• Brook Street bus stops - walk up Brook St., turn left into Clarence St. (pedestrianised area), head straight for the bridge, and use the stairs on left for the river.
• Fairfield Area bus stops and car parks - cross Wheatfield Way for the town centre, join Brook St. or Clarence St, and follow the above instructions.
• Car parks at the Bentall Centre and John Lewis - walk along Horsefair or Clarence St. towards the bridge, and use the stairs on either side for the river.
• North Kingston and Richmond - head towards the Hawker centre on Richmond Rd., and walk along Lower Ham Rd. by the river until you come to one of the site gates.

By Cycle

Towpath and cycle routes are indicated throughout Kingston. Kingston Cycling Campaign support the Fair by providing barriers on which to lock your bike.

By Car

If you are coming by car, why not give someone a lift? A liftshare scheme is available via Freewheelers - register first. The following directions assume you have appropriate maps, are attempting to find somewhere to park in central Kingston, and will be coming from:

• Central London via
  • A3 - head towards Guilford/Portsmouth, at Robin Hood Roundabout take the A308 towards Kingston, following it up and over Kingston Hill until you reach the town centre one-way system.
  • A4 - head towards Hammersmith, take the A306 over Hammersmith Bridge towards Barnes/Rohampton, turn right at the A3, and follow the above directions.
• South West England via
  • A3 - head towards London, come off at the Tolworth underpass, take the A240 towards Kingston, and follow it until you reach the town centre.
  • M3 - head towards London until you reach Junction 1 (Sunbury), take the A308 through Hampton Court to Kingston, cross Kingston Bridge, and follow the one-way system into the town centre.
  • M4 - head towards London until you reach Junction 1 (Brentford/Kew), follow the signs for the A205 over Kew Bridge, bare right onto the A307 following it through the centre of Richmond until you reach Kingston. Alternatively, at M4-J1, follow the A4 into London, and at Hammersmith follow the above instructions for Central London.
• The M25 travelling
  • West (clockwise) - come off at Junction 9 (Leatherhead), take the A243 towards Chessington World of Adventures, follow it all the way until you reach the 'T' junction with the A307 at Surbiton, turn right and follow the river into Kingston town centre.
  • South (counter clockwise) - come off at Junction 13 (Staines), take the A30 towards Staines, then the A308 towards the M3-J1 at Sunbury, and follow the above directions for South West via M3.

Parking

There is no public parking on site (except for a very few holders of Permanent Parking passes), on Lower Ham Road (which is an emergency route), or on any local side streets - the Police will remove your vehicle! There are however many public car parks nearby, particularly (as shown on this map):

• The Seven Kings Carpark (Richmond Rd./Sury Basin/Skerne Rd.) is closest with 703 places.
• The Bentall Centre and John Lewis (Horesfair/Wood St. on the approach to Kingston bridge) have nearly 2,000 places between them.
• The Market Area (St James Rd. and Eden Walk/Union St.) have in excess of 1,000 places between them.
• Fairfield Area car parks have around 800 places between them.
• Kingsgate Rd./Sopwith Way has limited places.
• Sainsbury's superstore (Richmond Rd./Sury Basin, site of former gas works) has some places.
• The Hawker Centre (Richmond Rd./Lower Ham Rd.) may also have some places, but please note this carpark closes at 10pm!
• Skerne Rd., Stead Rd., and Thames Side will all be full before you get there, so don't go there!

To get from the car park to the Green Fair, see On Foot above.