The Knowledge

Surbiton

Surbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is a commuter town next to the river Thames, populated with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, spacious and grand late-19th century town houses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates.

There is evidence that a settlement has existed at Surbiton since at least 1179. At the time, it was known as Suberton(e), [from the Old English south buritum' or granary].

Before the arrival of the railway, Surbiton was little more than a farm. Maps from as late as the early 19th century show it as little more than a crossroads, but far nearer Kingston than the current station. It was at the base of the hill, not far south of the current Kingston University site.