History
Kingston upon Thames, historically in Surrey, was an important market town, port and river crossing from the early medieval period, while there is evidence of Saxon settlement and of activity dating from the prehistoric period and of Roman occupation. It is close to the important historic royal estates at Hampton Court, Bushy Park, Richmond and Richmond Park. The old core of the town, around All Saints Church (C14 and C15, on an earlier site) and Market Place, with its recognisably medieval street pattern, is ‘the best preserved of its type in outer London’ (Pevsner and Cherry, London: South, 1983 p. 307). Kingston thrived first as an agricultural and market town and on its historic industries of malting, brewing and tanning, salmon fishing and timber exporting, before expanding rapidly as a suburb after the arrival of the railway in the 1860s. In the later C19 it become a centre of local government, and in the early C20 became an important shopping and commercial centre. Its rich diversity of buildings and structures from all periods reflect the multi-facetted development of the town.
Details
Former Griffin Hotel, now shops and bars, and including the first-floor former Assembly Room. Early- mid C19, incorporating some earlier brickwork and with a range probably of the 1860s to rear. Stuccoed brick to front, with painted quoins, cornice and bands, stock brick to rear with red-brick dressings; slate roofs and brick stacks. Three storeys. Long front continuing round from the High Street towards the Market Place, thought originally to have been two buildings. Tripartite composition of three bays, then three-light bow front over late C20 entrance with two bays to right over former carriage entrance now infilled by late C20 shopfront. Upper floors have four-light sashes set in painted architraves, eared on the first floor and with keystones. New central entrance leads to rear shops, with on first floor former assembly room denoted by round-arched windows and glazing bars with a single transom.
Assembly room to rear stylistically of the 1860s, with elaborate plaster decoration. Lozenge-shaped room with arcade on inner wall matching fenestration opposite, with pilasters and round arches bearing plaster heads. The ceiling is a largely tripartite composition of a circle flanked by two diamonds, with central rosette. Doorcase with pediment and moulded architrave.
The Griffin occupies a prominent location at the entrance to Kingston's Market Square, and is recognisably a former coaching inn of early origins. In 1851 it was taken over by John Williams, who established the assembly room to the rear.
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 16/02/2016
