The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames can now boast multiple award-winning parks following the 2024 Green Flag Awards.

The awards were first established in 1996 to recognise and celebrate "the hard work of managers, staff, and volunteers" that help create noteworthy parks and green spaces.

This year, three local parks within Kingston Borough have received the award along with over 2,000 other locations across 15 countries.

Canbury Gardens along the River Thames in North Kingston and Churchfields Recreation Ground in Chessington have both received a Green Flag award after in-person assessments by judges from the organisation. 

Meanwhile, the riverside Queen's Promenade between Kingston and Surbiton has won a Green Flag Community Award, as it is managed by the voluntary Queen's Promenade Friends.

Other nearby recipients include The Royal Park's Richmond and Bushy parks, the community-run School House Lane Orchard in Hampton Wick, and the Sir Joseph Hood Memorial Playing Field in Motspur Park towards the east of the borough.

The organisation says: "Any green space that is freely accessible to the public and has a site-specific management plan is eligible to apply for a Green Flag Award."

Its volunteer judges must evaluate the parks against 27 different criteria, such as how welcoming the space is, its cleanliness, biodiversity, heritage, marketing, community involvement, safety, management, and more.

Once a park receives an award, it must requalify each year to keep its status.

The following quotes about Kingston's winners have been taken from the organisation's website.

Canbury Gardens

Canbury Gardens often sees large crowds attend the free musical performances at its bandstand on Sundays. (Photo: Oliver Monk)

"Canbury Gardens is one of Kingston's most prestigious and best loved parks, with its landscape reminiscent of formal Victorian gardens mirroring much of the architecture of the surrounding Conservation Area".

"The park is subdivided into a series of linked spaces each with their own character providing the opportunity for a wide range of activities in the park, including a formal area with tennis courts, playground, outdoor gym, community pavilion (a hub for community events in the park) and a bandstand that plays host to a free music calendar during the summer months."

The website also praises the heritage of the park's pub, the Boaters Inn, on the site of the garden's original barge cottage and boathouse.

Churchfields Recreation Ground

Churchfields Recreation Ground has received a Green Flag Award for its accessibility and the importance of its sports facilities to the community. (Photo: Google Maps)

The organisation described Churchfields, the borough's 3rd largest park, as "an essential community resource in Chessington".

"The large conservation area on site with its habitat island and meandering path network have been visited by the Kingston Greenspace Volunteers on several occasions. Over 200 native tree whips have been planted and coppicing of large hazels [has] begun."

Its wide range of facilities, like its children's playground, sports courts, football pitches and changing rooms will have scored highly with the group, along with the accessibility of the park thanks to two surfaced car parks.

Queen's Promenade

After years of work from local volunteer group Queen's Promenade Friends, Kingston Council is set to provide some long-awaited funding to the site. (Photo: Oliver Monk)

The promenade was neglected for many years before being rejuvenated by Queen's Promenade Friends.

Meanwhile, the Green Flag Awards site says: "Its location makes it a prime attraction for Kingston which is frequented by hundreds (in summer thousands) of local residents and visitors."

The riverside stretch is also set to see major investment from Kingston Council, including confirmed funding to fix the stone wall between its flowerbeds and footpath, as well as to-be-confirmed refurbishment of its dilapidated public toilets.

An interactive map showing this year's Green Flag Award winners can be found on the organisation's website here.