Seething Wells is a neighbourhood in southwest London on the border between Surbiton in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in Greater London, and Elmbridge in Surrey. The area was historically a waterworks that supplied London with water from the River Thames. Nowadays it is mainly a residential area, with the notable exception of decommissioned filter beds — the Seething Wells Filter Beds — in the northwest part of the area that borders the Thames. Etymology The name is a gradual corruption of the original Siden Wells which appears on maps from the 18th century, recorded as the medicinal spring at Soothing Wells in a time-of-construction guide to the South Western railway and its neighbouring countryside. It denoted springs — reportedly warm springs of potable water. Geography Seething Wells is considered to roughly consist of any land previously used as a waterworks on the southeast bank of the Thames facing Hampton Court Park. This land lies primarily in Surbiton in Greater London, although a small part of this land extends into Elmbridge in Surrey. The Seething Wells area is now primarily residential, bordering Long Ditton Recreation Ground on the west side, and the Victoria Recreation Ground to the south. As well as many houses, the residential area contains a hall of residence for Kingston University, and an old waterworks building that has been converted inside into a gym. On the east side is a clock tower in a small area called Electric Parade. A small plot of land inside the residential area is still used for pumping water, operated by Thames Water. Towards the west end of the Seething Wells riverbank there is a marina. Midway along the riverbank there are 7, approximately 8 metre deep, decommissioned filter beds known as the Seething Wells Filter Beds (or less commonly, the Surbiton Filter Beds). At the southwest end of the filter bed site is a former coal wharf, with a former pump house building on top; near the site's centre there are a few pumps and pipes which are still in use. At the northeast section of the riverbank there is another marina, with Ravens Ait around 20 metres further northeast in the river. The decommissioned filter beds are within the 0.23 km2 Riverside South Conservation Area which was identified in 2003. History There is no evidence of any substantial early settlement of the area, although a few Neolithic, Bronze