Riverside west of the Tower and north of the river. Fulham riverside

This posting relates to sites north of the river only. South of the river is Putney High Street

Post to the west Putney Boathouses
Post to the east Wandsworth

Church Gate
Until 1937 this little road was called Church Row.
All Saints Church. The first records of a church here are from the 13th, and the tower of the church was built in 1445. Traces of an earlier building have been found to the south of the current church. In 1880 the medieval church was thought too small and liable to regular flooding and it was therefore replaced by a new church designed by Arthur Blomfield also built of Kentish ragstone but higher to avoid floods. Most of the stained glass dates from the rebuilding of the church but the monuments were saved from the old church. There is a tablet to Elizabeth Limpany 1694 in a carved wooden surround and many other monuments.
Churchyard. The earliest known burial is that of Richard Colman in 1376. In 1611 pigs were not allowed into the churchyard, and in 1738 people were stopped from drying or airing clothes here. The burial ground was enlarged in 1781 and land to the south was added, and again in 1783.  The entrance was changed at various times to allow for carriages to enter and iron gates and fencing were erected. The churchyard was closed to burials in 1863.  From the early 19th the churchyard was subject to body snatching, The churchyard still has its gate piers and iron gates and the ground is planted with yew, holly and laurel, and there are limes along the walk. There are monuments including the tombs of ten Bishops of London.  There us a Great War Memorial dedicated in 1923 with a bronze life-size figure of Christ. There is a sculpture by Helen Sinclair, 'The Mother and The Child' installed in 2000. Also there is what may be a 12th font found buried in the High Street in 1827 and used for horses to drink out of and then later planted with flowers from 1867. It was presented to the church and put on a brick base
Old Vicarage. This was first recorded in 1430 and had a garden of over an acre with big trees and shrubs from the arboretum at Fulham Palace.
Vicarage Garden. This is a small public garden laid out in the early 20th once the garden of the vicarage but reduced when Putney Bridge Approach was built. The site of the former vicarage was close to the site of the War Memorial. There are large plane trees, rose beds, and shrub borders with what used to be a kiosk.
William Powell’s Almshouses. Powell lived here in the mid 17th and left a number of almshouses for poor men and women in the parish. They were managed by the Vicar and Parish Officers and over the 200 years the lessees changed repeatedly. In the 1850e it fell into disrepair and in 1867 it was decided to move. The site chosen was garden that belonged to the Lord of the Manor were a since demolished private school for young ladies had stood. The foundation stone was laid in 1869 and almshouses designed by J P Seddon were provided for 12 almswomen. A square tower had originally housed a water cistern. A tablet on the first house says: 'Sir William Powell's Alms Houses Founded 1680 re-built 1869. A plaque says 'God's Providence Our Inheritance'; with Sir William's and Bishop Blomfield's arms.
War Memorial. Erected 1921. The memorial has a bronze statue representing Peace and a kneeling cherub, the work of Alfred Turner. The inscription is "To the Honour of Fulham's Gallant Dead" "They died for freedom" 1914–1918 and 1939–1945. There is a Roll of Honour set into the wall, and iron gates.
6 Egmont Lodge. This was renamed thus after the owner of Egmont Villa moved here after its purchase by the waterworks company. Fire mark insurance plaque
Church Gate Hall. This was a Baptist chapel now converted to a house, having been a photographer’s studio. It dates from the early 20th
The Vicarage moved to its current location between 1915 and 1921, when the old one was demolished

Fulham High Street
69-79 Fulham Green. Office block
87 Fulham House TA Centre. This is an early 18th house, with probably earlier cellars. Owned by the army since 1903.  This is a centre for The Royal Yeomanry RHQ, and the Command (Westminster Dragoons) and Support Squadron – and the cadets. The house was restored in 1987-89 by Suoud Mallis & Partners. There is a brick extension to the back and railings at the front with a stone entrance gateway.
89 Eight Bells. This was claimed to have been licensed in 1629 as the Blue Anchor, and then changed its name later to the Anchor, then The Anchor and Eight Bells and finally the Eight Bells by c1754. Has clearly since been rebuilt
69 Philip & Tacey Ltd. School Stationary factory. The company had started in 1826 in the City Road by John Tacey supplying schools with basic equipment. In 1902 they joined with Henry Philip and Boy and by the 1920s were working with Froebel and Montessori. They moved to Fulham in 1919 and in the late 1960s moved to Andover, where they remain
The Fulham Theatre. This opened in 1897 as a live theatre designed by W.G.R. Sprague, There was a portico entrance with Ionic columns, and a statue of Britannia and two hand-maidens above. Lighting was provided by a Crossley gas engine – and special arrangements had to be made for this installation in the water logged sub soil. It was later known as the Shilling Theatre, and used as a cinema from 1912. By 1937 it was re-named Grand Theatre with live theatre and films on Sundays. It closed in 1950, demolished in 1958. Riverbank House was built on the site – now between the High Street and the Bridge Approach. .
156 Cambridge House. This stood west of the old Fulham Bridge adjacent to the Swan coal wharf. It was built in 1843 on the site of the stables of Fulham Hall. In the early 20th it was the White Lodge Laundry.
Fulham Hall. This was on the west side of the street and had replaced 14th Stourton House in the 17th. It was demolished in 1842. This was for a while the home of Granville Sharp who is buried in the nearby churchyard. He was an associate of Wilberforce and mounted one of the earliest legal challenges to slavery in England.

Hurlingham Park
Hurlingham Park.  This square covers only the south west portion of the park. The southern part of this area is still an area which is part of Hurlingham Club
Hurlingham Club. This was once called Hurlingham Field farmed by Saxon settlers in 500AD and from the 8th it was part Bishops of London’s manor. In the 17th it was a burial pit for plague victims and an isolation hospital until 1736 – although the location of these is not known.  By the 18th there were riverside villas as well as meadows and nurseries. Hurlingham House (in the square to the east) was built and was the home of successive grandees and the park was laid out by Humphrey Repton. From 1860 it was used as a shooting ground and as the Hurlingham Club. The pigeon shooting area from which the club grew was what is now Hurlingham Club property south of the running track. The pigeon is still the Club’s crest and until 1905 live pigeons were released each summer from near the present Tennis Pavilion. In 1879 the estate was enlarged with the purchase of Mulgrave House and its grounds. In 1906 Edwin Lutyens designed pavilions which remain. In the Great War the area passed into military use and the polo grounds suffered trench mortar and other damage. In the 1930s an outdoor swimming pool, squash courts and bowling greens were added plus a 9-hole golf course. The 1930s Swimming pool has now been replaced. The Croquet Association had its headquarters here from 1959 to 2002.   When the Polo Grounds were taken over for use as a public park the club retained the southern section of the grounds and this remains as a private sports facility.
Polo. Polo came to England in 1869 through Lord De L’Isle who was a trustee of the club. The game was established at Hurlingham in 1874 and the Club then became the headquarters of Polo for the British Empire. International competitions were played here.
Hurlingham Park. After the Second World War, the London County Council compulsorily purchased the Club's polo grounds for public recreation and the park retains much of the ambiance of its days as a polo ground. It has a major focus on sports facilities of which there are all sorts – an All Weather Football Pitch; 3 Tennis Courts, a Multi use games area, a Bowling Green, 2 Football pitches 2 Rugby pitches and a Floodlit training area.  A sports pavilion is located in the centre of the site where there are toilets, changing rooms, meeting space and a viewing gallery. The park is bounded to the street by iron railings, with London plane trees and silver birch around the edge.
Mulgrave House. This was on the west side of the park and included the lake. Hurlingham Club bought it and demolished it in 1927. It had been the seat of the Earl of Mulgrave, and later of other wealthy people.
Tennis Courts. Tennis began here in 1877 and the first ‘All England’ tournament was played here. In the Great War trenches were dug around the tennis courts. Towards the end of the war, a hanger and other buildings were built for RAF balloons. The polo grounds were reclaimed by the club in 1919-20. During WWII, troops were again quartered at Hurlingham. Barrage balloons were tethered in the grounds and an anti-aircraft battery was installed.
Hurlingham Stadium and running track. The opening meeting of the running track was on 1954, the day that this became a public park. It was originally a cinder track and the field was part of the polo ground. A concrete polo grandstand was built in 1936 to replace an earlier one but was demolished because of poor repairs in 2002. It has been replaced by a pavilion. The track was the base of London Athletic Club and last used for a race in 1979. When a meeting was held with the same schedule of events as the first open championship in 1879
Hammersmith and Fulham Rugby Football Club. The Club was started by teachers from Henry Compton School and decided at a Hotel in Wigan in 1977. In March the Leisure & Recreation Committee of the London Borough of Hammersmith granted them the central pitch at Hurlingham Park and they made their own arrangements with the Peterborough Arms.  Find out about the annual club awards and the winners.
Little Mulgrave House. This was west of Mulgrave House and dated from 1715.  It was later bought by the Hurlingham Club and used as their manager’s house.

Putney Bridge Approach
This was previously called Bridge Street. When the current bridge was built a new rising approach was formed from the High Street at its junction with Church Gate through the Vicarage garden. This is now the main traffic route
Fulham/Putney Bridge.  The earliest bridge, dating from the mid 18th was accessed from Bridge Street with a toll house between the two. The current Putney Bridge dates from the 1880s and is built a short way to the west of its predecessor
Toll house between the two – this toll house being effectively an arch with a building either side of a roofed space. Below the house an arched passageway took the riverside path under the tollhouse and the bridge
Aqueduct. This was built by the Chelsea Water Works Co to bring water from Barn Elms to north London.  This water is now carried in a trunk main under Putney Bridge. The water company bought and demolished Egmont Villa as part of these works
2 Riverbank House. This was ICT’s Bridge House North by Siefert and Partners. On the building is a sculpture of the The Swanupper by Edward Bainbridge Copnall.  This dates from 1963, and was the first fibreglass sculpture in Britain, and therefore probably in the world.
3 Putney Bridge Cinematograph Cinema. This was in the corner with Gonville Street. It opened in 1911 and was re-named Putney Bridge Kinema in 1915. It became part of Town Theatres, and closed in 1940 for alterations to be carried out. Because of restrictions in the Second World War it was still closed when it became art of Odeon Theatres in 1942 and never re-opened. It was demolished in 1957/1958 and a Premier Travel Inn hotel has replaced it.
Premier Inn. This was Bridge House South for International Computers (ICT)
Pryor's Bank Gardens.  These are part of the old Bishop's Park. The house and garden were sold by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners to Fulham Vestry. The river wall was extended to Putney Bridge and the area was cleared and laid out. The house’s formal garden was preserved and opened in 1900. The east garden had a lawn with roses and a fountain. In 1953 in commemoration of the Coronation four statues by James Wedgwood, whose studio was local, were installed – these were of Adoration, Grief, and Protection. These are all in Portland stone, and Leda in Caen stone was also added as was, later, Affection in Portland Stone by Hermon Cawthra. In the formal garden is a fountain with three tiers, the top basin supported by three fish, thought to have been erected by Fulham Vestry in 1894. West of the house are rising formal terraces planted with roses but which were previously ornamental bedding with the Fulham coat of arms. Another paved garden has a memorial of 1997, dedicated to local residents who fought in the Spanish Civil War with the International Brigade
Pryors Bank. This was a Strawberry Hill Gothic house with battlements and turreted chimneys. It had been built in 1837 for Thomas Baylis and William Letchmore, both antiquaries, who filled it with their collections. It was eventually purchased by the Vestry, and demolished in 1897, as unfit for public purposes.
Pavilion. This is on the site of Pryors Bank. It was built in 1900 designed by C Botterill, the Borough Surveyor. It is a mock Tudor pavilion, originally a refreshment house, inside the gates of Bishop’s Park, with a veranda overlooking the gardens and a lawn with specimen trees and shrubs. It also housed a public reading room and had staff accommodation on the first floor. It is new leased from the council by All Saints Church, and their offices are on the first floor.
Malt House. This was on the riverside on the east side of the road. It dated from the early 19th with an oast style kiln. It was connected to the Swan Inn brew house and stood behind the pub. In 1900 it was known as the "Swan Maltings" and belonged to the Royal Brewery, Chelsea.
Swan Wharf. This was taken over with the old toll house by the Vestry and used for rubbish removal after the erection of the current bridge in the 1880s. Rubbish was tipped into barges here for disposal down river at Rainham in Essex. It was named for the "Swan" Inn
Cramer Roberts & Co coal wharf.
Swan Inn. This dated from at least 1698 and stood on the riverside wit tea gardens going down to the river. In the mid 18th it had an adjoining brew house and maltings. A paved area in front of the pub was used as the parade ground of the Fulham light infantry volunteers. It was burnt down in 1871 Swan Wharf Chambers subsequently occupied the site and Swanbank Court flats.

Ranelagh Gardens
This road runs parallel to the river and is now the site of large mansion blocks of flats.  In some cases these have replaced working wharves
Ranelagh House. The road is named for Ranelagh House which was to the north of here but south of Hurlingham Road.  It was built for Viscount Ranelagh in 1804. It became a country club in 1848 but the club moved south of the river in the 1880s and the house was later demolished.
Willow Bank. This was a house built in 1816 overlooking the river standing in gardens. It replaced a number of older houses and cottages.  It was bought by the District Railway Company in 1889 and demolished for the railway bridge.
Fenning's Granite, Marble and Mosaic Works. This was on Willow Bank Wharf where Willow Bank House had stood. It had been established in the early 20th by Daniel Fleming with an interested in quarries at Shap in Westmoreland.
Carrara Wharf. Development of flats by Higgs & Hill in 1987-9 on the site of Fenning's Wharf.
Swanbank Court. Local Authority sheltered housing in brown brick, built in 981 by Green, Lloyd & Adams. This is on the site of Willowbank.
Railway arch. Single span of the railway bridge carrying the District Line over the road
Pillbox. There is a Second World War defence pillbox on the south east abutment of the bridge. A type 22 design, the pillbox is multi-sided and consists of two storeys, the lower storey doorway being on the west side but without loopholes.
Plaque. On the side of the bridge. Which says “Father of the British Motor Industry. Beneath this arch was situated the first workshop of Frederick Richard Simms 1863 – 1944”
Simms workshop. Simms first commercial workshop was under the arch of this bridge, a space for fitting Daimler engines to motor launches, in what was probably Britain's first motor company. Simms, is credited with coining the words 'petrol' and 'motorcar', and built the world's first armoured car, and invented the rubber bumper, and founded the Royal Automobile Club. In 1889, the 26-year-old Simms had met Gottlieb Daimler, from who bought the rights of Daimler's high-speed petrol engine in the British Empire. They were first used in motor launches but led to the British motor industry. In 1891, Simms demonstrated the motor launch on the Thames, and in 1893 formed The Daimler Motor Syndicate Limited work to put petrol engines into boars in a space here,
Rivermead Court flats.  Overlooking the Thames built 1950s. Private gardens. Spacious grounds overlooking the river

Railway Bridge.
Fulham Railway Bridge. This was constructed 1887-1889 by the London South Western Railway and refurbished 1995 - 1997 for London Underground Limited by Tilbury Douglas Construction Limited. It carries the District Railway line from West Brompton an ornamental viaduct approved by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and designed by William Jacomb, LSWR Engineer
Footway.  On the downstream side opened July 1889. This is reached by steep steps from the road. There are curled lamp fittings and at the river’s edge a pillar is topped off by an ornate pediment, with swirls and scallop painted in delicate green.

Station Approach
Putney Bridge Station. This was opened in 1880 and lies between Parsons Green and East Putney stations on the District Line to Wimbledon. It opened as Putney Bridge and Fulham when the Metropolitan District Railway extended its line south from West Brompton and was the terminus of the line until 1889 when the Fulham Railway Bridge was built and the line was extended south to the London and South Western Railway's East Putney station and then provided a through service to Wimbledon. Originally it had wooden platforms with an entrance through the east part of the garden of Willow Brook and there was a footway to interchange with river boats. In 1902, it was renamed Putney Bridge Hurlingham but became Putney Bridge in 1932. The station has an ornate yellow brick façade at the entrance. There are cast iron lamp standards and at platform level are ridge-and-furrow canopies and white serrated valancing. A forked wooden staircase goes down to the ticket hall and remains are much as it would have been in 1880.  
London Underground Electricity Sub Station


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