Circuitous route to get to Putney Heath – via Victoria on the District line to East Putney then the 37 to Putney Heath. But when I arrived, the 14 was just about to leave so the timing was great.
My first stop was on Putney Bridge and I was reminded that this is where I had positioned myself to watch the Boat Race a few years ago. I walked round the corner and found myself in the grounds of the All Saints Church, which was pretty remarkable. Some interesting statues and memorial stones – one of which was for those who had fought and died in the Spanish Civil War
I walked around Bishop’s Park but couldn’t walk in the Palace grounds as they were shut due to the recent storms. I found the entrance to Fulham Palace and was happy to see that it was free entrance. The courtyard and Great Hall are both Tudor having been built around 1495. The palace was home to the Bishops of London but now the bishop resides at the Old Deanery near St Paul’s.
After this welcome visit, I got back on the 14 to Evelyn Gardens (stop Fulham Road/Beaufort St). The construction of the houses around the gardens started in 1886. The most famous resident was Charles Digby Harrod who created the store as we know it today, having inherited it from his father.
Next stop was Onslow Square, another residential garden square. Building started in 1845 and the most notable former resident is William Makepeace Thackeray at number 36. Interestingly, there is a wall plaque but not a blue one. From here I walked to Thurloe Square and found the Thin House – originally built as artists’ studios, they are now residential and are very sought-after.
From here I went to the London (Brompton) Oratory catholic church which is next to the Victoria & Albert Museum. It’s a magnificent building both inside and out. This is the church where several notable people were married including Edward Elgar, Alfred Hitchcock and James Hunt.
I went back on the bus and passed Harrods which was interesting to do as I’d been to see the house that the son of the original owner had lived in. Next stop was Hyde Park (out at Knightsbridge station stop) and walked round to the park to visit the Holocaust Memorial Garden stones. It was a rainy day so I didn’t linger long but it was a fitting memorial.
Back on the bus to St James’s Church (Piccadilly Circus stop). The church was smaller than the Oratory but no less beautiful inside. There are many memorials for people who have passed such as Mary Beale and William Blake. The organ is big and dominates the church.
Final stop was at the end of the line in Russell Square and on my way back to catch the tube at Euston, I passed through Tavistock Square, where there is a statue and memorial to Virginia Woolf and one to Mahatma Gandhi. It’s well worth a visit or detour because there are many plaques and memorials for various events that have taken place such as one for survivors of Hiroshima.
All in all, it was a good route. Highlights were the Tudor courtyard at Fulham Palace and the Brompton (London) Oratory. I love the fact that there are so many interesting places to see in London and that the ones I’m visiting aren’t very well known. I seem to be out for longer and longer because I’m spending more time researching each route before starting out.
london routemistress 