A 6 mile walk from West Brompton to Putney Bridge Station passing Fulham Broadway & Parsons Green Stations (all District line). There are pubs and cafes along the route.

Exit West Brompton Station
Opposite is the Earls Court Exhibition Centre occupying a 12 acre site and designed in 1937 by C Howard Case.

Left along Lillie Road
On the right is the Empress State Building. This 320' building was constructed for the Admiralty in 1962. It has been refurbished as offices and features a revolving 30th floor.

Left at Ongar Road and right along Sedlescombe Road
Model housing and the St Oswald's Studios were built for the Gunter Estate in 1900-4.

At the end left into North End Road
This is the location of a street market.

Left at Halford Road
The board school of 1889-91 was designed by T J Bailey.

Right at Farm Lane and right at Walham Grove
This has paired villas of 1862. At the end across the road are former baths & wash house designed by E Deighton Pearson in 1902 and church hall of 1911.

Left along Vanston Place
St John's Church of 1828 by J H Taylor occupies the site of a pond. The Jolly Maltster pub opened in 1900. The Samuel Lewis Trust Dwellings were built in 1922.

Left into Fulham Road
The disused frontage of the tube station was designed in 1910 by H W Ford. FULHAM BROADWAY STATION is now accessed through a shopping centre. Opposite is the Town Hall designed in 1888-90 by George Edwards and extended in 1934 by Walter. Fulham Methodist Church occupies a modern building. The Oswald Stoll Foundation (1917-23) provides accommodation for disabled ex-servicemen. Stamford Bridge stadium for Chelsea FC was built in 1972-4.

Right along Britannia Road. At the end cross Kings Road into Waterford Road
There is an unusual house on the corner. Ahead is the Gas Works established by the Imperial Gas Company in 1824 including a gasholder of 1830. This is the oldest survivng example in the world and is grade II* listed.

Right along Harwood Terrace and through the gap next to number 9 into Imperial Square.
These 19th century houses were built for workers at the gasworks.

Return to the Kings Road and go right.
Shops, especially Christopher Wray, have fine ironwork. In Rewell Street to the right is the Sandford Manor but it is difficult to see among the houses. It was built in the mid 17th century and purchased by Imperial Gas Co in 1824. It was sold in 1971 when the housing was constructed and converted to offices in 1987-9. Across the railway the former college buildings on the left are being redeveloped.

Right along Lots Road.
There are a number of antique and art premises. The Lots Road Power Station built to serve the District line in 1902-5 is on the left.

Follow the Thames Path signs through Chelsea Harbour going to the left of the Conrad Hotel and anti-clockwise around the marina towards the Belvedere.
The marina was formerly the dock for the Kensington Canal.

Follow the Thames Path to the right as far as the water feature then go right through Imperial Wharf.
This former industrial site is undergoing development.

Left into Townmead Road then right along Bagley's Lane.
Chelsea College of Art & Design is on the left and the Coroner's Court on the right.

Left through Pearscroft Road then across Wandsworth Bridge Road into Studdridge Street.
On the left is Christ Church of 1902-3 by JEK & JP Cutts which has stained glass by Burne Jones.

Take Quarrendon Street opposite this
This is part of the Peterborough Estate, built on the site of Peterborough House demolished in 1900. The houses were built from the 1890s and are topped with lions, the trademark of the builder J Nichols.

At the end left along New Kings Road
There are old houses including Aragon House on the south side of Parsons Green.

Right at Guion Road and right along Dionis Road
Cottages on the left date to the 1840s. At the end is the church of St Dionis built in 1884 by Ewan Christian with funds from the sale of St Dionis Backchurch. Lady Margaret School across the green incorporates several old properties.

Left along Parsons Green Lane
PARSONS GREEN STATION.

Right at Elmstone Road and left along Shottendane Road. Left into Fulham Road.
The fire station is by Robert Pearsall (1895-6) and the library by Henry T Hare (1909).

Left at Crookham Road
At the end is the Glass House, built in 1906 as stained glass workshops for Lowndes & Drury.

Right along Lettice Street. At the end left along Munster Road. Right at New Kings Road.
There is a school building and some 18th century houses.

Right at Burlington Road
On the corner is a bottle kiln from the Fulham Pottery, established in 1672 by John Dwight. Several old buildings were lost to fire in 1918 and the remainder were demolished in the 1970s. Number 38 Burlington Road is a Georgian villa.

Detour into Rigault Road to the right
Burlington Studios were constructed in the 1980s from the laundry block of a women's prison (1853-88).

Return to and continue along Burlington Road. At the end cross to the Moat Gardens and walk to the right through these.
The moat was filled in in 1921.

Left down Bishops Avenue.
There are sports facilities to the right. At the end are a cafe and open air theatre. Opposite is the entrance to Fulham Palace. The manor was granted to the Bishops of London in the 8th century and was their home from the 11th century until 1973. Buildings include a great hall of 1480 and a chapel by Butterfield (1866-7). The gardens have a fine collection of trees.

Continue to the riverfront and go left through Bishops Park then Prior Bank Gardens.
The park was opened in 1893 and the gardens in 1953.

Go across to the church.
All Saints has a tower of 1440 but was largely rebuilt in 1880-1 by Sir Arthur Blomfield. It has a number of monuments and tombs of former bishops. Notice the inscription on the gravestone to Mrs Murr (& Mr) opposite the north entrance.

Go across to the almshouses.
These were founded by Sir William Powell in 1680 and rebuilt on their present site in 1869 by J P Seddon for 12 widows.

Continue along Church Gate
Numbers 5 & 6 are old houses. On the left is a former temperance billiard hall built in 1909 in Art Nouveau style.

Cross to The Larrick (former Kings Arms pub)
This dates back to 1526. The present building of 1888 replaced a coaching inn.

Go along Fulham High Street (to the left of Bridge House).
Bridge House by Seifert & Partners replaced the Grand Theatre (1897-1934) and features a sculpture 'Swan Upper'. The ferry was replaced by a bridge in 1729. This was rebuilt slightly upsteam by Bazalgette in 1882-6. The TA centre occupies Fulham House of the 1730s. Next door is the Eight Bells pub.

Left along Ranelagh Gardens to Putney Bridge Station.
There is a plaque on the railway bridge to Frederick Richard Simms, a pioneer in British Motoring.

Resources
Cherry & Pevsner - Buildings of England - London 3: North West
London Villages by John Wittich
Walking London's Parks and Gardens by Geoffrey Young (includes Fulham Palace Gardens)
Hammersmith & Fulham Archives & Local History Centre [more info]
Hammersmith & Fulham Borough [website]

Visits
FULHAM PALACE Gardens open daily. Museum and Gallery open Mon/Tue 12-4, Sat 11-2, Sun 11:30-3:30. Admission free. Programme of events. Tel 020 7736 8140. [website]
CHURCHES Sadly due to theft and vandalism churches cannot be left open without supervision. If you want to view a particular interior check opening times or make arrangements beforehand.

london-footprints.co.uk 2008

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