Petersham, London
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Coordinates: 51°26′47″N 0°18′12″W / 51.446358°N 0.303326°W
| Petersham | |
 Petersham
Petersham shown within Greater London |
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| OS grid reference | TQ179733 |
|---|---|
| London borough | Richmond |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | RICHMOND |
| Postcode district | TW10 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | Richmond Park |
| London Assembly | South West |
Petersham is a place in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames on the east of the bend in the River Thames south of Richmond, which it shares with neighbouring Ham. It provides the foreground of the scenic view from Richmond Hill across Petersham Meadows, with Ham House further along the River. Other nearby places include: Twickenham, Isleworth, Teddington, Mortlake and Roehampton.
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History [edit]
Petersham appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Patricesham. It was held by Chertsey Abbey. Its assets were: 4 hides; 1 church, 5 ploughs, 1 fishery worth 1000 eels and 1000 lampreys, 3 acres (1.2 ha) of meadow. It rendered £6 10s 0d.[1]
The village was the birthplace in 1682 of Archibald Campbell, later 3rd Duke of Argyll and Earl of Islay. He went on to found the Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh in 1727, and his face adorns the obverse of all banknotes issued by the Royal Bank since 1987.
Explorer George Vancouver retired to Petersham, where he wrote the Voyage of Discovery whilst living in what is now called "Glen Cottage" in River Lane. He died in 1798 and is buried in the churchyard of St. Peter's.
In 1847 Queen Victoria granted Pembroke Lodge in the Petersham part of Richmond Park to John Russell, 1st Earl Russell and it became their family home. Lord Russell's grandson, Bertrand Russell, spent some of his childhood there also.
In the early 19th century, Charles Stanhope, 4th Earl of Harrington, styled Lord Petersham, gave the name to a type of greatcoat. In 1955 Petersham also gave its name to HMS Petersham which was a Ham class minesweeper.
Landmarks [edit]
Notable buildings [edit]
Listed buildings include a watchman's box that also served as a village lock-up and dates from 1787.
Petersham Road (part of the A307) includes an extremely sharp right-angled bend and the passing motorist might glimpse a pair of handsome wrought-iron gates as he or she negotiates it. This is the entrance to Montrose House, one of the most notable houses in Petersham. After a spate of serious accidents on the bend in the road, the neighbours formed a group in the 1850s called Trustees of the Road. The Hon. Algernon Tollemache of Ham House was their leader and they managed to persuade the owner of Montrose House to part with some land to reduce the sharpness of the bend. But various dents in the brick wall today reveal that motorists are still taken unawares by it.[2] Adjacent to Montrose House and equally as impressive is Rutland Lodge, built in 1660 for a Lord Mayor of London.
Another interesting house in Petersham is Douglas House, just off the west drive to Ham House. One of its more notable inhabitants was Catherine, Duchess of Queensberry. In 1969 it was bought by the Federal Republic of Germany for use as a German school. New buildings have been erected in the grounds, but the original house and stables have been preserved.[3]
Transport [edit]
Petersham is only served by two bus routes: the 65 and 371, both linking the town with Richmond and Kingston upon Thames.
Education [edit]
- The German School London is in Petersham.
- See also List of schools in Richmond upon Thames
Religious sites [edit]
St Peter's Church [edit]
Petersham Parish Church is believed to pre-date the Norman conquest as a church at Petersham is mentioned in Domesday Book.[1]
All Saints Church [edit]
All Saints on Bute Avenue was built as a church but was never consecrated. It was built 1899-1909 by J Kelly for Mrs Rachael Warde as a memorial to her parents who had lived at Petersham House. It has been used as a recording studio due and as a filming location. During World War II it was used as an Anti-Aircraft command post.
Sport [edit]
Richmond Golf Club is situated in Sudbrook Park and House.
Ham Polo Club is situated at the end of a driveway off the Petersham Road and the Petersham Bowl is played for in June.
Ham and Petersham Cricket Club was established in 1815 and cricket is still played throughout the summer on Ham Common.
Ranelagh Harriers running club are based behind the Dysart Arms public house.
Notable people [edit]
Lynne Truss was born and educated in the village at the Petersham Russell Infant School and Orchard Junior School.
References [edit]
- ^ a b Petersham in the Domesday Book
- ^ Weinreb, Ben, and Hibbert, Christopher (1992). The London Encyclopaedia (reprint ed.). Macmillan. p. 610.
- ^ Weinreb, Ben, and Hibbert, Christopher (1992). The London Encyclopaedia (reprint ed.). Macmillan. p. 241.
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Petersham |
- Description and map of Petersham Conservation Area
- A community site run by residents of Petersham
- German School London
- Ham Photos blog - hundreds of photos of Petersham with brief descriptions
- Photo of Petersham Lock-up
- Petersham Festival
