Barnes, London
Barnes is an affluent, riverside London suburb in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is located around 5.8 miles (9.3 km) west south-west of Charing Cross in a loop of the River Thames, with Hammersmith Bridge at the north end. With its relatively secluded location (the river acts as a barrier to much through traffic) and elegant houses, Barnes is often seen as a quieter place to live than the alternatives of Fulham, Kensington or Chelsea.[citation needed]
History
The settlement appears in Domesday Book as Berne. It was held by the Canons of St Paul of London. Its Domesday Assets were: 8 hides, paying tax with Mortlake; 5 ploughs, 20 acres of meadow. It rendered (in total): £7.[1]
Some of the oldest housing in London can be found on The Terrace, a road which runs along the west bend of the river.[citation needed] Current residents of the Georgian houses include lyricist Tim Rice and broadcaster Anneka Rice. Barnes also has a very attractive village Church of St Mary, which was built in the late 16th Century.
Castelnau in North Barnes, on the banks the river and Hammersmith Bridge, has an attractively designed small church, Holy Trinity, and contains a 1930s council estate (including roads such as Nowell Road, Stillingfleet Road and Washington Road). It mostly consists of "Boot Houses", these were houses constructed by Henry Boot company. These houses no longer meet building regulations and need to have their external walls reconstructed. This means that new buyers cannot get a mortgage on un-reconstructed houses and so residents of this area have usually lived in their houses for a long time (in some cases it being passed down).
In recent years Barnes has been cited as the leading area in the United Kingdom for internet shopping with £150 pa per head being spent.
Tourist attractions
A permanent tourist attraction in Barnes is the WWT London Wetlands Centre, next to Barn Elms, comprising over 40 hectares of artificial wetlands created on the site of a former reservoir as a bird sanctuary. Barnes also has an attractive village green and duck pond (recently rebuilt after a series of leaks).
A popular-cultural attraction is the Olympic Studios on Church Road. Relocated from Central London in 1966, the studios have played host to many of rock and pop music's greatest stars down the decades, from The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Queen, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin to Massive Attack, Duran Duran, Coldplay, Madonna, Mike Barnes, Robert Warren, and Will Young.
The Old Sorting Office arts centre adjacent to Barnes Pond has also become a focus in London as a venue for art and fringe theatre, hosting numerous exhibitions and theatre productions. Well-known names to have performed at the venue include Patricia Hodge, Stephanie Cole, Timothy West and Julian Glover.
Sporting associations
Barnes has a unique place in the history of football. Firstly, Headmaster of St Paul's School, Richard Mulcaster is credited with taking mob football and turning it into an organised, refereed team sport that was beneficial for schoolboys. St Paul's School is currently sited on Lonsdale Road, although in Mulcaster's time it was located at St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London.
Furthermore, Barnes was home to Ebenezer Cobb Morley who in 1862 was a founding member of the Football Association. In 1863, he wrote to Bell's Life newspaper proposing a governing body for football, and this led to the first meeting at the Freemason's Tavern where the FA was created. He was the FA's first secretary (1863-6) and at his home in Barnes he set out the first set of rules for modern soccer and these were adopted by the FA and subsequently spread throughout the world. As a player he took part in the first match played according to today's rules. Ebenezer Cobb Morley may be considered the father of Soccer for his key role in establishing modern Association Football.
Finally, Barnes Rugby Football Club has evidence to show that it is the oldest club in the world in any football code. Its ground is next to the WWT London Wetlands Centre at Barn Elms.
Also of note is that the loop of the Thames surrounding Barnes forms part of the Championship Course used for the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race and several other major Tideway head races. This stretch of the river is heavily used by rowers throughout the year.
Marc Bolan's Rock Shrine
The site of pop musician Marc Bolan's car crash on Queen's Ride in 1977, in which he was killed, now forms Bolan's Rock Shrine. The memorial receives frequent visits from his fans, and in 2002 a bronze bust of Bolan was installed to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of his death. In 2007 the site was given Official Recognition by the English Tourist Board as a 'Sight of Rock 'n' Roll Importance' in their Guide 'England Rocks'. [2] [3]
Other information
At the end of Lonsdale Road, The Bull's Head pub on the Thames is known as the suburban Ronnie Scott's and was one of the first and most important jazz venues in Britain from the postwar years onward. Every night live jazz is performed, often by internationally renowned acts on national tour. It is noted for very poor service and a very rude manager.
Notable residents
Well-known people who have lived in Barnes include:
- Chris Patten, the last UK Governor of Hong Kong, who was present along with the Prince of Wales at the handover to the People's Republic of China in 1997 is officially Baron Patten of Barnes, having chosen his place of residence as the basis for his title. He is currently the patron of the Tory Reform Group and Chancellor of Oxford University.
- Henry Fielding, writer
- Gustav Holst, composer
- Tim Henman, sportsman
- Brian May, member of rock group Queen
- Alistair McGowan, comedian
- Lynn Redgrave, actress
- Tim Rice, lyricist
- Anneka Rice, broadcaster
- Kurt Schwitters, artist
- Ray Stubbs, broadcaster
- Dame Ninette de Valois, founder of the Royal Ballet
- Roger McGough, poet
- Marcel Desailly, sportsman
- Simon Le Bon, member of pop group Duran Duran
Education
Political representation
Richmond Park's current Member of Parliament is Liberal Democrat and former London mayoral candidate Susan Kramer. The prospective candidate for the Conservative Party at the next general election, for the parliamentary constituency of Richmond Park including Barnes, is Zac Goldsmith.
Nearest places
Places adjoining Barnes:
Railway stations
References
External links
- The Old Sorting Office arts centre website
- Barnes Rugby Football Club
- Holy Trinity Church, Barnes
- Save The Heart of White Hart Lane
- Barnes and Mortlake History Society
