Fulham – My London+

Bishop’s Park was opened in 1893 by The London County Council and was given by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The gardens are Listed Grade II on the register of parks and gardens of special historic interest maintained by English Heritage.

As well as the planting and the water features the park has playgrounds for children and a skate park, a sandpit, climbing equipment and grassed areas for ball games. Yesterday the play areas were very busy.

Further along the path you are taken away from the Thames for a while as you go around the outside of Fulham Football Club. The club is in the process of building a new stand so there are workmen and lorries everywhere. I have been to this ground once a few years ago to watch Tottenham Hotspur play Fulham. I’m a Spurs fan and it was my Fulham supporter son who got tickets for me and my other son to go. The two of us sat at oppostie sides of the stadium, and too far away to wave to one another! Spurs won that day! You can find out more about Fulham Football Club here.

At present all football matches are played behind closed doors, owing to Covid 19

On the walk back from I took a couple of photos from outside Bishop’s Park. As I said yesterday, the gardens are sandwiched between Fulham Palace and the Thames Path.

Today was the perfect day for a walk. The sun was out and it was warm. This wasn’t a long walk, just stroll along the Thames and a quick walk around the gardens at Fulham Palace. The house isn’t currently open, nor the cafe, but I have been around the house in the past.

Fulham Palace had been the residence for the Bishops of London since AD704, mainly used as a summer retreat away from the noise and dirt of London. The grounds were extensive. In the mid 13th century the original manor house was abandoned and the foundations for the new house (above) are from around that time. Over the years Bishops made alterations and built on. The last Bishop left in 1973 when the house was taken over by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. In 2011 the house was taken over by a charitable trust and has continued to be restored to its former glory. It is well worth a visit. See here for more details.

The Lodge at the main entrance to Fulham Palace Gardens

The walk along the Thames was lovely and had I walked on I would have shortly been in Hammersmith. You can see Hammersmith Bridge in the distance in one of these photos. Tomorrow I will post some photos of Bishop’s Park which is sandwiched between the river and Fulham Palace.