104-748: Dukes Meadows is a riverside park in Chiswick , London. The land was bought by the council in 1923, and the park was opened in 1926. It is cared for by the Dukes Meadows Trust . The area is home to the Chiswick Farmers' Market, which helps to pay for the park's maintenance. From 2023 the Dukes Meadows Footbridge forms part of the Thames Path . In 1902, the land to the south of Chiswick's Grove Park district consisted of orchards and meadows with
208-592: A low-tide barrage (rather than a weir) was built by the Thames Conservancy in 1894 downstream at Richmond Lock to improve the navigation by maintaining water level upstream to at least half-tide level. Today, the Port of London Authority is the navigation authority that manages the tidal river, including Richmond Lock and barrage. Wharfs and jetties are generally confined to the northern ( Middlesex ) bank between Richmond and Putney. This stretch of tideway (known as
312-682: A Saturday at Dukes Meadows. Chiswick's cricket club, formerly known as Turnham Green and Polytechnic, plays at Riverside Drive. On Chiswick Common is the Rocks Lane Multi Sports Centre, where there are tennis, five-a-side football and netball courts available to hire to the public. Private tennis coaching for individuals and groups is also available. The Chiswick reach of the Thames is heavily used for competitive and recreational rowing . Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney runs past Chiswick Eyot and Duke's Meadows. The Boat Race
416-884: A direct connection to Heathrow Airport and the M25 motorway . The Great West Road (A4) runs eastwards into central London via the Hogarth Roundabout where it meets the Great Chertsey Road (A316) which runs south-west, eventually joining the M3 motorway . The southern border of Chiswick runs along the River Thames, which is crossed in this area by Barnes Railway and Foot Bridge , Chiswick Bridge , Kew Railway Bridge and Kew Bridge . River services between Westminster Pier and Hampton Court depart from Kew Gardens Pier just across Kew Bridge. Bus routes on or near Chiswick High Road are
520-586: A farmhouse. A plan was made that year to build homes for 40,000 people (more than the population of Chiswick at that time) on the site, in a new town to be called Burlingwick, but they were never built. A second threat arose in 1914, when the Brentford Gas Company introduced a bill in Parliament to build a gasworks over 80 acres (32 hectares) of the meadows. Chiswick residents objected to the plan. On 6 February 1914, The Times printed an editorial opposing
624-510: A few types of house. These were scaled-down versions of the more expensive houses that he had designed for wealthy areas such as Chelsea , Hampstead , and Kensington . He also designed the focal buildings of the garden suburb, including the church of St Michael and All Angels and the Tabard Inn opposite it. Duke's Meadows stands on land formerly owned by the Duke of Devonshire . In the 1920s, it
728-504: A paved riverside path fronted by a row of "imposing" 18th-century houses, interspersed with three riverside pubs, the Bell and Crown, Bull’s Head, and the City Barge. The low-lying path is flooded at high tides. It became fashionable in 1759 when Kew Bridge opened just upstream, with the royal family at Kew Palace nearby. The Bedford Park neighbourhood was described by Nikolaus Pevsner as
832-626: A pool and small weir, before reaching the A429 bridge near Kemble. On the stretch between Ewen and Somerford Keynes the bourne passes through fields and there are a number of watermills . The path then follows the watercourse through the Cotswold Water Park to Ashton Keynes , where the water divides into a number of streams; the Thames Path partly follows one of these and rejoins the river by Waterhay Bridge. Downstream from this point canoeing in
936-486: A village around St Nicholas Church from c. 1181 on Church Street, its inhabitants practising farming, fishing and other riverside trades including a ferry, important as there were no bridges between London Bridge and Kingston throughout the Middle Ages. The area included three other small settlements, the fishing village of Strand-on-the-Green , the hamlet of Little Sutton in the centre, and Turnham Green on
1040-502: Is a meander cutoff formed when Penton Hook Lock was built. Any public footpaths that cross or go along any of the other small islands formed by construction of the Thames locks only allow access to the path alone. Lock building by the Thames Commissioners had improved the whole river navigation from Inglesham to the upper limit of the tidal reach at Staines by 1789. On the tidal Thames below Staines, six new locks were built by
1144-597: Is a district in the London Borough of Hounslow , West London , England. It contains Hogarth's House , the former residence of the 18th-century English artist William Hogarth ; Chiswick House , a neo-Palladian villa regarded as one of the finest in England; and Fuller's Brewery , London's largest and oldest brewery. In a meander of the River Thames used for competitive and recreational rowing, with several rowing clubs on
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#17328515259571248-593: Is a memorial where the rocket fell on Staveley Road, and a War Memorial at the east end of Turnham Green. Refuge was founded in 1971 in Chiswick, as the modern world's first safe house for women and children escaping domestic violence. By the start of the 21st century, Chiswick had become an affluent suburb. Chiswick St Nicholas was an ancient, and later civil, parish in the Ossulstone hundred of Middlesex . Until 1834 its vestry governed most parish affairs. After
1352-487: Is a short section of path on the north bank opposite Purley-on-Thames; this is still shown on Ordnance Survey maps but is inaccessible except by boat, caused by the lack of two ferries formerly diverting around Purley Hall. The second and furthest downstream is a particularly picturesque section of towpath (again shown on OS maps) within the National Trust grounds of Cliveden ; here the lack of three ferries accounts for
1456-650: Is based in its boathouse off Hartington Road, which also houses the clubs of many London colleges and teaching hospitals; recent members include Tim Foster , Gold medallist at the Sydney Olympics and Frances Houghton , World Champion in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Quintin Boat Club lies between Chiswick Quay Marina and Chiswick Bridge. Tideway Scullers School is just downriver of Chiswick Bridge; its members include single sculling World Champion Mahé Drysdale and Great Britain single sculler Alan Campbell . Chiswick High Road
1560-575: Is buried in St Nicholas's churchyard. The house later belonged to the poet and translator of Dante , Henry Francis Cary , who lived there from 1814 to 1833. In February 1766 Jean-Jacques Rousseau lived a few weeks with a local grocer, before moving to Wootton, Staffordshire . The painter Johann Zoffany lived on Strand-on-the-Green. In the 19th century, the Italian writer, revolutionary and poet Ugo Foscolo died in exile at Turnham Green in 1827, and
1664-503: Is considered to be among the finest surviving examples of Palladian architecture in Britain, with superb collections of paintings and furniture. Its surrounding grounds, laid out by William Kent , are among the most important historical gardens in England and Wales, forming one of the first English landscape gardens . It was used as an asylum from 1892 to 1928; up to 40 private patients were housed in wings which were demolished in 1956 when
1768-566: Is contested on the Championship Course on a flood tide (in other words from Putney to Mortlake) with Duke's Meadows a popular view-point for the closing stages of the race. The finishing post is just downstream of Chiswick Bridge. Other important races such as the Head of the River Race race the reverse course, on an ebb tide. Chiswick is home to several clubs. The University of London Boat Club
1872-416: Is in downstream order. The letter in brackets indicates whether the path downstream of that point takes the northern or southern bank (using north or south in reference to the river as a whole, rather than at that specific point). Bridges and ferries are listed in full under Crossings of the River Thames . The river can be crossed at about a third of the locks, although some of these crossings are not part of
1976-552: Is managed by London Wildlife Trust . The area, a railway triangle, was saved from development by a public inquiry, and became a reserve in 1985. Its 2.5 hectares are covered mainly in secondary birch woodland, with willow carr (wet woodland) in the low-lying centre, and acid grassland on the former Acton Curve railway track. The reserve runs a varied programme of activities including wildlife walks, fungus forays, open days and talks. There are several historic public houses in Chiswick, some of them listed buildings , including
2080-532: Is much of interest. The Thames Path is one of the Mayor of London 's strategic walking routes . The Thames Path Cycle Route is a black-signposted route that follows the river between Putney Bridge in the west and Greenwich in the east. It mostly follows the Thames Path, but diverges in various sections, especially where the path follows a footpath-only route. It also links National Cycle Route 1 (east of London) with National Cycle Route 4 (west of London). The route of
2184-539: Is no longer the local government centre but remains an approved venue for marriage and civil partnership ceremonies. Chiswick forms part of the Brentford and Isleworth Parliament constituency, having been part of the Brentford and Chiswick constituency between 1918 and 1974. The Member of Parliament (MP) is Ruth Cadbury (Labour), elected at the May 2015 general election replacing Mary Macleod (Conservative). For elections to
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#17328515259572288-635: Is often shallow, weedy and swift but after heavy rain flooding of the riverside paths is common. Today the Environment Agency (the current successor to the Thames Conservancy) is the navigation authority responsible for the Thames between Cricklade and Teddington. The navigation towpath starts from Inglesham (just upstream of Lechlade), as does the ability to navigate the river for all but very small boats, although there were once weirs with flash locks to enable passage as far as Cricklade, and there
2392-478: Is still a right of navigation up to Cricklade. The navigation above Lechlade clearly must have been neglected after the Thames and Severn Canal provided an easier route by canal for barge traffic and not all of the river downstream from Cricklade has a footpath alongside. The Thames Path uses the existing Thames towpath between Inglesham and Putney Bridge wherever possible. The former Thames and Severn Canal entrance
2496-508: Is the present-day limit of navigation for powered craft, and is one and a half miles upstream of the highest lock ( St John's Lock ), near Lechlade . Today, between the canal entrance and Putney Bridge, the towpath still allows access by foot to at least one side of the river for almost the whole length of the main navigation of the river, but not mill streams , backwaters or a few meanders cut off by lock cuttings , since towpaths were originally only intended to enable towing of barges on
2600-501: Is to be hoped that no more will be heard of so unwelcome and unnecessary a proposal". The bill was not passed. In 1926, a third threat emerged, a plan by the London and Home Counties Electricity Authority to build an electricity generating station on the scale of Battersea Power Station , over an area of 45 acres (18 hectares). The authority had bought Chiswick House and its grounds from the Duke of Devonshire , and offered to swap these for
2704-580: The 94 , 110 , 237 , 267 , 272 , 440 , E3 and H91 . The 94 is a 24-hour service, and the High Road is also served at night by the N9 . The District line serves Chiswick with four London Underground stations , Stamford Brook , Turnham Green , Chiswick Park and Gunnersbury . Turnham Green is an interchange with the Piccadilly line , but only before 06:50 and after 22:30, when Piccadilly line trains stop at
2808-501: The Chiswick High Road , forming a long high street in the north, with additional shops on Turnham Green Terrace and Devonshire Road. The river forms the southern boundary with Kew , including North Sheen, Mortlake and Barnes in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames . It includes the uninhabited island of Chiswick Eyot , joined to the mainland at low tide. In the east Goldhawk Road and British Grove border Hammersmith in
2912-504: The Georgian and Victorian eras , many of them now listed buildings, overlooking the street on the north side; their gardens are on the other side of the street beside the river. The largest and finest house on the street is Walpole House , a Grade I listed building; part of it is Tudor, but the building now visible is late 17th to early 18th century. Strand-on-the-Green is the most westerly part of Chiswick, "particularly picturesque" with
3016-416: The Great Chertsey Road (A316) runs south-west, becoming the M3 motorway . People who have lived in Chiswick include the poets Alexander Pope and W. B. Yeats , the Italian poet and revolutionary Ugo Foscolo , the painters Vincent van Gogh and Camille Pissarro , the novelist E. M. Forster , the rock musicians Pete Townshend , John Entwistle , and Phil Collins , the stage director Peter Brook , and
3120-679: The Gunnersbury Triangle local nature reserve. Some parts of Bedford Park and Acton Green are in the Chiswick W4 postcode area but the London Borough of Ealing . The main shopping and dining centre is Chiswick High Road . Chiswick Roundabout is the start of the North Circular Road (A406). At Hogarth Roundabout , the Great West Road from central London becomes the M4 motorway , while
3224-589: The John I. Thornycroft & Company shipbuilding company, established a yard at Church Wharf at the west end of Chiswick Mall . The shipyard built the first naval destroyer , HMS Daring of the Daring class , in 1893. To cater for the increasing size of warships, Thornycroft moved its shipyard to Southampton in 1909. In 1822, the Royal Horticultural Society leased 33 acres (13.4 ha) of land in
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3328-602: The London Assembly Chiswick is in the South West constituency , represented since 2000 by Tony Arbour , of the Conservative Party. For elections to Hounslow London Borough Council , Chiswick is represented by three electoral wards : Turnham Green, Chiswick Homefields and Chiswick Riverside. Each ward elects three councillors, who serve four-year terms. For 2010–14, all nine councillors were Conservatives . It
3432-582: The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham . In the north are Bedford Park (like Chiswick, within the London W4 postcode area) and South Acton in the London Borough of Ealing , with a boundary partially delineated by the District line . On the west, within Hounslow, are the districts of Gunnersbury , which is within the bounds of the early 19th century parish of Chiswick, and Brentford . A short distance south of
3536-687: The Mawson Arms , the George and Devonshire , the Old Packhorse and The Tabard in Bath Road near Turnham Green station. The Tabard is known for its William Morris interior and its Norman Shaw exterior; it was built in 1880. Three more pubs are in Strand-on-the-Green , fronting on to the Thames river path. Chiswick had two well-known theatres in the 20th century. The Chiswick Empire (1912 to 1959)
3640-595: The Poor Law Amendment Act (1834) , local administration in Chiswick began to be devolved to authorities beyond the vestry. Then, Chiswick poor relief was administered by the Brentford Poor Law Union . Briefly, from 1849 to 1855, responsibility for Chiswick drains and sewers passed to the Metropolitan Commission of Sewers under its 'Fulham and Hammersmith Sewer District.' From 1858, under
3744-613: The River Thames from one of its sources near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Woolwich foot tunnel , south east London. It is about 185 miles (298 km) long. A path was first proposed in 1948 but it only opened in 1996. In theory, the Thames Path's entire length can be walked, and a few parts can be cycled, but certain sections are closed for an indefinite period, including Temple Bridge at Hurley and Marsh Lock in Henley. Some parts of
3848-544: The Windsor Castle Act 1848 , also involving the building of Victoria and Albert bridges and the removal of Datchet Bridge . This accounts for the Thames Path's diversion from the river at Datchet . There are two other short lengths of navigation which have no towpath: one between Marlow bridge and lock (which never had a towpath), and one past Whitchurch lock either side of The Swan public house in Pangbourne (where
3952-405: The 19th century, Thames sailing barges being typical. Moderately straight lengths of the tideway are often called reaches , as they can be sailed without tacking . Crossing the river was more of a priority, as evidenced by the many watermen's stairs giving watermen and passengers access to the tidal river. Thames steamers became more common for transport on the tidal Thames from 1815 until
4056-497: The Chiswick Improvement Act of that year, responsibility for drains and sewers, paving and lighting was vested in an elected board of eighteen Improvement Commissioners . This operated as Chiswick's secular local authority for a quarter of a century until its replacement with a Local Board in 1883. In 1878 the parish gained a triangle of land in the east which had formed a detached part of Ealing . From 1894 to 1927
4160-579: The City of London Corporation to improve the navigation between 1811 and 1815. The Thames Conservancy was established in 1857 to take over duties from the City of London because of falling revenue from boat traffic; it also took on the duties of the Thames Commissioners in 1866. Provision for pleasure boating was now the main purpose, and although the Thames Conservancy rebuilt many locks, upgrading some from flash locks to pound locks, and made navigation and towpath improvements, it only built one completely new lock on
4264-534: The Confessor ) in the Diocese of Westminster , lies on the corner of Duke's Avenue and the High Road. It is a red brick building; the parish was founded in 1848, a school began c. 1855, and a church was opened by Cardinal Wiseman on the present site in 1864. It was replaced by the present building in 1886, opened by Cardinal Manning . The heavy debts incurred were paid off and the church consecrated in 1904. The square tower
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4368-587: The Duke of Devonshire to create a park. To finance the purchase, gravel extraction took place from 1924 to 1937, at a rate of five acres per year, earning £1500 per acre; the gravel pits were restored and filled in with rubbish from central London after 1948. Paddling pools were constructed on the eastern side of the meadows. A seaside-type promenade and a bandstand were built alongside the Thames riverfront and opened by Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI ) in 1926. The murder of Elizabeth Figg, whose body
4472-501: The Dukes Meadows land. The local Council was keen to get Chiswick House, but the deal was opposed by residents and rowers alike. A private member's bill was brought to Parliament but it was rejected in 1927. In 1928, the new Central Electricity Board dropped the plan, as other stations including Fulham Power Station would have sufficient capacity. In 1923, Chiswick Urban District purchased over 200 acres (81 hectares) of land from
4576-612: The Friends of Dukes Meadows to protect the interests of the park; this was registered as a charity in 2001, and in 2006, it became the Dukes Meadows Trust. The old paddling pools , which had fallen into disuse, were replaced with a new water play area and fountain (just to the north), a refreshments kiosk, and a sandpit. Volunteers working for the Trust tidied the whole area, created a community garden, planted hedges and fruit trees, and painted
4680-609: The High Road in the centre of Chiswick is the Glebe Estate, consisting of small terraced houses built in the 1870s on glebe land once owned by the local church, and now a desirable place to live. Chiswick is in the W4 postcode district of the London post town , which in a tribute to its ancient parish includes Bedford Park and Acton Green , mostly within the London Borough of Ealing. Some of
4784-588: The Tabard pub but a separate business, is known for new writing and experimental work. The Sanderson Factory in Barley Mow Passage, now known as Voysey House, was designed by the architect Charles Voysey in 1902. It is built in white glazed brick, with Staffordshire blue bricks (now painted black) forming horizontal bands, the plinth, and surrounds for door and window openings, and dressings in Portland stone . It
4888-461: The Thames Path can be divided into these sections: The list below gives the points where the Thames Path crosses the river between Cricklade and Teddington . Above Cricklade, the Thames is a stream and in some places there may be no water except after rain. Below Teddington there are paths on both sides of the river until the Greenwich foot tunnel , after which the path is only on the south. The list
4992-410: The Thames Path must divert away from the river and the towpath to cross the river elsewhere, leaving some sections of towpath not on the Thames path. Many walkers visit the locks on the River Thames and in summer some have facilities open for visitors. A few have small campsites . The locks at Cookham and Whitchurch are not on the Thames Path and require some effort to visit. Whitchurch Lock cutting
5096-466: The Thames Path on either side of the railway, allowing the path to follow the river without diversion, in the words of the London Borough of Hounslow 's report Duke's Meadows Regeneration , "removing a frustrating dog-leg along the scenic walking and cycling route." 51°28′31″N 0°15′42″W / 51.4752°N 0.2617°W / 51.4752; -0.2617 Chiswick Chiswick ( / ˈ tʃ ɪ z ɪ k / CHIZ -ik )
5200-509: The Thames Path, particularly west of Oxford , are subject to flooding during the winter. The river is tidal downstream from Teddington Lock and the lower parts of these paths may be underwater if there is a particularly high tide, although the Thames Barrier protects London from catastrophic flooding. The Thames Path uses the river towpath between Inglesham and Putney and available paths elsewhere. Historically, towpath traffic crossed
5304-591: The Thames below Staines from a point marked by the London Stone , had similarly bought out the towpath tolls of riparian land owners as enabled by an earlier Thames Navigation Act in 1776. From the 1840s, the development of the railways and steam power gradually made redundant the need for horse-drawn barges on the non-tidal Thames, although people were still using the towpath to tow small pleasure boats in 1889. The towpath route has not changed since then, apart from now following Shifford lock cut; however, over time
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#17328515259575408-653: The Thames path's diversion from the river at Cookham . When Cookham Lock was built in 1830, Hedsor Water became a backwater and lost its towpath. Around 1822, Clifton and Old Windsor locks were built, with lock cuttings which cut across river meanders; here the towpath was rerouted along the lock cuttings and there is no public riverside access to these river meanders. However, some stretches of river bypassed by navigation cuttings still retain public footpath access: firstly at Desborough Island (formed by Desborough Cut ); secondly, parts of older towpath accessible at Duxford (towpath now follows Shifford Lock cut); and lastly,
5512-507: The Upper Rowing Code Area) has special navigation rules to accommodate the activities of a number of rowing clubs , and includes the course used for The Boat Race . Chiswick Eyot is on this section and is notable as being the only tidal island on the river . Since August 2020, the towpaths on both banks have been closed under Hammersmith Bridge because of cracks in the structure; walkers and cyclists must therefore divert from
5616-612: The Wilts & Berks Canal, the Oxford Canal and the Thames and Severn Canal connected to the non-tidal Thames. It was not until a little after the Thames Navigation Commission were enabled by a 1795 Act of Parliament to purchase land for a continuous horse path that the non-tidal navigation (and hence the towpath) was consolidated as a complete route under a single (toll charging) authority, upstream to Inglesham. This improved
5720-513: The ability of horse-drawn barge traffic to travel upstream to the Thames and Severn Canal, which had opened in 1789 and provided an alternative route (also using the Wilts & Berks Canal) for boat traffic to Cricklade. The commissioners had to create horse ferries to join up sections of towpath (for example at Purley Hall ), as the Act did not allow them to compulsorily purchase land near an existing house, garden or orchard. The City of London Corporation , who had rights and responsibilities for
5824-422: The actress Imogen Poots . Chiswick was first recorded c. 1000 as the Old English Ceswican meaning "Cheese Farm"; the riverside area of Duke's Meadows is thought to have supported an annual cheese fair up until the 18th century. The area was settled in Roman times; an urn found at Turnham Green contained Roman coins, and Roman brickwork was found under the Sutton manor house . Old Chiswick grew up as
5928-415: The area south of the High Road between what are now Sutton Court Road and Duke's Avenue. This site was used for its fruit tree collection and its first school of horticulture, and housed its first flower shows. The area was reduced to 10 acres (4.0 ha) in the 1870s, and the lease was terminated when the Society's garden at Wisley , Surrey, was set up in 1904. Some of the original pear trees still grow in
6032-444: The bandstand. Construction work was paid for with rent from Chiswick Farmers' Market and from the converted farm buildings. The approach was cited in CABE Space's "guide for community groups working to improve public space". The Thames Path runs beside the river, along the southern edge of Dukes Meadows. At the upstream side, the path was diverted by the railway leading to Barnes Railway Bridge . The Dukes Meadows Footbridge connects
6136-405: The brewer Henry Smith, churchwarden of St Nicholas, Chiswick. Christ Church, Turnham Green is an early Victorian Gothic building of flint with stone dressings. The main part of the building, by George Gilbert Scott and W. B. Moffat, is from 1843; the chancel and northeast chapel were added in 1887 by J. Brooks. Chiswick's principal Roman Catholic church, Our Lady of Grace and St Edward (
6240-403: The creation of refuges worldwide. Chiswick is home to the Arts Educational Schools in Bath Road. The house used for filming the comedy show Taskmaster , a former groundskeeper's cottage, is just off Great Chertsey Road, near Chiswick Bridge . Chiswick is situated at the start of the North Circular Road (A406), South Circular Road (A205) and the M4 motorway , the latter providing
6344-407: The farmers market is an area of allotments run by the London Borough of Hounslow . Much of the rest of the Dukes Meadows area, outside the public park, is covered with sports fields, used for golf, tennis, football, rugby, and other sports. A house on the golf course is the main filming location for the pre-recorded tasks in the gameshow Taskmaster . In 1998, a group of local people formed
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#17328515259576448-406: The first place "where the relaxed, informal mood of a market town or village was adopted for a complete speculatively built suburb". In 1877 the speculator Jonathan Carr hired Shaw as his estate architect. Shaw's house designs, in the Queen Anne Revival style with red brick, roughcast , decorative gables , and both oriel and dormer windows , gave the impression of great variety using only
6552-406: The gardens of houses built on the site. The population of Chiswick grew almost tenfold during the 19th century, reaching 29,809 in 1901, and the area is a mixture of Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian housing. Suburban building began in Gunnersbury in the 1860s and in Bedford Park , the first garden suburb , on the borders of Chiswick and Acton, in 1875. During the Second World War , Chiswick
6656-443: The house was restored. St Nicholas Church , near the river Thames, has a 15th-century tower, although the remainder of the church was rebuilt by J.L. Pearson in 1882–84. Monuments in the churchyard mark the burial sites of the 18th-century English artist William Hogarth and William Kent , the architect and landscape designer; the churchyard also houses a mausoleum (for Philip James de Loutherbourg ) designed by John Soane , and
6760-463: The most beautiful period mansion blocks in Chiswick, such as Heathfield Court and Arlington Mansions, line the sides of Turnham Green – the site of the Battle of Turnham Green in 1642. Other suburbs of Chiswick include Grove Park (south of the A4, close to Chiswick railway station) and Strand on the Green , a fishing hamlet until the late 18th century. As early as 1896, Bedford Park was advertised as being in Chiswick, though at that time much of it
6864-476: The navigation. The Thames has been used for navigation for a long time, although owners of weirs, locks and towpath often charged tolls . The towpath owes its existence, in its current form, to the Industrial Revolution and the Canal Mania of the 1790s to 1810s, and so is related to the history of the British canal system . The Thames already allowed for passage onto the River Kennet Navigation and River Wey Navigation , but this period in history also saw
6968-430: The non-tidal Thames, at Shifford in 1898. There is a Thames Path on both sides of the river downstream of Teddington Lock, the southern path including the original towpath as far as Putney Bridge. Because of the locks built by the City of London, the river is now tidal only downstream from Teddington Lock, although during spring tides flood warnings are sometimes issued upstream towards Molesey Lock . A further lock with
7072-465: The parish formed the Chiswick Urban District . In 1927 it was abolished and its former area was merged with that of Brentford Urban District to form Brentford and Chiswick Urban District . The amalgamated district became a municipal borough in 1932. The borough of Brentford and Chiswick was abolished in 1965, and its former area was transferred to Greater London to form part of the London Borough of Hounslow . With these changes, Chiswick Town Hall
7176-470: The path across the weir at Benson Lock (the towpath ferry was upstream). In recent times, crossings have been created for the Thames Path; the Shepperton to Weybridge Ferry was restarted in 1986, Temple Footbridge near Hurley was built in 1989, a footpath was attached to Bourne End Railway Bridge in 1992 (the ferry was upstream), and Bloomers Hole Footbridge was built in 2000. No other replacement river crossings have been created for lapsed ferries, so
7280-474: The railways dominated public transport. Falling income from river traffic and disputes over the construction of Victoria Embankment because of Crown Estate ownership of the tidal riverbed led to the City of London's seceding management of their part of the river to the Thames Conservancy in 1857; and the section below Teddington was further passed on to the Port of London Authority in 1908. Construction of riverside buildings and structures often meant embanking
7384-414: The river at the bridge until they reach the adjacent road (Castelnau on the south bank, Hammersmith Bridge Road on the north) and then cross the road at the nearest safe point before returning to the river. Historical records state that the towpath started at Putney. Downstream of here sailing , sculling and rowing , and following the current (or rising and falling tide) were the means of movement until
7488-517: The river bank, the finishing post for the Boat Race is just downstream of Chiswick Bridge . Old Chiswick was an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex , with an agrarian and fishing economy beside the river; from the Early Modern period, the wealthy built imposing riverside houses on Chiswick Mall . Having good communications with London, Chiswick became a popular country retreat and part of
7592-431: The river east of the town, and now follows the river all the way downstream to Castle Eaton . The path next follows country lanes , a short stretch along a backwater to Hannington Bridge then goes across fields to Inglesham. In 2018 the path incorporated a section of permissive path alongside the river at Upper Inglesham. Above Inglesham the river is not dredged and being without weirs to control water levels, it
7696-478: The river is practical. The path wanders to and from the river amongst more gravel pits until Hailstone Hill, where a riverside path starts by the old railway line. A little further, the North Wilts canal from Latton formerly crossed the river on an aqueduct and ran alongside and south of the river to West Mill Lane. Here the path leaves the river to go through Cricklade , past Cricklade Town Bridge , rejoining
7800-505: The river meander at Culham. The Culham meander is accessible, even though only parts are designated as public footpath (towpath now follows Culham Lock cut) and there is also riverside public footpath along the ancient causeway past Sutton Pools . Certain sections are closed indefinitely for reasons such as bridge failures. Details are shown on the trail's interactive map. Historically, there have been replacements for towpath ferry crossings with bridges at Goring and Clifton Hampden and
7904-435: The river using many ferries , but few of these crossings exist now and some diversion from the towpath is necessary. The general aim of the path is to provide walkers with a pleasant route alongside the river. The way this is achieved naturally falls into three distinct areas, depending on the nature of the river in the area. In the absence of a tow path, the Thames Path uses all available riverside rights of way between
8008-514: The same site for over 350 years. The original brewery was in the gardens of Bedford House in Chiswick Mall. A weekly farmers' market is held every Sunday by Grove Park Farm House, Duke's Meadows. A monthly flower market is held on the first Sunday of each month on Chiswick High Road in the old market place, now mostly used as a car park, near the Hogarth statue. An antiques market is to be held on
8112-417: The scheme, stating that "The scheme offends against the modern axiom of town-planning which insists that all amenities of living for workers should be safeguarded in densely populated areas, the new industries should be established as far afield as possible, and that land ripe for building – such as the Chiswick orchard farm – near the heart of the metropolis should be utilized for parks and garden settlement. It
8216-462: The second Sunday of each month, and a "Cheese and Provisions" market with 23 stalls on the third and fourth Sundays of each month in the same area, so there will in effect be a weekly market event on the High Road once again. Chiswick House was designed by the Third Earl of Burlington , and built for him, in 1726–29 as an extension to an earlier Jacobean house (subsequently demolished in 1788); it
8320-552: The site of the old Chiswick Empire . Between 1964 and 1966, the 18-storey IBM headquarters was built above Gunnersbury station , designed to accommodate 1500 people. It became the home of the British Standards Institution in 1994. Chiswick has an annual book festival. Chiswick is home to the Griffin Brewery , where Fuller, Smith & Turner and its predecessor companies brewed their prize-winning ales on
8424-491: The sites of 15 former ferries and one former lock, so the Thames Path makes 11 other diversions from the remaining towpath because of the lack of a river crossing at their original locations. There is also a twelfth temporary diversion at Hammersmith Bridge, described below. Walkers can visit the lengths of river navigation not on the Thames Path using the current towpath, except for two isolated sections of towpath not connected by any public path (or ferry) at either end. The first
8528-470: The station. Chiswick railway station on the Hounslow Loop Line is served by a regular South Western Railway service to London Waterloo via Clapham Junction . The North London line crosses Chiswick (north-south); London Overground stations are Gunnersbury and South Acton . Chiswick's local rugby union teams include Chiswick RFC, formerly Old Meadonians RFC. The team plays league games on
8632-525: The suburban growth of London in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was made the Municipal Borough of Brentford and Chiswick in 1932 and part of Greater London in 1965, when it merged into the London Borough of Hounslow . Modern Chiswick is an affluent area which includes the early garden suburb Bedford Park , Grove Park , the Glebe Estate, Strand-on-the-Green and tube stations Chiswick Park , Turnham Green , and Stamford Brook , as well as
8736-498: The tidal Thames and acquiring riverbed ownership. The historical progression of so many construction works, is why there is not continuous foreshore access for a riverside path within the Port of London . Today, downstream of Putney, there are jetties and wharfs on both banks of the river, and sections of the Thames Path often have to divert away from the river around riverside buildings. There are also many docks , most of them downstream of Tower Bridge . In central London , there
8840-465: The tomb of Josiah Wedgwood 's business partner, Thomas Bentley , designed by Thomas Scheemakers. One of Oliver Cromwell 's daughters, Mary Fauconberg, lived at Sutton Court and is buried in the churchyard. Enduring legend has it that the body of Oliver Cromwell was also interred with her, though as the Fauconbergs did not move to Sutton Court until 15 years after his disinterment, it is more likely he
8944-556: The towpath does not connect up without ferries; access to this lock requires a 10-minute walk across Odney Common on Formosa Island and the Lock Island (incorporating the former Mill Eyot) to Sashes Island . Marlow Lock access requires a short walk through town back streets. All the other locks have obvious access from the Thames Path. The lock islands at Pinkhill Lock , Eynsham Lock , King's Lock , Boulters Lock and Shepperton Lock can be visited, as can Penton Hook Island which
9048-410: The towpath ferries became obsolete and the last towpath ferry to stop running was the rope ferry at Bablock Hythe in the 1960s. The main exception to towpath access to the navigation between Inglesham and Putney is a stretch of river where the former towpath was removed past Windsor Castle . The castle's private grounds of Home Park, Windsor were extended to include the riverbank and its towpath by
9152-462: The towpath has been lost). At both these weirs, lengthy rope winches were required for barges to pass Marlow and Whitchurch in the days before steam power. It is also required to divert around Oxford Cruisers downstream of Pinkhill Lock , even though the towpath is still shown as a public right of way on Ordnance Survey maps. The remainder of the navigation between Inglesham and Putney has an existing towpath; however, river crossings are now missing at
9256-556: The traditional source of the river in Trewsbury Mead and Inglesham , but is unable to run alongside the river in several places. The Thames Path starts beside the monument for the traditional river source and follows the water down the hill towards the Fosse Way . In the fields either side of the A433 are some springs ; and south of this road, a small water channel can be found and then
9360-687: The west road out of London. A decisive skirmish took place on Turnham Green early in the English Civil War . In November 1642, royalist forces under Prince Rupert , marching from Oxford to retake London, were halted by a larger parliamentarian force under the Earl of Essex . The royalists retreated and never again threatened the capital. From 1758 until 1929 the Dukes of Devonshire owned Chiswick House , and their legacy can be found in street names all over Chiswick. In 1864, John Isaac Thornycroft , founder of
9464-760: Was added after the First World War by Canon Egan as a war memorial. The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God and the Holy Royal Martyrs with its characteristic blue onion dome with gold stars is in Harvard Road. The Russian Orthodox church built it in 1998. Chiswick Mall is a waterfront street on the north bank of the River Thames in the oldest part of Chiswick near St Nicholas Church. It consists mainly of some thirty "grand houses" from
9568-476: Was at 414 Chiswick High Road. It had 2,140 seats, and staged music hall entertainment, plays, reviews, opera, ballet and an annual Christmas pantomime . The Q Theatre (1924 to 1959) was a small theatre opposite Kew Bridge station. It staged the first works of Terence Rattigan and William Douglas-Home , and many of its plays went on to the West End. The 96-seat Tabard Theatre (1985) in Bath Road, upstairs from
9672-420: Was bombed repeatedly, with both incendiary and high explosive bombs. Falling anti-aircraft shells and shrapnel also caused damage. The first V-2 rocket to hit London fell on Staveley Road , Chiswick, at 6.43pm on 8 September 1944, killing three people, injuring 22 others and causing extensive damage to surrounding trees and buildings. Six houses were demolished by the rocket and many more suffered damage. There
9776-472: Was born in Chiswick in 1872; his father, John Isaac Thornycroft , had founded the Chiswick-based John I. Thornycroft & Company shipbuilding company in 1864, which Thornycroft later joined and developed. The artist Montague Dawson , regarded as one of the best 20th-century painters of the sea , was born in Chiswick in 1895. Thames Path The Thames Path is a National Trail following
9880-458: Was built through an island in the river and public access to the lock over the weir from Pangbourne or across the millstream at Whitchurch-on-Thames was closed in 1888 to avoid the loss of tolls on Whitchurch Bridge ; as a consequence, Whitchurch is the only Thames lock that is inaccessible by foot – it is only accessible by boat. Cookham Lock is still accessible although it is not on the Thames Path. The Thames divides into several streams here and
9984-507: Was buried at St Nicholas Churchyard, Chiswick, where his monument incorrectly states he was 50, not 49. In 1871 his remains were taken to Italy and given a national hero's burial in Santa Croce, Florence alongside Michelangelo and Galileo , while his monument in Chiswick was lavishly refurbished. The inventor of the electric telegraph , Francis Ronalds , lived on Chiswick Lane from 1833 to 1852. Another engineer, John Edward Thornycroft
10088-619: Was found on 17 June 1959 in the Meadows, is one of the six unsolved killings of the Hammersmith nude murders . At that time, the park had a reputation as a lovers' lane , and prostitutes were known to take their clients there. The Chiswick farmers market opened in 2001, and was visited by the 11th Duke of Devonshire that year. The market is held every Sunday in the courtyard that once belonged to Grove Park Farmhouse. The stalls sell meat, cheese, vegetables, fruit, juices, and prepared dishes. Next to
10192-534: Was in Acton . Chiswick High Road contains a mix of retail shops, restaurants, food outlets and office and hotel space. The wide streets encourage cafes, pubs and restaurants to provide pavement seating. Lying between the offices at the Golden Mile Great West Road and Hammersmith , office developments and warehouse conversions to offices began from the 1960s. The first in 1961 was 414 Chiswick High Road on
10296-418: Was initially a temporary iron building from 1876 on Chiswick High Road facing Chiswick Lane. The current building's foundation stone was laid in 1879 and consecrated in 1880. It was designed, along with much of Bedford Park, by Norman Shaw , and was called "a very lovely church" by John Betjeman . It is an Anglo-Catholic church, and was attacked on the day it was consecrated for "Popish and Pagan mummeries" by
10400-584: Was once home to the Chequered Flag garage and its associated motor racing team. In the 18th century, the poet Alexander Pope , author of The Rape of the Lock , lived in Chiswick between 1716 and 1719, in the building which is now the Mawson Arms at the corner of Mawson Lane. The actor Charles Holland was born in Chiswick in 1733. The artist William Hogarth bought the house now known as Hogarth's House in 1749, lived there until his death in 1764, and
10504-452: Was one of 35 major centres identified in the statutory planning document of Greater London, the London Plan of 2008. Chiswick occupies a meander of the River Thames , 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Charing Cross . The district is built up towards the north with more open space in the south, including the grounds of Chiswick House and Duke's Meadows . Chiswick has one main shopping area,
10608-651: Was originally a wallpaper printing works, now used as office space. It is a Grade II* listed building . It faces the main factory building and was once joined to it by a bridge across the road. It was Voysey's only industrial building, and is considered an "important Arts and Crafts factory building". In 1971 Erin Pizzey established the world's first domestic violence refuge at 2 Belmont Terrace, naming her organisation " Chiswick Women's Aid ". The local council attempted to evict Pizzey's residents, but were unsuccessful and she soon established more such premises elsewhere, inspiring
10712-591: Was purchased by the local council, who developed it as a recreational centre. A promenade and bandstand were built, and the meadows are still used for sport with a rugby club, football pitches, hockey club, several rowing clubs and a golf club. In recent years a local conservation charity, the Dukes Meadows Trust, has undertaken extensive restoration work, which saw a long-term project of a children's water play area opened in August 2006. The Gunnersbury Triangle local nature reserve , opposite Chiswick Park Underground station,
10816-518: Was reburied at their home at Newburgh Priory. Private Frederick Hitch VC , hero of Rorke's Drift , is also buried there. The church of St Michael, Sutton Court was designed by W. D. Caröe in 1908–1909. It is a red brick building on Elmwood road, in Tudor style. St Paul's Church, Grove Park is a Gothic style stone building designed by H. Currey. It was built largely at the Duke of Devonshire's expense in 1872. St Michael and All Angels, Bedford Park
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