I had a client meeting in Putney the other day and my daughter was at a loose end as the summer holidays draw to a close. So I took her with me and sent her off to do some shopping in Putney High Street while I attended my meeting. Afterwards, we met up and I mentioned that having grown up in Fulham I spent many happy hours at Bishop’s Park as a child. We decided to walk across Putney Bridge and take a look.
It was a warm sunny evening and the park was a mass of greenery. First stop was the marvellous All Saints Church which was the setting for one of the Omen films – there’s a great scene where he runs through a green field with trees either side.
Then we came across Pryor’s Bank Café which was subject to recent news reports as it is owned and run by ex-soldiers. There’s a lovely outside terrace where you can sip your tea and admire the bridge/river views or take in the fragrant air from the nearby rose garden. Lovely.
We walked along the river and I talked about how I used to spend a lot of time watching the folk row up and down this stretch – and how once a year we came here as a family to watch the famous Oxford and Cambridge boat race.
We reached the main gate from where you can see the public authority tennis courts and the entrance to Bishop’s Palace – which now houses occasional art exhibitions. The Palace is the reason why this part of Fulham has so few pubs – although locals know The Cottage and The Crabtree rather well.
There’s another café here – with lots of outside picnic tables and chairs, sadly the aviaries have gone but a dove cote remains. There’s also a large tarmac area with a basketball net – apparently this area is now used for skating. Although when I was young there was an open air stage here where the local dance school (The Joanne School of Dancing) put on an annual show.
You can see the old tiled balustrades – bearing the letters FBC – I guess from when it was Fulham Borough Council (it’s now joined with Hammersmith) and there is a nursery here with a large play area with a few climbing frames.
Evoking really fond memories from when I was a kid there is also a large sandpit area and a big paddling area with what looks like fountains in the ground. That big old willow tree is still there too. Next to this is a large boating area – it was drained of water when we were there – but we used to have such fun as kids wading out onto the island. We spent hours and hours making camps here – and collecting snails and bugs.
Walking a little further past much more thick greenery there is a lower area with another small swing park for kids and if you continue your path you come to an ornamental lake which is home to ducks and geese. There’s another island here – again, when we were kids we’d wade out here and think we were on an adventure – knowing that adults wouldn’t bother to get their feet wet to come and find us. We used to have such fun running around here and making up stories about the decorative bridge under which the lake appears to flow.
A little further on there is a large field with football goal posts and rugby pitches. And, of course, the riverside walk continues along the side. Fulham Football Ground (Craven Cottage) is at the end of the park.
It’s one of those special parks. Lots of space for running about, beautifully tended flower beds and swathes of grass for picnics, benches where you can sit and read or watch the numerous joggers or paths to follow along the riverside. Throughout the park there are cycle lanes and dog exercise areas, and the areas for the very small people are carefully fenced off to prevent any accidents – so there is something for everyone.
