Petersham, London

Petersham is a village 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.

Petersham
Petersham Location within Greater London
Population	10,317 (2011 Census. Ham, Petersham and Richmond Riverside Ward)^[1]
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
UK Parliament	Richmond Park
London Assembly	South West
List of places UK England London 51°26′42″N 0°18′11″W / 51.445°N 0.303°W / 51.445; -0.303

Grave of the explorer George Vancouver

Watchman's hut and lock-up, erected in 1787 and now Grade II listed

St Peter's parish church

The former All Saints' Church, now a private house

Sudbrook House, now the home of Richmond Golf Club

Montrose House was for many years the home of Tommy Steele.

Petersham war memorial, in the churchyard of St Peter's

History

Petersham appears in Domesday Book (1086) as Patricesham. It was held by Chertsey Abbey.^[2] Its assets were: 4 hides; 1 church, 5 ploughs, 1 fishery worth 1,000 eels and 1000 lampreys, 3 acres (1.2 ha) of meadow. It rendered £6 10s 0d.^[3]

Archibald Campbell, later 3rd Duke of Argyll and Earl of Islay, was born at Ham House in 1682.^[4] He went on to found the Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh in 1727.

The explorer George Vancouver retired to Petersham, where he wrote A Voyage Of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World. It is thought that he lived in what is now called Glen Cottage in River Lane. He died in 1798 and is buried in the churchyard of Petersham Parish Church. The Portland stone monument over his grave, renovated in the 1960s, is now Grade II listed in view of its historical associations.^[5]

In 1839 Charles Dickens rented Elm Cottage, renamed Elm Lodge,^[6] where he wrote Nicholas Nickleby.^[7]

In 1847 Queen Victoria granted Pembroke Lodge in the Petersham part of Richmond Park to John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, and it became the Russell family home.^[8] Lord Russell's grandson, Bertrand Russell, spent some of his childhood there.^[9][10] During World War II the GHQ Liaison Regiment (also known as Phantom) established its regimental headquarters nearby at the Richmond Hill Hotel,^[11] with its base (including the officers' mess and billet) at Pembroke Lodge.^[12]

In the early 19th century, Charles Stanhope, styled Lord Petersham, later Earl of Harrington, gave the Petersham name to a type of greatcoat.^[13] In 1955 Petersham also gave its name to HMS Petersham,^[14] which was a Ham-class minesweeper.

Landmarks

Notable buildings

Listed buildings include a watchman's box, that also served as a village lock-up^[15] and dates from 1787.^[16]

Petersham Road (part of the A307) includes an extremely sharp right-angled bend edged by a pair of handsome wrought iron gates. 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.^[17]

Adjacent to Montrose House and equally as impressive is Rutland Lodge, built in 1666 for a Lord Mayor of London;^[18] it is Grade II* listed.^[19]

Another historic house in Petersham is Douglas House, just off the west drive to Ham House. One of its 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.^[20]

Transport

Petersham is served by only two bus routes: the 65 and 371, both linking the village with Richmond and Kingston upon Thames. It has only a few bus stops such as Sandy Lane, Sudbrook Lane (The Russell School) and Ham Street and The Dysart.

Education

Main article: List of schools in Richmond upon Thames

• Deutsche Schule (DSL), London (the German School London), is based at Douglas House.
• The Russell School on Petersham Road was founded in 1851 by Lord John Russell, who served twice as Britain's Prime Minister. It was originally located in Richmond Park, near Petersham Gate, but was irreparably damaged by a bomb in 1943 and demolished.^[21]
• Sudbrook School is a nursery school housed in Petersham's village hall on Bute Avenue.
• Grey Court School is an Academy, Comprehensive School on the corner between Ham Street and Sandy Lane.

Religious sites

St Peter's Church

Main article: St Peter's Church, Petersham

Petersham Parish Church is believed to pre-date the Norman conquest of England, as a church at Petersham is mentioned in Domesday Book (1086).^[3]

All Saints' Church

Main article: All Saints' Church, Petersham (London)

All Saints', on Bute Avenue, was built as a church but was never consecrated.^[22] It was built between 1899 and 1909 by Leeds architect John Kelly for Mrs Rachael Warde (née Walker) (1841–1906)^[23] as a memorial to her father Samuel Walker and her aunt Ellen Walker.^[24] During World War II it was used as an Anti-Aircraft Command post^[25][26][27] and it has also been used as a recording studio^[28] and as a filming location.^[29] It is now a private residence.^[29]

Sport

Richmond Golf Club, a private golf club, is situated in the historic Sudbrook Park,^[30] adjacent to Richmond Park. The Grade I listed building Sudbrook House, in the park, has been its clubhouse since 1898.^[31]

Ham and Petersham Cricket Club, whose home matches are played in Ham, was established in 1815.^[32]

Ranelagh Harriers running club is based behind The Dysart restaurant.^[33]

Notable people

Main article: List of people from the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

Living people

• Shirley Bloomer (born 1934), who won three Grand Slam tennis titles during her tennis-playing career, is the widow of Chris Brasher (see Historical figures below); they brought up their family in Petersham.^[34]
• Michael Frayn (born 1933), playwright and novelist, and his wife Claire Tomalin (born 1933), journalist and biographer, live in Petersham.^[35]
• The entertainer Tommy Steele (born 1936) bought Montrose House in 1969.^[36][37] He sold it in about 2004.^[38]
• Lynne Truss (born 1955), author, journalist, novelist, and radio broadcaster and dramatist, grew up in Petersham.^[39]
• Peter Voser (b. 1958), the former CEO of Royal Dutch Shell, lived in Petersham. He has since moved back to his native Switzerland.^[40]
• Fearne Cotton (b. 1981), TV presenter, lived at Chestnut Cottage, Petersham 2004–2008.^[41]

Historical figures

• Daisy Ashford (1881–1972), who is most famous for writing The Young Visiters, was born at Elm Lodge, Petersham.^[42][43]
• Chris Brasher (1928–2003), an athlete and sports journalist who co-founded the London Marathon, lived in River Lane, Petersham.^[34]
• The author and illustrator Charles George Harper (1863–1943) lived in Petersham in later life, and died there in 1943.^[44]
• Lodowick Carlell (1602–1675), courtier and playwright, and his wife Joan Carlile (c.1606–1679), portrait painter, lived at Petersham Lodge in Richmond Park. They are buried together in St Peter's churchyard, but the location of their grave is not known.^[45]
• Prince Rupert Loewenstein (1933–2014), aristocrat, merchant banker and longtime financial manager of The Rolling Stones, lived at Petersham Lodge in River Lane, a former grace-and-favour mansion, purchased for about £2 million in 1987.^[46] It is an early 18th-century house, built for Catherine Douglas, Duchess of Queensberry, and Grade II listed by Historic England.^[47]
• The businessman Tony Rampton (1915–1993), who was chairman of the clothing retailer Freemans, lived at Gort Lodge, an early 18th-century Grade II listed house in Petersham, where he and his wife Joan, who were both philanthropists, brought up their family, including their son Richard Rampton KC (1941–2022), who became a libel lawyer. Tony and Joan Rampton are buried in St Peter's churchyard.^[48][49]
• George Vancouver (1757–1798), Captain in the Royal Navy and one of Britain's greatest explorers and navigators, is thought to have lived in Glen Cottage on River Lane in Petersham; he is buried in St Peter's churchyard.^[5]
• Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton (1784–1841), politician, sociopolitical theorist and colonial administrator, who was Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies between 1821 and 1828, and Governor of Ceylon from 1831 to 1837, lived and died at Sudbrook Park, Petersham.^[50]

See also

• German School London

References

1. "Richmond Ward population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
2. Lysons, Daniel (1792). The Environs of London: Volume 1, County of Surrey. pp. 399–403. Retrieved 6 March 2024 – via British History Online.
3. Petersham in the Domesday Book
4. Anderson, Mic (13 February 2024). "Archibald Campbell, 3rd duke of Argyll". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
5. Historic England (23 March 2000). "Tomb of Captain George Vancouver in the Churchyard of St Peter's Church (1380182)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
6. "Elm Lodge". Historic England.
7. "Dickens in Richmond upon Thames". London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. 4 October 2019.
8. Fletcher Jones, Pamela (1972). Richmond Park: Portrait of a Royal Playground. Phillimore & Co Ltd. p. 41. ISBN 0850334977.
9. Russell, Bertrand (1967). The Autobiography of Bertrand Russell 1872–1914. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd. p. 19.
10. "Bertrand Russell – the young philosopher in the park". The Collection. The Hearsum Collection. 12 June 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
11. Osborne, Mike (2011). Defending London: A Military History from Conquest to Cold War. The History Press. ISBN 9780752479316.
12. Lankester, Max (2011). "History" in Guide to Richmond Park. London: Friends of Richmond Park. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-9567469-0-0.
13. "Petersham". The Free Dictionary. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
14. Blackman, Raymond V B, ed. (1953). Jane's Fighting Ships 1952–53.
15. Historic England (25 June 1983). "Watchman's Box and Village Lock Up (1065343)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
16. . Petersham Village. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
17. Weinreb and Hibbert, p. 610
18. "Rutland Lodge, Petersham, London: the main front". RIBApix. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
19. Historic England (10 January 1950). "Rutland Lodge and Entrance Gate and Piers to Rutland Lodge (1065338)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
20. Weinreb and Hibbert, p. 241
21. "Lost buildings in Richmond Park: The Prime Minister's school and a magnificent mansion". Stories. The Hearsum Collection. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
22. Blomfield, David. "Ham and Petersham – All Saints' Church". HistoryWorld. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
23. "Laetitia Rachael Warde (born Walker)". MyHeritage. 24 February 2011. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
24. Lee, J M (2007). "Petersham at War". Richmond History: Journal of the Richmond Local History Society. 28: 8–14. ISSN 0263-0958.
25. Lee, J M (2024). Petersham: Radar and Operational Research 1940–1946 (2nd ed.). Richmond Local History Society. ISBN 978-1-912314-04-1.
26. Lee, Michael. "Second World War". Petersham Village. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
27. "What role did Petersham's All Saints church play in World War Two?". Richmond History: Journal of the Richmond Local History Society. 28. 2007. ISSN 0263-0958. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
28. "Obituary: Keith Grant". The Daily Telegraph. 12 September 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
29. The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Local Studies Volunteer Support Group (2013). The Building of a Borough. London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. pp. 18–20.
30. "Welcome to the Richmond Golf Club". Richmond Golf Club. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
31. Brennand, Tom (1990). Richmond Golf Club: A Centenary History 1891–1991. St Edmundsbury Press Ltd. pp. 20, 38–39, 104–106.
32. "Ham and Petersham Cricket Club". Ham and Petersham Cricket Club. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
33. "Welcome to Ranelagh Harriers". Ranelagh Harriers. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
34. "Chris Brasher Memorial Run". Petersham Trust Newsletter. The Petersham Trust. February 2004. Archived from the original on 4 May 2013. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
35. Adams, Tim (16 August 2009). "The interview: Michael Frayn". The Observer. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
36. Cloake, John (1998). "New Light on Old Petersham Houses – 2". Richmond History: Journal of the Richmond Local History Society. 19: 17. ISSN 0263-0958.
37. Hibbert, Christopher; Keay, John; Keay, Julia (2010). The London Encyclopaedia. Pan Macmillan. p. 559. ISBN 9781405049252.
38. Douglas, Rachel (21 April 2004). "Celebs on the move". Evening Standard. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
39. Byrnes, Sholto (22 October 2005). "Lynne Truss: The eff-off society". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
40. "Peter Robert Voser". Check Company. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
41. Pitcher, Greg. "Happy Place: Richmond Cottage Fearne Cotton Lived In While Hosting Top Of The Pops Listed For £1m". Evening Standard. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
42. Brunner, Hugo (23 September 2004). "Ashford [married name Devlin], Margaret Mary Julia [Daisy]". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/30769. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 6 January 2022. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
43. "Daisy Ashford". National Portrait Gallery, London. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
44. Webster, N W (1974). "The English traveller: Charles G. Harper, 1863–1943". Antiquarian Book Monthly Review (16).
45. Burnette, Arianne (2004). "Joan Carlile". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/4681. Retrieved 3 December 2012. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
46. Prince Rupert zu Loewenstein – obituary, The Daily Telegraph, 21 May 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
47. Historic England (10 January 1950). "Petersham Lodge (1250211)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
48. "Talk by Judy Weleminsky on Tony Rampton OBE, Petersham's pioneering philanthropist". Richmond Local History Society. 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
49. Weleminsky, Judy (October 2021). "Tony Rampton, Petersham's pioneering philanthropist". Richmond History: Journal of the Richmond Local History Society. 42: 50–59. ISSN 0263-0958.
50. Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online Edition Horton, Sir Robert Wilmot (1784–1841)

Sources

• Hibbert, Christopher; Keay, John; Keay, Julia (2010). The London Encyclopaedia. Pan Macmillan. ISBN 9781405049252.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Petersham, London.

• Description and map of Petersham Conservation Area
• Ham Photos blog – hundreds of photos of Petersham with brief descriptions
• Photo of Petersham Lock-up
• Richmond Local History Society, which covers Richmond, Kew, Ham and Petersham