Bishop’s Park stretches along the banks of the Thames from
Putney Bridge to Fulham FC's Craven Cottage ground. As well as
containing historic Fulham Palace in its grounds, the park has 15
tennis courts, six of which are floodlit, a bowling green,
miniature lake and a popular children's play area. Although small
in size, the park remains a favourite with west London residents
and on the day of the Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race, the riverside
path within Bishop's Park is guaranteed to be swarming with people.
The London County Council opened Bishop’s Park in 1893, on
land given by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. It is listed at
Grade II on English Heritage’s Register of Parks and Gardens
of Special Historic Interest.
At the Putney Bridge end, adjacent to All Saints church, are
Pryors Bank gardens, which contain a small cafe. The park then runs
along the north bank of the River Thames, essentially as a broad
green avenue with an embankment walkway along the river, before
splitting into two arms: one follows the river and has lakes and
formal planted beds, whereas the other, along Bishop’s Park
Road, contains the tennis courts and bowling greens, with another
small park area fronting Fulham Palace Road.
The Park also contains the Moat Trail, which follows the line of
the mediaeval moat of Fulham Palace. Alas, this was filled in,
between 1921 and 1924. It is said to have been the largest
mediaeval moat in the UK, and parts of it may even have dated back
to Neolithic times.
Bishop’s Gardens and the adjoining All Saint Church were
featured in the 1976 film The Omen starring Gregory Peck, who plays
Robert Thorn, the US Ambassador to Italy. When Robert’s wife
Katharine has a stillborn child, a priest at the hospital
approaches Robert and suggests that he takes a healthy newborn
whose mother has just died in childbirth. Without telling his wife
he agrees to do so but after relocating to London, strange events -
and the ominous warnings of a priest - lead him to believe that the
child he took from that Italian hospital is evil incarnate.
Patrick Troughton plays Father Brennan who is seen spouting
(fake) passages from Revelations alongside the Thames in Bishops
Park. He then meets his demise in the church grounds.
The park is open daily from 07.30am til dusk.
The nearest tube station is Putney Bridge on the District line,
about 400m away.
The nearest mainline is Putney Station at the other end of the
High Street, a pleasant walk along the shops.
The park is served by numerous buses: 14 - 22 - 39 - 74 - 85 -
93 - 220 - 265 - 270 - 414 - 424 - 430 - 485
