Turnham Green
| Turnham Green | |
 Christ Church, Turnham Green |
|
  Turnham Green |
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| OS grid reference | TQ212786 |
|---|---|
| London borough | Hounslow |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | W4 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | Brentford & Isleworth |
| London Assembly | South West |
Coordinates: 51°29′30″N 0°15′59″W / 51.4918°N 0.266512°W
Turnham Green is a public park situated on Chiswick High Road, Chiswick, London. It is separated in two by a small road. Christ Church (architect George Gilbert Scott, built 1843[1]) stands on the eastern half of the green. A war memorial stands on the eastern corner. On the south side is the old Chiswick Town Hall.
The green is the site of local community events, including a travelling funfair, church events and charity table-top sales.
The nearest London Underground station is Chiswick Park on the District line. Confusingly, the eponymous Turnham Green tube station is actually situated on Chiswick Common, some 1 km (0.6 mi) to the east. Turnham Green was the terminus of London Buses route 27 (running from Chalk Farm), but in 2012 the route was extended to Chiswick Business Park; and also the terminus of route 440 (running from Stonebridge Park), but in 2010 the route was extended to Power Road.
History
Turnham Green was a village on the main road between London and the west. It was recorded as 'Turneham' in 1235 and 'Turnhamgrene' in 1369.[2] On 13 November 1642, the Battle of Turnham Green was fought nearby during the First English Civil War resulting in the Parliamentarians blocking the King's advance on London. In 1680 the homicidal Philip Herbert, 7th Earl of Pembroke murdered a watchman, William Smeeth, after a drunken evening in the local tavern. A similar but far less serious episode in the tavern in 1795 saw the young Daniel O'Connell arrested for drunken and riotous behaviour. The artist William Hogarth had a 'Country cottage' nearby on what is now known as Hogarth Roundabout.
As the area developed, it became part of Chiswick.
Charles Dickens refers to "that magnificent potentate, the Lord Mayor of London, [who] was made to stand and deliver on Turnham Green, by one highwayman, who despoiled the illustrious creature in sight of all his retinue."[3]
Residents
- Edward Adey, abolitionist, was born here in 1799
- Peter Brook, director, born here in 1925 and grew up at 27 Fairfax Road[4]
- Ugo Foscolo, Venetian writer and poet, key figure of Italian Neoclassicism and Romanticism, died here in 1827
- Mitchell Symons, author and journalist, lived here between 1988 and 1996
References
- ↑ Robbins, Michael: "Middlesex", Phillimore & Co. Ltd, 2003, ISBN 1-86077-269-2, page 234
- ↑ Clegg, Gillian: "The Chiswick Book", Historical Publications Ltd, 2004, ISBN 0-948667-96-6.
- ↑ Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities Book I, ch. I.
- ↑ Michael Kustow (17 October 2013). Peter Brook: A Biography. A&C Black. pp. 5–7. ISBN 978-1-4088-5228-6. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
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