Property Search - Barnes

Barnes Bridge

Barnes is a prosperous riverside London suburb in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is located around 5.8 miles (9.3 km) west south-west of Charing Cross in a loop of the River Thames with Hammersmith Bridge at the north end. With its relatively secluded location (the river acts as a barrier to much through traffic) and elegant houses Barnes is often seen as a quieter place to live than the alternatives of Fulham Kensington or Chelsea.

History

Historically a part of Surrey Barnes appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Berne". It was held by the Canons of St Paul of London. Its Domesday Assets were: 8 hides paying tax with Mortlake; 5 ploughs 20 acres of meadow. It rendered (in total): £7.[1]

Some of the oldest housing in London can be found on The Terrace a road lined with Georgian mansions which runs along the west bend of the river. The Terrace also has an original red brick police station built in 1891. This police station was recently re-modelled as apartments.

Barnes also has a very attractive village Church of St Mary which was built in the late 16th century.

Castelnau in North Barnes on the banks the river and Hammersmith Bridge has an attractively designed small church Holy Trinity. The area beween Castelnau and Lonsdale Road contains a 1930s council estate (including roads such as Nowell Road Stillingfleet Road and Washington Road) mostly consisting of "Boot Houses" these were houses constructed by Henry Boot company. These houses no longer meet building regulations and need to have their external walls reconstructed. This means that new buyers cannot get a mortgage on un-reconstructed houses and so residents of this area have usually lived in their houses for a long time (in some cases it being passed down).[

Notable residents

Well-known people who have lived in Barnes include:

* Chris Patten the last UK Governor of Hong Kong who was present along with the Prince of Wales at the handover to the People's Republic of China in 1997 is officially Baron Patten of Barnes having chosen his place of residence as the basis for his title. He is currently the patron of the Tory Reform Group and Chancellor of Newcastle University and Oxford University.

* Henry Fielding writer

* Gustav Holst composer

* Tim Henman tennis player

* Brian May member of rock group Queen

* Alistair McGowan comedian

* Lynn Redgrave and John Clark actors

* Tim Rice lyricist

* Anneka Rice broadcaster

* Kurt Schwitters artist

* Ray Stubbs broadcaster

* Dame Ninette de Valois founder of the Royal Ballet

* David Harsent poet

* Roger McGough poet

* Marcel Desailly sportsman

* Simon Le Bon member of pop group Duran Duran

* Basil Moss actor

* Aled Jones singer

* Jon Pertwee actor

* Jan Pienkowski artist illustrator and children's author

* Sheherazade Goldsmith author and environmentalist

* Zac Goldsmith environmentalist

* Robert Pattinson actor musician

* Ralph McTell songwriter and singer

* Pete Tong radio 1 disc jockey

Nearest places

Places adjoining Barnes:

* Chiswick

* Hammersmith

* Fulham

* Putney

* Roehampton

* East Sheen

* Mortlake

Railway stations

* Barnes Bridge railway station

* Barnes railway station