Putney

Putney is a district in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is located 5.1 miles (8.2 km) south west of Charing Cross.

Putney is situated on the southern bank of the Thames opposite Fulham. At St. Mary's Church, Putney in 1647, representatives of the New Model Army held the so-called Putney Debates on the constitutional future of England. The Member of Parliament for Putney is Justine Greening.

Rowing and the Boat race

Since the second half of the 19th Century, Putney has been one of the most significant centres for rowing in the United Kingdom. There were two historic reasons for this. Firstly, increasing numbers of steam-powered boats made leisure rowing on the Thames in central London unpleasant if not impossible; the buttresses of the original Putney Bridge prevented large river boats from proceeding upstream of the bridge, ensuring more suitable water for rowing. Second, the construction of the London and South Western Railway from Waterloo Station to Putney and the Metropolitan District Railway to Putney Bridge allowed easy commuting.

More than twenty rowing clubs are based on the Thames at Putney Embankment; among the largest are London Rowing Club, Thames Rowing Club, Imperial College Boat Club and Vesta Rowing Club. The Putney clubs have produced a plethora of Olympic medallists and Henley winners.

The University Boat Race, first contested in 1829 in Henley-on-Thames, has had Putney as its starting point since 1845. Since 1856 it has been an annual event, beginning at the University Stone, just upstream from Putney Bridge.

Several other important rowing races over the Championship Course also either start or finish at the stone, notably the Head of the River Race.

Historical significance

The parish church of St Mary The Virgin was the site of the 1647 Putney Debates. Towards the end of the English Civil War, with the Roundheads looking victorious, Oliver Cromwell soldiers' held a minor mutiny, amid fears that a monarchy would be replaced by a new dictatorship. A number, known as the Levellers complained "We were not a mere mercenary army hired to serve any arbitrary power of a state, but called forth ... to the defence of the people's just right and liberties". A manifesto was proposed entitled The Argument Of The People and at an open meeting in Putney, the officers of the Army Council heard the argument from private soldiers for a transparent, democratic state, without corruption. This included sovereignty for English citizens, Parliamentary seats distributed according to population rather than property ownership, religion made a free choice, equality before the law, conscription abolished and parliamentary elections held every year. While greatly influential, including inspiring much of the language of the Declaration Of Independence, Oliver Cromwell would later have the Leveller leaders executed.

Famous residents

Algernon Swinburne the poet
Theodore Watts, who looked after Swinburne
Constance Garnett, translator of War and Peace, Anna Karenina, Crime and Punishment, and other Russian literature.
Leonard Woolf, husband of Virginia Woolf grew up in Putney
Edvard Beneš, the second President of Czechoslovakia, lived in Gwendolen Avenue during his exile in London from October 1938 to the end of World War II
Clement Attlee, the former British Prime Minister was born, brought up and cremated in Putney.
Cornell Tukiri, once resident of putney, inventor of the spinning top.
John Stuart Mill, Born in Putney. Famous philosopher and political economist.
Edward Gibbon, historian, was born in Putney, and gave his name to the local Telephone Exchange.
J. R. Ackerley, author and literary editor of The Listener lived at Star and Garter Mansions from 1941 until his death until 1967
Marcus Reeka, the inventor of the tennis racquet grip.
Simon Le Bon, lead singer in the pop group Duran Duran, lives on Upper Richmond Road in West Putney.
Christopher Chope, Member of Parliament for Christchurch was born in Putney.
John Deacon, Bass guitar player for the rock group Queen lives in west Putney
Chris Norman, Bass guitar player for punk rock group hatecamel.
John Flynn, Drummer with Irish rock/indie band, Glass [1], lives in East Putney.
Nick Pearce, Guitar player for TNMC [2] rock group.
Lawrence Oates, who uttered the most famous of famous last words ("I'm going out now. I may be some time,") on the 1910-13 British Antarctic Expedition, was born and grew up in Putney.
Bobby Moore, England football world cup winning hero,lived in Putney in his later years.
David McKee, creator of Mr Benn the popular UK television programme for children. Mr Benn lives in London at 52 Festive Road, which was inspired by Festing Road in Putney where David McKee used to live.
Gerry Anderson and Jim Henson, television puppeteers, at different times leased the same workshop (now demolished) in Rotherwood Road, Putney.
Pitt the Younger, former Prime Minister, is alleged to have lived on the Lower Richmond Road, Putney. This is the same road that the magical fancy dress shop in Mr Benn would have been.
E.M. Forster, author, lived at 22 Werter Road, Putney.
Marc Bolan, singer and leader of the band T. Rex lived in Putney and died in a car crash in Queens Ride Barnes on the border of Putney.
Sir Richard Branson, the British entrepreneur
Laurie Lee, author, lived and worked as a building labourer in Putney during the 1930s.

Nearest places

Transport

Putney is serviced by mainline trains from Waterloo. Services to Waterloo are every 5 to 10 minutes making it a popular location for young professionals and students commuting into central London.

Train journey times are between 14 and 19 minutes depending on the number of stops and time of day. Trains are especially crowded at peak times (especially in the morning rush hour between 7.45am and 9am, where in some cases the train is full before all passengers can board). The last train from Waterloo to Putney is at 0018 hrs.

Putney is frequented by bus routes 74, 85, 14, 22, 39, 22, 93, and nightbuses N22, N10, N14 and N93. The N14 transports revellers from the West End every 5-10 minutes, with a journey time of approximately 45 minutes.

Nearest tube stations

Nearest railway station

Putney railway station