Petersham Road (part of theA307) includes an extremely sharp right-angled bend edged by a pair of handsomewrought iron gates. This is the entrance toMontrose 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.[20]
Adjacent to Montrose House and equally as impressive is Rutland Lodge, built in 1666 for aLord Mayor of London;[21] it is Grade II* listed.[22]
Petersham is served by only two bus routes: the65 and371, both linking the village withRichmond andKingston upon Thames. It has only a few bus stops such as Sandy Lane, Sudbrook Lane (The Russell School) and Ham Street and The Dysart.
The Russell School, now on Petersham Road, was founded in 1851 byLord John Russell, who served twice as Britain's Prime Minister. It was originally located in Richmond Park, near Petersham Gate, but the building was irreparably damaged by a bomb in 1943 and demolished.[24][25]
Sudbrook School is anursery school housed in Petersham's village hall on Bute Avenue.
All Saints', on Bute Avenue, was built as a church but was never consecrated.[26] It was built between 1899 and 1909 byLeeds architectJohn Kelly for Mrs Rachael Warde (née Walker) (1841–1906)[27] as a memorial to her father Samuel Walker and her aunt Ellen Walker.[28] During World War II it was used as anAnti-Aircraft Command post[29][30][31] and it has also been used as a recording studio[32] and as a filming location.[33] It is now a private residence.[33]
Richmond Golf Club, a private golf club, is situated in the historicSudbrook Park,[34] adjacent to Richmond Park. The Grade I listed building Sudbrook House, in the park, has been its clubhouse since 1898.[35]
Shirley Bloomer (born 1934), who won threeGrand Slam tennis titles during her tennis-playing career, is the widow of Chris Brasher (seeHistorical figures below); they brought up their family in Petersham.[38]
Fearne Cotton (b. 1981), TV presenter, lived at Chestnut Cottage, Petersham from 2004 to 2008.[39]
Michael Frayn (born 1933), playwright and novelist, and his wifeClaire Tomalin (born 1933), journalist and biographer, live in Petersham.[40]
Chris Brasher (1928–2003), an athlete and sports journalist who co-founded theLondon Marathon, lived in River Lane, Petersham.[38]
The author and illustratorCharles George Harper (1863–1943) lived in Petersham in later life, and died there in 1943.[48]
Lodowick Carlell (1602–1675), courtier andplaywright, and his wifeJoan Carlile (c.1606–1679), portrait painter, lived atPetersham Lodge in Richmond Park. They are buried together in St Peter's churchyard, but the location of their grave is not known.[49]
MajorHerbert Byng Hall (1805–1883) was an officer in theBritish Army and later aQueen's Messenger who wrote several books on travel, sport and food, as well as two novels. He lived at Rose Cottage, River Lane, from about 1859 to 1878. His wife is buried at St Peter's church.
The businessmanTony Rampton (1915–1993), who was chairman of the clothing retailerFreemans, lived at Gort Lodge, an early 18th-centuryGrade II listed house in Petersham, where he and his wife Joan, who were both philanthropists, brought up their family, including their sonRichard Rampton KC (1941–2023),[52] who became a libel lawyer. Tony and Joan Rampton are buried in St Peter's churchyard.[53][54][55]
George Vancouver (1757–1798), Captain in theRoyal Navy and one of Britain's greatest explorers and navigators, retired to Petersham and lived on River Lane;[5] he is buried in St Peter's churchyard.[6]
^abThe 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.
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