Barn Elms is anopen space inBarnes in theLondon Borough of Richmond upon Thames, located on the northerly loop of theRiver Thames between Barnes andFulham.
TheWWT London Wetland Centre (105 acres of what were once reservoirs) lies to the north of the open space, now largely given over to sporting venues. The site is split in two: the Barn Elms Sports Trust (BEST) fields,[1] formerly managed as the Barn Elms Sports Centre by the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames,[2] and the Barn Elms Sports Centre.[3]
There are facilities for much amateur sport, such asfootball,rugby,tennis,softball andcricket, and anathletics track (home toLondon Athletic Club). It is also the home ground forBarnes RFC,Barnes FC, Barnes Eagles FC,[4]Stonewall FC,[5]London French RFC.[6] andLondon Exiles RFC.[7] The facilities were under threat of commercial development until the local community petitioned Richmond Council. To ensure the future of Barn Elms as playing fields the community has created the Barn Elms Sports Trust.[8]
Barn Elms Sports Centre is a 52 acre, multi-sports facility, with a multi-station gym, 4 beach volleyball courts, 16 tennis courts, artificial hockey playing surfaces and a range of grass sports pitches. It is also the home ground for the semi-professionalBarnes RFC.[9]
Its name is derived from theGeorgian house and parkland, the originalmanor house of Barnes, which stood on the site, until it was burnt out and demolished in 1954.[10] In earlier times the manor house ofBarnes was in the ownership of theArchbishop of Canterbury and then of the Dean and Chapter ofSt Paul's Cathedral. The Georgian house replaced the earlier one occupied bySir Francis Walsingham, "Elizabeth's Spymaster".[11]Queen Elizabeth I would visit Barn Elms to see her Spymaster. Barn Elms features in English literary history from the time the royalist poetAbraham Cowley moved to the house belonging to John Cartwright in 1663.[12]
In the 1660s Barn Elms became a fashionable destination for boatingpicnics.Samuel Pepys, who arranged many a Sunday afternoon or moonlit evening boating party to Barn Elms himself, recorded that on 26 May 1667:
I walked the length of the Elmes, and with great pleasure saw some gallant ladies and people come with their bottles, and basket, and chairs, and form,[13] to sup under the trees, by the water-side, which was mighty pleasant.[14]
The oldest, and one of the largestLondon plane trees is in Barn Elms.[16]
When Barn Elms was in the possession of the booksellerJacob Tonson, theKit-Cat Club met at Barn Elms for many years. Here the "Kit-Kat portraits" hung;[17] Tonson's extensions to the house,c1703, seem to have been made under the general advice ofJohn Vanbrugh, a Kit-Kat member.[18]
John James Heidegger, the opera impresario, resided at Barn Elms, where he entertainedGeorge II, and as Heidegger's guestGeorg Friederich Handel stayed here at his first arrival in England, in 1711.[19]
The house was later remodelled or rebuilt forSir Richard Hoare, who died at Barn Elms,[20] and enlarged in the early 19th century by his son,Richard Colt Hoare. WhenHammersmith Bridge was erected in 1824–27, the company that undertook the work bought Barn Elms and drove the access road,Upper Bridge Road, now Castelnau, across the park.[21] The house was also the home ofSir Lancelot Shadwell, who wasVice Chancellor of England in the 19th century: on one occasion he delivered aninjunction while up to his neck in the cool lake.[22] From 1883 to 1939 Barn Elms was used as the club-house of theRanelagh Club.[23]
In 1891 Barn Elms for a short time played host toQueens Park Rangers. The club was forced to move there after it became impossible to play soccer at their home ground inBrondesbury which was shared withLondon Scottish rugby club.[24] The house became derelict and was demolished following a fire in 1954.[25]
51°28′25″N0°13′51″W / 51.47361°N 0.23083°W /51.47361; -0.23083
