More information : Fulham Palace Garden and Bishop's Park. Gardens and grounds of 16th century origins which at their most extensive covered an area of 15ha. The original site of the grounds is bounded to the northeast by Fulham Palace Road and Fulham High Street, to the east by All Saints Churchyard, to the southwest by the Thames embankment, northwest and north by Stevenage Road and Bishop's Park Road.
The earliest known garden feature was a walled kitchen garden which was constructed by Bishop Fitzjames during the early 16th century. The gardens during the later 16th century and later comprised collections of rare trees and shrubs. Much of the earlier layouts were destroyed when new layouts and a walled garden were created during the 1760s for Richard Jarrick. The area to the southwest of the palace was given as a public park during the 1870s and in 1924 and is now known as Bishop's Park. (1)
Gardens first documented in the 16th century when Bishop Grindal established a botanic garden between 1559-70. Bishop Compton (Bishop between 1675-1713) was a horticulturalist and collector of rare plants; his collection included species from North America. It is thought that a formal garden layout recorded by Rocque in 1746 was the work of George London, who advised Bishop Compton, during the 1670s. These gardens were replaced by a less formal layout for Richard Javis in the 1760s. Further alterations took place between 1813-28 and 1828-56 and were undertaken by Bishops Howley and Blomfield. In 1973, Fulham Palace ceased to be the official residence for the Bishops of London, the gardens were opened to the public as a public park. (Bishop's Park is now a separate Park and garden entry- TQ 27 NW 154). (2) |