Description
Upper Mall Open Space is a riverside public garden that occupies part of the former site of the West Middlesex Water Company's waterworks, which were demolished in 1965. At the western end of the gardens the site is bounded by a wall pierced with arches that previously formed part of the Water Company building. To the east of the gardens is the Old Ship Inn, which has been the site of a pub for centuries.
Practical Information
| Site location | Upper Mall/South Black Lion Lane |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W6 |
| What3Words | ///alone.poems.itself |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Hammersmith & Fulham |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Playground |
| Public Transport | Tube: Ravenscourt Park (District). Bus: 27, 190, 267, 391, H91 |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Upper Mall Open Space is a riverside public garden that occupies part of the former site of the West Middlesex Water Company's waterworks, which were demolished in 1965. There are some mature trees, including 3 large willows, and it is laid out as a small lawn with beds planted with shrubs. Part of the area is set out as an under 5s play area. The consultants, Groundwork, have recommended some alterations to the layout to create a more clearly defined demarcation between the open space and the Old Ship Inn, and to separate cyclists and pedestrians around the play area. At the western end of the gardens it is bounded from the adjacent car park by a wall with arches that previously formed part of the Water Company buildings, the arched openings formerly windows, although opinions vary as to whether it was dwellings or part of the waterworks. A plaque on the north side of the wall commemorates William Tierney Clark (1783-1852) who lived here c.1839 and was the designer of the first Hammersmith Bridge; he was buried in Hammersmith Parish Church of St Paul (q.v.). There has long been an Old Ship public house on the site, and the porch of an older building to the east of the current pub remains. The Old Ship was described by Thomas Faulkner in 1839 as 'an ancient building in the style of Charles I', which once had a landing stage. The riverside forms part of the Thames Path (q.v.).
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ222782 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.34 |
| Site Ownership | LB Hammersmith & Fulham |
| Site Management | Environment Department, Parks Service (ground maintenance by Quadron Services) |
| Dates | Post 1965 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Porch of former Ship Inn, east of Old Ship |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Hammersmith & Fulham |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | The Mall |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Thames Priority Area |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
No. 7 Hammersmith Terrace was the former home of Sir Emery Walker, an important figure in the Arts and Crafts Movement and friend of William Morris. He lived here from 1903 until his death in 1933, following which his daughter continued to live here. In 1999 the house and its contents was bequeathed to the Emery Walker Trust. The house has a complete Arts and Crafts interior, and the small cottage-style rear garden retains much of the style of Dorothy Walker's planting.
St Peter's Church was built in 1827-29 as part of the St Peter's Estate and is the oldest church in Hammersmith. The original burial ground measured 139 ft x 174 ft. Burials had ceased by 1855 and a small public open space and garden of rest was laid out in 1958 in the former churchyard, with gravestones along the north and east boundary walls. The church lost its close connection with the Thames when the Great West Road was constructed c.1960. On a remnant of land surplus to road building south of the church a small landscaped area was created and a sculpture, 'The Leaning Woman' by Karel Vogel was installed. Another area of public open space to the west of the church was laid out with trees, grass, paths and shrubbery.
The origins of the Thames Path date from the 1750s onwards as the riverside towpath established by the Thames Commissioners when the Thames was an important trade route to London. In the C20th leisure use replaced trade and much of the old towpath is now the Thames Path, a national trail that opened in 1996 following the river from its source in the Cotswolds to the Thames Barrier. It represents important open space in the boroughs through which it passes, and in Hammersmith & Fulham it runs from the end of Chiswick Mall (Hounslow) in the west to Chelsea Creek (Kensington and Chelsea) in the east.
