Description
The Vineyard is an early C17th 3-storey house with C18th alterations that is said to be on the site of a Tudor monastery. The Gatehouse, now No.76A, is the former stable to the house and is probably early C19th. Remains of an early C17th barn were discovered under part of the house. The garden with its high boundary wall is probably the largest private garden in the borough. In 1918 the house was purchased by Lord Beaverbrook, whose political career began as an MP in 1910 when he moved to Britain from Canada and who went on to become the first of the powerful press barons, influencing public opinion through his newspapers, the Daily and Sunday Express. Winston Churchill was a frequent visitor to The Vineyard, which remained in the ownership of the Beaverbrook family until the 1990s. The garden as laid out for Lord Beaverbrook has changed over time, while its overall shape is unchanged and some trees remain, although part of the front garden was lost when the road was widened in 1930.
Practical Information
| Site location | 76 Hurlingham Road, Fulham |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SW6 3NR |
| What3Words | ///rescue.media.clouds |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Hammersmith & Fulham |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Tube: Fulham Broadway (District) then bus. Bus: C4 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Fulham remained undeveloped until well into the C19th, consisting of small settlements and a few grand houses, and it was renowned for the fruit and vegetables grown in the market gardens and nurseries. The name of the house indicates that there were also vineyards in the area. The land here was once owned by the Bishops of London who resided at Fulham Palace (q.v.) and comprised nursery gardens and meadows along the river, with a smallholding recorded here in 1660. The later history of the area is dominated by the development of Hurlingham House, Hurlingham Club (q.v.) and its grounds, and the surrounding suburban development.
William Maxwell Aitken (1879-1964) was born in Canada and showed his talents as an entrepreneur from an early age, publishing his first newspaper when he was 13. Already a successful businessman, he moved to Britain in 1910 and became MP for Ashton-under-Lyne the same year, and was knighted in 1911 by George V. In 1917 he was granted a peerage, becoming the 1st Baron Beaverbrook, the name derived from a place in Canada he knew as a boy. He briefly became the first Minister of Information in 1918 with responsibility for Allied propaganda, and later held political offices in Winston Churchill's government as Minister of Aircraft Production (1940-41), Minister of Supply (1941-42), Minister of War Production (1942) and Lord Privy Seal (1943-5). Lord Beaverbrook had a country residence at Cherkley Court near Leatherhead, which he purchased in 1911 and a town house near Green Park. He purchased The Vineyard in Fulham in 1918, and like Cherkley Court the house became the venue for meetings and parties attended by the powerful and influential people of the day, and sometimes had significant political consequences. The fall from power of the Liberal Prime Minister Lloyd George in 1922 was influenced by what became the 1922 Committee of Tory MPS, who reputedly gathered at a meeting hosted by Lord Beaverbrook at The Vineyard. His ability to influence public opinion came through his ownership of a chain of newspapers, particularly the Daily Express, in which he had bought a controlling interest in 1916 and transformed into a highly successful journal. He founded the Sunday Express in 1918, and in 1923 he bought the Evening Standard. After WWII the Daily Express had the largest circulation of any newspaper the world over.
The gardens of The Vineyard were laid out for Lord Beaverbrook in park-like fashion with formal flower beds and bedding plants, and contained two tennis courts. His sister later lived here and, a keen gardener, created additional formal flower beds, planting hybrid tea roses and irises. Lord Beaverbrook's grand daughter subsequently lived in The Vineyard and undertook further works in the garden, creating areas of different characters, including a woodland garden, wild garden and orchard, as well as more formal lawns and herbaceous borders. In addition to a vegetable plot the garden also supported beehives. The Dowager Lady Beaverbrook died in 1994. The Vineyard remains in private ownership.
William Maxwell Aitken (1879-1964) was born in Canada and showed his talents as an entrepreneur from an early age, publishing his first newspaper when he was 13. Already a successful businessman, he moved to Britain in 1910 and became MP for Ashton-under-Lyne the same year, and was knighted in 1911 by George V. In 1917 he was granted a peerage, becoming the 1st Baron Beaverbrook, the name derived from a place in Canada he knew as a boy. He briefly became the first Minister of Information in 1918 with responsibility for Allied propaganda, and later held political offices in Winston Churchill's government as Minister of Aircraft Production (1940-41), Minister of Supply (1941-42), Minister of War Production (1942) and Lord Privy Seal (1943-5). Lord Beaverbrook had a country residence at Cherkley Court near Leatherhead, which he purchased in 1911 and a town house near Green Park. He purchased The Vineyard in Fulham in 1918, and like Cherkley Court the house became the venue for meetings and parties attended by the powerful and influential people of the day, and sometimes had significant political consequences. The fall from power of the Liberal Prime Minister Lloyd George in 1922 was influenced by what became the 1922 Committee of Tory MPS, who reputedly gathered at a meeting hosted by Lord Beaverbrook at The Vineyard. His ability to influence public opinion came through his ownership of a chain of newspapers, particularly the Daily Express, in which he had bought a controlling interest in 1916 and transformed into a highly successful journal. He founded the Sunday Express in 1918, and in 1923 he bought the Evening Standard. After WWII the Daily Express had the largest circulation of any newspaper the world over.
The gardens of The Vineyard were laid out for Lord Beaverbrook in park-like fashion with formal flower beds and bedding plants, and contained two tennis courts. His sister later lived here and, a keen gardener, created additional formal flower beds, planting hybrid tea roses and irises. Lord Beaverbrook's grand daughter subsequently lived in The Vineyard and undertook further works in the garden, creating areas of different characters, including a woodland garden, wild garden and orchard, as well as more formal lawns and herbaceous borders. In addition to a vegetable plot the garden also supported beehives. The Dowager Lady Beaverbrook died in 1994. The Vineyard remains in private ownership.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ248761 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.40496 |
| Site Ownership | private |
| Dates | C17th; C20th |
| Listed Structures | LBII: The Vineyard, The Gatehouse |
| 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 | Hurlingham |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Hurlingham Park was formerly land that was owned by the Bishop of London, later part of the Hurlingham estate with a fine riverside mansion and grounds. From 1869 it was leased then purchased by the Hurlingham Club, becoming famous for polo. The site of the park was the former No.1 Polo Ground between 1874 - 1937 with a concrete grandstand built in 1935 provided seating. During WWII part of the polo grounds were leased for use as allotments from 1942, and in 1951 the Polo Grounds were compulsorily purchased by the LCC for housing development and a public park. The site of former stables became a series of enclosed gardens with ornamental planting, bowling green, paddling pool and play area, and the polo ground became a running track and tennis courts. The park has numerous large plane trees in the western part dating from the period before the land was bought by Hurlingham Club from the Mulgrave House estate in 1879.
Parson's Green is an area of old commonland and was fenced off in the early C17th; at one time it was in two parts, a grazing pond for cattle in the south-east and the remainder public open space. Its name comes from the Rectory that once stood on the west of the green. It became well known as a rural retreat for urban gentry by the C18th, with a fine mansions built overlooking the green. The manorial rights over this and others commons in the area were acquired by the MBW 1881.
Sulivan Court Estate is post-war housing built in 1949-56 for Fulham Borough Council on the site of the Hurlingham Club's No. 2 Polo Field. It is named for the Sulivan family, who were C19th local benefactors living at Broom House. Between the L-shaped blocks are many trees of a variety of species planted in extensive areas of grass. A road runs across the estate and the perimeter wall is of older bricks that may be the much reduced original wall. Sulivan School, to the north, also has a number of trees, and a nature garden.