Description
William Parnell Park is associated with the Bulow Estate, developed from the 1950s by the LCC who offered Fulham Borough Council 4 acres of land for public open space. The park was laid out in 1961 as a flat area of grass and flower beds, with a large playground. At that time it was called Langford Garden, later renamed William Parnell Park, and it is also known as Pineapple Park due to a sculpture in the park. In the 1980s it was redesigned as a series of interconnected mainly circular areas, but in 2011 it is being transformed with new landscaping and planting as well as play provision.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Langford Garden; Pineapple Park |
|---|---|
| Site location | Pearscroft Road/Bagley's Lane/Stephendale Road/Marinefield Road/Gilstead Road, Sands End |
| Postcode | SW6 |
| What3Words | ///sushi.trades.sides |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Hammersmith & Fulham |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Play areas for under-5s and 5-12 year olds |
| Public Transport | Tube: Parsons Green (District). Bus: 28, 295, 424 |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
In 1953 the LCC offered Fulham Borough Council c.1 acre of land for use as public open space in the Bulow Road area, which was scheduled for redevelopment. Bulow Court and Pearscroft Court were subsequently built as part of the scheme but it was not until 1959 that the land was leased to the Council at a nominal rent of £1 per annum. The park was laid out and opened in July 1961, largely grass with a large playground, and was originally called Langford Garden but the name subsequently changed to William Parnell Park. It is also known locally as Pineapple Park due to the wooden pineapple sculpture, one of three sculptures found in the park, the others being 'The Head and the Serpent' near the play area in the north, a stone carved face on top of which is a coiled bronze snake and a painted steel figure, 'The Prince', near the entrance at Langford Road. In the 1980s the park was redesigned as a series of interconnected mainly circular areas that included two mounds, a sunken area, a raised area, an under 5s play area, and adventure playground. In 2011 a major transformation of the park has taken place with a large new playground and improvements to hard and soft landscaping, new park benches and bins, and new planting.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ258765 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.03 |
| Site Ownership | LB Hammersmith & Fulham |
| Site Management | Environment Department, Parks Service (ground maintenance by Quadron Services) |
| Dates | 1961; 1980s; 2011 |
| 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 | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Small Local Park; Open Space of Borough-wide Importance |
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Nearby parks and gardens
Imperial Square was built by the Imperial Gas Light & Coke Company, which had acquired the Sandford Manor estate in 1824 in order to establish its large gasworks here. This stretch of the Fulham riverside became a thriving industrial area in the C19th but by the 1970s it was largely abandoned. The 2-storey terraces were built to house workers, including Germans brought over to work at the gasworks at a time of strike, leading to the square's nickname 'German Square'. The houses overlooked an open space, although this was not landscaped until the 1980s, originally paved and having gas lamp posts, although the houses had generous front gardens.
Eel Brook Common was formerly manorial waste, much used for pasture and enclosed by a 12-foot ditch. Encroachments for building took place from the late C18th and the District Railway reduced the area in the C19th, but public opposition prevented the Ecclesiastical Commissioners building between Crondace Road and New King's Road. Used for informal recreation, it is shown on a map of 1841 as Fulham Park, extending almost to Parson's Green. There was political pressure to turn it into public park from 1866 and it was finally transferred to the MBW in 1881. A bandstand was built by 1894, cricket and football pitches provided by 1921and in the late 1920s 2 tennis courts.
Chelsea Harbour is redeveloped railway land between Chelsea Creek and the former West London Extenuation Railway, and was developed from 1981onwards. The former basin of Kensington Canal is now a marina that forms the focal point of the development. Landscaping was an integral part of the scheme, and around the site perimeter and internal courtyards are lawns with shrub and flower beds, with formal planting around the marina. Display of sculpture was an early feature of the development and there are a number of permanently-sited sculptural works.