Putney Area Guide

Putney is part of the London Borough of Wandsworth which is known as one of the 35 major cities in Greater London. Putney is an ancient parish and until 1889 it was in the ‘Hundred of Brixton’ in Surrey (now South West London). Even though Putney is located near Central London, it is favoured for outdoor activities, notably for runners, rowers and cyclists. There are several parks and green spaces nearby, to name a couple, Wandsworth Park and Putney Heath. Putney is also the starting point for the University Boat Race which began in 1829. It is an annual event, beginning at the University Stone, just upstream from Putney Bridge. In Putney Heath on the top of the hill, there was a telegraph station that transferred messages from Portsmouth to the Admiralty in London during the Napoleonic wars. The Telegraph pub now resides there. Putney High Street is home to the Putney Exchange shopping centre and lots of welcoming restaurants and bars, with even more on the river front. With some properties having the Thames as their backyards, things can be pricy. However, places like The Rusholme Road conservation and The Dover Court Estate can be more affordable.

Famous people to have lived in Putney are Clement Attlee, Tony Adams, Pierce Brosnan and Grace Jones.

Transport around Putney

Tube – Putney Bridge Station Zone 2 and East Putney Zone 3 on the District Line.

Rail – Putney Station and Putney Bridge Station.

Bus – Putney has lots of buses go through its borders. 37 (Peckham), 170 (Victoria), 337 (Richmond), 85 (Kingston) and the 93 (North Cheam) serve East Putney and Putney Station. Buses 14 (Warren Street, 74 (to Baker Street) and 430 (South Kensington) stop at Putney Bridge. The 74, 37, 85 and 93 are all 24 hour services.

River – Something a little different is to take the River Bus from Putney Pier. Boat route RB6 runs to Blackfriars.