EAST PUTNEY (District Line- Wimbledon)
From the fancy red brick Tube station turn left and at the Upper Richmond Road go left again, then right into the up-market High Street with Putney Bridge ahead. Although quite a long walk (about a mile), there are entertaining things to see on the way . Ye Olde Spotted Horse pub has a busy olde frontage, there is a handsome 1990 Shopping Centre and a pair of vaguely classical half-naked ladies cavort above the horrid modern façade of an ‘amusement’ shop.
At the bridge is St. Mary’s Church. The interior and surroundings have been thoroughly and attractively modernised and because it has a café, the church is open during the day. It is of considerable interest for those keen on constitutional history and/or the Civil War, for it was here that the famous 1647 Putney Debates took place. The two carved heads on the west doorway are worth a look – the man has been leering at the not-too-happy woman for a good few centuries now! Over the river are the trees of Fulham Palace Gardens and Fulham church. 
Cross the road (a bit of a performance) and make your way down to the river path. This area is the centre of British rowing, and is where the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race begins, ending at Mortlake. The numerous boathouses, old and new, make this a particularly interesting part of the walk, as there is always work being done on the delicate craft and of course lots of activity on the river itself.. Once past the boathouses, the going becomes quite countrified, with trees on either side.
The (not free) London Wetland Centre is accessible from the path via Beverley Brook Walk and Queen Elizabeth Walk.
This is just one walk from the many to be found at London Tube Rambles. There are architectural gems, beautiful country views, historic places and whacky buildings to be found, even in the most unpromising areas covered by the Greater London Underground stations. Usually the places listed are within a mile of the Tube - often only five minutes walk away. If you reached this as an individual page via a search engine, you might like to go to www.londontuberambles.co.uk to see the other destinations explored . You'll be amazed at what's out there!
© DR2006