Castelnau (North Barnes)
Encyclopedia
Castelnau is a road in Barnes, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
, south west London
, approximately 5.1 miles (8.2 km) west from Charing Cross
on the south side of the Thames
river. About 1.1 miles (1.8 km) long, it is the main road south from Hammersmith Bridge
and forms part of the A306 main road. It was originally named Upper Bridge Road.
An area of Barnes including Castelnau was designated a conservation area
in 1977.
The name Castelnau is also used informally for Castelnau Estate (see below).
Three different English pronunciations of the word "Castelnau" seem to be in current use, all differing only in the final vowel: "castle know" is more ancient, and resembles the original French vowel, "castle now" is perhaps used to match with Nassau Road in the area, and "castle gnaw" is favoured by more recent inhabitants.
Castelnau takes it name from Castelnau-le-Lez
, near Montpellier
in France
: in 1691, the 10th Baron of Castelnau and St Croix, a Huguenot
, fled France for England following persecution, and his son, Charles Boileau, settled in north Barnes and his descendants developed parts of the area.
Major Charles Lestock Boileau built Castelnau Villas (now 84-122 and 91-125 Castelnau) in 1842, followed by rows of cottages called Castelnau Row, Castelnau Place and Gothic Cottagess. After his death in 1889, Upper Bridge Road was renamed Castelnau.
In 1926, London County Council
built a cottage-style estate of 640 houses, called Castelnau Estate, on the site of a market garden. In 1971 these passed to ownership of Richmond upon Thames Council. Many are now privately owned. Many of the roads in this estate are named after Deans of St. Paul's
who had been Lords of the manor of Barnes between the 14th and 17th centuries: Everdon, Kilmington, Alderbury, Kentwode, Howsman and Stillingfleet.
villas which were built in 1842 by Major Boileau (see above).
considered two schemes relating to the possible extension of the London Underground
railway that would have involved new lines beginning at Castelnau. In the end, neither was built.
One, submitted by London United Electric Railway, would have been a discrete branch from Hammersmith, linked to a proposed line from Clapham Junction to Marble Arch
.
The other was the Charing Cross, Hammersmith & District Railway that would have run from Castelnau to the Strand, via Hammersmith, Kensington
and Piccadilly
. Permission for the latter was refused, though elements of it were realised in the Piccadilly line
(1906). The LUER withdrew its proposal for the Castelnau branch in the course of negotiations aimed at rationalising a number of competing schemes. The Underground never reached Castelnau.
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is a London borough in South West London, UK, which forms part of Outer London. It is unique because it is the only London borough situated both north and south of the River Thames.-Settlement:...
, south west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, approximately 5.1 miles (8.2 km) west from Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
on the south side of the Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
river. About 1.1 miles (1.8 km) long, it is the main road south from Hammersmith Bridge
Hammersmith Bridge
Hammersmith Bridge is a crossing of the River Thames in west London, just south of the Hammersmith town centre area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham on the north side of the river. It allows road traffic and pedestrians to cross to Barnes on the south side of the river...
and forms part of the A306 main road. It was originally named Upper Bridge Road.
An area of Barnes including Castelnau was designated a conservation area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
in 1977.
The name Castelnau is also used informally for Castelnau Estate (see below).
Name
Castelnau means 'new castle' in the Occitan language.Three different English pronunciations of the word "Castelnau" seem to be in current use, all differing only in the final vowel: "castle know" is more ancient, and resembles the original French vowel, "castle now" is perhaps used to match with Nassau Road in the area, and "castle gnaw" is favoured by more recent inhabitants.
Castelnau takes it name from Castelnau-le-Lez
Castelnau-le-Lez
Castelnau-le-Lez is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.-References:*...
, near Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: in 1691, the 10th Baron of Castelnau and St Croix, a Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
, fled France for England following persecution, and his son, Charles Boileau, settled in north Barnes and his descendants developed parts of the area.
Major Charles Lestock Boileau built Castelnau Villas (now 84-122 and 91-125 Castelnau) in 1842, followed by rows of cottages called Castelnau Row, Castelnau Place and Gothic Cottagess. After his death in 1889, Upper Bridge Road was renamed Castelnau.
In 1926, London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
built a cottage-style estate of 640 houses, called Castelnau Estate, on the site of a market garden. In 1971 these passed to ownership of Richmond upon Thames Council. Many are now privately owned. Many of the roads in this estate are named after Deans of St. Paul's
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
who had been Lords of the manor of Barnes between the 14th and 17th centuries: Everdon, Kilmington, Alderbury, Kentwode, Howsman and Stillingfleet.
Architecture
Castelnau is noted for 20 pairs of exceptional classicalNeoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
villas which were built in 1842 by Major Boileau (see above).
Castelnau and the Underground
In 1902, a committee of the House of LordsHouse of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
considered two schemes relating to the possible extension of the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
railway that would have involved new lines beginning at Castelnau. In the end, neither was built.
One, submitted by London United Electric Railway, would have been a discrete branch from Hammersmith, linked to a proposed line from Clapham Junction to Marble Arch
Marble Arch
Marble Arch is a white Carrara marble monument that now stands on a large traffic island at the junction of Oxford Street, Park Lane, and Edgware Road, almost directly opposite Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park in London, England...
.
The other was the Charing Cross, Hammersmith & District Railway that would have run from Castelnau to the Strand, via Hammersmith, Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
and Piccadilly
Piccadilly
Piccadilly is a major street in central London, running from Hyde Park Corner in the west to Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is completely within the city of Westminster. The street is part of the A4 road, London's second most important western artery. St...
. Permission for the latter was refused, though elements of it were realised in the Piccadilly line
Piccadilly Line
The Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
(1906). The LUER withdrew its proposal for the Castelnau branch in the course of negotiations aimed at rationalising a number of competing schemes. The Underground never reached Castelnau.
Notable local places
This area of Barnes has a number of notable places, some of which are in Castelnau itself.- The Castelnau, a public house and restaurant at the north end of Castelnau, on the corner of Lonsdale Road. It was originally called the Boileau Arms
- Harrods Furniture Depository built in 1894 on the banks of the Thames east of Castelnau, is a landmark in the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. It now forms part of Harrods Village, an upmarket development of apartments
- Holy Trinity Church Barnes, in Castelnau
- St. Osmund's Roman Catholic Church, Castelnau
- The Leg of Mutton Nature Reserve
- St Paul's School, west of Castelnau, between Lonsdale Road and the river.
- Colet CourtColet CourtColet Court is a preparatory school for boys aged 7 to 13 in Barnes, London. It forms the preparatory department of St Paul's School, to which most Colet Court pupils go at the age of 13.-History:...
(preparatory schoolPreparatory school (UK)In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
), next to St Paul's School - The Swedish SchoolThe Swedish School in LondonThe Swedish School in London is an independent school in England. It consists of a nursery and primary school and a gymnasium. The nursery and primary school is located near St Paul's School, in Barnes. The gymnasium was before an accommodation rented from a sixth form college in Twickenham...
, west of Castelnau on the river - Lowther Primary School
- The Harrodian School
- London Wetland Centre, Barnes, near the south end of Castelnau