Place Name
Originally Worple Road, as shown on Rocque’s Map of 1741 – 1745, this was literally a track through the market garden. William Charlwood (died 1751) was a market gardener who tended “several dozen acres” around here in the mid-18th Century. Dorian Gerhold in Putney and Roehampton Past writes: “The market garden ground was certainly minutely tended. An inventory of 1750 of the fields of William Charlwood, whose house was on the site of the Quill, records 37 different plants… including asparagus, strawberries, tulips, and garlic. Most of this was destined for Covent Garden market, where he had a stand.” Even before the coming of the Putney railway in 1846, The Gardens as the market gardens were known were becoming a popular spot for country villas but once the train station was opened there was increased pressure on the land, now more profitable for a new type of crop – commuter housing. The opportunity was eagerly seized by Henry Scarth, a local solicitor and property developer.
