King’s Road’s Lion
Chris Van Hayden Chris Van Hayden

King’s Road’s Lion

Here’s a review I wrote for the Wandsworth Historical Society Issue No. 112, Autumn 2021.

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Battersea’s Poltergeist
Chris Van Hayden Chris Van Hayden

Battersea’s Poltergeist

Have you watched Timothy Spall’s The Enfield Haunting? It is arguably Britain’s most famous poltergeist phenomena, having also been the subject of the sequel to the Conjuring film.

But back in 1956, a more famous case of poltergeist took place not too far from Chelsea, which was heavily reported by the press and eventually made its way in a House of Commons debate…..

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Mortlake Tapestry
Chris Van Hayden Chris Van Hayden

Mortlake Tapestry

Opposite the church of St Mary the Virgin Mortlake a path named Tapestry Court leads to the river. Here you will find a plaque memorialising the 17th century Lower Dutch House, one of the former buildings of the Mortlake Tapestry….

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Fulham House
Chris Van Hayden Chris Van Hayden

Fulham House

In stark contrast to Putney High Street, a hive of bustling activity, Fulham High Street feels more like a back road which has been taken over by numerous bus routes. Yet, at number 87 is one of Fulham’s oldest houses with a rich history.

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Battersea and the new age of leisure
Chris Van Hayden Chris Van Hayden

Battersea and the new age of leisure

This year we celebrate 150 years of the Royal Albert Hall, a reminder of the legacy of the Great Exhibition of 1851. Whilst the story of the Crystal Palace that hosted the exhibition is well documented, more obscure is Battersea’s own Albert Palace, erected in 1885 facing the southern end of Battersea Park along Prince of Wales Drive….

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