Part of PLA Chart

A Perspective View of Twickenham


A Perspective View of Twickenham

1758: A Description of The Thames, Binnell & Griffiths

On the [ Middlesex Shore], stands the handsome Town of TWICKENHAM, which, besides other Persons of Quality and Fashion, has of late Years been distinguished with the Seats of the Earls of Bradford, Strafford, of the Countesses of Suffolk, Westmorland, and Ferrers, and with the Retirements of Mr. Secretary Johnson, and Mr. Pope, the Poet, and others.


O, hoi, ye ho, Ho, ye ho, who's for the ferry?
(The briar's in bud, the sun's going down),
And I'll row ye so quick, and I'll row ye so steady,
And it is but a penny to Twickenham Town.
The ferryman's slim and the ferryman's young,
And he's just a soft twang in the turn of his tongue,
And he's fresh as a pippin and brown as a berry,
And 'tis but a penny to Twickenham Town.

[ Which as advertising jingles go is probably as good as most ... ]

1770: Richmond Ferry -


Richmond Ferry, 1770

1843: Fraser's Magazine -

When first I saw the Duke of Orleans, now King of the French, he was advancing with light step, and the air of a bourgeois gentilhomme, towards the little ferryboat of Twickenham.
It was a summer day in the month of July. Father Thames looked his brightest and his best. The old green Ait was covered with happy citizens who had visited the then rustic habitation of the fisherman, now transformed into a spacious hotel, to partake of the viands peculiar at that time to that sylvan retreat; and here and there were to be seen gliding, like fairy cars, those beautiful wherries, so renowned all the world over, crowded with fair nymphs and youthful rowers.
The lovely meadows of Twickenham; the heights of Richmond; the classic bridge; the proud and noble swans; the fish gambolling in the crystal waters, or springing on the face of the stream, just to show that they participated in the general festivity of nature, and then to disappear in the bosom of their ancient sire; the bright sun pouring his warmest beams, yet the zephyrs mitigating the heat by playing amongst the leaves, and filling some small snow-white sails; the deep shade of many fine trees, and the varied coloured flowers of rich parterres, formed the landscape on which my eyes feasted with rapture.

1880: William Morris, Putney to Kelmscot. (Biffen's was the boathouse at Putney from which Leander moved to Henley in 1897) -

Started on Tuesday August 10th, 1880 at 3pm in a small houseboat called the 'Ark' belonging to Salter of Oxford and a rowing boat belonging to Biffen called the 'Albert'.
The 'Ark' was rowed by two of Biffen's men: (one a boy, the other a bad case of chronic poisoning, his eyes were gogglesome probably because of gin), and the 'Alfred' by [William Morris] & [Cornell] Price as far as Kew, where both boats were made fast to some barges and towed by a mercantile tin kettle as far as Twickenham.
Rowed on as far as Teddington Lock where Biffen's men were dismissed.

1899: Twickenham Ferry, Francis Frith

Twickenham Ferry 1899 Frith
Twickenham Ferry 1899 Francis Frith

1909: Proposed building of bridge
1933: Twickenham bridge was opened on 3 July by the Prince of Wales
280 feet long, 70 feet wide. Three reinforced-concrete arches are supported on concrete river-piers, with bronze plated permanent hinges at the springings and centres to allow adjustments due to changes in temperature.
Architect: Maxwell Ayrton. Engineer: Alfred Dryland. Contractor: Aubrey Wilson Ltd.

Twickenham Bridge © 2004 Doug Myers
Twickenham Bridge © 2004 Doug Myers