The first mention of Brook Green is found in a 1493 document when a tributary of the Stamford Brook called Black Bull Ditch or Parr’s Ditch, probably man made, flowed across the marshy green to enter the Thames south of Chancellor’s Wharf. By the late 18th century this was recorded as being “a 4ft wide ditch, constantly full of filthy water”. Eventually the brook became so polluted with waste from nearby brick fields that it was covered and finally converted to a sewer in 1876. The fair held on the Green was a popular annual event but having attracted some undesirable characters it was closed by magistrates’ orders in 1823.

During the 18th and early 19th century the area was extensively used for market gardening, the most famous being that founded by James Lee and Lewis Kennedy on the site of a former vineyard – Olympia now marks the spot. They introduced hundreds of new plants to this country including standard roses and fuchsias, the latter discovered growing in a sailor’s garden in Wapping having been brought back by him from Chile.

Nearby Blythe Road, once known as Blinde Lane, was recorded in 1839 as being “sadly neglected and nearly impassable in winter”. The brickfields and market gardens were beginning to give way to some larger dwellings, one being Eagle House situated on the corner of Luxembourg Gardens, the entrance to which was flanked by two impressive stone eagles. Demolished in the 1890s, Bute House now stands on its site. The Grange, just to the east of Rowan Road, became the home of the actor Henry Irving and St. Paul’s Girls’ School has been built on part of its grounds. The original Blythe House stood north of the Green but had long disappeared when the Post Office opened their Savings Bank and offices in 1899 in a building of the same name. The Post Office workers have also now gone but the building remains as a store for the V&A, Science and British Museums.

For many years there was a strong Roman Catholic presence in the area, and it was sometimes referred to as Pope’s Corner. Eagle House at one time was occupied by the religious organisation of St. Vincent. A school for girls known as “The Ark” which had been established in 1760 at Brook Green House on the eastern corner.

Two early houses built on the Green in 1796 were 14 Brook Green and 13 Brook Green, which in the early 1900’s became licensed premises trading under the name “The Queens Head”. The Georgian part of each house was designed by the same architect for the two owners who were brothers and they served as their out-of-town villas for a number of years. Later the Marquis of Queensbury resided at 14 Brook Green.

Who are the Friends of Brook Green

Originally established as a pressure group to stop the playground re-designs which would have adversely changed the character of the Green and have wasted significant funds on an inadequate playground for Brook Green.  Within just a few weeks of its formation, these initial aims were achieved.

FBG are legally incorporated as a company limited (No 07189080)  and became a registered charity (No. 1135762) in 2010.

FBG initially ran in parallel with the long-established Brook Green Association, and in March 2012 the two amalgamated. The FBG name was used for legal reasons, but the board (committee) retained members of both organisations. Our Board consists of a maximum of 12 directors all of whom are elected for an initial three-year term by the Friends in our Annual General Meeting (AGM). All our directors live on or in the streets around Brook Green.  Becoming a Friend is open to anyone and is free of charge.

The Green is owned by LBHF, but the FBG has an arrangement with them over the management of the tennis courts and has a lease on the small piece of ground on which the  pavilion now stands.

What do we stand for?

Our core purpose and focus are the maintenance, renewal, and sensitive enhancement of Brook Green. Our aim is to improve its appearance, facilities and promoting its responsible use.

Through our newsletter our goal is to keep Friends of Brook Green up to date. There is an Annual General Meeting, and the board aims to hold consultations over major decisions and welcomes constructive opinions. Membership of FBG is free,

Our third focus area is to organise social events with a view to bringing enjoyment to local people and to foster the sense of community in our locality. In the past we organised an annual Fair Day on the Green and since covid our priority has been the annual inter-street quiz evening. Other activities include the provision of subsidised sport for children and carol singing.

We’re very grateful to the support the get from many local residents and from the Brook Green business community in the fulfilment of our Capital and Social programmes. We have also received much appreciated financial support from local schools, social enterprise funds, environmental trusts and property developers who have promoted schemes near to Brook Green.

To date we’ve enlarged and improved the Playground, in partnership with London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (Parks Department) (“LBHF”) and completed the upgrade of the tennis courts in 2014. We have raised significant funding to supplement that which LBHF is able to provide for enhancing the Green.

We received planning permission to build a replacement Pavilion for the one that had to be taken down in 2012 because it had become life expired and unsafe. We consulted with the local community to build a new pavilion which offers a community kiosk operated by the friendly Bears team. There is a small storage room and office for the tennis coaches and toilet facilities for the local community.

The LTA shared that the tennis courts on Brook Green are amongst the most popular in the country. Through regular cleaning and management, we hope to be able to extend the lifespan of the surface which is typically 10 years.

Other successes include keeping open the Olympia foot bridge and moving the initially proposed site of the hire bicycles to Little Brook Green. Also partnering with the LBHF to upgrade the cross paths on Brook Green.

As we look to the future, we expect to refurbish the courts and pavilion as and when required We are also reviewing the existing lighting based on current environmental guidelines.

The Board consists of local volunteers, limited to a maximum of 12 in number. Each is a member of one or more working groups which include other residents, and report into the main board as necessary. Residents who have an interest in a particular aspect of the board’s endeavours are invited to help with a working group.