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Barn Elms is an park in Barnes in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, located on the northerly loop of the River Thames between Barnes and Fulham.
The WWT London Wetland Centre (105 acres of what were once reservoirs) lies to the north of the open space, now largely given over to sporting venues. The site is split in two: the Barn Elms Sports Trust (BEST) fields, formerly managed as the Barn Elms Sports Centre by the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, and the Barn Elms Sports Centre.
In the 1660s Barn Elms became a fashionable destination for boating . Samuel Pepys, who arranged many a Sunday afternoon or moonlit evening boating party to Barn Elms himself, recorded that on 26 May 1667:
I walked the length of the Elmes, and with great pleasure saw some gallant ladies and people come with their bottles, and basket, and chairs, and form,A trestle table. to sup under the trees, by the water-side, which was mighty pleasant.Pepys, Diary, 26 May 1667; see also under 5 August 1666, 28 April, 9 June, 21 July and 25 August 1667; 23 March and 2 August 1668.
The oldest, and one of the largest London plane trees is in Barn Elms.
When Barn Elms was in the possession of the bookseller Jacob Tonson, the Kit-Cat Club met at Barn Elms for many years. Here the "Kit-Kat portraits" hung; Victoria County History: Surrey, vol. 4: Barnes; Harry M. Geduld, Prince of publishers: a study of the work and career of Jacob Tonson, 1969. Tonson's extensions to the house, c1703, seem to have been made under the general advice of John Vanbrugh, a Kit-Kat member.Howard Colvin, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 1600–1840, 3rd ed. 1995, s.v. "Vanbrugh, John".
John James Heidegger, the opera impresario, resided at Barn Elms, where he entertained George II, and as Heidegger's guest Georg Friederich Handel stayed here at his first arrival in England, in 1711.Barrett 1884:27.
The house was later remodelled or rebuilt for Hoare Baronets, who died at Barn Elms,George Lipscomb, The History and Antiquities of the county of Buckingham 4, 1847:390 and enlarged in the early 19th century by his son, Richard Colt Hoare. When Hammersmith Bridge was erected in 1824–27, the company that undertook the work bought Barn Elms and drove the access road, Upper Bridge Road, now Castelnau, across the park. Victoria County History: Surrey, vol. 4: Barnes The house was also the home of Sir Lancelot Shadwell, who was Vice Chancellor of England in the 19th century: on one occasion he delivered an injunction while up to his neck in the cool lake.Barrett: 1884:29f. From 1883 to 1939 Barn Elms was used as the club-house of the Ranelagh Club.They were removed from Ranelagh Gardens (Barrett 1884:33)
In 1891 Barn Elms for a short time played host to Queens Park Rangers. The club was forced to move there after it became impossible to play soccer at their home ground in Brondesbury which was shared with London Scottish rugby club.Macey, Gordon (1999). The Official History of Queens Park Rangers Football Club (London: Queen's Park Rangers F.C.). The house became derelict and was demolished following a fire in 1954.C. J. Barrett, The History of Barn Elms and the Kit Cat club: now the Ranelagh Club, 1889.
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