Physio on the River

Barnes history and overview

Barnes map, history and overview

Barnes is a small suburb of Southwest London lying on the south bank of the River Thames about 6 miles from Hyde Park Corner. Most of the area is a peninsula boarded on three sides by a pronounced northern meander of the Thames. Barnes was once in the county of Surrey but on April 1 1965 it became part of the Greater London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It goes a very long way back and appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as “Berne”. There is a lot more historical and geographic information about Barnes in this Wikipedia article.

Barnes is a small Thames-side village in London, great for a walk around or simply relaxing by the river. The village has some lovely small boutiques as well as local grocers, delis, a bookshop and some very good restaurants. It also has an excellent local butcher, a cheese shop, a fishmonger and an artisan bakery among many others. A recent survey found that Barnes had the highest proportion of independent shops of any area in Britain, at 96.6%. It is also home to some of London’s most expensive streets, such as The Terrace by the river where the famous British composer, Gustav Holst lived. Today Barnes is home to many high-profile broadcasters, politicians and actors.

The map below gives a good overview of Barnes and the main points of interest.

Map of the Barnes peninsula, London, © Andrew Wilson, Wild London Books, Wild About Barnes

Barnes has a wide selection of pubs, each with a unique feel and ambience. Many have the atmosphere of a village or country pub rather than being near central London and make an ideal retreat for those who like their pubs to have that friendly local feel.

The maps shows some of the pubs closest to Physio on the River and our local The Bull’s Head that is famous for its music nights (as well as its food):

Barnes is also well-known for its selection of top-class schools, both state and independent. In Barnes itself, The Swedish School (a key factor in attracting many Swedish families to the area), The Harrodian, Colet Court & St Paul’s and over the river in Hammersmith: St Paul’s Girls’ School, Godolphin & Latymer and Latymer Upper. There are also some very highly-rated primary schools, including Barnes Primary, St Osmund’s and Lowther.

Learn more about our closest bridge over the Thames, Barnes Bridge, right by our clinic!

See our maps and travel details for getting to Barnes

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