Hammersmith & Fulham Council has launched the borough’s fourth Black history walking trail with the help of students from Fulham Cross Academy.
The five-point route features key landmarks in Fulham’s Black history, starting at Putney Bridge Station.
“The rich cultural, political, social and economic contributions from our Black communities are all around us,” said Cllr Sharon Holder, Cabinet Member for Public Realm.
“This trail will help residents and visitors learn a little more about the borough’s diverse history and the significant role Black people have played in creating the H&F we all know and love today. Next time you’re in Fulham, why not explore the route?”
Take to the trail
From Putney Bridge Station (map point 1), the route weaves along to All Saints Church in Fulham (map point 2), and on to Granville Sharp’s Grade II listed tomb in All Saints’ churchyard (map point 3).
It then travels along Fulham High Street to Fulham House (map point 4), before finishing at Fulham Palace (map point 5).
To celebrate the launch of the trail the Year 10 students visited Fulham Palace and learned about the individuals featured in the trail from the museum’s historians.
Among other noteworthy individuals, the route features Bishop of London Beilby Porteus, who championed the 1807 Slave Trade Act that ended British trading of enslaved people, and Granville Sharp, pioneer of the Abolition movement.
H&F’s rich Black history
This trail is our fourth walking tour that celebrates H&F’s rich Black History. We also have a dedicated Black history music trail, that we launched in 2020.
Each route is free to download from our website. Check them out:
Throughout the borough we’ve also remembered pioneering Black residents with a growing collection of blue plaques – installed with the help of the Nubian Jak Community Trust.
They play homage to residents including Britain’s first Black Olympian Louis Bruce, Black supermodel and muse Fanny Eaton, and Esther Bruce, one of the first Black Londoners born in Britain.
This Black History Month every H&F school student has also received a revised and updated “Proud of our Black History” booklet, which documents the struggles and achievements of local Black people.
