Bulls Head

Bulls Head

In a picturesque riverside location on The Thames, The Bulls Head is a delightful 18th century tavern once used by riverboat and barge captains to arrange crews and cargoes. Licensed since at least 1722, there has been an inn on the site for over 400 years, and legend has it that Oliver Cromwell, after whom Oliver’s Island opposite is named, once used the inn, although the evidence for this is disputed. Strand-on-the-Green is one of four villages that make up present day Chiswick, along with Little Sutton, Turnham Green and Chiswick itself, and one of the most attractive stretches on the north bank of the Thames, with many listed 18th and 19th century dwellings. The Grade II listed Bulls Head occupies an attractive waterfront position next to the lattice-girdered Kew Rail Bridge, itself a listed structure, with views across to Kew Green and Richmond. Recently refurbished and with plenty of nooks and crannies, this popular riverside inn is perfect for a relaxing family Sunday lunch or a meal with friends after a walk along the Thames Path, or a visit to the spectacular Kew Gardens just across the river. The riverside village of Strand-on-the-Green was originally a small fishing settlement, with a population of just 31 recorded in 1630. Alongside the fishermen’s cottages, public houses like The Bulls Head, together with malthouses and boat-builders sheds, developed in the 18th century, attracted by Chiswick’s growing reputation for producing some of the finest barley in England, which needed transporting by river. By the late 18th century the area had become fashionable due to its proximity to the Royal Palace at Kew, and elegant mansions added to the architectural charm which Strand-on-the-Green, now a conservation area, still retains today.

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