The Manor of Fulham was controlled by the Bishops of London from the 8th century and the manor house which housed the Bishop's staff who administered this property was moved to the site of the palace here around the end of the 13th century. The main entry to the site would then have been from the river. From the 13th century on it developed as the Bishop's country palace. The grounds benefited from a most fortunate mix: the enthusiasm for gardening of Henry Compton who was appointed Bishop of London in 1675; and the responsibility of his bishopric for the Anglican church in North America. Bishop Compton requested all his ex-patriate clergy to send back plants from their part of the world. The palace was in constant use by the London Bishops throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The incumbent during the first world war resisted its use for military purposes but eventually accepted the hospitalisation here of some psychiatric cases.

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Rural Walks around Richmond

Hammersmith and Fulham through 1500 years - A Brief History