Quartz House

in and around its historic village which is centred on the pond, forming the Barnes Village conservation area. Barnes Common is a local nature reserve and an important open space spanning 120 acres. It provides a rural setting to the village and a wealth of habitats including acid grassland, scrub, woodland and wetland which were turned into a wetland habitat and bird sanctuary in 1995 called the London Wetland. Like Putney, Barnes boasts a rock and roll history with the former Olympic Studios on Church Road playing host to many of rock and pop's greatest stars throughout the decades. From The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, right through to modern day Coldplay and Madonna. Neighbouring Putney lies just south of the river and is full of leafy, quiet roads and green areas. Putney Heath is the biggest outdoor area and this borders Wimbledon common which in turn spills over to Richmond Park and beyond which makes for beautiful secluded walks. Along the river are the famous boathouses and tow paths where you can take a wander down the banks of the Thames and all the way to Chiswick and Richmond along the shaded gravel paths! This is also the starting location for the historic Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, which started in 1829 and now takes place every year before Easter with people lining the banks to cheer on the teams – an incredibly exciting event which takes over South West London every year! The high street in Putney has many nice pubs and restaurants and even hosts a farmers market at the weekend. Along the river front near Putney Bridge there are some pubs offering more upmarket dining such as The Boathouse, The Star & Garter as well as the Half Moon Pub, which is one of London’s longest running music venues and has ignited the careers of many now famous musicians.