The area known as Fulham Fields was mostly in the occupation of market gardeners and nurserymen until the last quarter of the 19th century, growing corn, vegetables and fruit for the Covent Garden market. The stimulus for development came from the Metropolitan District Railway and this house was built in 1886-7. An eminent architect, Francis Fowler, was an early resident who had worked with his father on the design of many of the theatres in Shaftesbury Avenue. A later occupant of the house was Surveyor General of Ceylon. Across the road the vicar started a church cricket and football club in 1879 which was later to become the nucleus of Fulham Football Club. Other residents in the street included the actress and prolific author Florence Marryat, particularly known for her sensational novels and her involvement with several celebrated spiritual mediums. Formula 1 champion James Hunt lived nearby in the early 1980s.
