It's an interesting question as to why St. Mary's is built where it is. Putney was the only place between The Strand in London and Richmond where the gravel terraces reach the river and provide an easy, dry crossing point from the south. There had been a ferry at Putney possibly since Roman times, and the Domesday Book documents a 20-shilling payment from a ferry toll. The whole village essentially grew up to service that crossing — ferrymen, inns, commerce. It is highly likely that a chapel existed at Putney prior to the first documented reference to St Mary's in 1291, given the prominent location of the church next to the ancient crossing point. In other words, the church was built where the people were, and the people were at the river. By 1302 St Mary the Virgin, Putney had been built in its current place by the river as a Chapel of Ease to the mother church at Wimbledon  Medieval builders were well aware of flood risk but weighed it differently than we do today.  The Thames was a much shallower, broader river in medieval times and tidal surges were less severe than they later became. Medieval communities simply accepted periodic minor flooding as normal and built accordingly, with ground floors used for storage and animals rather than living space. The church itself sits on slightly elevated ground at the foot of the High Street, which runs uphill away from the river .

Entire Thread

Topic	Date Posted	Posted By
Putney’s Oldest Buildings	27/05/26 19:58:00	Martine Guy
Re:Putney’s Oldest Buildings	27/05/26 20:18:00	Ivonne Holliday
Re:Re:Putney’s Oldest Buildings	27/05/26 20:37:00	Ivonne Holliday
Re:Re:Re:Putney’s Oldest Buildings	28/05/26 12:20:00	Duncan Laird
Reply	28/05/26 17:07:00	Martine Guy
Reply	28/05/26 18:00:00	Martine Guy
Re:Reply	29/05/26 17:51:00	Andrew Catto
Re:Re:Re:Putney’s Oldest Buildings	28/05/26 20:52:00	Miles Thompson
Re:Re:Putney’s Oldest Buildings	28/05/26 20:51:00	Miles Thompson
Re:Putney’s Oldest Buildings	28/05/26 20:46:00	Miles Thompson
Re:Putney’s Oldest Buildings	30/05/26 10:15:00	Duncan Laird
Reply	30/05/26 11:15:00	Martine Guy
Re:Reply	30/05/26 12:24:00	Katrina Black
Reply	30/05/26 13:04:00	Martine Guy
Re:Reply	30/05/26 14:04:00	Katrina Black
Re:Re:Putney’s Oldest Buildings	30/05/26 22:37:00	Miles Thompson
Re:Re:Re:Putney’s Oldest Buildings	01/06/26 08:41:00	Barbara Stevens
Re:Putney’s Oldest Buildings	01/06/26 15:18:00	David Beeney
Re:Re:Putney’s Oldest Buildings	01/06/26 15:28:00	Ivonne Holliday
Re:Re:Putney’s Oldest Buildings	01/06/26 15:31:00	Adam Tripp
Re:Re:Re:Putney’s Oldest Buildings	01/06/26 17:42:00	Katrina Black
Re:Re:Putney’s Oldest Buildings	01/06/26 15:33:00	Andrew Catto
Re:Re:Putney’s Oldest Buildings	01/06/26 17:33:00	David Ainsworth
Re:Re:Re:Putney’s Oldest Buildings	05/06/26 15:38:00	Peter Higgins
Re:Re:Re:Re:Putney’s Oldest Buildings	12/06/26 11:11:00	Barry Elms

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