An area of Barnes including Castelnau was designated a conservation area in 1977.[2]
Etymology
Castelnau takes its name from Castelnau-Valence, near Nîmes in France: in 1691, the 10th Baron of Castelnau and St Croix, a Huguenot, fled France for England following persecution, [citation needed] and his son, Charles Boileau, settled in north Barnes and his descendants developed parts of the area. Maurice Boileau, the other son of the 10th Baron, stayed in the Castle and his descendants still live in the castle.
Castelnau was developed after the opening of Hammersmith Bridge in 1827.[3]
Major Charles Lestock Boileau built Castelnau Villas (now 84–122 and 91–125 Castelnau), designed by the architect William Laxton,[3] in 1842, followed by rows of cottages called Castelnau Row, Castelnau Place and Gothic Cottages. After his death in 1889, Upper Bridge Road was renamed Castelnau.[1]
Yelling, J. A. (1995). "Banishing London's slums: The interwar cottage estates"(PDF). Transactions. 46. London and Middlesex Archeological Society: 167–173. Retrieved 19 December 2016. Quotes: Rubinstein, 1991, Just like the country.
In 1926, London County Council built a cottage estate of 640 houses, called Castelnau Estate, on the site of a market garden.[4] In 1971 these passed to ownership of Richmond upon Thames Council. Many are now privately owned. Many of the roads in this estate are named after Deans of St. Paul's who had been Lords of the manor of Barnes between the 14th and 17th centuries: Everdon, Kilmington, Alderbury, Kentwode, Howsman and Stillingfleet.[1]
Castelnau is noted for 20 pairs of exceptional classical villas, 91-125 Castelnau, which were built in 1842 by Major Boileau (see above) and are Grade II listed.[5]
From around the time of World War II to 1987, the art dealership Abbott and Holder operated a gallery in the house at 73 Castelnau, which was also the home of the founder, Robert Abbott.[6]
