The Green Man, Putney Heath
Watercolour by W.A. Nicholls depicting The Green Man, Putney Heath. c1880.
A cluster of buildings with red roofs are nestled among dense trees in the background, partially obscured by foliage. A more grandiose building is hinted through the foliage in the background. The foreground features a marshy area or pond bordered by lush greenery, with several sheep grazing on the open grassland and some human figures approach the path that leads from the foreground to the background of the composition. The sky is overcast with soft clouds, contributing to the tranquil and subdued atmosphere.
Standing on the edge of Putney Heath, The Green Man is one of London’s oldest surviving pubs. Since the early 18th century, it has served as a refuge for travellers, duellists, and even highwaymen. Its proximity to a popular duelling ground gave rise to the local saying: “pistols for two and breakfast for one.”
The pub was frequented by notable figures including poet Algernon Charles Swinburne, and is steeped in legends involving infamous highwaymen like Dick Turpin and Jerry Abershawe. After Abershawe’s execution in 1795, his body was famously gibbeted outside the inn — the last such public display in London.
Artist Biography
W. A. Nicholls (fl. 1880s) A 19th-century British watercolourist, Nicholls captured the changing landscapes of Putney and Chelsea with atmospheric detail and topographical accuracy. His works, often signed and dated, document London’s riverside before urban redevelopment and remain valued for their historical insight and artistic technique. Nicholls’ technique combined watercolour with pencil and white highlights, often employing scratching-out methods to enhance texture and detail.
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