Our ‘Ever Wonder’ series will run throughout the 2022-23 Premier League season and focuses on key stories behind the history, tradition and culture of all 20 Premier League clubs.
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Have you ever sat there and wondered why certain chants became iconic at a club? Why a team has a certain nickname? Why do they play in those colors? How were they founded? Yep, us too.
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This season we will be digging deep to tell the stories of the rich history, tradition and culture from around the Premier League and give you the answers to things you want to know more about.
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Ever wonder why there is a cottage at Craven Cottage?
Fulham’s Craven Cottage is loved the world over. Their home by the banks of the River Thames is one of the most historic, and beautiful, stadiums in the game.
But have you ever wondered why there is an actual cottage in the corner of Craven Cottage?
And have you ever wondered what came first: the cottage or the stadium? Yep. Us too.
Fancy cottage and clientele
There has been a cottage on this site since 1780 when William Craven, who was the Sixth Baron Craven, built a cottage in a wooded area which is now on the site of Craven Cottage stadium.
It is also believed that the site was previously used as Anne Boleyn’s hunting ground in the 1500s when she was the Queen of England. Fancy cottage indeed.
Legend has it that several famous writers also stayed at the original cottage for inspiration, and how could you not be inspired by this setting!?
Rebuild and Fulham’s arrival
A fire destroyed the original buildings in 1888 and the ground was left derelict until 1894 when Fulham (London’s oldest professional club as they were founded in 1879 at St Andrew’s Church in West Kensington) bought the land to build Craven Cottage stadium.
The stadium was updated extensively in 1905 by renowned football stadium architect Archibald Leitch.
If this doesn’t scream football history, I don’t know what does…
Why is there a cottage?
After Fulham’s first match in their gleaming new home there was one small problem to solve which explains why the cottage is there: there were no locker rooms built for players to use.
‘Not a problem, we will build a fancy cottage for that’ said Archibald Leitch, probably… And he did.
Today, the Cottage is still used for players to get changed in and directors of the club and players’ families sit in it to watch games from the balcony.
So, there you have it.
Incredible history remains
Craven Cottage the stadium was there before the actual cottage at Craven Cottage. But there has been a cottage on the site since 1780, and Anne Boleyn’s hunting grounds before that. That scent around Craven Cottage is history, folks.
Beautiful, magical, magnificent history.
Remember: when you next watch a game at Craven Cottage and see Antonee Robinson running down the wing, Anne Boleyn probably rode on a horse near that spot in the 1500s. Wild.
Ever wonder why there is an actual cottage at Craven Cottage? originally appeared on NBCSports.com