Craven Cottage has been the home of Fulham F.C. since 1896, making it one of the oldest football grounds still in use in England. Tucked beside the River Thames in the Fulham district of West London, the site traces its name back to a cottage built there in 1780 by William Craven, sixth Baron Craven, long before football arrived on the land.
What sets Craven Cottage apart from every other stadium in English football is its setting: it is the only ground in the top flight with a stand directly on the riverbank. That distinction, combined with the century-old Johnny Haynes Stand and the newly completed Riverside Stand, gives the ground a character that blends Edwardian heritage with modern hospitality — and it’s why fans researching capacity, the away end, attendance records, or the stand named simply “the Cottage” often have more questions than a typical stadium page answers.
Quick Answer
Craven Cottage is Fulham F.C.’s stadium in Fulham, West London, open since 1896 and now holding roughly 29,600 fans following the Riverside Stand’s 2025 completion (some official competition filings list a slightly lower seated capacity, closer to 27,800-28,100, once safety and segregation allowances are applied). It takes its name from a cottage built on the site in 1780 for William Craven, the sixth Baron Craven — the cottage itself burned down in 1888, decades before Fulham moved in. It’s best known for being the only English top-flight ground with a stand directly on the River Thames, and for the Grade II listed Johnny Haynes Stand, the oldest original football stand still in use in England. Match tickets and hospitality are sold through Fulham FC’s official tickets and hospitality site, and stadium tours are booked separately through the club’s Craven Cottage Tours page.
A Century of History on the Riverbank
The site’s story predates football by more than a century. The land sat within what were once royal hunting grounds near the Thames, and around 1780 a cottage was built there for William Craven, sixth Baron Craven, giving the location its name. That original building burned down in a fire in 1888 and the site lay largely abandoned until Fulham F.C. secured the land in 1894.
Fulham played its first match at Craven Cottage on October 10, 1896, and has called it home ever since, aside from a brief spell away during a 2002-2004 refurbishment. The Johnny Haynes Stand, completed in 1905 and originally known as the Stevenage Road Stand, is the oldest surviving stand at any English football league ground still in its original form. It was designed by Archibald Leitch, the Scottish architect behind several early British football stadiums, and its red-brick facade earned the stand Grade II listed status. It was renamed in 2005 in honour of Johnny Haynes, Fulham’s former captain and England international, following his death.
Why Is It Called Craven Cottage?
The ground’s name has nothing to do with football — it comes from a cottage that stood on the riverside plot roughly 116 years before Fulham ever played there. William Craven, the sixth Baron Craven, had the cottage built around 1780 as a retreat near the river, on land that had once formed part of the woodland hunting grounds associated with the area’s royal history.
The cottage burned down in a fire in 1888 and was never rebuilt, leaving the site vacant until Fulham F.C. took it over in 1894. When the club built its new ground there, it kept the name of the long-vanished building, so “Craven Cottage” has described a football stadium, not an actual cottage, since the 1890s.
What Is “The Cottage”?
Confusingly, Craven Cottage also contains a specific structure nicknamed simply “the Cottage” — a corner pavilion at the junction of the Johnny Haynes Stand and the Hammersmith End, built in 1905 alongside the rest of that stand. It’s not the original 1780 building (which burned down years earlier); it’s a separate, purpose-built pavilion that has always been part of the football ground itself.
The Cottage pavilion still serves as a players’ changing and viewing area today, with its distinctive balcony used for hospitality and corporate entertaining on matchdays. It’s the most photographed corner of the ground and the detail most fans mean when they ask what “the Cottage” at Craven Cottage actually is.
The Riverside Stand Transformation
Fulham redeveloped the Riverside Stand in stages starting in 2019, finally completing the project and opening its full range of facilities in 2025 after several delays pushed the timeline back from an original 2021 target. The rebuilt stand added several thousand seats, including over 2,300 premium seats across terraces, balconies, and lounges, pushing the ground’s overall capacity up by roughly 4,000 from its pre-redevelopment level of around 25,700.
Beyond seating, the new stand introduced amenities rarely found at a football stadium, including a rooftop terrace with a pool overlooking the Thames, hotel rooms, and a spa, turning it into a matchday and non-matchday destination. Eight restaurants and lounges take advantage of the riverfront views, several of them accessible to premium ticket holders on non-matchdays as well.
Craven Cottage Capacity and Seating Guide
Craven Cottage’s capacity now sits at approximately 29,600 by the club’s own figures for the completed Riverside Stand, up from roughly 25,700 before the redevelopment. You may also see slightly lower official capacity figures, typically in the 27,800-28,100 range — that gap comes from safety certification and segregation requirements that can reduce the number of seats actually sold for any given fixture below the stadium’s physical maximum.
The stadium has four stands, each with its own character. The Riverside Stand, on the Thames-facing side, is the newest and holds the premium hospitality areas, corporate boxes, and central pitch views — the pick for the best sightlines and matchday comfort. The Johnny Haynes Stand runs along Stevenage Road opposite the river and is generally the calmer, more traditional side of the ground. The Hammersmith End is the north end and traditionally houses the more vocal home support. The Putney End at the south end mixes home and away seating and is home to the only mature plane tree inside a British senior football ground, a quirky landmark that occasionally intrudes into the view from a handful of seats nearby.
Away End Capacity at Craven Cottage
Away supporters at Craven Cottage are housed within the Putney End, generally in blocks P5, P6 and sometimes P7, rather than in a fully separate stand. Because the away section shares the end with home fans, the exact away allocation varies by fixture and has fluctuated considerably in recent seasons — reported figures have ranged from around 1,900 during the height of the Riverside Stand building works up to roughly 2,700 as capacity normalised afterwards.
If you’re travelling as an away fan, treat any specific allocation number as fixture-dependent rather than fixed, and check the away club’s official travel information closer to matchday for the confirmed figure and sale window.
Craven Cottage Attendance: Record Crowds and Modern Matchdays
The record attendance at Craven Cottage is 49,335, set for a Division Two match against Millwall on October 8, 1938 — a figure from an era when standing terraces allowed far larger crowds than today’s all-seated ground permits. That record is very unlikely to be broken under current safety regulations.
In the modern, all-seated era, matchday attendance is capped by the stadium’s current seating capacity of roughly 29,600, and Fulham’s Premier League fixtures have regularly sold out or come close to it since the Riverside Stand’s 2025 completion added several thousand extra seats to sell.
Tickets, Membership and Hospitality Explained
Match tickets for Craven Cottage are sold through Fulham’s official ticketing system, and general sale availability depends heavily on membership status and the opponent, since Premier League fixtures can sell out well ahead of matchday. In practice, season ticket holders and official club members get priority windows before tickets open to the general public, so joining the club’s membership scheme is usually the most reliable route to a seat for popular fixtures.
Hospitality packages sit on a separate tier from general admission. They include premium seating in the Riverside Stand plus access to its restaurants and lounges, and are typically sold at multiple levels — from shared lounge access up to private box experiences such as the Johnny Haynes Superbox or the Chairman’s Lounge — through the club’s dedicated hospitality portal rather than the standard match-ticket checkout. For the latest ticket prices, membership requirements, on-sale dates, and hospitality tiers, check Fulham FC’s official tickets and hospitality page.
Stadium Tours: What to Expect
Outside of matchdays, Fulham runs guided stadium tours that typically move through the Johnny Haynes Stand, the press box, both changing rooms, the players’ tunnel, and the Cottage pavilion’s famous balcony, with tours offered in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Beyond the standard tour, the club also offers Legends Tours led by former players, special themed tours, and standalone pitch viewings.
Tour pricing is tiered by age (adult, child, senior and family options), and tours have been recognised with a Visit England Visitor Attraction Accolade. Book directly through the official Craven Cottage Tours page for current dates, routes and pricing, since both can change between seasons.
Getting to Craven Cottage: Transit and Parking
The nearest tube station is Putney Bridge on the District line, around a 10-minute walk away through Bishops Park along the river. Hammersmith and Fulham Broadway stations are both roughly a 20-minute walk and work as alternatives if Putney Bridge gets crowded after the final whistle; Parsons Green and East Putney are useful overflow stations on busy matchdays.
There is no dedicated car park at the ground itself, and on-street parking in the surrounding residential streets is tightly restricted, with most bays reserved for permit holders and pay-and-display spaces limited to short stays. If you’re driving, book a space in advance through a parking marketplace rather than hoping to find one on the day, or park further out and take the tube in. Full, up-to-date directions are on the club’s official travel page.
Bag Policy and Matchday Rules
Craven Cottage operates an A4-size bag policy: bags must be no larger than a standard A4 sheet of paper, and bags that have simply been folded or partly emptied to fit that limit are still refused. All bags and other items are checked on entry, which may include wanding or a pat-down, and non-compliant bags will not be allowed into the stadium.
Fans arriving with an oversized bag can use the club’s paid bag drop facility near the ground, run for a small fee with proceeds going to the Fulham FC Foundation — card payment only. Two other rules catch first-time visitors out: Craven Cottage has a strict no re-entry policy once you’ve left the stadium, and while fans are welcome to stand for big moments, persistent standing throughout the match isn’t permitted. Confirm the current bag dimensions and drop-off location on the official tickets and hospitality page before you travel, since exact terms are reviewed each season.
Accessibility at Craven Cottage
Accessibility has improved considerably since the Riverside Stand redevelopment, with wheelchair user spaces now spread across the Johnny Haynes Stand, Hammersmith End, Putney End and the new Riverside Stand, alongside accessible toilets near each wheelchair section, step-free routes, and lift access in the redeveloped areas. The club also offers audio commentary for visually impaired supporters, hearing induction loops, and welcomes assistance dogs with advance notice.
Complimentary accessible parking near the ground is available on request to home and away disabled supporters, but spaces are very limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis starting about a week before each fixture, so book early. For access requirements, tour accessibility, or to request a parking space, contact the club directly ahead of your visit rather than relying on general matchday information.
Bag Policy
Bags must be no larger than A4 size (297mm height x 210mm width x 210mm depth / approx. 11.7 x 8.27 x 8.27 in); there is no clear-bag requirement, but oversized or half-full bags folded down to fit the limit will still be refused entry. Bags are searched, checked, and tagged on entry, and fans needing an exception for medical or childcare reasons must contact the club before the event day; a paid left-luggage/bag-drop service (£5, card only, free for prams/buggies/mobility aids) is available nearby at Ormiston Bridge Academy on Greswell Street.
Size limit: 11.7 x 8.27 x 8.27 in (297mm x 210mm x 210mm, A4-sized). Source: Official bag policy (fulhamfc.com) (checked October 2026). Policies change, so confirm before you go.
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Craven Cottage stadium guide FAQs
What is Craven Cottage?
Craven Cottage is the stadium of Fulham F.C. in the Fulham district of West London, in continuous use by the club since 1896 and situated directly on the bank of the River Thames.
Why is it called Craven Cottage?
It’s named after a cottage built on the site around 1780 for William Craven, the sixth Baron Craven. That cottage burned down in 1888, but when Fulham F.C. built its ground on the same land in the 1890s, the name stuck.
What is the capacity of Craven Cottage?
Craven Cottage holds approximately 29,600 fans following the Riverside Stand’s 2025 completion, though some official capacity filings list a slightly lower figure, around 27,800-28,100, once safety and segregation allowances are applied.
What is the away end capacity at Craven Cottage?
Away fans sit within the Putney End, usually in blocks P5, P6 and sometimes P7. The allocation varies by fixture and has ranged from roughly 1,900 up to around 2,700 in recent seasons, so check the away club’s travel details for the confirmed number.
What is the record attendance at Craven Cottage?
The record attendance is 49,335, set for a Division Two match against Millwall on October 8, 1938, back when standing terraces allowed much larger crowds than today’s all-seated capacity permits.
What is “the Cottage” at Craven Cottage?
“The Cottage” is the nickname for the corner pavilion built in 1905 at the junction of the Johnny Haynes Stand and the Hammersmith End. It’s still used as a players’ changing and viewing area, and its balcony is one of the ground’s best-known landmarks.
How do I get to Craven Cottage?
The nearest station is Putney Bridge on the District line, about a 10-minute walk through Bishops Park. Hammersmith and Fulham Broadway stations are roughly 20 minutes on foot. There’s no stadium car park, so driving fans should book parking in advance or use public transport.
What is the bag policy at Craven Cottage?
Bags must be no larger than an A4 sheet of paper and are checked on entry; oversized bags are refused but can be left at a paid bag drop near the ground. The stadium also enforces a no re-entry policy once you’ve left.
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