 The Red House Inn was an isolated inn on the south bank of the River Thames in the marshlands by Battersea fields , about one mile ( 1 @.@ 6 km ) east of the developed street of the prosperous farming village of Battersea . Not on any major road , its isolation and lack of any police presence made it a popular destination for visitors from London and Westminster since the 16th century , who would travel to the Red House by wherry , attracted by Sunday dog fighting , bare @-@ knuckle boxing bouts and illegal horse racing . Because of its lawless nature , Battersea Fields was also a popular area for duelling , and was the venue for the 1829 duel between the then Prime Minister the Duke of Wellington and the Earl of Winchilsea . 
