Description
Dover House Road Estate is one of a number of important LCC cottage estates inspired by the Garden City movement and the pioneering town planning of Barry Parker and Raymond Unwin. The land was previously the estates of two large houses, Dover House and Putney Park House, which were purchased by the LCC soon after WWI. Houses on Dover House Road Estate were designed in groups that overlooked or had access to open space, and the estate was laid out with cul de sacs, generous verges, street trees and front privet hedging, as well as communal green spaces, the largest of which is The Pleasance Open Space, once a medieval green. Allotments were provided in three backland areas, one of which was lost to development in the 1970s, but the remaining two allotments are managed by the Roehampton Garden Society. As a result of demand for allotments, many of the original plots have been divided and the Society now administers in excess of 200 plots across the two sites.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Dover House and Putney Park House estates |
|---|---|
| Site location | eastern boundary: Putney Park Lane; north: Upper Richmond Road; south: Crestway; west: Huntingfield Road |
| Postcode | SW15 5AR |
| What3Words | ///magma.cone.cheese |
| Type of Site | Housing/Estate Landscaping |
| Borough | Wandsworth |
| Open to Public | Partially |
| Opening Times | unrestricted access to public areas. Roehampton Allotments private, only open for London Open Gardens |
| Public Transport | Rail: Barnes, Putney then bus. Bus: 74, 85, 170, 337, 424, 430 |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2005 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Dover House Road Estate is one of a number of important LCC cottage estates inspired by the Garden City movement and the pioneering town planning of Barry Parker and Raymond Unwin. The land was previously the estates of two large houses, Dover House and Putney Park House, which were purchased by the LCC soon after WWI. Dover House was demolished for the new estate, but Putney Park House (q.v.) remains. The common characteristic of the LCC cottage estates is picturesque Arts and Crafts influenced housing, often with excellent brickwork detailing. It was the intention at Dover House Estate to create housing in groups that overlooked or had access to open space, to provide a sense of intimacy and individuality, and the estate was laid out with cul de sacs, generous verges, street trees and front privet hedging, as well as communal green spaces, the largest of which is The Pleasance Open Space overlooked by a crescent of cottages to the west.
Allotments were also provided by the LCC in three backland areas behind houses, two of which remain and are run by the Roehampton Garden Society. Each allotment site was surrounded by houses; Sites 1 and 3 were each approximately 3 acres with 70 plots and Site 2 was c.2 acres with 40 plots. The estate was well-kept until 1939 but by 1972 had deteriorated, since the 1960s the responsibility of the GLC. The allotments then came under threat but were saved as a result of action by local people who opposed the GLC's plans to build housing here, although Site 1 was subsequently infilled by housing development in the 1970s. The larger of the two sites, Site 3, accessed from 162 Dover House Road had 120 plots, with 60 plots at Site 2, reached from 18 The Pleasance.
In recent years, as a result of demand for allotments, many of the original plots have been divided and the Roehampton Garden Society (in partnership with LB Wandsworth) now administers in excess of 200 plots across the two sites. The Roehampton Garden Society was founded at the outset in 1922 and incorporated the older Roehampton Horticultural Society. The latter was founded in 1873, and had held an annual Summer Show since at least 1893, only interrupted by the two World Wars. Allotment holders regularly participate and there are now two Shows, held in June and September in St Margaret’s Church Hall, Putney Park Lane.
Allotments were also provided by the LCC in three backland areas behind houses, two of which remain and are run by the Roehampton Garden Society. Each allotment site was surrounded by houses; Sites 1 and 3 were each approximately 3 acres with 70 plots and Site 2 was c.2 acres with 40 plots. The estate was well-kept until 1939 but by 1972 had deteriorated, since the 1960s the responsibility of the GLC. The allotments then came under threat but were saved as a result of action by local people who opposed the GLC's plans to build housing here, although Site 1 was subsequently infilled by housing development in the 1970s. The larger of the two sites, Site 3, accessed from 162 Dover House Road had 120 plots, with 60 plots at Site 2, reached from 18 The Pleasance.
In recent years, as a result of demand for allotments, many of the original plots have been divided and the Roehampton Garden Society (in partnership with LB Wandsworth) now administers in excess of 200 plots across the two sites. The Roehampton Garden Society was founded at the outset in 1922 and incorporated the older Roehampton Horticultural Society. The latter was founded in 1873, and had held an annual Summer Show since at least 1893, only interrupted by the two World Wars. Allotment holders regularly participate and there are now two Shows, held in June and September in St Margaret’s Church Hall, Putney Park Lane.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ226751 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 2.2 |
| Site Ownership | LB Wandsworth, allotment sites leased to Roehampton Garden Society |
| Site Management | Parks Service; Roehampton Garden Society |
| Dates | 1920 |
| Designers | LCC |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Wandsworth |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Dover House Estate |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Local Importance (The Pleasance Open Space) |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Archaeological Priority Area |
| Other LA Designation | Local Park/Landscaped Open Space (The Pleasance Open Space) |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Putney Park Lane may be a remnant of a medieval lane that once provided access to The Pleasance, the site of the Archbishop of Canterbury's Putney Park hunting lodge. The lane was laid out by the early C18th as a formal tree-lined drive for a house built on the site of the former hunting lodge and later became the access to a number of grand houses built here including Granard House, Putney Park House and Dover House. The latter's early C18th entrance lodge remains, now known as Regency Lodge. To the south of the lane at the junction of Putney Park Lane and Putney Heath is South Lodge. Putney Park Lane is now maintained as public open space by LB Wandsworth.
Fairacres is a private block of flats completed in 1936 on the west side of Roehampton Lane, overlooking Roehampton Golf Course. The land was once part of the estate of Lower Grove, the 1930s block on the site of Lower Grove House. The 4-storey block of 64 flats takes the form of a shallow crescent, which to the rear overlooks well-landscaped communal gardens. The garden was designed by Moyses Stevens in 1935, and comprises open lawns, trees and shrubberies, a pond and secluded areas.
Barnes Common was used jointly by the people of Barnes and Putney until 1589 when a dispute arose and the people of Putney denied access. Until the area was drained in c.1880 the common was mainly marshland. It was almost entirely treeless, as shown on the OS of 1870 but today is largely woodland, coppice and heathland with some open areas of grass where cricket is played. Avenues and roadside planting took place in the late C19th. In the centre of the common is Mill Hill, an island of houses at the site of a former windmill.
