Description
Elms Pond Open Space and Lakeside are landscaped lakes that were associated with Wallington House, which was demolished in 1928. Elms Pond became part of the Elms estate in 1799 and was landscaped c.1805. Although the Manor House has gone, there was a clause in the 1790s to ensure preservation of the land as open space. The form of the present landscape with fountains, borders, yews etc. was made between 1928-1930. The lakeside was extended in length in the C19th and now has a wooded perimeter. The site has many fine trees. Elms Pond was restored in c.2004.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Elms Estate/ Wallington House Estate |
|---|---|
| Site location | London Road, Wallington |
| Postcode | SM6 7DD |
| What3Words | ///dozed.former.bound |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Sutton |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | none |
| Public Transport | Rail: Hackbridge c1km to north, Wallington c1.5km to south. Bus: 151, A5, 726, 407 |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2004 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ285649 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.7 |
| Site Ownership | LB Sutton |
| Site Management | Parks Service |
| Dates | C18th, 1800, 1930 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Bridge and culvert at west end of Elms Pond |
| 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 | Sutton |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Elms Pond: Carshalton Village; Lakeside: Beddington park |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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
Wallington Green once belonged to the Lords of the Manor as wasteland, and marks the centre of the old village of Wallington. It may have originated as a bowling green, a name it is referred to on later C18th maps. The Duke's Head on the south side of the Green is of C19th date but was the site of an older pub, formerly called Bowling Green House and was privately owned until the 1830s when Young and Bainbridge brewers bought and extended the original building. Wallington War Memorial stands on the green, and there are flower beds and a few mature trees but no walnuts for which it was once famous.
Wilderness Island is an industrial landscape dating back to the C17th, with remains of watercourses belonging to mills situated at the confluence of two arms of the River Wandle. The 1st edition OS map of 1867 shows the island under wood with an area to the south up to the railway embankment as open land. There is a well-preserved fish pond, and the site had former use as pleasure grounds. It is now maintained for its ecological value as a nature reserve.
The Grove Park was once part of The Grove estate, itself originally within the sub-manor of Stone Court that dates back to the C14th. Stone Court was purchased by John Cater in 1697, but after his death the property was inherited by Thomas Scawen whose uncle, owner of the neighbouring Carshalton Park, had provided mortgages to Cater. Thomas Scawen lived at Stone House until his death and undertook landscaping works that partially survive. The estate was divided in the early C19th. What is now The Grove Park was purchased by Carshalton UDC in 1924 and opened as a public park.