Description
Garratt was a hamlet in the south of the parish of Wandsworth, mentioned in the records of Merton Priory as ‘tenement of the Garrett, manor of Durnsford' in 1538. Garratt Park was opened as a public park ‘for children's recreation' in May 1906. It was laid out on the former grounds of Garratt House, demolished in 1890, which had been owned by the proprietors of Garratt Mills from the C18th. The park is in two parts, a more formal area with lawns and shrubberies, children's playground, cycle track and sports court, and an informal area of open grassland.
Practical Information
| Site location | Siward Road/Rosemary Road |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SW17 |
| What3Words | ///oldest.prompting.scarf |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Wandsworth |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Public Transport | Tube: Tooting Broadway (Northern) then bus. Bus: G1 |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2008 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The mill stream of Garratt Mills ran along the boundary between the park and the allotments site. To the north of the allotments area there was once an orchard and to the south was the millpond. The land was acquired by the local council for a rubbish dump or 'shoot' and it was initially let out for grazing at £8 a year.
In 1904 it was decided to lay out a recreation ground on the south-east part, at which time another part was taken by Earlsfield Rifle Club for an outdoor rifle range. As the land was low lying and adjacent to the Wandle River a network of ditches had been created over the centuries to contain the water to fend off danger of flooding. In preparation for laying out the park these ditches needed to be filled in and in 1905 clay that was dug out from East Hill, where sewers were being laid, was used here to raise the riverbanks. In 1970 a bend in the Wandle was straightened out as the continuation of flood relief work. Various improvements were made to the park during the 1950s, including installation of seesaws and play equipment in 1953. A paddling pool was replaced with the cinder cycle track in 1955. A games hut was built in 1958 and changing rooms in 1963. The park is in two parts, a more formal part with areas of lawn and shrub beds, the children's playground, cycle track and a sports court, and an informal area of open grassland.
In 1904 it was decided to lay out a recreation ground on the south-east part, at which time another part was taken by Earlsfield Rifle Club for an outdoor rifle range. As the land was low lying and adjacent to the Wandle River a network of ditches had been created over the centuries to contain the water to fend off danger of flooding. In preparation for laying out the park these ditches needed to be filled in and in 1905 clay that was dug out from East Hill, where sewers were being laid, was used here to raise the riverbanks. In 1970 a bend in the Wandle was straightened out as the continuation of flood relief work. Various improvements were made to the park during the 1950s, including installation of seesaws and play equipment in 1953. A paddling pool was replaced with the cinder cycle track in 1955. A games hut was built in 1958 and changing rooms in 1963. The park is in two parts, a more formal part with areas of lawn and shrub beds, the children's playground, cycle track and a sports court, and an informal area of open grassland.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ258721 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 3.6 |
| Site Ownership | LB Wandsworth |
| Site Management | Parks Service |
| Dates | 1905/6 |
| 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 | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Other Larger Protected Open Space Sites |
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
Garratt Green was previously within lands owned by the Manor of Wandsworth and was one of the last commons to come within the responsibility of the LCC. When the rest of Wandsworth Common was transferred to the public in 1871, Earl Spencer, Lord of the Manor, retained Garratt Green until November 1899 when it was transferred to the LCC subject to it being maintained for public use. Until 1796 the Green had long been the site of the election of a mock mayor of the hamlet of Garratt, whose duties were to protect the common rights of the Green. Garratt Green today is largely grass with trees and shrubbery around the border and a perimeter path.
Durnsford Park was created in the early C20th and is now part of the Wandle Valley National Park. It is open grassland with a perimeter path; trees include mature willow in the east. It is surrounded by housing and a school, and has clumps of shrubs and new tree planting. In the 1990s the existing wetland next to the railway was extended into Durnsford Recreation Ground itself. A hedgerow was planted set into the park along the northern edge in 2012 to mark Queen Elizabeth II diamond jubilee in 2012.
Historically there was a bowling green and tennis courts. A sizeable playground with fake boulders exists now. There is also a separate smaller triangular shaped playground leased to the adjacent school during school hours and surrounded by high fencing. Brooklands Avenue Allotments lie adjacent to the park in the North East corner near the woodland and pond - this area of land was formally part of the recreation ground.
Historically there was a bowling green and tennis courts. A sizeable playground with fake boulders exists now. There is also a separate smaller triangular shaped playground leased to the adjacent school during school hours and surrounded by high fencing. Brooklands Avenue Allotments lie adjacent to the park in the North East corner near the woodland and pond - this area of land was formally part of the recreation ground.
Almshouses erected by St Clement Danes Holborn Estate Charity on a 6-acre site, previously farmland, purchased for the purpose in 1848, which incorporated a large garden at the front that contained an Artesian well to supply the residents. The plans for the grounds were devised by the managers of the Charity and implemented by Robert Mackay, Nurseryman of Stoke Newington, Middlesex. When the charity moved to new almshouses in Sydenham the almshouses were purchased by LB Wandsworth and are predominantly council housing.