Description
In the early C20th a garden suburb had been planned here, to be named Magdalen Park Estate after landowners Magdalen College Oxford, but building came to a stop when WWI broke out. In the 1930s Wandsworth Borough Council purchased the area between Fieldview and Ellerton Road for the Fieldview Estate, which was designed on a grid of streets with wide footpaths, grass verges and street trees. Godley Gardens was laid out to provide public open space for the residents, a railed enclosure with grass, trees and shrubs, with a raised brick planter.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Godley Road Recreation Ground; Godley Road Open Space; Godley Road Enclosure |
|---|---|
| Site location | Godley Road/Tilehurst Road |
| Postcode | SW18 |
| What3Words | ///dull.smile.drums |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Wandsworth |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Rail: Earlsfield, Wandsworth Common. Bus: G1 |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2005 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
E P Warren began to build the Magdalen Park Estate here according to Garden Suburb principles and by WWI houses had been erected between Garratt Lane and Swaby Road, and part between Lyford Road and Ellerton Road had been built. However, the scheme was essentially truncated when in the 1920s Wandsworth Borough Council purchased the area between Swaby Road and Open View for the Openview Estate, and in the 1930s the area between Fieldview and Ellerton Road for the Fieldview Estate. The Fieldview Estate was laid out on a grid of streets with groups of maisonettes designed to look like semi-detached housing, with wide footpaths, grass verges now tarmaced and street trees. Godley Road Recreation Ground was provided as a central area of public open space. It is a railed enclosure with grass, trees and shrubs and a raised brick planter in the south-west corner. During the 1960s, both Godley Gardens and Swaby Gardens (q.v.) on the Openview Estate were locked due to vandalism, but later re-opened as public open space.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ267730 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.27 |
| Site Ownership | LB Wandsworth |
| Site Management | Parks Service |
| Dates | 1930s |
| 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 | Magdalen Park Estate |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Archaeological Priority Area |
| Other LA Designation | Incidental Public Open Space/Landscaped 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
The land here was owned by Magdalen College Oxford and in the early C20th developer E P Warren planned to build Magdalen Park Estate as a Garden Suburb here. By WWI houses between Garratt Lane and Swaby Road, and part between Lyford Road and Ellerton Road had been built but the scheme was essentially truncated when in the 1920s Wandsworth Borough Council purchased the area between Swaby Road and Open View for the Openview Estate, and in the 1930s the area between Fieldview and Ellerton Road for the Fieldview Estate. Between the two estates the playing fields were provided as a recreation facility for the use of estate residents. It is predominantly playing fields with the northern end used partly for allotments. The playing fields are bounded by railings with ornamental gates and brick gate piers, such as on Fieldview. .
The land here was owned by Magdalen College Oxford. In the early C20th Magdalen Park Estate was planned as a garden suburb here, designed by E P Warren. By WWI houses between Garratt Lane and Swaby Road, and part between Lyford Road and Ellerton Road had been built but the scheme was essentially truncated when Wandsworth Borough Council purchased land for the Openview Estate in the 1920s and for the Fieldview Estate in the 1930s. Swaby Road Recreation Ground was provided as a small rectangular public open space on the Openview Estate.
Wandsworth Cemetery is on sloping ground alongside Magdalen Road, and was set up by the Wandsworth Burial Board in 1878. It was later enlarged in 1898The layout features a gridiron pattern of paths meeting in a series of ronds-points around which the older monuments are erected, many of them having solid plinths topped by urns, obelisks or crosses. The newer section of the cemetery is on raised land beyond a line of horse chestnut trees along the west of the cemetery. The main entrance has a lodge and driveway leading to the chapels, with two garden areas to the south of the drive, enclosed partly by hedging and stone wall. There are a number of war memorials set in formal planting.