Description
King George's Park, originally called Southfields Park, was laid out in 1921-23 by Percy Cane and was opened in 1923 by King George V. In 1938 a swimming pool was added on the edge of the park, known as Wandsworth Open Air Pool, but this closed in 1993. Further works were carried out in the park post WWII. The northern section has ornamental planting with winding paths among lawns and scattered trees with flowering cherries lining the main north-south path, to the east of which is the lake, now restored, with a footbridge over the southern end. Adjacent to the lake are a heather garden and rockery with poplars to the east, and to the south of the lake are formal beds, a lime avenue, bowling green and enclosed formal rose garden with pergola. A small menagerie is to the west of the lake, with tennis courts to the south-west. In December 2021, a collaboration with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Women’s Association of London Region and the Sakura Cherry Tree Project has resulted in the planting of a new avenue of cherry trees. The double row of cherry trees runs from Burr Road across the park to the river Wandle near the Henry Prince estate.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Southfields Park |
|---|---|
| Site location | Merton Road/Buckhold Road/Kimber Road/Burr Road/Neville Gill Close/Bodmin Street |
| Postcode | SW18 |
| What3Words | ///design.ruby.bumpy |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Wandsworth |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am - dusk |
| Facilities | Sports pitches, tennis courts, bowling green, Trim Trail, children's play area, adventure playground; One O'Clock Club |
| Events | Various events |
| Public Transport | Rail: Wandsworth Town. Bus: 39, 44, 156, 270 |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2005 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Wandsworth Open Air Pool was opened on 6 May 1938 and designed by Wandsworth Borough Architect Ernest J Elford, with the cost of £22,386 split between the Borough Council and the LCC. It was privatised in 1985 and initially became a complex called Water Scenes, run by Kunick Leisure Services with 200ft water slides from a 65ft tower. It was purchased by another private company, Quidsworth, who transformed it into The Big Splash, launched with great aplomb in 1987, but it returned to Wandsworth Council in 1988 and eventually closed in 1993. The site was later redeveloped as an indoor tennis and bowls centre.
The ornamental gardens and the north part of the park are divided by a footpath running east west from open grass and sports areas that extend to the south. The River Wandle forms part of the eastern boundary of the park with a riverside walk, alongside which are ecological areas, and there is a small wildlife area within the park. A number of newer sports facilities in this area include Wandle Recreation Centre and Cannon Health Club.
The park has ornamental gates at the northern end as well as more recent entrances further south. Foster's Way crosses the park towards the southern end, named after Corporal Edward Foster of the 13th Battalion (Wandsworth) of the East Surrey Regiment, who was awarded the VC in 1917.
King George's Park was formerly on the EH Register, but has since been downgraded.
The cherry tree saplings for the avenue, were gifted to the borough by the Sakura Cherry Tree Project – an initiative promoting friendship between Japan and the UK as part of a legacy project celebrating the Japan-UK Season of Culture 2019-2020. The trees are three varieties known as Beni-Yutaka, Tai-Haku, and Somei-yedoensis, which have been chosen for their variation in colour, timing, and historical significance. The Tai-Haku cherry tree is a large, single white blossom variety, which became extinct in Japan but thrives there now thanks to its reintroduction by Britain’s Collingwood 'Cherry' Ingram in 1932.
The ornamental gardens and the north part of the park are divided by a footpath running east west from open grass and sports areas that extend to the south. The River Wandle forms part of the eastern boundary of the park with a riverside walk, alongside which are ecological areas, and there is a small wildlife area within the park. A number of newer sports facilities in this area include Wandle Recreation Centre and Cannon Health Club.
The park has ornamental gates at the northern end as well as more recent entrances further south. Foster's Way crosses the park towards the southern end, named after Corporal Edward Foster of the 13th Battalion (Wandsworth) of the East Surrey Regiment, who was awarded the VC in 1917.
King George's Park was formerly on the EH Register, but has since been downgraded.
The cherry tree saplings for the avenue, were gifted to the borough by the Sakura Cherry Tree Project – an initiative promoting friendship between Japan and the UK as part of a legacy project celebrating the Japan-UK Season of Culture 2019-2020. The trees are three varieties known as Beni-Yutaka, Tai-Haku, and Somei-yedoensis, which have been chosen for their variation in colour, timing, and historical significance. The Tai-Haku cherry tree is a large, single white blossom variety, which became extinct in Japan but thrives there now thanks to its reintroduction by Britain’s Collingwood 'Cherry' Ingram in 1932.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ255741 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 23 |
| Site Ownership | LB Wandsworth |
| Site Management | Enable Management and Leisure |
| Dates | 1921-23; 1938; post WWII |
| Designers | Percy Cane |
| 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 | Yes - Borough Importance II |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Archaeological Priority Area |
| Other LA Designation | District Park |
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
This small landscaped area is at the junction of roads, railed with hedge on one side, with one or two conifers and a brick structure at the apex with an Arts and Crafts style stone balustrade and niches. Merton Road was part of the development of the West Hill area for middle-class housing from the mid-C19th/early C20th. The sloping land was previously rural and the field pattern still partly defines the estate boundaries; the original estate plan had detached and semi-detached houses laid out on curved roads with triangular greens at the main road junctions along the ridge of the hill. Most of the roads of the estate originally had grass verges.
Garratt Lane Old Burial Ground was in use as a burial ground from 1800 when the parish purchased a field to provide additional burial space when All Saints churchyard was full. The last burial took place here in c.1930 although Wandsworth Cemetery was established in 1878 and St Ann's Church was built in 1820 to serve the growing population. The burial ground was opened as a public garden with the original east-west path in the cemetery realigned to the south. In 2000 a semi-circular paved area backed by shrub planting was created off Garratt Lane with benches and sculptural light fixtures. A number of chest tombs and gravestones are set into the lawns.
One of a number of public open spaces maintained by Wandsworth Borough Council and laid out when the West Hill area was developed as a speculative middle class estate from the mid C19th - early C20th. The sloping land was previously rural and the field pattern still partly defines the estate boundaries; the original estate plan had detached and semi-detached houses laid out on curved roads with triangular greens at main road junctions along the ridge of the hill. Most of the roads of the estate originally had grass verges but now only those adjoining the green at West Hill Road survive. The green at the junction of Wimbledon Park Road is an important focal point and consists of 2 areas with footpaths, grass and trees, which was maintained by Wandsworth Borough Council and preserved under the London Squares and Enclosures (Preservation) Act of 1906.