Description
The Latchmere Estate was built from 1903 on former commonland, which had been gradually encroached until all that remained was an area of allotments. Building over this was resisted until the early C20th when, following efforts by John Burns, MP for Battersea, an Act of Parliament was passed that allowed housing only on condition that part was laid out as a recreation ground. The estate, an early municipal housing project, was built on Garden City principles. The recreation ground became the focal point and opened in 1906. A north-south footpath divides the recreation ground, with a landscaped area with trees, shrubs and flower beds to the east, a central playground and a hard-surfaced area to the west with two fine mature willows. The perimeter has fine trees.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Latchmere Common |
|---|---|
| Site location | Burns Road/Reform Street |
| Postcode | SW11 |
| What3Words | ///faces.legend.hint |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Wandsworth |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am - dusk |
| Special Conditions | no dogs (west side) |
| Facilities | playground |
| Public Transport | Rail: Battersea Park. Rail/London Overground: Clapham Junction. Bus: 44, 49, 319, 344, 345 |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The Latchmere Estate was built on an area once part of Latchmere Common, which was gradually encroached over the years by housing until all that remained of open space was an area of allotments. Building over this was resisted until the early C20th when, following efforts by John Burns, a member of the LCC and MP for Battersea, an Act of Parliament was passed that allowed housing only on condition that part was laid out as a recreation ground. Burns opened the first area of the Latchmere Estate in 1903 and one of the key roads of the estate is named after him; it was the first municipal housing project in the country built using a council's workforce and consisted of two-storey yellow and red brick maisonettes and houses with slate roofs, laid out in a grid. The recreation ground was the estate's focal point and opened to the public in 1906, having been laid out for £4,475, the responsibility of Battersea Borough Council. It was not enclosed to the north until c.1918 when 26 more dwellings were added to the estate extending Reform Street.
Latchmere Estate's design was influenced by Garden City principles of town planning and remains a small scale oasis in the centre of the surrounding high-rise developments. The earlier houses had moulded window heads and projecting canopies over the entrances, with railings in front of narrow forecourts, but these railings were removed during WWII.
Latchmere Recreation Ground has a central playground with an area to the west that is largely tarmaced with two fine mature willows. A north-south path divides the recreation ground, with to the east a landscaped area with trees, shrubs and flower beds, including a pergola shelter of more recent date than the original layout. The perimeter has fine trees. Other planting in the estate included street trees, predominantly pollarded London plane trees.
The recreation ground was for a short time the location of a controversial drinking fountain with a statue of a Brown Dog donated by the Anti-vivisection Council. It commemorated a brown dog that had died in animal experimentation at University College London. The decision to erect it by Battersea Borough Council indicated the council's radical stance at that time. It was installed in a central position on the path through the gardens and was unveiled on 15 September 1906. It was removed in March 1910, having attracted a huge furore, and despite protests it never returned.
Latchmere Estate's design was influenced by Garden City principles of town planning and remains a small scale oasis in the centre of the surrounding high-rise developments. The earlier houses had moulded window heads and projecting canopies over the entrances, with railings in front of narrow forecourts, but these railings were removed during WWII.
Latchmere Recreation Ground has a central playground with an area to the west that is largely tarmaced with two fine mature willows. A north-south path divides the recreation ground, with to the east a landscaped area with trees, shrubs and flower beds, including a pergola shelter of more recent date than the original layout. The perimeter has fine trees. Other planting in the estate included street trees, predominantly pollarded London plane trees.
The recreation ground was for a short time the location of a controversial drinking fountain with a statue of a Brown Dog donated by the Anti-vivisection Council. It commemorated a brown dog that had died in animal experimentation at University College London. The decision to erect it by Battersea Borough Council indicated the council's radical stance at that time. It was installed in a central position on the path through the gardens and was unveiled on 15 September 1906. It was removed in March 1910, having attracted a huge furore, and despite protests it never returned.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ277763 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.8 |
| Site Ownership | LB Wandsworth |
| Site Management | Parks Service |
| Dates | 1906 |
| Designers | J T Pilditch, Battersea Borough Surveyor |
| 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 | Latchmere Estate |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| 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
Christchurch Gardens is the former burial ground of Christ Church and was laid out as a public garden in 1885. The original church was built in 1849 to serve Battersea's growing population, but was destroyed by bombing in 1944. Christchurch and St Stephen was rebuilt on the site in 1959. The triangular garden is surrounded by hedging and has original railings; a picturesque curved brick shelter provides seating and once had a bronze plaque commemorating local civilians who died in WWII. The garden has rose beds, lawn, and trees include horse chestnut and ornamental cherry.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Battersea Park is an early municipal park that opened to the public in 1854, the formal opening by Queen Victoria taking place in 1858. The park's original layout had a perimeter carriage drive, perimeter trees and shrubberies, grand tree-lined avenue, winding walks and a serpentine lake with Pulhamite rockwork. It was noted for its horticultural displays, particularly the Sub-tropical Garden supplied by plants grown in the park's greenhouses. There was a bandstand, bowling green and children's gymnasium, and on the east side an open grassed area for sports, now the Athletics Ground. Near this was an American Ground, now created as a nature reserve. A Woodland Walk was added in c.1904 and an Old English Garden in 1912. In 1951 15 hectares were laid out as the Festival Gardens for the Festival of Britain. Many of the park's C19th and C20th landscape features have been restored, funded principally through an HLF grant awarded in 1998, completed in 2004.
Battersea Park is an early municipal park that opened to the public in 1854, the formal opening by Queen Victoria taking place in 1858. The park's original layout had a perimeter carriage drive, perimeter trees and shrubberies, grand tree-lined avenue, winding walks and a serpentine lake with Pulhamite rockwork. It was noted for its horticultural displays, particularly the Sub-tropical Garden supplied by plants grown in the park's greenhouses. There was a bandstand, bowling green and children's gymnasium, and on the east side an open grassed area for sports, now the Athletics Ground. Near this was an American Ground, now created as a nature reserve. A Woodland Walk was added in c.1904 and an Old English Garden in 1912. In 1951 15 hectares were laid out as the Festival Gardens for the Festival of Britain. Many of the park's C19th and C20th landscape features have been restored, funded principally through an HLF grant awarded in 1998, completed in 2004.
St Philip's Church was built in the centre of St Philip Square as part of the Parktown Estate, a development laid out from 1865 onwards either side of Queenstown Road. St Philip Square was laid out in the early stages of the estate and surrounds the church on three sides. The church was built in 1870 in the centre of the square, set within a raised railed garden that is predominantly grass, with shrubs planted around the church, rose bed, seating and mature London plane trees.