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Description

Mitcham Greens are remnants of a series of village greens around the old village of Mitcham, which were part of Mitcham Common until 1924. They had been vested in the Board of Mitcham Common Conservators in 1891 and were taken over by Mitcham UDC following a private Act in 1923. Upper Green was the central green of the village of Upper Mitcham, which attracted industrial development due to its position on the Wandle River. A short row of lime trees on the south side may be remains of more extensive formal planting from the late C19th. Cricket Green includes the oldest cricket ground in the world where the game has been played every year since 1685.

Practical Information

Site location Upper Green West, Upper Green East, Commonside West, Cricket Green, London Road, Lower Green, Lower Green West
Postcode CR4 3ND
What3Words ///camp.miss.divisions
Type of Site Public Open Land
Borough Merton
Open to Public Yes
Opening Times unrestricted
Facilities Cricket on Cricket Green, football pitches on Cranmer Green
Public Transport Rail: Mitcham Junction. Bus: 200, 118, 280, 127, 264, 201, 270, 355. Tram: Mitcham
Research Updated 10 July 2025
Last Updated 18 October 2026

Full description

Mitcham Greens are remnants of a series of village greens around the old village of Mitcham, which were part of Mitcham Common until 1924. They had been vested in the Board of Mitcham Common Conservators in 1891 and were taken over by Mitcham UDC following a private Act in 1923, which allowed the UDC to buy from the Conservators the open spaces of Upper (or Fair) Green, Lower (or Cricket) Green, Figges Marsh, Three Kings Piece and Canons Piece. These open spaces were then referred to in this Act as the “Mitcham Greens”. The Greater London Council Commons Registration Act 1965 refers to Mitcham Common as exempt from registration, but does add the 'Town Greens' of Upper Green, Lower and Cricket Green, and Figges Marsh.

Fair Green (Upper Green) to the north has a clock tower of 1897. Upper Green was the central green of the village of Upper Mitcham, which attracted industrial development due to its position on the Wandle River. A short row of lime trees on the south side may be remains of more extensive formal planting from the late C19th. Re-landscaped in recent years, Fair Green is named for the Goose Fairs that were held here by Charter.

Three Kings Piece takes its name from the nearby Three Kings Pub. The Pond, which has a feature showing Three Kings, is the oldest of the ponds around Mitcham Common and was probably once a village pond, shown on a map of 1685 as Heatherdernderry Pond. Since WWI Three Kings Pond has had a concrete and brick surround.

Cranmer Green or Piece is a registered town green, and is located to the south of The Canons (q.v.). It takes its name from the Cranmer family, Lords of the Manor of Mitcham, who lived at The Canons from 1761-1843. Cranmer Green Pond is in the corner of Cranmer Green, and evidence from maps shows it dates from some time between 1717 and 1823. It was probably created to enable livestock to drink and its main source is via rainfall. In 1991 restoration took place by removing large quantities of silt and much of the vegetation. Much of Cranmer Green was declared a Local Nature Reserve in 2003.

Cricket Green (Lower Green) is the oldest cricket ground in the world, where the game has been played every year since 1685. On the green is the Ruff Memorial stone. Overlooking Cricket Green are Mary Tate's Almshouses (q.v.) built here in 1829 on the site of an C18th house owned by the donor's family. Another small green, Police Green is part of Cricket Green.

Lower Green West is separated by road from Cricket Green and includes Mitcham's Vestry Hall and the Grade II listed Mitcham War Memorial. A War Memorial for Mitcham's dead was first proposed in early 1919 and the original location chosen was the parish churchyard, but on Peace Day 19 July 1919 a temporary memorial was erected on Lower Green. The War Memorial Committee decided that the permanent memorial should be erected on Lower Green and 552 names were submitted. 5000 people attended the unveiling by Major General Sir Herbert Edward Watts on 21 November 1920. An additional panel was added to record those who died in World War II, and railings were erected around the memorial in c.1950. The memorial was restored in 1962.

Further Information

Grid Reference TQ275685
Site Ownership LB Merton
Site Management Leisure and Culture Services
Listed Structures LBII: Cricket Green: Elm Lodge, The White House, Chestnut Cottages, Obelisk at junction of Madeira Road; Tate Almshouses, Drinking Fountain & Horse Trough. Fair Green: Mitcham Clock Tower at Upper Green East. Lower Green West: War Memorial; Mitcham Parish Rooms, remains of Hall Place
On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens No
Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 Yes: Green (TVG4,7,8 Lower&Cricket/Upper/3 Kings)
Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 No
Local Authority Merton
In Conservation Area Yes
Conservation Area Name Mitcham Cricket Green
Tree Preservation Order Not known
Nature Conservation Area Yes - Local Importance (Cranmer/3 Kings Ponds)
Green Belt No
Metropolitan Open Land Yes
Special Policy Area Yes - Archaeological Priority Zone
Other LA Designation Public Open Space. Green Corridor. Local Nature Reserve (Cranmer Green)

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

  • Merton
  • 0.1 miles away
Mary Tate's Almshouses overlook Cricket Green and were established to accommodate 12 poor widows or spinsters of the parish of Mitcham. They were built in 1829 on the site of a large C18th house owned by Miss Mary Tate whose family had lived in Mitcham for over a century. Designed by architect J C Buckler, the single storey almshouses form 3 sides of a square around a communal front garden, and are constructed in stock brick with central and end gables. A memorial to 'Mrs Tate', 1821 by sculptor Sir Richard Westmacott is in St Peter and St Paul's Church. The rear garden area was originally provided for the use of residents, but later informally rented out as allotments. It now serves as a private green space.
Mary Tate's Almshouses, 2021. Photograph courtesy of Mitcham Cricket Green Community & Heritage.
  • Merton
  • 0.2 miles away
Glebe Court Estate was a post-war development by Mitcham Borough Council providing high quality social housing. It has been praised for its good landscaping, with green space on the road frontage as a buffer to the main road, and landscaped areas between and behind the buildings. The estate has long had an active Residents' Association, which in 1998 set up Glebe Court Management Organisation that continues to manage the estate, including gardening and caretaking. It has been active in a campaign against loss of trees on the estate. Glebe Square Estate, built by Mitcham Borough Council by 1956 on land to the west of Glebe Court Estate and providing 36 properties with a central green space, is also managed by Glebe Court Management Organisation.
Glebe Court, March 2021. Photograph courtesy of Mitcham Cricket Green Community & Heritage.
  • Merton
  • 0.3 miles away
The Canons was one of the Manors of Mitcham and the site of a grange farm of the Augustinian Canons of St Mary Overie, Southwark, who built the stone dovecote of c.1511 that stands in the gardens. The pond was formerly a fish pond for the priory and was later divided into two 'stew' ponds for carp breeding. It was enlarged and deepened in 1664 by City merchant Robert Cranmer, whose son John built the present house, which once housed Merton Heritage Centre. The property had been purchased in July 1939 by the Corporation of Mitcham intending to use the house as a community centre and the grounds for sports. After WWII the neglected grounds were laid out with perimeter paths, some of the historic features restored and recreational facilities provided. Further improvements were made to the grounds after 1965 when the new London Borough of Merton was created. A National Lottery grant was awarded in 2021/22 to restore the house and landscape.
The Canons, June 2021. Photograph courtesy of Mitcham Cricket Green Community & Heritage.