Description
Moormead and Bandy Recreation Ground was created on former wasteland. There were proposals that lands here should become a public recreation ground from 1885, although there was some controversy about this in ensuing years as the land was vested in different owners. In February 1893 editorial in the local paper advocated a recreation ground here as being financially, physically and morally desirable and by 1898 the pleasure ground at Bandy Close and Moor Mead is listed among Twickenham UDC's facilities.
Practical Information
| Site location | Moormead Road, Cole Park, St Margarets |
|---|---|
| Postcode | TW1 1JS |
| What3Words | ///pies.horn.cable |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Richmond |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Playground, football pitches, tennis courts, cricket pitches (leased to clubs) |
| Public Transport | Rail: St Margaret's/Twickenham. Bus: H37, 267 |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Moormead and Bandy Recreation Ground has the atmosphere of a village green and since 1979 has been the site of the annual St Margaret's Fair. The land north of the railway line at Bandy Close was vested in the Parochial Schools whose trustees were agreeable to selling the land for the purposes of a public recreation ground for £450. Moor Mead was partly freehold and partly copyland land; before creating the recreation ground the stream (the river Crane) needed to be diverted to the west side and a right of way created. In February 1893 the editorial in the local paper advocated a recreation ground here as being financially desirable (it would increase the rateable value of land here), physically desirable by providing a 'place for healthy exercise and promotion of clean lives' and morally desirable 'by supplying the means of innocent recreation to counteract evil influences which are always too plentiful, and by inducing that healthfulness of body which has so much to do with a healthy moral condition'. By 1898 the pleasure ground at Bandy Close and Moor Mead is listed in Twickenham Urban District Council's Bylaws governing pleasure grounds.
The park is part of River Crane Walk, the Crane running along the western boundary of the park. The park has a C20th pavilion and sports fields; in 1985 Crossbats Cricket Club took a three year lease on use of the park, rent-free in recognition of their proposal to improve the wicket there. Moormead Bridge over the river Crane is in the north west of the park and dates from 1902, with a new plaque erected by the Cole Park Residents Association to celebrate Twickenham Week in May 1981.
The park is part of River Crane Walk, the Crane running along the western boundary of the park. The park has a C20th pavilion and sports fields; in 1985 Crossbats Cricket Club took a three year lease on use of the park, rent-free in recognition of their proposal to improve the wicket there. Moormead Bridge over the river Crane is in the north west of the park and dates from 1902, with a new plaque erected by the Cole Park Residents Association to celebrate Twickenham Week in May 1981.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ164740 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 4.64 |
| Site Ownership | LB Richmond |
| Site Management | Environment Planning & Review, Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | 1890s |
| 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 | Richmond |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
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* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
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The Manor of York was the property of the Crown from Henry VIII's reign and the land leased out from the mid C17th-mid C19th. York House was built in the C17th and by 1661 was one of the largest houses in Twickenham. Over the years it had various illustrious tenants. For a time part of its grounds were detached, but it was reassembled by James Whitchurch in 1746 since when the boundaries have remained virtually unchanged. By early C19th the grounds included a paddock, formal kitchen garden, lawn with gravelled terrace walk, an elm grove with serpentine walks, a small formal garden and many additional buildings and outhouses. When Indian industrialist Sir Ratan Tata bought the house in 1906 he substantially altered the gardens, including a sunken garden near the house and, near the river, a hedged formal garden with a substantial fountain of large female figures, and a Japanese garden. In 1924 York House was acquired by Twickenham UDC and converted for council use, the gardens becoming public open space in perpetuity.
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