Description
Practical Information
| Site location | Recreation Way, Mitcham |
|---|---|
| Postcode | CR4 1XB |
| What3Words | ///holly.loses.rivers |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Merton |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | play area, skate park, outdoor gym |
| Public Transport | Rail: Norbury. Bus: 152 |
| Research Updated | 28 August 2025 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The history of the area around Pollards Hill may date back to prehistoric and Roman times, with the discovery of Roman coins here. The name may originate from the practice of pollarding during the medieval period, when the woodland was within the Great North Wood. In the C13th 'Pollards Hill' is referred to in a survey of the Manor of Benchesam. Pollards Hill appears on C19th OS maps, with Pollardshill Farm and the large area of woodland, Pollardshill Wood, marked on the OS maps 25 ins to the mile, First and Second Editions (Surrey XIV.1) with the surrounding area largely rural, apart from ribbon development on London Road. The distinctive serpentine layout of the roads, Pollards Hill North and Pollards Hill South, is marked on the 1898 OS Map, and remain largely intact today. By 1910/11 the area that was later the site of the 1960s Pollards Hill Housing Estate (q.v.) is marked as fields and sports grounds, with a Tooting Bec Golf Course marked on Pollardshill Wood, later the site of Pollards Hill Recreation Ground - see OS Map 25 ins to the mile, published 1912 (Surrey XIV.1).
In 1913 Sir Frederick Edridge, Mayor of Croydon, donated the hill to Croydon Council, and development in the area began to take place. In the later OS 25 ins Map published 1934 Tooting Bec Golf Course has disappeared and another golf course, Pollards Hill Golf Course, is marked to the south of the sports grounds and tennis courts. The use for recreation here remained the case post WWII, but by 1952 Recreation Road had been laid out, and housing had been built to the south over the former fields and sports grounds (TQ3068NW-A and -B). By 1971 the OS shows the new Pollards Hill Estate built over the earlier housing (TQ3068NW-A and -B) and Pollards Hill Recreation Ground laid out in its current configuration north of Recreation Road, abutting school grounds to the west. The path leading up Pollards Hill provides good views.
The recreation ground has a woodland area, and facilities include a play area, outdoor gym and skate park. In 2025, a new scooter park was added to the park's facilities, provided by Merton Council at a cost of £180,000 and officially opened by the Mayor of Merton and other dignitaries, along with more than 200 children and families.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ300686 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 3.24 |
| Site Ownership | LB Merton |
| Site Management | Leisure and Culture Services |
| Dates | 1960s |
| 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 | Merton |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Other LA Designation | Public 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.
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