Description
The Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields is a substantial grassed sports facility that has been owned and managed by the Wimbledon and Putney Commons Conservators since 1925. In the north east corner is a circular hedged area at the centre of which is the War Memorial, an austere stone cross on a circular platform reached by short flights of steps. Around the cross the grass is mown, with a number of mown paths radiating to entrance points created by gaps in the perimeter hedge. The paths are flanked by avenues of trees; aside from the mown paths the grass is allowed to grow long and semi-natural. To the north-east are woodlands part of Putney Heath.
Practical Information
| Site location | Stag Lane, off Roehampton Vale |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SW15 |
| What3Words | ///save.define.maple |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Wandsworth |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted to War Memorial Gardens |
| Public Transport | Tube: Putney Bridge (District) then bus. Rail: Barnes then bus; Kingston then bus; Putney then bus. Bus: 265, 85. |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2005 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The inscription on the base of the cross provides the war memorial history: 'The land around - 42 acres - is dedicated to public use in memory of all those who having been resident or belonging to families resident in the adjoining districts gave their lives in the Great War 1914-1918', on another face is inscribed: 'Nature provides the best monument. The perfecting of the work must be left to the gentle hand of time but each returning spring will bring a fresh tribute to those whom it is desired to keep in everlasting remembrance.' If there were once names around the cross, they no longer exist. The landscaping of the Memorial Garden was designed by Madeline Agar, with Brenda Colvin Clerk of Works.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ219721 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 17 |
| Site Ownership | Wimbledon & Putney Commons Conservators |
| Site Management | Wimbledon & Putney Commons Conservators |
| Dates | c.1925 |
| Designers | Memorial Garden: Madeline Agar/Brenda Colvin |
| 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 | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Putney Vale Cemetery was established on former farmland in 1887 when Putney Cemetery was full. The cemetery was laid out by Wandsworth Borough Council Surveyor, who also designed the cemetery chapels and lodge. Planting was carried out by J Melady & Sons of Barnes. It opened in 1891 and was later extended in 1909 and 1912. One of the chapels was converted to a Crematorium in 1938 by E J Elford, who also designed the Garden of Remembrance, laid out in 1935-38. The SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society) memorial garden was created 1996. The catacomb range was built in 2003.
Putney Vale Cemetery was established on former farmland in 1887 when Putney Cemetery was full. The cemetery was laid out by Wandsworth Borough Council Surveyor, who also designed the cemetery chapels and lodge. Planting was carried out by J Melady & Sons of Barnes. It opened in 1891 and was later extended in 1909 and 1912. One of the chapels was converted to a Crematorium in 1938 by E J Elford, who also designed the Garden of Remembrance, laid out in 1935-38. The SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society) memorial garden was created 1996. The catacomb range was built in 2003.
St John the Baptist Church was built at the top of Kingston Hill in Kingston Vale in 1861, a small church with picturesque bellcote, at that time surrounded largely by fields. The Vicar of Kingston, Revd Samuel Gandy, was instrumental in a number of new churches being built within Kingston parish to provide for the growing population. Due to the proximity to White Lodge in Richmond Park the church had many connections with the royal family and it was here that the future George V's engagement to Mary of Teck was witnessed. Now situated among housing, the church is surrounded by a hedged garden with a number of fine conifers and shrubs, and in the churchyard is a war memorial.
Dorich House was built for Estonian sculptor Dora Gordine and her husband Richard Hare, a diplomat and authority on Russian culture. The plot of land adjacent to Richmond Park was formerly owned by the Duke of Cambridge, the site of 2 orchards. Their garden had lawns, rose beds, shrubbery and trees, some of which remain from the Hares' time, including a mulberry and fruit trees that predate their occupancy. Dora outlived her husband and remained here until her death in 1991. Her executors gifted the house and its contents to Kingston University and the house was subsequently renovated and the grounds remodelled. The house became Dorich House Museum in 2004 and is an important part of Kingston University's research facilities.