Description
Spencer Park was built on land that was formerly part of Wandsworth Common and the remains of more extensive commonland, part of the wastes of the Manor of Battersea and Wandsworth. After vigorous protests by local people to preserve the common from further encroachment, Earl Spencer, Lord of the Manor, agreed to transfer most of the common to the Common Defence Committee that had been established, excluding the area that became Spencer Park, named after him. By the late 1870s the development of Spencer Park was underway with houses overlooking the common and an enclosed private park formally laid out with grass, paths and trees.
Practical Information
| Site location | Spencer Park |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SW18 |
| What3Words | ///into.adults.kept |
| Type of Site | Housing/Estate Landscaping |
| Borough | Wandsworth |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Rail: Wandsworth Town. Rail/London Overground: Clapham Junction. |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2005 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
By the C19th Wandsworth Common had been sub-divided by the railway and encroached upon by building as London was developed, with some 53 enclosures between 1794 and 1866. Attempts by local people to preserve Wandsworth Common against further encroachment began in earnest in 1868 when appeals were made to the Metropolitan Board of Works to take over responsibility for the land, following the Metropolitan Commons Act of 1866, but this was initially unsuccessful. In 1870 a Common Defence Committee was set up, later to become the Wandsworth Common Preservation Society. Action was taken in April to try and keep Plough Green open and in the months that followed, fund-raising efforts and lobbying of support accelerated. Eventually Earl Spencer, Lord of the Manor, agreed to transfer most of the common to the Defence Committee excluding the area that later became Spencer Park.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ267747 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.6 |
| Site Ownership | private |
| Dates | c.1880 |
| 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 | Wandsworth Common |
| Tree Preservation Order | Yes (various) |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| 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
The Royal Victoria Patriotic Building was a school for the orphaned children of servicemen in the Crimean War, designed by architect Major Rhode Hawkins and built in 1857-59. It was on land enclosed from Wandsworth Common purchased through patriotic funds in 1854; Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone in 1857. It was later put to various uses, including a hospital, school but closed in 1974. It was restored in the 1980s. To the north of the main front of the RVPB is an area of public open space with lawns and some planting of shrubs, with paths and seating. A footpath leads from here through an area of woodland to Trinity Road.
St Mary's Cemetery opened in 1860, set up by St Mary's Burial Board in an area that was once part of Wandsworth Common. An L-shaped site, the cemetery was laid out on a grid pattern and still has its original cast iron entrance gates and brick gate piers, the gates decorated with religious motifs. The entrance lodge has been rebuilt but the small Gothic chapels remain, with porte-cochère between.
The Huguenot Burial Ground opened in c.1687 as the burial ground for the French Church, which was located opposite Wandsworth parish church of All Saints. The burial ground was used by the Huguenot refugees who settled in Wandsworth during the C16th and C17th, fleeing France after the Edict of Nantes in 1685. The burial ground later became know as Mount Nod; it was enlarged in 1700 and again in 1735. It was closed for burial in 1854 and in 1896 Mrs Basil Holmes describes it as 'closed and fairly tidy'. It later reopened as a public garden, and contains a number of historic monuments.
