- Morden Park
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Coordinates: 51°23′37″N 0°12′19″W / 51.3936°N 0.2052°W
Morden Park 
Morden Park
Morden Park shown within Greater LondonOS grid reference TQ248676 London borough Merton Ceremonial county Greater London Region London Country England Sovereign state United Kingdom Post town MORDEN Postcode district SM4 Dialling code 020 Police Metropolitan Fire London Ambulance London EU Parliament London UK Parliament Wimbledon Mitcham and Morden London Assembly Merton and Wandsworth List of places: UK • England • London Morden Park is an area within the district of Morden in the London Borough of Merton, and includes the Park itself, an area of green space in an otherwise dense cluster of 1930s suburban housing.
The present park and sports fields between Hillcross Avenue, London Road/Epsom Road and Lower Morden Lane are owned and managed by the London Borough of Merton parks department and cover land that previously formed the grounds of Morden Park House, a small 18th century country estate (not to be confused with Morden Hall Park, the National Trust property close to Morden town centre).
Morden Park House
The estate comprised enclosed parkland, a small Georgian country house built at the top of the hill in the 1770s for merchant and distiller John Ewart with attached landscaped gardens and a farm called Morden Park Farm. By the mid 1780s the estate was in the possession of the Polhill Family.[1] One member of the family, Edward Polhill, bequeathed £1,000 in 1826 to the parish church for the benefit of the Sunday school.[2]
Between the 1880s[3] and the 1910s the estate was occupied by banker John Wormald.[2]
At the bottom of the hill in the direction of Lower Morden runs the Beverley Brook a minor tributary of the Thames.
In the park, surrounded by trees, is a large circular mound. This has been identified as a possible burial mound from the Iron Age, Roman or Saxon periods. Archaeological investigations were carried out in the 1950s although no conclusive proof as to its date or purpose were found.English Heritage believes that the earthwork was remodelled at some time into a belvedere, or viewing platform, with a spiral path to ascend it. Between 1960 and the mid-1990s a cycle speedway track sat alongside the mound, which was home to Morden Cycle Speedway Club. The track has since been demolished but it's still possible to find signs of the track's existence. A local Aero Modelling Club used the area South of the Mound on Sunday Mornings for flying practice.
Morden Park House remains and, after many years of neglect and semi-dereliction, has recently been restored and is now the local register office and a venue for wedding ceremonies.
The entrance to the Park, from London Road is now dominated by Merton Technical College. This was built on the site of a Pig Farm which was destroyed by fire at some point in the late 40's or early 50's. The derelict sty's remained in place for some years until the early 60's when clearing began for the College. During this period many bones of, presumably pigs killed by the fire, could be found amongst the rubble. Children from the Council Estate opposite the entrance,(Hatfeild Mead) used this area as a adventure playground for many years. At this period a Gatehouse (occupied until its demolition in the 60's) was prominent att he entry.
Facilities in Morden Park include a pitch and putt golf course and Morden Park Swimming Pool which was opened in the late 1967 on the site of the old house's gardens.
Merton College is adjacent to the park and occupies the former site of the farm.
Morden Park also hosts the annual Morden Park Holiday Club event for Children to attend for a week during their Summer Holidays from School. This event is organised by the Churches in the surrounding area.
Contents
Maps
A map of Morden Park from the 1920s
A map of Morden Park from 1944Proposed sale/conversion
Merton Council has proposed to allow “Goals Soccer Centres”, to build 10 five-a-side football pitches, 4 seven-a-side football pitches, 1 full-size football pitch, 2 multi-sport areas, and 2 full-size grass football pitches, a car park (with a capacity for up to 99 cars) and a clubhouse with a licensed bar on part of the park. Apart from the 2 full-size grass pitches, all the pitches would have artificial surfaces and floodlighting and be available only for a fee. When full there would be more than 300 people playing at any one time and at hand-over times between games there may be as many as 600 people on the playing fields, and more in the licensed bar.[4]
250 people campaigned for a "protest picnic" at Morden Park on Sunday 26 November 2008, to show their support for a campaign to save the park from being sold off for commercial development to Goals. Local residents joined with members of the Baitul Futuh mosque to discuss how they could work together to save the field. There were large football and cricket games organised and some colourful arts and crafts activities.
Kids want to Save Morden Park
A poster to Save Morden Park"
Locals, Save Morden Park"Merton Council's decision revoked
Text from 9 November 2009's Cabinet Meeting:
"...Agrees to revoke the Cabinet decision of 21 January 2008 to dispose of Site A Morden Park Playing Fields to Goals Soccer Centres Plc on a lease agreement"[5]
In essence, this decision means it is back to the drawing board for Merton Council in terms of developing and proposing a new plan that will meet the majority of residents needs and approval.
Related news article in "Your Local Guardian": [6]
References
- ^ Motco.com 15 Miles Round London (First edition), J Cary, 1786, Morden
- ^ a b British History Online
- ^ 1881 Census
- ^ From the Campaign website: http://www.mordenpark.org.uk/our_cause.htm
- ^ Cabinet Committee Meeting Document http://www.merton.gov.uk/democratic_services/ds-agendas/ds-fpreports/833.pdf
- ^ News article http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/archive/2009/11/30/news_wimbledon/4761303._Victory_for_local_democracy__as_Morden_Park_football_plans_dropped/
External links
- Morden Park Pool
- Merton College
- Morden Park Wood on the VisitWoods website
- Save Morden Park A Campaign by local residents to "Save Morden Park", as Merton Council is about to lease the land off to a private company for a financial benefit! This Campaign has been running since May 2008 and has a wide support , including many local Councillors.
London Borough of Merton Districts Colliers Wood · Lower Morden · Merton Park · Mitcham · Morden · Morden Park · Motspur Park · Raynes Park · St Helier · South Wimbledon · West Barnes · Wimbledon · Wimbledon Park
Attractions Constituencies Other topics People · Public art · SchoolsParks and open spaces in Merton Parks and open spaces by London borough Barking and Dagenham · Barnet · Bexley · Brent · Bromley · Camden · Croydon · Ealing · Enfield · Greenwich · Hackney · Hammersmith and Fulham · Haringey · Harrow · Havering · Hillingdon · Hounslow · Islington · Kensington and Chelsea · Kingston · Lambeth · Lewisham · Merton · Newham · Redbridge · Richmond · Southwark · Sutton · Tower Hamlets · Waltham Forest · Wandsworth · Westminster
Categories:- Districts of London
- Districts of Merton
- Parks and open spaces in Merton
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