Friends of Wandsworth Common

The Lawn Bowls season is in full swing on the green.

Give it a try and help preserve the last public bowling green in Wandsworth.

Social bowls sessions organised by Friends of Wandsworth Common Friday evenings 5.30 to 7.30. Basic tuition provided, no previous knowledge required. Play with whoever turns up. Refreshments available for a small donation.
What’s not to like!!

Bookings at other times through on a ‘pay and play’ basis

In March, we unveiled a Wandsworth green plaque to Doreen Evans, a leading local racing driver based in the Bellevue garage, just the other side of Althorp Road.

Doreen’s racing career was short, starting in 1933 at the age of 17, as soon as she got her driving license, and ending in 1936. But it was no less prestigious for that - with many notable 1sts on the circuit with record breaking speeds and times.

During the Brookland’s International trophy, her car suddenly caught fire, leading to a crash on the Member’s banking. She managed to slow the vehicle enough to leap out with only minor injuries, though her car was a writeoff.

The garage on Bellevue Road was an MG outlet, and these were the cars she drove.

Her MG N-type, registration BLL 492, was one of the most famous custom MGs ever made.

After marrying she moved to the US and became a pilot!

Her MG N-type, after being off the road for several years, finally followed her, when it was bought and restored by Brenda Benzar, who now displays it at MG meets in the US

We recently held our annual quiz night, hosted again by local comedian, author and broadcaster Jason Hazeley.

This year we broadened the theme to include all of Wandsworth. The back room of the Althorp was packed.

Feedback suggested some of the questions were quite challenging but everyone enjoyed it, with the Battersea Society team carrying off the prize hamper.

We’ve already started compiling next year‘s questions. Join the Friends for more information.

We held a walk to mark the arrival of the fourth of our Heritage Information Boards on the Common. The walk started on North side, near the edge of the former Black Sea lake, then moved to Skylark, the side of the old Neil‘s farm buildings, then over to the Three Island pond, the oldest surviving heritage feature on the Common, and ended back on the Scope, where the former Craig telescope once stood.

We will hold further walks based on the boards later in the year.

Find out more about the history of Wandsworth Common and our Heritage group on our website or from [email protected]

Join our Heritage group to find out more about how the Common and its surrounds used to be.

This year we’ve had talks on the Falcon Brook - the river that still runs under Northcote Road on the way to the Thames, and used to flow through the extensive back gardens of the imposing ‘5 houses’ on Bolingbroke Grove.

We also learned how Clapham Junction came to built and the battles over its name and the routing of the various lines that converge on it.

We’re also working on a project to capture the Common’s most recent history - since the 1960s. The picture shows one of the many trees lost during the Great Storm of 1987, this one outside Skylark.

We have a meeting on April 14th 6pm.

And in May we’ll have a talk and a walk to uncover how Bellevue Road has changed over the years. Who knew that ChezBruce used to be a butchers?

You can also catch all our talks on our website and join the Friends to find out more

🌿 Deep Dive Weekend Woodland Litter Pick | Wandsworth Common 🌿

This weekend we held our first ‘Deep Dive’ woodland litter pick of the year, meeting at our litter cupboard near the Skylark Café. Despite wet and wintry weather, a dozen brilliant volunteers still turned up — proof that community mindedness doesn’t stop for a bit of rain.

Our Deep Dive picks are timed for the winter with vegetation dying back and birds and other creatures not yet nesting. It’s the ideal moment to reach hidden litter that would otherwise quietly impact habitats all year.
Everything is sorted into recyclables (mainly cans & bottles) and the rest, so helping the environment as well as the Common’s biodiversity.

💚 Why it matters
• Litter removal protects wildlife and improves soil and water health
• Cleaner green spaces support stronger, healthier communities
Recycling keeps rubbish going to incineration
• Studies show community litter picks increase local pride and long-term stewardship of shared spaces

🧤 Good to know
• All litter-picking equipment is provided
• No experience needed — just time, care and sensible clothing

If you’d like to join future litter picks, email
📩 [email protected]
You’ll receive health & safety guidance and updates on upcoming sessions.

Weekly sessions Mondays at 11am
Weekends monthly - next in February

Many hands make light work — and a cleaner, healthier Common for everyone

Thanks to all our litter pick leads and especially new weekend litter pick lead Lou

Happy Halloween
🦆🎃👻🦇

Philip Boys, our local expert on anything and everything to do with Wandsworth Common heritage matters, had been wanting to do a ‘walkie-talkie’ - a heritage stroll around different parts of the Common, with time to tell stories and relate things of interest - for some time. So we’re pleased we were finally able to host him to do a walk around the main lake.

He began with a history of the lake; it’s beginnings as a rather unprepossessing gravel pit; the campaign for its clean up and extension as a place for strolling, though not without opposition; the addition of features like the rustic bridge, eventually replaced with the current stone bridge; what people did there - not all of it good!! - completing his tour with a moving story behind the two memorial benches which overlook the lake near the railway fence, and the families they commemorate.

What is startling is how much more attractive the lake is today compared to the rather bleak, concrete-banked lake depicted on old postcards. We’re looking forward to Philip’s next walkie-talkie.

Amazing tree walk with on Saturday.

A return visit for him with always something new to find.

Much excitement with the potential ID of two Persian maples - easily mistaken for sycamore.

Other unusual specimens included raywood ash, manna ash, black walnut, weeping white mulberry and Japanese pagoda tree.

Huge interest in our local Common’s arboriculture and the observations of an expert from

Lovely to see Caroline entering jnto the spirit of our dog show on Sunday with her window display of canine paintings 🐕🦮🐩🐕‍🦺🐶

Plenty of time for window shopping before and after the show.