Wimbledon Common

Wimbledon Common is a large open space in southwest London made up of three linked areas: Wimbledon Common, Putney Heath and Putney Lower Common. Together they cover 460 hectares of heathland, woodland and bog, separated from the built-up western edge of Putney by at least 1.6 kilometres. The Commons sit partly on London Clay, where mature mixed woodland grows, and partly on gravel soils that hold rare bog flora. They form the largest expanse of heathland in London and provide habitat for stag beetles and other protected species. The Commons are protected by the Wimbledon and Putney Commons Act of 1871, which prevents enclosure or building and keeps the land open for public recreation. Management is overseen by eight Conservators, five elected and three appointed, who work with a staff of rangers, keepers and conservation officers. The windmill near the centre was where Robert Baden-Powell wrote parts of Scouting for Boys in 1908. Two shallow pools, Kingsmere and Rushmere, lie on the higher ground, while Beverley Brook marks the historic boundary along the western edge. Paths cross the Commons, passing the Iron Age hill fort known as Caesar’s Camp, the remains of which include traces of Bronze Age settlement and Roman attack. The Plain was used as an air base in the First World War for model aircraft. Putney Heath holds an obelisk marking the Great Fire of London, a Grade II listed monument near Wildcroft Manor. Duels were once fought on the heath, including one between Prime Minister William Pitt and William Tierney in 1798.