History of our Neighbourhood

There is a very fascinating and detailed book on the history of Wimbledon Park written by former long term resident, Bernard Rondeau, titled "Wimbledon Park, from Private Park to Residential Suburb", Roebuck Print Shop 1995. Wimbledon Park was originally part of Earl Spencers estate, prior to being sold for development. 

Most of the Wimbledon Park grid houses were completed by 1907. Our particular houses, in The Crescent and Crescent Gardens were completed in 1907/1908. The builders were George Ryan and Henry Penfold, who lived in Home Park Road during the development of the grid. The flats in Bentley Close, which had earlier been a tennis court, were built in 1966.  A new set of seven terraces in The Crescent is being completed in 2020 as part of the redevelopment of the Woodman site.

Wimbledon Park railway station was built in 1889. The last steam passenger train was run in 1938, although electric trains commenced in 1905.



Although many of the shops in Arthur Road have changed use over the years, a number have been in the same use for over 100 years. These include Ryan and Penfolds estate agency office (now Burlingtons); the chemist (now D Parry Pharmicists), the butchers (now closed), and wine merchants (also now closed, although The Park Vintners has opened opposite). The Co-op has been in Arthur Road since 1928.



There was a Woodman pub in Durnsford Road long before the development of Wimbledon Park as a residential area. The "new" Woodman was built around 1898 and so is older than any of our houses. It closed in 2017, but has reopened as part of redevelopment of the site.  When Wimbledon Park was developed for housing, the Temperance movement was quite strong, and all of the properties contained covenants against running a public house on the premises.