The 'Friends' thought it might be a good idea to include some history about Sutton Common Recreation Ground (now Park) on our Website . This is a fairly light-hearted look at some of the recorded information, events, and memories of residents who live in the surrounding roads.
The first noteworthy comment about the park when talking to local residents is that
"It has always been there"
"Its so much part of everyday life that we look on the Park as ours, we walk through it, take children there to play, expect to hear (and sometimes object to) the noise of football"
and
"years ago there was ice-cream and teas for sale in the 'pavilion', and annual fetes, and cricket matches".
The second is the 1815 Sutton Parish map - Plot marked 'Churchwardens and Overseers of Sutton Parish'which coincides (other than land sold for houses in Sutton Common Road ) with the present Recreation Ground - but it was not possible to obtain a copy of the map. The following is from a freehand sketch superimposed on the 1913 Ordnance Survey map. The Sutton Local Studies people indicated that this land was part of 'the common'. Much of the surrounding land was marked 'Thomas Hatch Estate'.
The 1598/1601 Elizabethan Poor Law provided for a compulsory poor rate, 'Overseers of relief', with the Parish as the basic unit of Administration
At various times, including in Council Minutes, the park was known as 'Glebe' land
The dictionary describes ' glebe' as 'a piece of land yielding revenue to benefice'. Maps around 1850 and the Land Utilisation map of 1930 showed the land around this area as 'arable', and in 1842 the Parliamentary Gazette entry included:-
Chapter 1 p14 'Sutton Common Road in the Diocese of Winchester'
Tythe Map, 'Field No 27' (coincided with site of SCRG plus houses in SC Rd )
'Owner: Rector and Church Warden' (possibly the old St Nicholas)
'Occupier: the name of the occupier
'Arable: 18 Acres 0 Roods 8 Perches' and
'Tythe Payable: £5.18' (shillings).
Charles B Marshall's 'History of Sutton and Cheam' (1936) included on p101 under
'Open Spaces', 'Recreation Grounds' - 'Glebe Land' - Sutton Common Road (16 Acres), and under 'Earlier memorabilia' refers to 'Sutton, a parish in the Hundred of Wallington, Union of Epsom, a Rectory in the Arch Dioc. of Surrey and Dioc of Winchester'.
Other interesting information about the area surrounding the park includes
Robert P Smith's 'A History of Sutton ad 675-1960 under 'various items of interest'
Chapter IV p23 refers to 'Stone-cot Hill (the old Stane Street )' and that 'Sutton Common Road' existed in 1800.
1866 and 1895 Maps
Stonecot House is recorded on the 1866 map (on the corner where The Woodstock is now) (but on the 1895 map although the house still existed, the map showed only 'Woodstock' .
The 1866 map site of Sutton Common Road Recreation Ground was plot 31 (including the lower field reaching down to where Rutland Drive is now) but in 1895 was plot 252 (18.494 acres). Elm Farm was on the corner of Forest Road .
1926/7
In September 1926 the Sutton UDC Finance and Parliamentary Committee recommended a definitive offer of £4000 for the land now known as Sutton Common Recreation Ground
Legal Documents The deeds of this plot of land make very interesting reading, but it is not possible here to do other than pick out just a few of the more interesting items, including when and how the Urban District Council of Sutton purchased the site.
The Charity 'Poor's Land (Non-Ecclesiastical)' land
Charities in the Ancient parish of Sutton including a Charity known as 'Poor's land' were to be known as 'Non-ecclesiastical Charities'. The Charity was administered by 10 Trustees, including the Rectors of St Nicholas Sutton and All Saints Benhilton, persons residing or carrying on business in or near the Ancient Parish of Sutton, and representative Trustees appointed by the Urban District Council of Sutton.
The Trustees were to let/manage lands subject to the provisions of the Allotments Extension Act 1882 - land on Sutton Common - gross yearly income £17 14s 9d.
Established as 'Poor's Land Charity Scheme' on 4 July 1905 (under 1901 Act) it set out the heads under which income from the Charities might be spent.
The title confirmed 700ft (or thereabouts) on the north side of Sutton Common Road containing 18 ½ acres and numbered 252 on the 1913 OS Map.
The Charity was regulated by schemes of the Charities Commissioners of 31 August 1901 and 4 July 1905 related to The Charitable Trusts Acts 1853 to 1925, and the decision by the Trustees to sell for not less than £4000 was signed on 31 December 1926
February 1927 (SUDC Council Minutes) The consent of the Ministry of Health to the borrowing by the Council of £4000 for the purchase of this land, an application would be made to the Public Works Loan Board to lend the Council the money, to be repaid in 30 years.
The Contract dated 22 April 1927 between Trustees of the non-ecclesiastical Charities in the Ancient Parish of Sutton and The Sutton Urban District Council to sell and to buy for the sum of Four thousand pounds included reference to the sanction of the Ministry of Health to borrowing and the receipt of the money on loan from the Public Works Loan Board.
The property was to be sold subject to a 'Tithe Rent Charge' of Four guineas per annum payable to the Rector of Sutton, with about 16 acres let out on agricultural tenancies. The property was sold subject to the rights of the public to pass and repass across and over by two public footpaths. The rent of the tenancies was at the Rate of £3 per acre per annum.
Conveyance dated 23 August 1927 again refers to the 'rights of the public to pass and repass over the two footpaths (ie from now Rutland Drive towards the then Love Lane, and from now Elm Road West to now Morden Way) subject to such parts of the existing agricultural tenancies.
Later endorsements (difficult to read) related inter-alia to London Electricity Board sub station, and to 2.25 acres fronting Sutton Common Road
Extracts from Sutton & Cheam Council and Council Committee minutes
May 1927 - GPC considered acquisition of certain lands in the northern part of the town for use as open spaces and resolved the Clerk and Surveyor take immediate steps to enable the Council to pass the necessary resolution under the Town Planning Act.
October 1927 - application to M of Transport to raise classification of Sutton Common Road
January 1930 - reference to 'town' road to link Elm Road 'West' with Elm Road 'East' (now Romany Gardens)
January 1931 - decision to terminate 'allotment' tenancies - (still pursuing in March 1933)
February 1930 - an offer was made to buy, and in May 1930 a decision is recorded that 'Glebeland' was not for sale.
June 1932 - Tender accepted for 'levelling, drainage, and grass sowing (16 acres) (£300.15)' (Note - the change from 18 plus to 16 acres coincides with the land sold for houses fronting Sutton Common Road .)
- Entrance to 'Glebeland' from 'SCR reserved' when land fronting SCR sold
- SC & District Residents Association sought lease of land and erection of building
May 1933 - purchase of 'swings, rocking horses, and light swings' approved for 'Glebeland '
June 1933 - site considered for 'children's playground' and 'development of land between Elm Road (s) West and East for games'
June 1933 - Merton & Morden asked for 'contribution in respect of benefits to residents in that area'
Sept 1933 - complaints by residents of noise by children using swings - notices 'for use by children not exceeding 14 years of age' to be introduced - purchase of 'gates' authorised.
New path and fencing 1935 (photo: Geoff Kingate)
Piles Street Directory (1935 edition) mentions 'Entrance to Recreation Ground'
Pavilion costing £109 referred to in letter dated May 1936
Surrounding property
Houses were built in eg The Close in 1928 and in Hartland Way between 1930 and 1932.
'Soon after 1933 (see PS article at Appendix A), the area began to be developed. Stonecot House was demolished, houses were built opposite ours (in Sutton Common Road), Woodstock Rise, Chatham Close, Hilltop and the Woodstock public house was built. Then the many other developments the other side of Stonecot Hill were started and so the area became part of suburbia'.
Morden Way (unmade) 1935
Memories
Sutton Common 1933 - remembered
The 'Friends' first newsletter contained a delightful article by the late Peter Scott (a founder member) and this is reproduced at Appendix A. Peter wrote
'My first sights, when we arrived, were a nice back garden with fields behind (later the Recreation Ground). My excitement growing when I saw my first cows being walked from a farm in lower Morden Lane to be milked at a dairy in the shops by Forest Road'.
Ralph and Joyce write
Our memories from 1953 (when we moved to Hartland Way - a tree-lined road with a delightful well kept park), were made more vivid from the late 50's by the weekend football in the park area between Elm Road West and the pavilion. Starting early Saturday morning until mid afternoon - and again on Sundays - the 'game' commenced with the youngsters and with the older boys joining in until there were often more than 20 a side. Coats formed goalposts and the boys joined whichever side needed players. A large contingent came from around Hartland Way - there were some 24 children in Hartland Way alone.
The 'pavilion' was open at weekends and during afternoons for the sale of ice-creams and refreshments, three football pitches were in frequent use (one in the field joining Rutland Drive - now often referred to as 'the Paddock), and cricket at weekends in the summer. With three park-keepers - (including Nobby Clark, a favorite with our elder son), there was always one on duty to collect money for the tennis courts, and the grounds were always well tended; and there were huts for the park equipment and for the goalposts. The pitch and putt opposite the tennis courts was eventually used for additional car parking. Seems a bit odd, but the cricket boundary was eased to make way for the children's play area - but then cricket was too dangerous for other park users including the children.
We recall the air ambulance landing in the corner of the park in 1991 (a resident of Elm Road West had fallen through a garage roof) and that the pavilion and park-keepers huts were set on fire at least 3 times.
Air Ambulance in the park - 1991
Doris Oughton , who was for a time Secretary to the Sutton Common Horticultural and Allotment Society , produced newspaper cuttings around 1960/62, including photos, of the fete held on the Recreation Ground.
The Society held this major Summer fete each year on August Bank-holiday Monday, from the early 50's onwards, which was usually opened by the Mayor of Sutton. Apart from the usual activities including baby show, children's fancy dress, flower show, dog obedience, handicrafts, cookery, and pottery, there was for many years a model train ride.
Model train rides - Summer Fete 1961
Geoff Kingate produced a photo of himself when about 2 years old which shows the new path and fencing on the Morden Way end of the park. He recalls about the war years when boys played football alongside the fence bordering on Morden Way and that from 1939 the park was planted and left to hay. There was a footpath from Elm Road West to the Sutton Common Road entrance - and boys would tie cottons across the footpath and hide in the hay to see passers by covered in cotton and hay. He also recalls the football and cricket, including the pitches in the lower field.
There was a land-mine in the lower field in 1942 - some 25ft in from the back of the houses in Morden Way ,which fortunately didn't explode, and that there was a British Restaurant in a temporary building on a bombed site in Sutton Common Road almost opposite the entrance to the park. He and his wife recall the Summer Fetes held in the park from the late 40s/early 50s.
A keen photographer, he showed us a cine film of the fire which burnt down the Pavilion in 1976 and has provided a couple of 'stills' for our record.
 
He also provided the photo of Morden Way (unmade) in 1935.
It would be impossible to mention all who have helped with information, but thanks are due to:-
Sutton Library Local Studies help in searching maps, books, Council Minutes
Sutton Council Parks and Legal people
Southwark Local Studies Library
Eileen Scott (for Peter's article)
Geoff Kingate
Doris Oughton (Sutton Common Horticultural Society - former Secretary)
Ken Haagman
Pam Green who helped proof-read this article
Ref: FoSCRG 'History' October 2007 (Ralph Bunnage)
Appendix A
Sutton Common 1933 - remembered
I remember 1933 as the year we moved from a flat in Balham to a new semi detached house in Sutton Common Road . I can still see my mother's excitement at having a kitchenette, (so called by the Estate Agent) instead of a scullery and a real bathroom instead of the tin bath in the flat.
My first sights, when we arrived, were a nice back garden with fields behind (later the Recreation Ground). My excitement growing when I saw my first cows being walked from a farm in lower Morden Lane to be milked at a dairy in the shops by Forest Road. 
I thought I was in paradise.
During the next few days we explored the area and opposite our house was a very large garden stretching from Gillian Park Road to Stonecot Hill and from Sutton Common Road to Ash Road . In this garden was a big house (Stonecot House) and a big lake (now filled in and used by the Sutton Model Engineering Club). The other side of Stonecot Hill was all fields and you could walk to Raynes Park crossing only a couple of minor roads.
Sir Alan Cobham brought his flying circus to these fields and we were allowed to get close to his planes including the famous 'Flying Flea'.
As I recall, only two families had cars, one belonging to our next door neighbour, a Dentist, whose surgery was the upstairs small bedroom, his main equipment being a foot operated treadle machine for drilling teeth and to this day I can still hear the screams and shouts of his patients.
Soon after, the area began to be developed. Stonecot House was demolished, houses were built opposite ours and Woodstock Rise, Chatham Close, Hilltop and the Woodstock public house were built. Then the many other developments the other side of Stonecot Hill were started and so the area became part of suburbia. Looking back I often wonder, in my old age, what life would be like today if Sutton Common Road and its surroundings had remained as I remember them, when I moved here in 1933. Happy Days?
Peter Scott (Member) |
