South Wimbledon

This is the 2nd station I have visited on the Northern Line and the 190th out of 272 stations on the Underground. The station originally opened in 1926 as part of the Morden extension of the City and South London Railway which later became the Northern Line.

This is another station designed by the architect Charles Holden. The Morden extension stations were his first major commission for the Underground Group. Art deco lighting is a feature of the stairwell. There are escalators on either side of these stairs. Originally they were wooden but were updated to metal escalators in the 1950s.

The octagonal window in the roof of the ticket hall floods it with natural light.

Other windows above the entrance also add to the amount of light in the station.

Outside the station the roundel can be clearly seen. The roundel was the idea of Johnston who standardised it for publicity purposes in the 1920s.  Holden used the roundel in a number of ways in his station designs. Masts appeared outside stations and acted like flagpoles for the logo. Stained glass logos appeared in the windows above station entrances as you can see here. He wanted the public to be able to see a station from all directions.

I exited the station onto a very busy crossroad. I had looked at the station map but it didn't show much of interest so I decided I would walk a short distance down each of the roads.

This building was the first to catch my eye with the wrought iron metal writing reflected onto the door window: Manor Club and Institute.

The building which opened in 1890 thrived as a Working Men's club until recently. It offered a varied programme of lectures, whist, billiards, bowls, allotment and cycle club meetings in addition to a bar serving beer and cider. Part of the building is now being used by the Ely Pentecostal Church.

The adjoining Masonic Hall is now Merton Public Hall. Both buildings were founded by a local land owner and philanthropist, John Innes.

John Innes (1829-1904) used some of the money he made from property development in the City of London to buy nearly 200 hectares in Merton, Morden and Wimbledon. From around 1870 he laid out roads, planted trees and hedges and built houses on part of the land. 

He gave it the name 'garden suburb'  and lived as its squire in Manor House. He left most of his money for horticultural research, and it was the John Innes Horticultural Institution that devised the formula for familiar garden composts which bear his name to this day.

A little further down the road I came across the Manor House where John Innes had once lived. Originally built in the 1700s, it is a Grade II listed building which looks empty at the moment. 

Merton Fire Station.

This was the second fire engine to leave as I walked past and there was at least one more inside.

This studio has a number of different ceramic artists making and selling their goods. The window was full of adverts which made for interesting reading.

This is the old Salvation Army hall. The Salvation Army has moved into other premises but the Merton Faith in Action Homelessness project is still based here providing meals, washing and laundering facilities as well as assistance and advice.

This building used to be the council offices and was erected for that purpose in the early 1900s. Apparently the area at the back of the buildings was used for Merton Fire Station. the council vacated the building in 1942 and the central library moved in and remained there until 1960 when it moved to Morden Road. From what I could see the property has now been converted for residential purposes

This is the tram crossing the road. I was surprised there was no level crossing, just traffic lights telling you when to stop. There are warning signs reminding you to look both ways. Trams call at the stop every 5 minutes with trams scheduled to arrive at both platforms simultaneously.

Tramslink opened in 2000 and has three routes in the Croydon area. This is not the first time London streets have seen trams. The first tram tracks in London were established in 1861 with horse drawn trams. The London tram passenger service ceased in 1952. I imagine no-one expected to see trams on the streets of London again but just 48 years later they were back.

Walking round these unfamiliar residential streets I hope but don't expect to find something of real interest. I usually take numerous photos and then go home to research the interesting buildings I might have seen. This building didn't look particularly interesting but its name, Dorset Hall, and its columned entrance made me think it would be worthwhile trying to find out something of its history. It didn't take me long to discover that this was the home of Rose Lamartine Yates, a suffragette and social rights campaigner. She belonged to the Women's Social and Political Union which was founded by the suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst. She took over the organisation in Wimbledon in 1909. Rose was first arrested in Feb 1909 at a protest in Westminster and sentenced to a month's imprisonment. She was criticised in Punch magazine for abandoning her baby. However, her decision to protest and be imprisoned was supported by her husband, a lawyer, who defended her at her trial. Her home, Dorset Hall, became a refuge for women recovering from imprisonment.

Once women had received the vote, Rose continued her work as a reformer. In 1919, She went on to be elected to the Greater London Council as an independent. She campaigned for equal pay and the provision of nursery education. 

Dorset Hall was built in the 18th century and was Grade II listed in 1954 (the year Rose died). In the 1930s the house had an extensive garden and was sold at a discount to Merton Council with the stipulation that local people should be free to use the gardens 'forever'. This did not happen and the grounds have been built on with a nursing home taking up most of the gardens. The hall was used as social housing by Merton Council but owned by Clarion Housing who now plan to sell it.

Then along comes Barbara Gorna who has started a campaign to save the Hall. Intrigued by the associations of the house she formed the Dorset Hall Group. Barbara and the group seem to have moved mountains in making Clarion Housing, Merton Council and Historic England take their responsibilities of a Grade II listed building seriously. It has now been made 'weatherproof and watertight'.  I have no doubt that this building will be brought to life again.  

Dorset Hall has many stories in its walls. We are campaigning not just to save the hall but to use it for public good and honour the memory of these women who fought so hard on our behalf. Very few buildings celebrating women’s achievements are known. It is important for the future that these are recognised. After all, what is not remembered is soon forgotten. Dorset Hall Group.

Walking back to have a look at the other side of the tube station I passed this shop, advertising itself as a traditional stained glass, lead light makers. Established in 1995, it designs, makes, repairs and restores stained glass. 

Walking in the opposite direction brought me to the Abbey recreation ground, playing fields and a nature walk.

 

Across the road from the recreation ground was this large church. Despite looking much older the church of St John the Divine was built in 1914 to mark the centenary of the death of Admiral Lord Nelson, whose country house, Merton Place, formerly stood nearby. Unfortunately the church was closed so I couldn't go in to see the altarpiece that was made from timber from HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship at the battle of Trafalgar.

 

In the grounds of the church are these two small cannons from HMS Victory.

Close to the church is the smallest pub in Merton. The Trafalgar is situated on the corner of High Path and Pincott Road. The earliest reference to the pub was in 1868 when this area was known as 'the rookery' due to its damp, cramped and poor housing. By 1890 the building was licensed to sell only beer and cider. During the 20th century, the Trafalgar had a reputation for its 'rough' clientele. It was also known as the 'Threepenny Hop' because men leaving the nearby Merton Abbey station would hop over the fence for a pint.

This was another interesting shop which seemed to be crammed full with different time pieces of all ages, types and styles.

Another road from the tube station took me to the Polka Theatre, which is a dedicated Children's theatre.

Opened in 1901, this was Wimbledon Swimming Baths. The building was much valued as the pool could be boarded over creating a large space for public meetings. Events have included boxing matches, dances,  cinema shows, air rifle competitions and suffragette meetings. Nowadays it is a leisure centre and includes a fitness suite, sauna, dance studio etc.

I enjoyed my day wandering around South Wimbledon and was surprised by the number of interesting places I found.