Wandsworth Common

Wandsworth Common is a long public common beside Wandsworth, in Surrey. It is 172 acres in extent^[1] and is maintained and regulated by the local council. The common is cut in two lengthwise by a railway line: the line between Clapham Junction and Wandsworth Common railway stations broadly divides the common up into two strips, west and east. A footbridge crosses the railway approximately halfway along the length of the open part of the common.

There are a number of ponds and a lake, which can be used for fishing (with a permit). The lake is partially fenced off for the benefit of bird life, while other areas feature wooden pedestrian board walks, or open water's edge access. A small brick bridge crosses over the lake's waters at one point, connecting two pedestrian pathways. There is a large area to the east of the train line, which is mainly used for competitive sports (mostly football, touch rugby and rounders).

On and about the common

Facilities include an educational centre in an area dedicated to wildlife known locally as 'The Scope' (named after the Craig telescope, which was once the largest refracting telescope in the world). There are also tennis courts, a bowling green and a cafe bar in the grounds, named 'Common Ground'. A fitness trail has been developed and the Common is popular with local runners, dog walkers and cyclists.

Houses on the Wandsworth side are in what is known as the 'Toast Rack' and are large Victorian semis and detached homes, some with blue plaques denoting notable residents who previously lived there, including the British prime minister David Lloyd George.

Nearby, the common has three cricket pitches that play host to the famous King's Road Cricket & Social Club in summer. The KRCSC, as it is affectionately known, uses the squares mostly on Saturdays and Sundays but it has played most of its games away from the common in recent years because of concerns about the quality of the pitch which has been worsened over the years by the local raggamuffins who insist on playing football every Sunday for the last twenty years.