Battersea Park, Clapham Common and Wandsworth Common
Some Old Postcards and PhotographsWhat is a common? Perhaps anyone looking in from overseas will not be familiar with the concept. It originated in medieval times when the land around each village was divided into fields and common lands.
Although the common land may have belonged to the Lord of the Manor the villagers, or commoners, had various rights to graze their sheep or cattle, collect firewood, etc. Many such commons still exist out of town although not many commoners still have such rights, these area have probably resisted enclosure as they were poor agricultural land. Nowadays common land is protected by law.
In town the situation is slightly different. Commons such as Clapham and Wandsworth were probably first protected by the influence of the merchant classes who had started to build their villas around them.
Nowadays the commons are open grassed areas with free 24-hour open access with sporting and recreational facilities and maybe a cafe or two.
Clapham Common now comprises the original Clapham Common and Battersea Common East, the dividing line being a little to the west of the line of the path between Cedars Road and Clapham Common South tube station. Battersea Common West is now known as Wandsworth Common.
During both WW1 and WW2 the commons were used for food production. In WW2 there was emergency housing (the "prefabs"), air raid shelters, moorings for barrage balloons and even 3.7" anti-aircraft gun emplacements - how much damage, death and injury was caused by falling schapnell from their shells I can only guess!
The Story of Clapham Common, The Clapham Society, 1995, is what it says on the label.
Web Scribe Richard Milsom Copyright 2003, All rights
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Last Updated 14 March 2006