The History of Wandsworth Common
A HISTORY OF
WANDSWORTH COMMON
Fernside
Stanford 1891 - from the David Rumsey Collection
[Source: David Rumsey Collection.]
(Click on image to enlarge)
[PB: Add maps of Fernside over time. Add refs to newspaper articles (there's an advert already added in some year or other). Add Bevington image.]
[Source: 1866: Fernside for sale.]
[Source: 1884:" Fernside's Swiss Bazaar.]
This is Fernside in 1892 - it's hard to work out where its boundaries were but I suspect it was already smaller than it had been.
In 1892 it stretches more or less from the modern Ravenslea Rd almost to Chestnut Grove. It would be good to work out its earlier size.
(In 1866, it was about 30 acres - of which 12 acres mansion and gardens, and 17 acres fields/parkland. 30 acres = about 145000 sq yards = roughly 400 yards x 350 yards. This is BIG.)
Until the railway bought up the land in front of Fernside House, The Drive (see map) formed the eastern edge of the Common. It probably also included several of the adjacent fields
The owner for many years was Millis Coventry, a Corn Merchant, one of the local worthies named on the famous 1870 poster
He died in 1886 and the estate was sold for building land.
[The Times: Search: "Wandsworth Common"].
40 ACRES - NEAR RAILWAY - FINE FLOWING SHEET OF WATER!!
FERNSIDE??
Morning Herald (London) - Tuesday 18 April 1848
WANDSWORTH COMMON, near the Railway. - To be SOLD, a noble RESIDENCE, with or without nearly 40 acres of land, beautifully situate, and enjoying very pleasing views. The house is approached by an entrance lodge, and contains a splendid suite of apartments, numerous bed-chambers and dressing-rooms. It has jest been completely repaired by the owner in a tasteful and very liberal manner, and is in the highest order. The grounds and gardens are laid out with great taste, and the meadows, which slope from the house to a fine flowing sheet of water, are beautifully undulated and wooded, and intersected by extensive gravel walks. The whole or part of the new and appropriate furniture may be had. - Particulars may be had of Messrs. Brooks and Green, 28, Old Bondstreet.
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002408/18480418/005/0001
40 acres = 161874 m2
The whole of WC today is about 172 acres
The kite as a whole was about 50 acres
Scope/Bushy common = abt 7 acres
Trinity Fields = about 7 acres? Really? The Scope seems larger.
[Cricket field = 20 acres. or does this also include the belly?]
1, 320 ft x 1, 320 ft
1, 188 ft x 1, 466.67 ft
1, 056 ft x 1, 650 ft
924 ft x 1, 885.71 ft
792 ft x 2, 200 ft
660 ft x 2, 640 ft
528 ft x 3, 300 ft
396 ft x 4, 400 ft
264 ft x 6, 600 ft
1, 742, 400 square feet is equal to 40 acres
40 acres is a circle with a width of
1, 489.46 feet
US site - 40 acres is roughly the size of 600 tennis courts, 720 average-sized houses, 52 football fields,
UK:
how big is a football pitch UK? The length of a pitch must be between 100 yards (90m) and 130 yards (120m) and the width not less than 50 yards (45m) and not more than 100 yards (90m).
The typical width of a football pitch is around 68 metres. However, pitches are allowed to be anywhere from 45 to 90 metres wide. How Many Yards is a Football Pitch? The average football pitch measures 115 yards by 74 yards. However, pitches can range from 100 yards to 130 yards in length and 50 to 100 yards in width.
170 acres = 700,000m2
69.43 hectares (171.6 acres)
Pall Mall Gazette, 20 April 1867
Fernside for sale
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Wandsworth Common.
A singularly beautiful Residential Estate known as "Fernside," with pleasure grounds and park-like land of about thirty acres in a ring fence, within five miles of the City and West-end, and a few minutes' walk from the New Wandsworth and Balham Stations of the London and Crystal Palace Railway, by which the City or Victoria Stations may be reached in a few minutes; with possession.
MESSRS. FULLER AND HORSEY are instructed to SELL by AUCTION at the MART, Tokenhouse-yard, on WEDNESDAY, June S. 1867, at Two o'clock precisely, in One Lot, the very valuable and beautiful Estate distinguished as " Fernside," with pleasure grounds and undulating park-like land, of about thirty acres, in a ring fence, delightfully situated, and commanding extended views of rich and varied scenery, and within a few minutes' walk of the New Wandsworth and Balham stations of the West London and Crystal Palace Railway, by which the City or Houses of Parliament maybe reached in a few minutes.
The Mansion, seated on high ground, is of good elevation, with a handsome stone portico to the entrance, and is approached by a private road with entrance lodge leading from Nightingale-lane and Wandsworth-common, with a carriage drive encircling the front lawn.
It contains on the ground floor a suite of reception rooms, fitted up with much taste and judgment, and comprising two elegant and lofty drawing-rooms 44 feet by 17 feet 6 inches, recently decorated by eminent artists, opening on to a stone terrace with steps descending to the lawn; morning-room 24 feet 6 inches by 20 feet communicating with the library by folding doors; breakfast-room and a noble dining-room, 35 feet 6 inches by 20 feet 6 inches, with Doric columns to form recess; vestibule and spacious outer and inner halls. On the upper floors are four principal bed-chambers and two dressing-rooms and eight secondary bed-chambers; extensive and convenient domestic offices on the basement.
In the rear of the mansion are the pleasure-grounds and lawn, ornamented with choice specimens of the cedar, and planted with a profusion of flowering shrubs and evergreens, sloping to a sheet of ornamental water, flower garden, garden with terrace walks and shrubberies, a well-stocked walled kitchen garden, with two large vineries, melon pits, &c., the whole bounded by rich undulating park- like land, belted with fine forest timber.
The stabling and farm buildings are conveniently placed at a short distance, though entirely screened from the house, and consist of four-stall and three-stall stables, two loose boxes, two double coachhouses, granary, cowhouse, piggeries, cart shed, &c., gardener's and coachman's cottages. The mansion, outbuildings, and grounds in the rear containing about 12 a. 3r. 36p. [12 acres 3 rods 36 poles], are held on lease for an unexpired term of about sixty-eight years at a ground rent of £79 17s. per annum. The remaining portion of the land, about seventeen acres in extent, is held on lease for the same term at a peppercorn.
The entire property offers numerous advantages as a building speculation if desired, combined with a residence possessing every comfort, for a family of distinction, and which need be but little (if at all) interfered with by judicious building operations under the control of the proprietor.
May be viewed by cards only, to be had of the Auctioneers. Particulars with plans are in prepa- sation, and when ready may be had of Messrs. McLeod, Stenning, and Watney, Solicitors, London-street, Fenchurch-street; at the Mart and of Messrs. FULLER and HORSEY, 13, Billiter-street, London, E.C.
[Source: ]
- The advert was placed a numer of times in the Pall Mall Gazette, and possibly elsewhere. I have not checked it was worded in the same way, but the phrase "a singularly beautiful residential estate" appears universal.
- BNA Search: Pall Mall Gazette: "Wandsworth Common" Fernside [more refs].
The Times, 3 July 1867
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FERNSIDE - Residential Property, with possession - To be SOLD, by Private Contract, the valuable and beautiful ESTATE known as Fernside. Wandsworth-common, a few paces from Nightingale-lane, with noble Mansion, seated on high ground, replete with every accommodation for a gentleman's family surrounded by park-like land, belted with fine forest timber, walled flower and kitchen gardens, stabling for seven horses, two loose boxes, coach-house, and gardener's and coachman's cottages; in all about 30 acres. It is proposed to give a purchaser of the mansion the option of taking the whole or so much of the land as he may desire. For further particulars apply to Messrs Fuller and Horse,. 11, Billiter-square, London, E.C.
[Source: The Times, 3 July 1867]
Note: "in all about 30 acres"
