A HISTORY OF
WANDSWORTH COMMON

IN PROGRESS — NOT FOR PUBLICATION

Working gallery (3 of 3) — photos extracted and captioned by Claude from Cathy Rowntree’s scanned album pages; PB to check before anything goes live.

Wandsworth Common / Photograph Albums

Cathy Rowntree’s Photographs (3 of 3)

Cathy Rowntree’s Photographs: Start · Part 1 · Part 2 · Part 3

The third of three PDFs of scanned album pages sent to Philip Boys by Cathy Rowntree, this one focused on Northcote Road and Chatham Road rather than the Common itself — shops, pubs and the library over the decades — together with Wandsworth Prison and the County Arms on Trinity Road. As with Parts 1 and 2, each original page carried two or more photographs mounted together with typed captions; they have been separated out below into individual images at the full resolution of the scan.

Northcote Road, 1977 & 1996

Northcote Road, 1977 — National Westminster Bank.
Northcote Road, 1977 — National Westminster Bank.
The same building as a wine bar called The Bank, 1996. It became a branch of The Ivy in 2026.
The same building as a wine bar called The Bank, 1996. It became a branch of The Ivy in 2026.

Chatham Road bakers and library, c.1914–2023

Victorian bakers, 83 Chatham Road, on the corner of Northcote Road, c.1914. Demolished in 1969 to make way for a library.
Victorian bakers, 83 Chatham Road, on the corner of Northcote Road, c.1914. Demolished in 1969 to make way for a library.
The library that replaced it, pictured in 1992. It was itself replaced by a new library in 2023 on the opposite side of Northcote Road,
The library that replaced it, pictured in 1992. It was itself replaced by a new library in 2023 on the opposite side of Northcote Road, with this site then used for business and residential purposes.

The Northcote/Chatham Library & Chatham Court

The rear of the Northcote/Chatham Library, left, with the flats of Chatham Court further up the hill.
The rear of the Northcote/Chatham Library, left, with the flats of Chatham Court further up the hill.
Chatham Court replaced the Victorian two-up two-down cottages pictured here in the late 1950s.
Chatham Court replaced the Victorian two-up two-down cottages pictured here in the late 1950s.

The Eagle pub and the Gardeners Arms, Chatham Road, 1992

The Eagle pub, Chatham Road, 1992.
The Eagle pub, Chatham Road, 1992.
The Gardeners Arms, opposite The Eagle, Chatham Road.
The Gardeners Arms, opposite The Eagle, Chatham Road.

Northcote Road shops, 1992

Northcote Road, 1992 — Collis the fruiterer & greengrocer, and Peter Gross newsagents: two businesses that did not survive the opening of
Northcote Road, 1992 — Collis the fruiterer & greengrocer, and Peter Gross newsagents: two businesses that did not survive the opening of local supermarkets.
Northcote Road, 1992 — estate agents, which have proliferated ever since.
Northcote Road, 1992 — estate agents, which have proliferated ever since.

Northcote Road, 2002 & the market

Northcote Road, summer 2002.
Northcote Road, summer 2002.
Northcote Road market.
Northcote Road market.
Northcote Road, near Cairns Road.
Northcote Road, near Cairns Road.

The Northcote Summer Fete, 2020s

In the 2020s the Northcote Summer Fete is a popular day out, when tennis fans enjoy watching the Wimbledon Men’s Singles Final on a large
In the 2020s the Northcote Summer Fete is a popular day out, when tennis fans enjoy watching the Wimbledon Men’s Singles Final on a large screen. Note the 20mph speed limit on Wakehurst Road.

Wandsworth Prison & Heathfield Avenue

Wandsworth Prison, opened 1851 — a contemporary engraving of ‘the Surrey House of Correction at Wandsworth’.
Wandsworth Prison, opened 1851 — a contemporary engraving of ‘the Surrey House of Correction at Wandsworth’.
Wandsworth Prison, pre-2006 view from Trinity Road.
Wandsworth Prison, pre-2006 view from Trinity Road.
Heathfield Avenue, 2000, showing the avenue of trees that still marks the old direct route from Trinity Road to the prison entrance.
Heathfield Avenue, 2000, showing the avenue of trees that still marks the old direct route from Trinity Road to the prison entrance.

The County Arms pub, Trinity Road

The County Arms pub, 1969, at the point where Trinity Road became a dual carriageway leading towards Wandsworth Bridge.
The County Arms pub, 1969, at the point where Trinity Road became a dual carriageway leading towards Wandsworth Bridge.
The pub lost its small garden and the cattle trough was moved to the rear, leaving space for a car park and, further along, a new bus stop
The pub lost its small garden and the cattle trough was moved to the rear, leaving space for a car park and, further along, a new bus stop — pictured here in 1984.

(Click on any image to enlarge)

PB: source — IMG_20260507_0003.pdf, one of three PDFs of scanned album pages from Cathy Rowntree. See cathy-rowntree-archive folder for the originals and the other two parts.

Cathy Rowntree’s Photographs: Start · Part 1 · Part 2 · Part 3