Tooting
Encyclopedia
Tooting is a district in south
London
, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth
. It is situated 5 miles (8 km) south south-west of Charing Cross
. The area is identified in the London Plan
as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
times. The name is of Anglo-Saxon origin but the meaning is disputed. It could mean the people of Tota where Tota may have been a local Anglo-Saxon chieftain. Alternatively it could be derived from an old meaning of the verb to tout, to look out. There may have been a watchtower here on the road to London and hence the people of the look-out post.
The Romans
built a road, which was later named Stane Street by the English, from London
(Londinium) to Chichester
(Noviomagus Regnorum), and which passed through Tooting. Tooting High Street is built on this road. In Saxon times, Tooting and Streatham
(then Toting-cum-Stretham) was given to the Abbey of Chertsey
. Later, Suene (Sweyn), believed to be a Viking
, may have been given all or part of the land. In 933, King Athelstan of England
is thought to have confirmed lands including Totinge (Tooting) to Chertsey Abbey.
Tooting appears in the Domesday Book
of 1086 as Totinges. Lower Tooting was held from Chertsey Abbey
by Haimo the Sheriff (of Kent
). Its domesday assets were 1 church, 2½ plough
s, 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) of meadow
. It rendered £4. Later in the Norman period it came into the possession of the De Gravenel family, after whom it was named Tooting Graveney. Upper Tooting, or Tooting Bec, appears as a distinct area and was held by the Abbey of Hellouin Bec, in Normandy, thus acquiring the "Bec" in its name. Its domesday assets were 5 hide
s. It had 5½ plough
s, 13 acres (52,609.2 m²). It rendered £7.
As with many of South London's suburbs, Tooting developed during the late Victorian period. Some development occurred in the Edwardian era but another large spurt in growth happened during the 1920s and '30s.
comedy
series Citizen Smith
was set in Tooting and popularised the cry "Freedom for Tooting!". Leading character in the series Wolfie Smith (played by Robert Lindsay
) was the founder of a fictional revolutionary socialist political organisation, the Tooting Popular Front.
In 2005, a 28 km diameter crater on Mars was named after Tooting. A geologic map of Tooting Crater is under preparation, and will be published by the U.S. Geological Survey in the United States.
The Kitchens of Distinction
(who formed in the area) recorded "On Tooting Broadway Station" on their 1992 album The Death of Cool
.
Scottish singer-songwriter Sandi Thom
found fame after she webcast
21 performances from her basement flat in Tooting between February and March 2006. Her track "I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair)" reached number 1 on the UK charts
on 2 June 2006.
Tooting Bec appears in the book The Meaning of Liff
, defined as the situation in which a driver sounds his or her horn at a car
in front, only to discover that the car in front is parked.
The phrase "Ting Tong from Tooting" is associated with the character Ting Tong from the UK comedy sketch show Little Britain
.
Upper Tooting road which runs between Tooting Bec and Tooting Broadway station has a huge number of Asian (UK definition ie Indian/Pakistani etc) restaurants and snack joints making it a popular place for visitors on the weekends. Latest arrivals are Sri Lankan and Afghan eateries crowding among Pizzerias, Pubs, Chinese takeaways along with chain restaurants.
(Labour Party
), first elected at the 2005 General Election
to represent the parliamentary constituency of Tooting
.
, lies at the northern end of Tooting. Historically this was two separate open spaces: Tooting Graveney Common nearer to Tooting, and Tooting Bec Common towards Streatham. The commons are home to Tooting Bec Lido
, which is 90 metres long and 30 metres wide.
: Tooting & Mitcham United F.C.
One of London's few greyhound racing tracks, the Wimbledon Stadium
, is located in Tooting.
— with stations at the top and the bottom of the hill that slopes down the High Street, Tooting Bec
and Tooting Broadway
. It also has good bus links, with routes to and from Central London
, Croydon
, Sutton
and Kingston amongst others.
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth
London Borough of Wandsworth
The London Borough of Wandsworth is a London borough in southwest London, England, and forms part of Inner London.-History:The borough was formed in 1965 from the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea and much of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth, but...
. It is situated 5 miles (8 km) south south-west of Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
. The area is identified in the London Plan
London Plan
The London Plan is a planning document written by the Mayor of London, England in the United Kingdom and published by the Greater London Authority. The plan was first published in final form on 10 February 2004 and has since been amended. The current version was published in February 2008...
as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
History
Tooting has been settled since pre-SaxonAnglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
times. The name is of Anglo-Saxon origin but the meaning is disputed. It could mean the people of Tota where Tota may have been a local Anglo-Saxon chieftain. Alternatively it could be derived from an old meaning of the verb to tout, to look out. There may have been a watchtower here on the road to London and hence the people of the look-out post.
The Romans
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
built a road, which was later named Stane Street by the English, from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(Londinium) to Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
(Noviomagus Regnorum), and which passed through Tooting. Tooting High Street is built on this road. In Saxon times, Tooting and Streatham
Streatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
(then Toting-cum-Stretham) was given to the Abbey of Chertsey
Chertsey Abbey
Chertsey Abbey, dedicated to St Peter, was a Benedictine monastery located at Chertsey in the English county of Surrey.It was founded by Saint Erkenwald, later Bishop of London, in 666 AD and he became the first abbot. In the 9th century it was sacked by the Danes and refounded from Abingdon Abbey...
. Later, Suene (Sweyn), believed to be a Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
, may have been given all or part of the land. In 933, King Athelstan of England
Athelstan of England
Athelstan , called the Glorious, was the King of England from 924 or 925 to 939. He was the son of King Edward the Elder, grandson of Alfred the Great and nephew of Æthelflæd of Mercia...
is thought to have confirmed lands including Totinge (Tooting) to Chertsey Abbey.
Tooting appears in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 as Totinges. Lower Tooting was held from Chertsey Abbey
Chertsey Abbey
Chertsey Abbey, dedicated to St Peter, was a Benedictine monastery located at Chertsey in the English county of Surrey.It was founded by Saint Erkenwald, later Bishop of London, in 666 AD and he became the first abbot. In the 9th century it was sacked by the Danes and refounded from Abingdon Abbey...
by Haimo the Sheriff (of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
). Its domesday assets were 1 church, 2½ plough
Plough
The plough or plow is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
s, 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) of meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
. It rendered £4. Later in the Norman period it came into the possession of the De Gravenel family, after whom it was named Tooting Graveney. Upper Tooting, or Tooting Bec, appears as a distinct area and was held by the Abbey of Hellouin Bec, in Normandy, thus acquiring the "Bec" in its name. Its domesday assets were 5 hide
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
s. It had 5½ plough
Plough
The plough or plow is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
s, 13 acres (52,609.2 m²). It rendered £7.
As with many of South London's suburbs, Tooting developed during the late Victorian period. Some development occurred in the Edwardian era but another large spurt in growth happened during the 1920s and '30s.
- 1906 - Tooting Bec LidoTooting Bec LidoTooting Bec Lido is an open-air fresh water swimming pool in South London. It is the largest swimming pool by surface area in the United Kingdom, being 100 yards long and 33 yards wide....
opened. - 1954 - St George's HospitalSt George's HospitalFounded in 1733, St George’s Hospital is one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals. It shares its main hospital site in Tooting, England with the St George's, University of London which trains NHS staff and carries out advanced medical research....
begins to relocate to Tooting from Hyde Park CornerHyde Park CornerHyde Park Corner is a place in London, at the south-east corner of Hyde Park. It is a major intersection where Park Lane, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly, Grosvenor Place and Constitution Hill converge...
, taking over the old Grove Fever and Fountain Hospitals. - 2003 - Redevelopment of St George's HospitalSt George's HospitalFounded in 1733, St George’s Hospital is one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals. It shares its main hospital site in Tooting, England with the St George's, University of London which trains NHS staff and carries out advanced medical research....
buildings completed.
Cultural references
The 1977-80 BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
series Citizen Smith
Citizen Smith
Citizen Smith is a British television sitcom. The show was written by John Sullivan, who later wrote Only Fools and Horses. The pilot was transmitted on 12 April 1977 in the Comedy Special series of one-off plays, and the series proper ran from 3 November 1977 to 31 December 1980.Citizen Smith...
was set in Tooting and popularised the cry "Freedom for Tooting!". Leading character in the series Wolfie Smith (played by Robert Lindsay
Robert Lindsay (actor)
Robert Lindsay is an English actor who is best known for his television work, especially his roles of Wolfie Smith in Citizen Smith, Michael Murray in G.B.H., Captain Sir Edward Pellew in Hornblower and Ben Harper in My Family which has been on television screens since 2000.-Early life:Lindsay was...
) was the founder of a fictional revolutionary socialist political organisation, the Tooting Popular Front.
In 2005, a 28 km diameter crater on Mars was named after Tooting. A geologic map of Tooting Crater is under preparation, and will be published by the U.S. Geological Survey in the United States.
The Kitchens of Distinction
Kitchens of Distinction
Kitchens of Distinction were a three-person alternative rock/dream pop band formed in Tooting, South London, England in 1986...
(who formed in the area) recorded "On Tooting Broadway Station" on their 1992 album The Death of Cool
The Death of Cool
-Singles:*"Breathing Fear" ** CD and 12" single:*# "Breathing Fear"*# "Goodbye Voyager"*# "Skin"*# "Airshifting"** 7" single:*# "Breathing Fear"*# "Goodbye Voyager"*"When in Heaven" *# "When in Heaven"*# "Glittery Dust"...
.
Scottish singer-songwriter Sandi Thom
Sandi Thom
Alexandria "Sandi" Thom is a Scottish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She became widely known in 2006 after a series of webcasts and the success of the single "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker ".-1984–2004: Early life:Thom was born in Banff, Aberdeenshire...
found fame after she webcast
Webcast
A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...
21 performances from her basement flat in Tooting between February and March 2006. Her track "I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair)" reached number 1 on the UK charts
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on 2 June 2006.
Tooting Bec appears in the book The Meaning of Liff
The Meaning of Liff
The Meaning of Liff is a humorous dictionary of toponymy and etymology, written by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd, published in the United Kingdom in 1983, and the USA in 1984....
, defined as the situation in which a driver sounds his or her horn at a car
Čar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
in front, only to discover that the car in front is parked.
The phrase "Ting Tong from Tooting" is associated with the character Ting Tong from the UK comedy sketch show Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
.
Upper Tooting road which runs between Tooting Bec and Tooting Broadway station has a huge number of Asian (UK definition ie Indian/Pakistani etc) restaurants and snack joints making it a popular place for visitors on the weekends. Latest arrivals are Sri Lankan and Afghan eateries crowding among Pizzerias, Pubs, Chinese takeaways along with chain restaurants.
Politics
The Member of Parliament for Tooting is Sadiq KhanSadiq Khan
Sadiq Aman Khan is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Tooting since 2005, succeeding Tom Cox as the Labour MP for the seat...
(Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
), first elected at the 2005 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
to represent the parliamentary constituency of Tooting
Tooting (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:- See also :* List of Parliamentary constituencies in Greater London* London Borough of Wandsworth-External links:****...
.
Open spaces
A large open area, popularly known as the Tooting CommonsTooting Commons
The Tooting Commons consist of two adjacent areas of common land lying between Balham, Streatham and Tooting, in south west London: Tooting Bec Common and Tooting Graveney Common....
, lies at the northern end of Tooting. Historically this was two separate open spaces: Tooting Graveney Common nearer to Tooting, and Tooting Bec Common towards Streatham. The commons are home to Tooting Bec Lido
Tooting Bec Lido
Tooting Bec Lido is an open-air fresh water swimming pool in South London. It is the largest swimming pool by surface area in the United Kingdom, being 100 yards long and 33 yards wide....
, which is 90 metres long and 30 metres wide.
Sport
Tooting shares a football club with nearby MitchamMitcham
Mitcham is a district in the south west area of London, in the London Borough of Merton. A suburban area, Mitcham is located on the border of Inner London and Outer London. It is both residentially and financially developed, well served by Transport for London, and home to Mitcham Town Centre,...
: Tooting & Mitcham United F.C.
Tooting & Mitcham United F.C.
Tooting & Mitcham United Football Club are a semi-professional association football club representing the south-west London areas of Tooting and Mitcham, within the London Borough of Merton. The club's stadium, Imperial Fields is located in Morden. The club are nicknamed The Terrors or...
One of London's few greyhound racing tracks, the Wimbledon Stadium
Wimbledon Stadium
Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located in Wimbledon in southwest London, England. It also hosts speedway, stock car and other racing events....
, is located in Tooting.
Transport
Tooting is positioned on the Northern LineNorthern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
— with stations at the top and the bottom of the hill that slopes down the High Street, Tooting Bec
Tooting Bec tube station
Tooting Bec is a London Underground station in Tooting, South London. The station is on the Northern line, between Balham and stations. It is located on the junction of Trinity Road , Upper Tooting Road , Balham High Road , Tooting Bec Road and Stapleton Road...
and Tooting Broadway
Tooting Broadway tube station
Tooting Broadway is a London Underground station in Tooting, South London. The station is on the Northern Line, between and stations. It is located on the corner of Tooting High Street and Mitcham Road...
. It also has good bus links, with routes to and from Central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
, Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, Sutton
Sutton, London
Sutton is a large suburban town in southwest London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Sutton. It is located south-southwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. The town was connected to central London by...
and Kingston amongst others.
Nearest railway stations
- Tooting railway stationTooting railway stationTooting railway station is in the London Borough of Merton in South London, in Travelcard Zone 3. The station is served by First Capital Connect and Southern trains, and is on the Sutton Loop....
- Balham railway station
- Haydons Road railway stationHaydons Road railway stationHaydons Road railway station is in north-east of the London Borough of Merton in South London. The station is served by First Capital Connect trains and by a limited number of Southern services during the morning and evening peak...
Notable people
- George Cole - Actor
- Matt WillisMatt WillisMatthew James Willis is an English singer-songwriter. He found fame as a founding member of the band Busted.- Early years :...
- Musician - Darren BentDarren BentDarren Ashley Bent is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa as a striker.Bent started his career with Ipswich Town. After progressing through their youth system he made his first team debut in 2001. He made 122 appearances and scored 48 goals in the league for Ipswich, before joining...
- Professional footballer - Bas SavageBas SavageBasir "Bas" Mohammed Savage is a professional English footballer who plays as a striker for Northampton Town. He is known for his trademark moonwalk goal celebration and his outrageous hairstyles which have gained him cult fame on TV's Soccer AM.-Starting out at Reading:Savage started his...
- Professional footballer - Henning WehnHenning WehnHenning Wehn is a German stand-up comedian based in London.-Career:Since October 2003 Wehn has been self-styled the "German Comedy Ambassador in London"...
- Comedian - LowkeyLowkeyKareem Dennis is a musician and political activist of English and Iraqi descent, better known by his stage name Lowkey. He first became known through a series of mixtapes he released before he was 18, before taking a hiatus from the music business...
(Born Kareem Dennis) - Musician, poet, playwright, political activist - Jimmy WhiteJimmy WhiteJames Warren "Jimmy" White MBE is an English professional snooker player. Nicknamed the "Whirlwind" and popularly referred to as the "People's Champion", White is a multiple World Championship finalist renowned for losing each of the six finals he contested.White's extensive list of achievements,...
- Professional snooker player - New Musik - Band
- Stephen K Amos - Comedian
- Clinton MorrisonClinton MorrisonClinton Hubert Morrison is an English-born professional footballer who plays for Milton Keynes Dons, on loan from Sheffield Wednesday...
Professional footballer - Paul MertonPaul MertonPaul Merton is a British comedian, writer, actor and television presenter. Known for his improvisation skill, his humour is rooted in deadpan, surreal and sometimes dark comedy...
- Comedian - Michael AngelisMichael AngelisMichael Angelis is an English actor and voice actor.Michael Angelis was one of the stars of the famous 1982 BBC drama serial Boys from the Black Stuff and another Alan Bleasedale drama G.B.H.. He also starred in comedies such as Luv and The Liver Birds, in which he appeared between series 5 and 9...
- Actor - SnakefingerSnakefingerPhilip Charles Lithman , who performed under the stage name Snakefinger, was an English musician, singer and songwriter. A multi-instrumentalist, he was best known for his guitar and violin work and his collaborations with The Residents.-History:Lithman was born in Tooting, South London, and came...
- Musician - Gino ReaGino ReaGino Daniel Rea is an English motorcycle racer of Italian descent. He is not to be confused with the Northern Irish rider Jonathan Rea, whose surname is pronounced differently. 2010 is his first season in the Supersport World Championship, riding for the Intermoto Czech Honda team...
- Motorcycle racer