Worcester Park
Encyclopedia
Worcester Park is a suburb of London, England covering both the extreme north west of the London Borough of Sutton
in Greater London
(east of the railway line that runs through the area), part of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell
in Surrey
(west of the railway) and The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. The area is 10.2 miles (16.4 km) south west of Charing Cross
. Part of the suburb comprises Worcester Park ward, an electoral area of the London Borough of Sutton with a population in of .
The Worcester Park post town
, which is coterminous with the KT4 postcode district, covers all of the suburb and extends also into the south eastern periphery of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
. While Worcester Park is part of Greater London, the postal address remains Surrey under which county it used to be a part of before changes made were by the Boundaries Commission.
The Beverley Brook runs through Worcester Park and alongside Green Lane down passed Green Lane Primary School. Green Lane itself appears in the Domesday Book
. The Huntsmans Hall (now Midas Touch) was cited on what was the far boundary of hunting ground for Henry VIII.
or British Asian
, 1.3% Black and 2% Chinese
or of another ethnic group
.
and Sutton
on the 213 (London General) bus route that runs up Central Road. There are also buses to Heathrow Airport and Croydon
on the hourly X26 express bus service. The S3 "hoppa" bus service to Sutton Hospital runs via Sainsbury's supermarket in North Cheam
. The 151 bus route also runs into Worcester Park and terminates at Worcester Park railway station
before returning though Sutton to Wallington
. Quality Line
(owned by Epsom Coaches
) operate the E15 and E16 bus services to and from Epsom
which travel through residential parts of Ewell
and Stoneleigh
. The 213 bus service runs through Worcester Park via Cheam to Sutton, and in the opposing direction via Old Malden
, New Malden
and onwards to Kingston upon Thames. A decision was recently made to extend the S3 bus service to Manor House, rather than terminating at the Worcester Park train station.
is in Zone 4, served by the National Rail
services of South West Trains
and is on the boundary with the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
. The Worcester Park line runs from London Waterloo, via Wimbledon and through Worcester Park to Epsom and Guildford. Worcester Park is approximately a 25 minute journey to London Waterloo by train.
The nearest indoor swimming pools are located in Epsom
, North Cheam, New Malden and Sutton
. Between 1934 and 1980 the nearest open air swimming pool was Surbiton Lagoon
.
, who was appointed Keeper of the Great Park in 1606. The area was once part of the Great Park which covered around 1100 acres and surrounded the Little Park which contained Nonsuch Palace
of Henry VIII
. Both parks were originally used as deer parks.
Henry VIII had obtained the land from Sir Richard de Cuddington.
During the ownership by Sir Richard de Cuddington, there was a manor house on a site which was later replaced by Worcester House and is now the site of Worcester Close. There was also a church of St. Mary on roughly the same site where the church of St. Mary the Virgin, Cuddington, now stands. The diarist Samuel Pepys visited the district and in his diary commented on Worcester House.
In 1809 Worcester Park was acquired by William Taylor. He used a mill on the banks of the Hogsmill to continue the manufacture gunpowder which had been carried out on and off in the area for several centuries. Manufacturing continued until the 1850s when the mill blew up.
Blakesley School was a private primary school run by the Headmaster Eric Dudley. It closed in the summer of 1958, when the land was sold for housing. It occupied the land at bordered by the portion of Delta Road which was then not surfaced, Delta Close (then a gated track and public right of way leading from Delta Road to Salisbury Road), and Grafton Avenue, again not surfaced, heading towards the church.
It occupied a substantial plot of land and was a "modern manor house" style building referred to on local maps as Worcester Court. The surrounding wall is said to go back to Henry VIII's reign.
), when it became unusable.
next door to Cuddington Primary School in Salisbury Road at was built in 1958 and named Rowe Hall in honour of a long serving scout mistress, "Miss Rowe", who was a teacher at Blakesley School. This headquarters was erected after the previous building was destroyed by arsonists and still serves the 2nd Cuddington (Rowe) Scout Group.
The house itself was not visible, nor were there any ruins apart from the lake and some mounds of bricks to be found. The lake itself had drained into the Hogsmill River, but no source of incoming water was visible. The lake dried up in the late 1940s following the rechannelling of the river.
Close to the bridge remnant to the southwest of the bridge was a ruined domed structure, all that remains of an ice house. However, it was filled with soil and other débris which prevented any investigation.
Locals presumed the house to be named "Worcester Park House", and have suggested that Blakesley School was the original house, while historical sources suggest "Worcester House". However the map of 1871 shows a building labelled "Worcester Park House" to be alongside the lake, to the west of it, on land that was, in the 1950s, overgrown with trees.
Documents from H M Land registry show that the name of the building for Blakesley School was Worcester Court.
. Prices range from £400,000 to over £1,750,000.
Part of the development is a large ( 31 acres) new green space called Mayflower Park which includes a grass amphitheater for performances and an area of 5 wetlands as a nature reserve.
Controversial plans to extend The Hamptons were defeated at a special meeting of Sutton Council's
Development Control Committee. The application was for permission to begin 'phases 4B and 5C' of the development of The Hamptons which would have brought at least a further 184 dwellings to the Green Lane site. Residents and local Conservative Party councillors argued that the development would have a profoundly negative impact on the local area infrastructure and the community at large, particularly citing increasingly difficult traffic problems.
London Borough of Sutton
The London Borough of Sutton is a London borough in South London, England and forms part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the 80th largest local authority in England by population. It is one of the southernmost boroughs of London...
in Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
(east of the railway line that runs through the area), part of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell
Epsom and Ewell
Epsom and Ewell is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England, covering the town of Epsom and the village of Ewell. The borough was formed as an urban district in 1894, and was known as Epsom until 1934. It was made a municipal borough in 1937...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
(west of the railway) and The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. The area is 10.2 miles (16.4 km) 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...
. Part of the suburb comprises Worcester Park ward, an electoral area of the London Borough of Sutton with a population in of .
The Worcester Park post town
Post town
A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system. Including the correct post town in the address increases the chances of a letter or parcel being delivered on time. Post towns are usually based upon the location of...
, which is coterminous with the KT4 postcode district, covers all of the suburb and extends also into the south eastern periphery of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames is a borough in southwest London, England. The main town is Kingston upon Thames and it includes Surbiton, Chessington, New Malden and Tolworth. It is the oldest of the three Royal Boroughs in England, the others are Kensington and Chelsea, also in London,...
. While Worcester Park is part of Greater London, the postal address remains Surrey under which county it used to be a part of before changes made were by the Boundaries Commission.
The Beverley Brook runs through Worcester Park and alongside Green Lane down passed Green Lane Primary School. Green Lane itself 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...
. The Huntsmans Hall (now Midas Touch) was cited on what was the far boundary of hunting ground for Henry VIII.
Demographics
As of 2001, around 90% of residents of Worcester Park ward are White, with 1.9% mixed race, 4.8% AsianAsian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
or British Asian
British Asian
British Asian is a term used to describe British citizens who descended from mainly South Asia, also known as South Asians in the United Kingdom...
, 1.3% Black and 2% Chinese
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
or of another ethnic group
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
.
Bus
Worcester Park is well served with regular bus services to Kingston upon ThamesKingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
and 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...
on the 213 (London General) bus route that runs up Central Road. There are also buses to Heathrow Airport and 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...
on the hourly X26 express bus service. The S3 "hoppa" bus service to Sutton Hospital runs via Sainsbury's supermarket in North Cheam
Cheam
Cheam is a large suburban village close to Sutton in the London Borough of Sutton, England, and is located close to the southern boundary between Greater London and Surrey. It is divided into two main areas: North Cheam and Cheam Village. North Cheam includes more retail shops and supermarkets,...
. The 151 bus route also runs into Worcester Park and terminates at Worcester Park railway station
Worcester Park railway station
Worcester Park railway station is a railway station in Worcester Park in south west London.The station is on the boundary of the London Borough of Sutton and the London Borough of Kingston upon Thames in South London. The station is served by South West Trains, and is in Travelcard Zone 4.The...
before returning though Sutton to Wallington
Wallington, London
Wallington is a town in the London Borough of Sutton situated south south-west of Charing Cross. Prior to the merger of the Municipal Borough of Beddington and Wallington into the London Borough of Sutton, it was part of the county of Surrey.- History :...
. Quality Line
Quality Line
Quality Line is the trading name of the bus division of Epsom Coaches, and operates over sixty buses throughout the south London and Surrey area, with many under contract to London Buses or Surrey County Council.-History:...
(owned by Epsom Coaches
Epsom Coaches
Epsom Coaches is a coach operator in the United Kingdom, based in the Surrey town of Epsom. The coach business was established in the 1920s and has prided itself on being one of the best coach operators in the UK. It operates a luxury fleet of mostly Setra coaches, and provides a number of tours...
) operate the E15 and E16 bus services to and from Epsom
Epsom
Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...
which travel through residential parts of Ewell
Ewell
Ewell is a village in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, close to the southern boundary of Greater London. It is located 14 miles south-south-west of Charing Cross and forms part of the suburbia that surrounds Greater London. Despite its growing population it is still referred to as a...
and Stoneleigh
Stoneleigh, Surrey
Stoneleigh is located in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, with small parts in the north of the suburb in the London Borough of Sutton. Stoneleigh is centred around Stoneleigh railway station and Stoneleigh Broadway. Much of the area was open fields prior to the early 1930s when...
. The 213 bus service runs through Worcester Park via Cheam to Sutton, and in the opposing direction via Old Malden
Old Malden
Old Malden is a ward of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames south west of Charing Cross.It is one of the more affluent areas in the borough, with Coombe , and Kingston Vale...
, New Malden
New Malden
New Malden is a town and shopping centre in the south-western London suburbs, mostly within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and partly in the London Borough of Merton, and is situated from Charing Cross...
and onwards to Kingston upon Thames. A decision was recently made to extend the S3 bus service to Manor House, rather than terminating at the Worcester Park train station.
Rail
Worcester Park railway stationWorcester Park railway station
Worcester Park railway station is a railway station in Worcester Park in south west London.The station is on the boundary of the London Borough of Sutton and the London Borough of Kingston upon Thames in South London. The station is served by South West Trains, and is in Travelcard Zone 4.The...
is in Zone 4, served by the National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
services of South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
and is on the boundary with the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames is a borough in southwest London, England. The main town is Kingston upon Thames and it includes Surbiton, Chessington, New Malden and Tolworth. It is the oldest of the three Royal Boroughs in England, the others are Kensington and Chelsea, also in London,...
. The Worcester Park line runs from London Waterloo, via Wimbledon and through Worcester Park to Epsom and Guildford. Worcester Park is approximately a 25 minute journey to London Waterloo by train.
Sport and recreation
- Worcester Park Cricket Club is located on Green Lane.
- Worcester Park Athletic Club on Green Lane.
- Auriol Park in the Borough of Epsom & Ewell
- Worcester Park Football Club is based at Skinner's Field, on Green Lane. The club was founded in 1908.
- Cazbar FC based from the Cazbar in Central Road play at Manor Park
- Wandgas Football Club is located on Grafton Road and also have cricket teams.
The nearest indoor swimming pools are located in Epsom
Epsom
Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...
, North Cheam, New Malden and 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...
. Between 1934 and 1980 the nearest open air swimming pool was Surbiton Lagoon
Surbiton Lagoon
Surbiton Lagoon is a defunct and demolished open air swimming pool that was located in Berrylands, in London, United Kingdom.It opened in May 1934 though had been open for business since April, and was situated in Raeburn Avenue in what was then the Surbiton Urban District of Surrey...
.
History
Worcester Park takes its name from the 4th Earl of WorcesterEdward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester
Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester, KG, Earl Marshal was an English aristocrat. He was an important advisor to King James I, serving as Lord Privy Seal....
, who was appointed Keeper of the Great Park in 1606. The area was once part of the Great Park which covered around 1100 acres and surrounded the Little Park which contained Nonsuch Palace
Nonsuch Palace
Nonsuch Palace was a Tudor royal palace, built by Henry VIII in Surrey, England; it stood from 1538 to 1682–3. Its ruins are in Nonsuch Park.- Background :Nonsuch Palace in Surrey was perhaps the grandest of Henry VIII's building projects...
of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. Both parks were originally used as deer parks.
Henry VIII had obtained the land from Sir Richard de Cuddington.
During the ownership by Sir Richard de Cuddington, there was a manor house on a site which was later replaced by Worcester House and is now the site of Worcester Close. There was also a church of St. Mary on roughly the same site where the church of St. Mary the Virgin, Cuddington, now stands. The diarist Samuel Pepys visited the district and in his diary commented on Worcester House.
In 1809 Worcester Park was acquired by William Taylor. He used a mill on the banks of the Hogsmill to continue the manufacture gunpowder which had been carried out on and off in the area for several centuries. Manufacturing continued until the 1850s when the mill blew up.
Cheam Common Infants and Junior schools
Cheam Common Infants and Junior schools are pre World War II school buildings. Air raid shelters were found underground during an extension to the main building of the junior school. The school is located at the top of the high street.Blakesley School
It occupied a substantial plot of land and was a "modern manor house" style building referred to on local maps as Worcester Court. The surrounding wall is said to go back to Henry VIII's reign.
Parker's Field
Possibly belonging to T Parker & Sons, Landscapers, who were based at what is now a housing estate at beside Worcester Park Station, Parker's Field was the best toboggan run until the top half was built on in the 1970s (despite being Green BeltGreen belt
A green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
), when it became unusable.
Rowe Hall
The Scout HQThe Scout Association
The Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognised Scouting association in the United Kingdom. Scouting began in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell. The Scout Association was formed under its previous name, The Boy Scout Association, in 1910 by the grant...
next door to Cuddington Primary School in Salisbury Road at was built in 1958 and named Rowe Hall in honour of a long serving scout mistress, "Miss Rowe", who was a teacher at Blakesley School. This headquarters was erected after the previous building was destroyed by arsonists and still serves the 2nd Cuddington (Rowe) Scout Group.
Worcester (Park) House
In the 1950s, the ruins of a splendid ornamental lake with a multi-arched bridge (at ) and balustrade were still visible in the woodland at the foot of the hill in "Parker's Field" (situated between Grafton Road and Old Malden Lane, and behind the still rather ramshackle stables in Grafton Road).The house itself was not visible, nor were there any ruins apart from the lake and some mounds of bricks to be found. The lake itself had drained into the Hogsmill River, but no source of incoming water was visible. The lake dried up in the late 1940s following the rechannelling of the river.
Close to the bridge remnant to the southwest of the bridge was a ruined domed structure, all that remains of an ice house. However, it was filled with soil and other débris which prevented any investigation.
Locals presumed the house to be named "Worcester Park House", and have suggested that Blakesley School was the original house, while historical sources suggest "Worcester House". However the map of 1871 shows a building labelled "Worcester Park House" to be alongside the lake, to the west of it, on land that was, in the 1950s, overgrown with trees.
Documents from H M Land registry show that the name of the building for Blakesley School was Worcester Court.
The Hamptons
The Hamptons is a development of New England style housing in Worcester Park. Created by St James Homes, The Hamptons is constructed in 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of parkland on the former site of sewage works at the top of Green Lane. The site includes a conservation wetland area, amphitheatre, community centre and gym, tennis courts (for residents) and a viewing platform which affords views across to the City of LondonCity of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. Prices range from £400,000 to over £1,750,000.
Part of the development is a large ( 31 acres) new green space called Mayflower Park which includes a grass amphitheater for performances and an area of 5 wetlands as a nature reserve.
Controversial plans to extend The Hamptons were defeated at a special meeting of Sutton Council's
London Borough of Sutton
The London Borough of Sutton is a London borough in South London, England and forms part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the 80th largest local authority in England by population. It is one of the southernmost boroughs of London...
Development Control Committee. The application was for permission to begin 'phases 4B and 5C' of the development of The Hamptons which would have brought at least a further 184 dwellings to the Green Lane site. Residents and local Conservative Party councillors argued that the development would have a profoundly negative impact on the local area infrastructure and the community at large, particularly citing increasingly difficult traffic problems.
Notable residents
- Gary BorrowdaleGary BorrowdaleGareth Ian "Gary" Borrowdale is an English footballer who plays for Barnet on loan from Queens Park Rangers. A left-sided player, Borrowdale plays as a Left back. He has also been known to operate as a central defender.-Club career:...
, footballer - James HeathJames Heath (golfer)James Joseph Heath is an English professional golfer.Heath was born in London. He started playing golf with his father at the age of ten. Having played in the Faldo Junior Series, he went on to a successful amateur career, highlighted by winning the English Amateur and Lytham Trophy, where he...
, professional golfer. - Jimmy HillJimmy HillJames William Thomas "Jimmy" Hill OBE is an English association football personality. His career has taken in virtually every role in football, including player, union leader, coach, manager, director, chairman, television executive, presenter, analyst and match official.-Early life:Hill was born...
, footballer for Fulham Football ClubFulham F.C.Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
and BBC TVBBC TelevisionBBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
Football commentator. - William Holman HuntWilliam Holman HuntWilliam Holman Hunt OM was an English painter, and one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.-Biography:...
, 1827–1910, Pre-Raphaelite artist, painted The Light of the World at Worcester Park Farm, while staying there in the early 1850s with John Everett MillaisJohn Everett MillaisSir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet, PRA was an English painter and illustrator and one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.-Early life:...
. - John MajorJohn MajorSir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
- Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
leader and prime minister from 1990 to 1997, was born at Worcester Park in 1943 but spent most of his early life in BrixtonBrixtonBrixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
. - Roger Mayer (engineer) - sound engineer, most notable for his development of the fuzz box.
- Daley ThompsonDaley ThompsonFrancis Morgan Ayodélé "Daley" Thompson CBE , is a former decathlete from England. He won the decathlon gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984, and broke the world record for the event four times....
, British decathlete, lived near "The Plough" public house. - HG Wells, author, lived in The Avenue.
- Kenneth WolstenholmeKenneth WolstenholmeKenneth Wolstenholme DFC & Bar was the football commentator for BBC television in the 1950s and 1960s, most notable for his commentary during the 1966 FIFA World Cup which included the famous phrase "some people are on the pitch...they think it's all over....it is now!", as Geoff Hurst scored...
, the BBC's original TV football commentator.