On this walk, I emerged at a side entrance to Wimbledon station beside the Centre Court shopping centre. Walking along the main road – Wimbledon Hill Road – takes you past the front entrance of Wimbledon station.
Wimbledon station serves as a transportation hub, accommodating National Rail, London Underground, and Tramlink services. Notably, it holds the distinction of being the sole station in London that facilitates transfers between the London Underground and Tramlink networks. The whole station was relocated to the northeast for the opening of the District Railway in 1889.
The station was rebuilt with its current Portland stone entrance building by the Southern Railway in the late 1920s as part of the construction of their line to Sutton.
The artwork either side of the station in Concourse by Bruce Williams in 1998. It depicts photographic images of crowds at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships.
Wimbledon station also has an intriguing connection to a beloved canine figure known as the ‘Railway Collection Dog.’ Laddie, an Airedale Terrier, was born in September 1948 and began his duties at Wimbledon Station in 1949. Laddie’s primary task was to collect donations on behalf of the Southern Railwaymen’s Homes at Woking, carrying a collection box strapped to his back. His diligent efforts continued until his retirement in 1956, during which time he amassed an impressive sum of over £5000. After bidding farewell to his fundraising duties, Laddie spent the remainder of his days with the residents at the Home.
Following his passing in 1960, Laddie was preserved through taxidermy and returned to Wimbledon station, where he resided in a glass case on Platforms 7/8. Even in his stuffed form, he continued to fulfill his charitable role, collecting donations for the Homes. This display persisted until 1990, when Laddie retired once again, this time becoming a part of the National Railway Collection, cherished for his historical significance and connection to Wimbledon station.
Prior to 14 March 2011, the main entrance of Wimbledon station featured a roundabout designed to facilitate the convenient drop-off of passengers by vehicles. The presence of the roundabout resulted in a congested and constrained approach to the station, particularly during peak hours or periods of high activity.
Wimbledon station opened on a green field site – Wimbledon village was situated to its northwest. The station caused a lot of new development around its site so that the area became the main commercial focus of SW19.
Wimbledon Hill Road links the station with the village. Before we get that far, our walk takes a right at a road called Woodside.
Woodside dates from the 1890s with the growth of the neighbourhood connected to Wimbledon station. Continue up the road until gates appear at the foot of Lake Road.
Time now perhaps for a little history.
The earliest recorded development in the area dates back to 1588 when Thomas Cecil, Earl of Exeter, built a house on Home Park Road. The gardens of this property once housed a vineyard, a memory still reflected in the name Vineyard Hill Road. Subsequently, the neighbourhood became part of the Wimbledon Park estate, owned by the Duchess of Marlborough and later inherited by the Spencer family. Wimbledon Park House, the manor house of the estate built in 1801, was unfortunately demolished in 1949. Today, Ricards Lodge Secondary School occupies the site.
In 1764, Lord Spencer enlisted the renowned Capability Brown to landscape the estate. The 1865 Ordnance Survey maps depict Wimbledon Park House and its surrounding landscaped grounds. The South Western railway’s main line reached Wimbledon in May 1838, and the area featured wooded areas such as Vineyard Hill Wood and Woodside.
John Augustus Beaumont later purchased the estate and transformed it into an affluent suburb in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The streets of Lake Road, Arthur Road and Home Park Road, and were laid out in 1872.
Lake Road and the surrounding streets are now a charming Victorian suburb characterised by abundant foliage. Notable pillars adjacent to Queen Alexandra’s Court marking its entrance. The railway line is running nearby, following Strathearn Road and Alexandra Road.
Queen Alexandra’s Court – for which the gates were built – arrived in 1905. Further fine Victorina properties follow on our route.
By the late 1980s, infill development on demolished properties led to the development of Pine Grove which we pass. Lake Road continues with a long ascent
We cross the main road of the area – Leopold Road – and start to descend the largely 1890s-built Vineyard Hill Road. Development on Vineyard Hill Road initially progressed slowly.
The distant London skyline comes into view here. You can clearly make out iconic landmarks such as the London Eye, Battersea Power Station, Tower 42, and the Gherkin. Some of the magnificent houses here boast breath-taking vistas from their bedroom windows.
We take a left at the T junction with Home Park Road and follow it to Arthur Road.
Turn right here to find Wimbledon Park station.
Wimbledon Park station, nestled next to a bridge over the railway line, exudes a quaint and tranquil atmosphere, resembling a charming suburban cottage. The station was inaugurated on 3 June 1889 as a part of the Metropolitan District Railway’s extension from Putney Bridge to Wimbledon. However, it is noteworthy that the actual construction of the lines was carried out by the London and South Western Railway, aiming to connect this area to Clapham Junction.