Morden Park

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Morden Park

Coordinates: 51.3936° N 0.2052° W
OS grid reference	TQ248676
London borough	Merton
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	MORDEN
Postcode district	SM4
Dial code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
UK Parliament	Wimbledon
	Mitcham and Morden
London Assembly	Merton and Wandsworth
European Parliament	London
List of places: UK • England • London

Morden Park is an area within the district of Morden in the London Borough of Merton, and includes the Park itself, an area of green space in an otherwise dense cluster of 1930s suburban housing.

The present park and sports fields between Hillcross Avenue, London Road/Epsom Road and Lower Morden Lane are owned and managed by the London Borough of Merton parks department and cover land that previously formed the grounds of Morden Park House, a small 18th century country estate (not to be confused with Morden Hall Park, the National Trust property close to Morden town centre).

The estate comprised enclosed parkland, a small Georgian country house built at the top of the hill in the 1770s for merchant and distiller John Ewart with attached landscaped gardens and a farm called Morden Park Farm.

At the bottom of the hill in the direction of Lower Morden runs the Beverley Brook a minor tributary of the Thames.

In the park, surrounded by trees, is a large circular mound. This has been identified as a possible burial mound from the Iron Age, Roman or Saxon periods. Archaeological investigations were carried out in the 1950s although no conclusive proof as to its date or purpose were found.

Morden Park House remains and, after many years of neglect and semi-dereliction, has recently been restored and is now the local register office and a venue for wedding ceremonies.

Facilities in Morden Park include a pitch and putt golf course and Morden Park Swimming Pool which was opened in the late 1967 on the site of the old house's gardens. Following an incident on 11 December 2006 in which tiles fell on the pool, it has been closed until further notice.

Merton College is adjacent to the park and occupies the former site of the farm.

Morden Park also hosts the annual Morden Park Holiday Club event for Children to attend for a week during their Summer Holidays from School. This event is organised by the Churches in the surrounding area.