Peel back the layers of time as we explore Morden Park. This green space offers a glimpse into the area’s rich history. Morden Park is an area within Morden. It features green space amidst suburban housing. It is managed by the London Borough of Merton parks department.
Morden Park’s grounds once belonged to Morden Park House. This was a small 18th-century country estate. Do not confuse it with Morden Hall Park. Morden Hall Park is a National Trust property near Morden town center.
Originally, the Morden Park estate included enclosed parkland. A Georgian country house was built in the 1770s for John Ewart. Ewart was a merchant and distiller. The estate also had landscaped gardens and Morden Park Farm.
By the mid-1780s, the Polhill family owned the estate. Edward Polhill gave money to the parish church for the Sunday school in 1826. Banker John Wormald occupied the estate between the 1880s and 1910s.
Today, South Thames College Merton Campus dominates the entrance to Morden Park from London Road. A pig farm once stood on this site. It burned down in the late 1940s or early 1950s. The area remained derelict for years. Clearing began in the early 1960s for the college. Many bones were found in the rubble. Archaeologists believe they were pig bones. Children from Hatfield Mead used the area as an adventure playground. A gatehouse stood at the entry until its demolition in the 1960s.
RG Jones Recording Studios was located next to The George Inn. The Rolling Stones and other pop groups recorded there in the 1960s.
A small brook flows at the bottom of the hill. It runs toward Lower Morden.
A large circular mound sits in Morden Park. It might be a burial mound from the Iron Age, Roman, or Saxon periods. Investigations occurred in the 1950s. No conclusive proof of its date or purpose was found. English Heritage thinks it was remodeled into a belvedere. A belvedere is a viewing platform with a spiral path. A cycle speedway track was next to the mound from 1960 to the mid-1990s. It was home to Morden Cycle Speedway Club. The track has been demolished. Signs of its existence are still visible. A local Aero Modelling Club used the area south of the mound on Sunday mornings. They practiced flying.
Morden Park House has been restored. It is now the local register office. It is also a venue for wedding ceremonies.
Morden Park has transformed over time. From an estate to a college site to recreational ground. Its layers of history and landscape offer many things to discover. Take a stroll. Enjoy Morden Park’s blend of nature and history.