Southfields

Southfields. A name whispered on the winds of London’s history. Southfields wasn’t always the bustling suburb we see today. Imagine, if you will, a vast expanse of open fields. These fields stretched between the villages of Wimbledon and Putney. Paths crisscrossed these fields, some of which still exist today. They evolved into roads like Wimbledon Park Road and Southfields Passage. These were once the routes connecting Wimbledon to Wandsworth. Southfields truly began to flourish with the arrival of the District & London & South Western Railway in 1889. The railway connected Wimbledon to Putney Bridge and sparked development. A year later, the first school opened on Merton Road, another transformed field path. Southfields has seen its share of transformation in recent decades, and house prices have certainly reflected this. If you’re curious to delve deeper into the history of Southfields, Neil Robson’s book “Roomy Villas” from 1999 offers a detailed exploration. Southfields boasts two distinct residential areas. There is the “Southfields Triangle” and “The Grid.” The “Southfields Triangle” is a network of roads that loosely form a triangular shape. It spans from Standen Road in the south to Granville Road in the north. It also reaches from Pulborough Road in the west to Merton Road in the east. The triangle primarily consists of Victorian and Edwardian houses. In 1904, Standen Road welcomed the Frame Foods baby food factory, a striking Art Nouveau building. It’s adorned with green ceramic tiles and the slogan “Nourish and Flourish.” The factory has since been converted into luxury flats. “The Grid,” as the name implies, features a grid-like layout of streets and roads. The roads run from Replingham Road in the north to Revelstoke Road in the south. The streets run from Elsenham Street in the west to Astonville Street in the east. Though Merton Road, east of Astonville Street, marks the actual boundary of “The Grid.” This area mainly comprises Edwardian terraced houses and purpose-built maisonettes. The area where Kimber Road meets Merton Road was once home to the OK Sauce factory before it was acquired by Reckitt and Colman. The name “Southfields” itself has historical roots. It originates from the old manorial system, where it was known as the South Field of the manor of Dunsford. This name can be traced back to at least 1247. Interestingly, a corresponding North Field existed between West Hill and the River Thames. Its legacy remains in the small road named Northfields, east of Wandsworth Park. Southfields is more than just bricks and mortar. It’s a place where history intertwines with modern life.