Inventory Site Record

Beverley Meads is in the south-west corner of Wimbledon Common and was once part of Warren Farm. The land borders the Royal Wimbledon Golf Course and was acquired by Wimbledon Borough Council in the 1950s. It was laid out for a pitch and putt course in the 1970s, but was established as a Local Nature Reserve in 1993. Paths run through the woodland and to the north is Fishpond Wood, formerly managed by the London Wildlife Trust until 2018.

Site location:

off Beverley Avenue, Barham Road

Postcode:

SW20 0ET

What 3 Words:

goals.offer.decide

Type of site:

Public Open Land

Borough:

Merton

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

unrestricted

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Car park

Events:

Public transport:

Rail: Raynes Park then bus. Bus: 57, 200, 265.

Citymapper    
Google Map    
streetmap.co.uk

Research updated:

04/03/2025

Last minor changes:

21/03/2025

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.merton.gov.uk/environment/openspaces/naturereserves.

Beverley Meads comprises four small meadows (meads) that were part of Warren Farm, on land that was formerly owned by the Abbey of Merton, which had existed until the C16th. The fields are in the south-west corner of Wimbledon Common (q.v.) and border the Royal Wimbledon Golf Course. In the 1950s the land was acquired for public recreational use by Wimbledon Borough Council by which time Beverley Meads had last been used for agricultural purposes before WWII. Aerial photographs taken in 1946 show the fields as open land with hedges and mature trees but the area is now partially wooded since grazing was discontinued, allowing trees particularly birch and oak to grow. In the early 1970s, after the formation of the new London Borough of Merton in 1965 that took in Wimbledon Borough Council, Beverley Meads was laid out for a 9-hole pitch and putt course. However, in 1981 the course was abandoned due to lack of use, although aerial photographs of 1988 still show the position of some greens and tees, and a number of these may still be discernable on the ground. From 1981-92, apart from litter clearance and some tree planting, little management work occurred. In 1993 the two southern fields were established as a local nature reserve, which LB Merton handed over to London Wildlife Trust to manage. The two northern fields were leased to a pony club. Paths run through the woodland and to the north is Fishpond Wood, also managed by the London Wildlife Trust. Within Fishpond Wood are two old ponds, although little substantive is known about their origin or even whether they were used as fishponds. They may date from medieval times, created for the use of the monks of Merton Abbey, but this is purely speculative. Alternatively they may have been created to store water for an Elizabethan textile mill at Mill Corner on the Beverley Brook that burnt down between 1520-1600.

The Wimbledon manorial rolls of 1763 described this area as 'waste' suggesting it was used as commonland. Most large houses at this time had their own private ponds for keeping fish, particularly carp, and such ponds were usually (but not always) marked on the maps of the time, but those of Fishpond Wood are not. What is clear is that the ponds are at least partly artificial, as suggested by the obvious banks of spoil. The ponds are traceable on maps made at the turn of the C19th, at which time the whole area was part of the Wimbledon Park estate. Merton Council has rebuilt banks that drain the ponds. The woodland contains some trees of over 200 years old but is now largely scrub oak and overgrown fields used as grazing land.

Sources consulted:

Ian Yarham, Dave Dawson, Martin Boyle, Rebecca Holliday 'Nature Conservation in Merton, Ecology Handbook 29', London Ecology Unit, 1998; London Wildlife Trust 'Fishpond Wood & Beverley Meads Local Nature Reserve Management Plan 2001-2010' (2001)

Grid ref:

TQ217709 (521750,170950)

Size in hectares:

5.72

Site ownership:

LB Merton

Site management:

Leisure and Culture Services

Date(s):

1950s

Designer(s):

Listed structures:

None

On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens:

No

Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965:

No

Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931:

No

Local Authority Data

The information below is taken from the relevant Local Authority's planning legislation, which was correct at the time of research but may have been amended in the interim. Please check with the Local Authority for latest planning information.

On Local List:

No

In Conservation Area:

No

Tree Preservation Order:

Not known

Nature Conservation Area:

Yes - Metropolitan (part of Wimbledon Common)

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

Yes

Special Policy Area:

Yes - Archaeological Priority Zone (part)

Other LA designation:

Local Nature Reserve. Public Open Space. Green Corridor