Inventory Site Record

In the early C20th a garden suburb had been planned here, to be named Magdalen Park Estate after landowners Magdalen College Oxford, but building came to a stop when WWI broke out. In the 1930s Wandsworth Borough Council purchased the area between Fieldview and Ellerton Road for the Fieldview Estate, which was designed on a grid of streets with wide footpaths, grass verges and street trees. Godley Gardens was laid out to provide public open space for the residents, a railed enclosure with grass, trees and shrubs, with a raised brick planter.

Previous / Other name:

Godley Road Recreation Ground; Godley Road Open Space; Godley Road Enclosure

Site location:

Godley Road/Tilehurst Road

Postcode:

SW18

What 3 Words:

dull.smile.drums

Type of site:

Public Gardens

Borough:

Wandsworth

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

unrestricted

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Events:

Public transport:

Rail: Earlsfield, Wandsworth Common. Bus: G1

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Research updated:

01/05/2005

Last minor changes:

14/07/2022

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.wandsworth.gov.uk/homepage/41/parks_and_open_spaces

E P Warren began to build the Magdalen Park Estate here according to Garden Suburb principles and by WWI houses had been erected between Garratt Lane and Swaby Road, and part between Lyford Road and Ellerton Road had been built. However, the scheme was essentially truncated when in the 1920s Wandsworth Borough Council purchased the area between Swaby Road and Open View for the Openview Estate, and in the 1930s the area between Fieldview and Ellerton Road for the Fieldview Estate. The Fieldview Estate was laid out on a grid of streets with groups of maisonettes designed to look like semi-detached housing, with wide footpaths, grass verges now tarmaced and street trees. Godley Road Recreation Ground was provided as a central area of public open space. It is a railed enclosure with grass, trees and shrubs and a raised brick planter in the south-west corner. During the 1960s, both Godley Gardens and Swaby Gardens (q.v.) on the Openview Estate were locked due to vandalism, but later re-opened as public open space.

Sources consulted:

LB Wandsworth Magdalen Park Estate Conservation Area Character Statement; Godley Gardens Management Plan 2009 - 2014

Grid ref:

TQ267730 (526767,173091)

Size in hectares:

0.27

Site ownership:

LB Wandsworth

Site management:

Parks Service

Date(s):

1930s

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:

Yes

Conservation Area name:

Magdalen Park Estate

Tree Preservation Order:

No

Nature Conservation Area:

No

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

Yes - Archaeological Priority Area

Other LA designation:

Incidental Public Open Space/Landscaped Open Space