SOUTH WIMBLEDON Northern Line (Morden*)

John Innes, Admiral Lord Nelson, an embroiderer to Charles II and a treasurer
to Queen Elizabeth - a lot of memories in one church . .


This is a surprisingly peaceful potter considering that the immediate surroundings of South Wimbledon Tube are somewhat noisy and battered.

From the station, turn left down busy Morden Road. At the lights cross over and take The Path (opposite the church of St. John Divine) and head for a broad alleyway. Where the path ends go down Melbourne Road, a tree-lined road where some of the late nineteenth-century houses retain their original names in the glazing above the elaborate front doors. At the bottom of the road walk past some garages.

Soon you will come to a wild green area. Take the path through this, passing a gate leading to the Merton Green Walk . This follows the route of an old railway. Although it runs between a trading estate and a recreation ground, in summer it is a green and attractive walk. However, our way is straight ahead, so continue until you come to the tram lines. Cross these with the utmost care. Follow a fenced path for a few yards, then cross over Dorset Road into Sheridan Road.

After a short distance turn left into Church Lane. This pleasant area is known as Merton Park. It was developed towards the end of the nineteenth century along the lines of a garden suburb by John Innes, local property developer and philanthropist. Gardeners may be interested to learn that the compost still widely used was developed by the horticultural institute founded in his name. Many of the houses in the area have wonderful old holly hedges - the Innes clan emblem.






Near the end of Church Lane you will pass an ancient wall and a recreation ground. Soon there is the church of St.Mary the Virgin, with an old primary school opposite. St. Mary has quite a few interesting things to discover, though the Victorians did not improve the exterior of what was originally a tiny twelfth-century country church by adding a couple of aisles and refacing the walls with flint. Happily, a little fifteenth-century timber porch remains on the North side. The nave is Norman and the chancel has an early thirteenth-century hammerbeam roof. The way in to the church is via the west door,** opposite which is the twelfth-century archway rescued from the ruins of Merton Priory.











The church has strong associations with Admiral Lord Nelson, as he worshipped here while living at Merton Place. A national hero after his death at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805, Nelson lay in state in Greenwich and was buried with great pomp in the crypt of St. Paul’s cathedral. After his funeral the hatchment [for general information on hatchments click here]] that had hung over his coffin during the mourning period was returned to his parish church, where it hangs to this day in the North aisle. The simple wooden bench on which he sat when attending services is preserved at the front of the church.











On the south side of the chancel is a good example of a ‘weeper’ monument. It is dedicated to Sir Gregory Lovell (d.1597), Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth. Opposite his image are his two wives, while the row of kneeling figures below represents his nine children from the two marriages.

The large and leafy churchyard has several graves of interest. Near the northern wall of the churchyard, to the left as you enter, is a chest tomb with a fascinating inscription commemorating William Rutlish (d. 1687) an embroiderer to Charles II. The tomb itself has been rebuilt and the epitaph copied out for all to read. Behind the east end of the church is a simple gravestone with some delightful lines. Sadly not all of them are completely decipherable, but it begins:



Dorcas, wife of J.Lackington, Bookseller, Finsbury Square [love the advert!]
died January 27th 1795 aged 45 years

Ladies who chance to frisk this way
With honest hearts and spirits gay
A serious moment give to one
Who sleeps beneath this earth and stone. . . . .

On the west side of the churchyard, you will find the last resting place of John Innes, His large tomb, adorned with cherubs, is by the side of the main path near a pine tree.

When you have finished exploring the church, turn left and continue down Church Path, passing the Vicarage of c1800. On the right you can see a handsome wrought-iron gate in an old wall that marks the boundary of a now-vanished seventeenth-century house.

At this point you can either return to the Tube station (about 15 minutes walk from here) or go to see the house where John Innes lived – only 5 minutes away. To do this, continue following the wall. I’m afraid you will soon come upon some modern building which is not at all in keeping with the lovely surroundings and the plain nineteenth-century cottages a little further on. However, press on and cross Mostyn Road. On the corner is the entrance to John Innes Park. These delightful gardens boast a wooden bandstand and an Art Nouveau Public Convenience. On leaving the park, turn left and walk down Watery Lane (unmarked at this stage), which is a broad path with an unusual house(c1908), aptly named Steep Roof, at the end of it. Turn left into the lane proper and soon you will see the large, rambling Victorian Innes house with its blue plaque. It is now part of Rutlish School originally funded from a charity set up in 1687 from the estate of the William Rutlish mentioned above.



**Athough the church is usually open during the week from 9am to noon, it is best to check before making a special journey.






and a little extra . . .

If you like interesting pub exteriors, you might think about turning right from the Tube station and right again down Merton High Street (a bit shabby). This area was once part of Lord Nelson’s Merton estate and on the site of the entrance gates to Merton House (now demolished) is the Nelson Arms (1910). The front of the building (a sports pub) has two amazing panels of tiles depicting the Admiral himself and HMS Victory.


Something to look out for on the way is a well-restored old advertising sign: 'Send & Son, Outfitters & Hatters'. This is at the corner of Hamilton Road, first turning on the left down Merton High Street. (Shame a modern hoarding is squashed up against it). Intriguing to note the optimism of firms that clearly thought that once their business was established, it would last for ever!









In the five minutes or so it will take you to get to the pub, you will also pass two imaginative flower planters in the shape of old-fashioned horse troughs, created for the High Path Estate Residents’ Association to celebrate the Millennium.









*If you are travelling south outside peak hours you will have to change at Kennington to pick up a Morden train - usually a very quick and easy connection.

MAP

South Wimbledon is just one walk from the many to be found at London Tube Rambles. There are architectural gems, beautiful country views, historic places and whacky buildings to be found, even in the most unpromising areas covered by the Greater London Underground stations. Usually the places listed are within a mile of the Tube - often only five minutes walk away. If you reached this as an individual page via a search engine, you might like to go to www.londontuberambles.co.uk to see the other destinations explored . You'll be amazed at what's out there!


© DR2009