Wandsworth Historical Society

Old Battersea

St John's Hill and Clapham Junction, Battersea c.1905

The fountain, Battersea Park c.1906

The Small Lake on Wandsworth Common c.1905

Monthly Talks and Other Events.

We normally meet regularly on the last Friday of the month (but not in August or December) starting at 8.00 pm for an illustrated talk on either the history or archaeology of London.

The talks are held at The Friends' Meeting House, 59 Wandsworth High Street, London, SW18 2PT. Google maps link.

For full details of our forthcoming talks, please click here.

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The next talk is on 29th July 2022.

'A skeletal portal to the past!' on the work of an osteologist and more by Jelena Beklavac, Curator (Human) Osteology, Museum of London.

This talk will be part of the Festival of Archaeology. Jelena has spoken to the society before on a number of occasions.

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WHS special event - Sunday 18 September

Explore the history of Wandsworth Common

Join Blue Badge Guide and WHS member Chris Van Hayden on a tour around our beloved Common. Thanks to the research undertaken by the Friends of Wandsworth Common, we can explore the rich history of this ancestral land, how it evolved through the centuries, its interesting buildings and the hard-fought campaign to wrestle it from the hands of the Earl Spencer.

Meet at St Mary's Cemetery, Battersea Rise at 2 p.m. Walk should last 2 hours and half, after which you can join Chris for a drink at the County Arms.

FREE though donations on the day are welcome.

Please book in advance by contacting bluebadgeguide@chrisvanhaydentours.uk.

Membership of the Society

Membership of the Society costs just £12 a year for adults and £3 a year for students.

In addition to the programme of talks, the benefits of membership include 2 editions of our journal, the The Wandsworth Historian, every year.

There is also the opportunity to take part in the Thames foreshore survey.

Visits and walks are organised on an occasional basis.

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The borough of Wandsworth covers 5 town centres:

Balham

Battersea

Putney

Tooting

Wandsworth Town

It also includes Earlsfield, Roehampton and Southfields.

As a small voluntary organisation, we are unable to undertake any research for you.

However some examples of WHS Research are available on line.

For any inquiries about the work of the society, please contact the Secretary at: info@wandsworthhistory.org.uk

Our Publications

The WHS offers an outstanding selection of local history publications. Here are the highlights:

Current books and maps.

The latest 'Wandsworth Historian'.

The 'Wandsworth Historian' digital archive 1971-2021, available for just £5. Click [here] for more details.

Our fully searchable Index of Publications 1955-2021.

Beating the lockdown: research without record offices

A list of online links to original records, so that you can continue to research local or family history relating to the Wandsworth area without having to visit a record office or library.

Online links compiled by Dorian Gerhold

The Tooting Common Heritage Project 2014 - 2019

Tooting Common

For information on this see the Tooting Common Heritage Project webpage.

The project completed in December 2019 and a book was produced containing the historical research. There were a limited number of printed copies but it is also available online as a pdf via this link.
The Common Story - A History of Tooting Common.

Some background information from March 2014 when WHS had a Friday evening talk can be found here. Now updated to the past tense.

The photos show the fountain and its dedication plaque which were restored as part of the project.

Tooting Common

Wandsworth Museum

What was Wandsworth Museum became part of Battersea Arts Centre. It was rebranded as "Moving Museum" but there is nothing about this on their new website.