Historical Images
St John's Hill and Clapham Junction, Battersea c.1905
The fountain, Battersea Park c.1906
The Small Lake on Wandsworth Common c.1905
The former West Hill LibraryWandsworth Historical Society
The archaeology and history of the Borough of Wandsworth
Battersea : Balham : Putney : Tooting : Wandsworth Town
St John's Hill and Clapham Junction, Battersea c.1905The fountain, Battersea Park c.1906The Small Lake on Wandsworth Common c.1905The former West Hill LibraryMonthly 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.
The next talk is on 27th September.
'Octavia Hill and Wandsworth: how her work in the Wandsworth area sheds lights on her wider reforms', by Elizabeth Baigent.
Octavia Hill (1838-1912) was one of the nineteenth century's most influential social reformers, with a particular concern for the welfare of the urban working class. She promoted social housing and the preservation of open spaces in cities. She was one of the three founders of the National Trust.
Elizabeth Baigent began her work on Octavia Hill while she was Research Director of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. She later organised a University of Oxford/National Trust conference on Hill to mark the centenary of her death. She continues her work on early conservationists as the University of Oxford Reader in the History of Geography.
Contacting us
For any inquiries about the work of the society, use our general email: info@wandsworthhistory.org.uk
Please be patient as this email account is not monitored regularly.
For enquiries about talks and in particular to request the link for Zoom meetings (for non members) use: whsevents@wandsworthhistory.org.uk
For membership specific queries please contact our membership secetary at: membership@wandsworthhistory.org.uk
Membership of the Society
Membership of the Society costs just £15 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.
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.
Putney 1851 - An old publication revived
In the mid-1970s the Wandsworth Historical Society organised a practical history-research workshop which focussed on analysing the enumerators' local returns for the census of England held in 1851. The result was a significant insight into the social structure of the inhabitants of Putney in the mid-Victorian period, how they earned their living, how they travelled around, and how they spent their free time. Click [HERE] for more details.
Villas and Mansions of Roehampton and Putney Heath - An earlier revival
Dorian Gerhold's much praised book Villas and Mansions of Roehampton and Putney Heath has long been out of print. To make this significant research widely available once again, we have produced a free-to-download digitised version. Click [HERE] for more details.
Our Publications
The WHS offers an outstanding selection of local history publications. Here are the highlights:
Researching record offices at a distance
A list of online links to original records, which will help you researching 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
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].
The photos show the fountain and its dedication plaque which were restored as part of the project.
Wandsworth Museum
This no longer exists. It was briefly part of Battersea Arts Centre and rebranded as "Moving Museum" but post Covid and the fire at Battersea Arts Centre they are no longer involved. The collection remains in store under Wandsworth Council reponsibility.
Wandsworth Heritage Service
The Wandsworth Heritage Service can be contacted at:
Battersea Library,
265 Lavender Hill,
SW11 1JB.
Tel 020 7223 2334
Email heritage@gll.org
Opening hours:
9am-8pm Tuesday and Wednesday
9am-5pm Friday and Saturday
Closed Monday, Thursday and Sunday
The Heritage Service has its Archives Catalogue and a selection of historic photos available online via these links: