Streatham Common

Streatham Common contains areas of woodland, grassland, meadows, streams and a picnic area, as well as a large children’s playground, café, toilets and a seasonal paddling pool. It also surrounds The Rookery, a historic formal garden. It was originally part of an extensive network of open heathland and woodland known collectively as the ‘Great North Wood’, where local residents exercised rights to graze their livestock on it or collect firewood. Over time large areas of the Great North Wood were gradually enclosed and sold off for development, but part of it was saved and designated a ‘Metropolitan Common’ in 1884 to protect it for free public access and enjoyment.