Wimbledon, London

Wimbledon is a suburb of London, part of the London Borough of Merton seven miles (11.3 km), southwest of London's centre at Charing Cross.

A brief history of Wimbledon

Early history

Wimbledon has been inhabited since at least the Iron Age when the hill fort on Wimbledon Common is thought to have been constructed.

Related Topics:
Iron Age - Hill fort - Wimbledon Common

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The original centre of Wimbledon was at the top of the hill close to the common - the area now known locally as "the village". In the 16th century, being relatively close to London, Wimbledon began to attract the attention of the wealthy as a residence. At this time Sir Thomas Cecil, Earl of Exeter built Wimbledon Manor and improved the road to London. The Cecil family sold the house in 1638 to King Charles I and it subsequently passed on through the hands of other owners (including Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough) until it burnt down in the 1780s.

Related Topics:
16th century - Sir Thomas Cecil - Earl of Exeter - 1638 - King Charles I - Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough - 1780s

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In 1613 Robert Bell, Master of the Worshipful Company of Girdlers and a director of the East India Company built Eagle House as a home at an easy distance from London. Stagecoach services from the Dog and Fox public house in the 18th century made the journey routine, although not without the risk of being held up by highwaymen such as Jerry Abershawe on the Portsmouth Road.

Related Topics:
1613 - Worshipful Company of Girdlers - East India Company - Stagecoach - 18th century - Highwaymen - Jerry Abershawe

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19th century

In 1838, the opening of the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR), brought a station to the bottom of the hill. Most of the town's subsequent growth was focussed around the station rather than the area near the original High Street at the top of the hill.

Related Topics:
1838 - London and South Western Railway

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Although the population began to increase slowly in the 1860s, the most signifcant growth period took place in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods (1870 to 1911) during which time large numbers of villas and terraced houses were built out from the town centre connecting up with Putney, Merton Park and Raynes Park and the population increased by more than 600%.

Related Topics:
1860s - Victorian - Edwardian - 1870 - 1911 - Putney - Merton Park - Raynes Park

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Transport links expanded as The L&SWR extended new branch lines to Tooting and Croydon and the Metropolitan District Railway (now London Underground's District Line) extended its service over new tracks from Putney in 1889. The commercial development in the area was also significant during this period with shops opening along the length of Wimbledon Broadway and Ely's department store opening in 1876.

Related Topics:
Tooting - Croydon - Metropolitan District Railway - London Underground - District Line - 1889 - Department store - 1876

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