Merton Council and the Wimbledon Society have teamed up to create a handy pocket-sized heritage map of Wimbledon. It enables visitors to the borough as well as residents to find their way to places of historic, architectural and cultural interest. The map also shows the route of the ‘Wimbledon Way’ guiding visitors to the tennis club from the station.
The new map lists 178 sites across Wimbledon including Wimbledon Library and the grade II listed gothic-style bank building in Wimbledon High Street, both built in 1887. Also featured is the English Heritage grade II Eagle House built in 1613, restored in 1887 and St Mary’s Church, the grade II listed gem of a country church dating from the 14th century situated in Merton Park. The map shows Wimbledon’s large expanses of parkland including Wimbledon Park near the world famous All England Lawn Tennis Club.
Merton Council cabinet member for community and culture Martin Whelton said: “With Wimbledon seeing tens of thousands of extra visitors during the tennis championships, we hope that the new map will allow both visitors and local residents to explore Wimbledon’s wealth of sites of historical and cultural interest. We are lucky to have so many beautiful parks including Cannizaro and Wimbledon Park alongside a huge diversity of historic buildings which tell Wimbledon’s story over the decades.”
Chairman of the Wimbledon Society Iain Simpson said: “This is certain to be a really useful leaflet both for residents of Wimbledon and visitors who are interested in our rich local heritage. As well as a map, it has notes on over 170 buildings and places of interest written by the council’s conservation officers with help from both the Museum and Planning Committees of the Wimbledon Society. We have also funded the printing of 5,000 copies as a contribution to the official Civic Day on 25 June.”
Copies are available free of charge at the Museum of Wimbledon in Ridgway, the Windmill Museum, local libraries and the tourist information desk in Centre Court Shopping Centre.
The map can be downloaded from Merton’s website http://www.merton.gov.uk/wimbledonheritagemap.htm
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