Wimbledon Park dates from 1576 and focused on the first Manor House built at Vineyard Hill in 1588, later known as the Elizabethan Manor House. The park was managed as a deer park to provide fresh meat for the Manor of Wimbledon.

By the early 17th century the Park occupied nearly 4oo acres. The Park was dotted with large clumps of trees and small woods where the deer grazed. The eastern part of the estate, was Ashen Grove Farm. (Also known as ‘Wimbledon Park’ farm.)

It was established in 1633 by John Halfhead from Hertfordshire, who cleared a wood there at the time.

The site of the farm lies off of the modern road called Ashen Grove. However, this was before that the name of a wood called Ashen Grove which lay immediately to the north. The name is marked as a small settlement from the 1750 Roque map onwards.


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