A series of lords of the manor enlarged their holdings to the north and east. In the 18th century, the grounds were turned into a private park - Wimbledon Park - and were landscaped by Capability Brown. As part of this remodelling, the lake was formed by constructing a dam across a brook that had flowed from the spring line near Wimbledon Common to the River Wandle.

By the 19th century Wimbledon Park was at its largest extent, and the stately home here was one of the homes of the Earls Spencer, lords of the manor.

In 1846, the 4th Earl Spencer sold the house and estate to John Augustus Beaumont a property developer. He laid out some new roads and sold plots for housebuilding. Two roads still bear his name today – Augustus Road and Beaumont Road. Development of the area around the periphery of the park was extremely slow at first, but continued throughout the second half of the 19th century.

By the early twentieth century, the remaining areas of the park were a remaining larger section with its ornamental lake, the grounds of the Wimbledon Club and Wimbledon Golf Course. Along the park’s northern edge was Horse Close wood, an old planted woodland, largely consisting of ash and oak.

These were all purchased just before the First World War by the Borough of Wimbledon.

Later in the 20th century, the successor local authority - the London Borough of Merton - sold on the Golf Course to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, leaving just the public park and the lake in its ownership. The All England Club is situated to the west of Wimbledon Park.

Wimbledon Park is now 27 hectares (67 acres) in area and it now hosts a wide range of leisure facilities including tennis courts, a bowls pavilion, beach volleyball court and an outdoor water sports centre. There is also an athletics stadium with 400m track.

Every November a large fireworks display takes place in Wimbledon Park, organised by Merton Council.




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