Clapham Common: a guide
About 220 acres between the Old Town and Clapham South: London's largest bandstand, three ponds and a paddling pool, the church of the Clapham Sect and a pub that dates from 1665. What's where on the Common, and how to spend a day there.
By Clapham London Editorial
Clapham Common is about 220 acres of open grass, ponds and paths between the Old Town and Clapham South, and the place to start is the bandstand in the middle. It is the reason most of us live here. Half of it sits in Wandsworth and half in Lambeth, which looks after the whole thing, and on a sunny weekend it feels like all of south London is on it. Here is what's where, and how to make a day of it.
A short history
The Friends of Clapham Common reckon it has existed for nearly 1,000 years. It was common land for the parishes of Battersea and Clapham for centuries, and became a public park under the Metropolitan Commons Act of 1878. From the 1790s, wealthy merchants built fine houses around its edges, and the neighbours included the Clapham Sect, the circle around William Wilberforce. One odd footnote: Benjamin Franklin studied how oil calms the water on one of the Common's ponds in the early 1770s.
The bandstand
In the centre of the Common is the bandstand, built in 1890 and the largest in London. It is Grade II listed, was fully restored in 2006 and later repainted in its original 1890 colours. In summer there are free concerts every Sunday afternoon from 2pm to 4pm, run by volunteers, with a small market alongside. It is also the meeting point for the Friends of Clapham Common's monthly litter pick.
The ponds
- Long Pond. The one with the model boats, which have sailed here for generations. Come on a weekend morning to watch.
- Mount Pond. One of the two angling ponds. Bring a rod, or just a bench and a book.
- Eagle Pond. The smallest, also an angling pond, restored with reeds and plants along the edges and a fenced wetland created with the Wild Clapham group.
- Cock Pond. Now a paddling pool, and where the small children are on a hot day.
Holy Trinity, Clapham Common North Side
The church on the North Side, looking over the Common, opened for worship in 1776. It was the church of the Clapham Sect, who lived around the Common and worshipped here while they campaigned to abolish the slave trade. It still holds services, and there is an annual summer fete. Stand on the grass in front of it for the classic view.
The Windmill, Clapham Common South Side
The Common's pub. The Windmill dates from 1665, according to CAMRA, though it was greatly extended in the 19th century, and it is Grade II listed. There is a big garden, a Burger Shack outside in summer and rooms upstairs. Order a cask Young's and watch the Common go by.
Cafes and food on the Common
- Pear Tree Cafe, Windmill Drive. Right beside the bandstand, with tables outside. The Pear Tree team took over the old cafe here in 2021. The best coffee stop in the middle of the Common.
- Common Pizza, Rookery Road. On the edge of the Common by the skate park and basketball courts, with a terrace, New York and Detroit pizza and live music later in the week.
Sport
There is more sport on the Common than most people realise: tennis and netball courts, a running track, a bowling green, and pitches for cricket, football, rugby and even Australian rules. There is a skate venue, and the basketball court was refurbished by Foot Locker and the NBA. If you just want to run, the perimeter makes a good loop, and there is a Saturday parkrun.
Nature
For all the football and picnics, the Common is also a wildlife site. The fenced wetland was created by the Friends of Clapham Common with Wild Clapham, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Mayor of London's Rewild London Fund among others, and Eagle Pond has been restored with reeds and plants. Walk round it slowly, keep dogs on the path, and you will see more than you expect.
Big events
In August, South West Four, the dance music festival, takes over part of the Common for a weekend, as it has since 2004. Other events come and go over the summer, so check before you plan a quiet picnic on a festival weekend.
Getting there
Clapham Common station sits by the Old Town and Clapham South at the far end, both on the Northern line. From the Pavement, cross the road and you are on the grass.
A day on the Common
Start with a coffee at the Pear Tree Cafe by the bandstand. Walk to Long Pond to watch the boats, then over to Holy Trinity on the North Side. Lunch at The Windmill on the South Side, then find a spot on the grass for the afternoon. On a summer Sunday, be back at the bandstand by 2pm for the concert. In the evening, the Old Town and the Pavement are a two-minute walk away.
