Clapham Common: how to do it well, from the bandstand to the Pavement
Free, always open and bigger than most people walk: how to spend a good day on Clapham Common, and where to head afterwards.
By Clapham London Editorial
Clapham Common is free to walk into and listed as always open, so the only real decision is which corner you start from. Come out of Clapham Common station on the east edge, or Clapham South at the bottom, and go from there. Then finish with a table on the Pavement or on Clapham Common South Side.
What it is
A triangle of grassland between Clapham, Battersea and Balham. Sources differ on the size, so call it roughly 200 to 220 acres. About half is in Lambeth, and the old Battersea Common section, around 108 acres, is in Wandsworth, though Lambeth manages the whole thing.
There are three ponds and a Victorian bandstand. The facilities list on GoParks runs to a paddling pool, skate area, tennis courts, outdoor gym, parkrun, fishing, a cricket pitch and a cycle path. There are cafés and toilets too. Common Ground Café and a toilet block sit by the tennis courts, close to the West Side entrance (SW4 9AN), with an accessible toilet and baby-change.
Parts of the Common are also managed for wildlife. One guide describes it as a Borough Site of Importance for Nature Conservation, and the Woodland Trust lists small areas of woodland on it.
A little history
It began as common land for the parishes of Battersea and Clapham, and became parkland under the Metropolitan Commons Act 1878. The edges tell the older story. Holy Trinity Clapham, an 18th-century Georgian church, looks over the Common and is central to the history of the Clapham Sect, the group around William Wilberforce that pushed the abolition of the slave trade through Parliament in 1807.
Turner painted “View on Clapham Common” between 1800 and 1805. A memorial tree to the actor Jeremy Brett, a long-time local, stands on the Common.
If you want a route rather than a wander, the Clapham Society has a self-guided walk, number 4, Clapham Common. It starts at Clapham Common Underground, then takes in Holy Trinity, the bandstand, Windmill Drive and all three ponds.
When to go
The free bandstand concerts start on 7 June with The Fabulous Honeys big band and run to 31 August, according to the Clapham Society. Check the listing for times before you set out.
One thing to know: Lambeth has filed a notice for restricted works on the Common for its events programme, and large events can fence off parts of the park. If you are heading for a particular patch of grass on a big weekend, have a second plan.
Getting there
- Clapham Common station is at the eastern edge, by Clapham Common South Side.
- Clapham South is at the southern tip, the best way in for Windmill Drive.
- The Pavement in Clapham Old Town is on the north-west corner of the Common.
One place for after: The Dairy
The Dairy, 15 The Pavement, SW4 0HY, is Robin Gill’s restaurant in Clapham Old Town, working with seasonal British ingredients. Hot Dinners has called its set lunch one of London’s bargains, which makes it a smart move after a long morning on the grass. Look at the restaurant’s own menu for current prices and booking before you go, as lunch offers change.
If the Dairy is not your mood
Brickwood Coffee & Bread, 16 Clapham Common South Side, SW4 7AB, is opposite Clapham Common station. It is an Aussie-inspired café with table service, and the menu runs to flat whites, banana bread, smashed avocado and hot sangas. The Infatuation says it suits pitching up for a few hours.
The Windmill on the Common, Windmill Drive, Clapham Common South Side, SW4 9DE, is the nearest sit-down option if you finish on the south side. It describes itself as a five-minute walk from Clapham South and Clapham Common stations. It is a pub with 42 boutique hotel rooms and is dog-friendly. Several guides name it as a Sunday roast spot, and one reviewer mentioned Ginger Pig roasts and a roast for two.
The short version
- Start at Clapham Common station and follow the Clapham Society walk past Holy Trinity, the bandstand and the three ponds.
- Go on a Sunday from 7 June to 31 August for the free bandstand concerts.
- Finish on the Pavement at The Dairy, or at Brickwood or the Windmill on the south side.
