Southfields
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See Southfields, Leicestershire for the place in Leicester.
Southfields is a district in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is a suburban development situated 5.6 miles (9 km) south west of Charing Cross.
Until the late 19th century Southfields was still fields, situated between the more developed villages of Wimbledon and Putney. It had some paths between the fields, which were the basis of the main road that exist today. When the District & London & South Western Railway from Wimbledon to Putney Bridge opened in June 1889, the area started to take off, with the first school opening a year later on Merton Road, one of the main thoroughfares that were formerly paths through fields.
The main residential area of Southfields is the "grid", this series of roads runs from Elsenham Street to Astonville street and consists almost entirely of large victorian built terrace houses, some of which have been converted into flats.
An abstinence law prevented any pubs from being built in the Southfields 'grid' area – so named because of the grid layout of the streets. But since that was lifted in the 1990s two pubs have sprung up next door to each other on Replingham Road.
Once a working class enclave, the area has, like others around it, undergone a transformation in the 1990s, with house prices rising dramatically and the area attracting people from all over due to its excellent transportation links to the District Line and South West Trains as well excellent parks and excellent primary schools yet mediocre secondary schools.
Southfields tube station is the nearest to the Wimbledon tennis championships and during the tournament many local residents rent out their homes, while local shops enjoy a two week boost to sales.
Since 1984 the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has its headquarters in Southfields, due to the heavy persecution of Ahmadis in Pakistan. The community's leader's life was in danger, since then he resides in Southfields. Southfields is also home to Saint Cecilias', Wandsworth, a Church of England School situated on Sutherland Grove.
Famous residents past and present
- George Eliot - novelist; she wrote The Mill on the Floss while living in Wimbledon Park Road
- Paul Merton - comedian; star of TV show "Have I Got News For You"
- Will Greenwood - rugby player; Harlequins and England
- Andy Hamilton - scriptwiter of TV show "Drop the Dead Donkey"
Historical Photos
Nearby places
External links
- [Southfields.net]
- [Borough history]
- [Story of Wandsworth]
- [Southfields Grid Residents Association]
- [Southfields Community College]
- [Wandworth City Learning Centre] (based in Southfields)
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