Morden Hall Park

Morden Hall Park, on the banks of the River Wandle, is owned by the National Trust. It is over 50 hectares of parkland – a former deer park, originally owned by Westminster Abbey.

The river meanders through it, crossed by numerous footbridges. The natural surroundings create a haven for wildlife, including a vast area of wetlands fed by the waters of the Wandle.

The snuff mills, which ground tobacco into snuff, generated the park’s income in the past and survive to this day. One of the waterwheels has been restored, the western mill renovated, and now used as a learning centre. A modern waterwheel, an Archimedes Screw Hydroelectric turbine has been installed, to generate electricity for the park.

The first National Trust Garden Centre is now open here, with a whole range of new and exciting products. There is also a rose garden which has over two thousand roses and the kitchen garden supplies fresh fruit and vegetables all year round to the Potting Shed café.

Morden Hall itself now stands empty but, in the past, served as a military hospital in the First World War and a school for young gentlemen in the 19th century as well as a private residence for the Garth family and a tobacco merchant named Gilliat Hatfield.

The park lies in a built-up area, providing a much-loved rural idyll. Some of the surviving estate buildings are used as workshops by local craftspeople and artisans.

The Stable Yard, now restored, is at the heart of the park with the café, second-hand bookshop and a living green centre with exhibitions.