Wooden bridge at Ravine pond in spring, Wimbledon Common.

© eric laudonien/Shutterstock

Wimbledon Common

Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court


Surging on into Putney Heath, Wimbledon Common blankets a staggering 460 hectares of southwest London. An astonishing expanse of open, wild and wooded space for walking (the best mode of exploration), nature trailing and picnicking, the common has its own windmill, dating from 1817. On the southern side of the common, the misnamed Caesar’s Camp is what’s left of a roughly circular earthen fort built in the 5th century BC. Take bus 93 from Wimbledon tube, train or tram station.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court attractions

1. Caesar's Camp

0.45 MILES

On the southern side of Wimbledon Common, the misnamed Caesar’s Camp is what’s left of a roughly circular earthen fort built in the 5th century BC.

2. Wimbledon Windmill

0.45 MILES

One of London's few surviving windmills, this fine smock mill (octagonal-shaped with sloping weatherboarded sides) dates from 1817. It ceased operating in…

3. Buddhapadipa Temple

0.66 MILES

Surrounded by trees in over 1.5 hectares of tranquil Wimbledon land, this delightful Thai Buddhist temple actively welcomes everyone. Accompanying its…

4. Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum

0.97 MILES

This ace museum details the history of tennis – from its French precursor jeu de paume (which employed the open hand) to the supersonic serves of today's…

5. Isabella Plantation

1.7 MILES

Floral fans to Richmond Park should visit this 16-hectare plantation, a stunning woodland garden created after WWII, when the rhododendrons, azaleas and…

6. Richmond Park

2.44 MILES

At almost 1000 hectares (the largest urban parkland in Europe), this park offers everything from formal gardens and ancient oaks to unsurpassed views of…

7. Putney & Barnes

2.5 MILES

Called Putelei in the Domesday Book of 1086, Putney is most famous as the starting point of the annual Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. Barnes is less well…

8. Pembroke Lodge

2.65 MILES

Set in a beautiful 13-hectare garden and affording great views of the city from the back terrace, Pembroke Lodge was the childhood home of Bertrand…