This neighbourhood constitutes a long area stretching across Wandsworth, Southfields, Earlsfield and Summerstown. Spanning two-thirds of the central area is King George’s Park: a glorious open green space which features formal and ornamental gardens, an ecology site, and a riverside walk. Popular with young professionals and young families, this lively area is lucky to have the exciting and bustling Earlsfield hub – Garratt Lane – running down its east-side, as well as Wandsworth Town centre to the north. The south of the area, however, also holds its own treasures – residents at this end of the neighbourhood really are spoilt for choice when it comes to open green space, with Wimbledon Park not too far to the west. All in all, this popular neighbourhood has the right balance of amenity and proximity to central London to draw in a happy urban population.

The area of Earsfield and Summerstown has an interesting history when it comes to its natural environment. The numerous mills which used to line the river Wandle frequently used to flood the area in the Middle Ages, but this did not deter a steadily growing population in the 17th and 18th centuries. A nearby hamlet known as Garratt was absorbed by Summerstown, and this has been a concern for local heritage as recently Garratt has somewhat been absorbed further into the wider Earlsfield area. Nonetheless, this neighbourhood’s history overlaps closely with that of its neighbouring hubs – the cluster of small hamlets which surrounded the Wandle have been important sources of labour for the mills’ industry throughout history, long before the boom in development during the Victorian period, which propelled the area into the modern age.

An exciting, famous resident to have once lived in the area was the esteemed glam rock-star, Marc Bolan. The musician himself was a pioneer of the glam rock movement in the 1970s but tragically died at the age of 29. Best loved for his flamboyant, creative attire and varied performance guises – reminiscent of similarly eccentric artists like David Bowie. Although he was born in Hackney, Bolan moved with his family to one of the new Sun Cottages in Summerstown in 1962.

The local Summerstown Parish Church – St Mary’s – was completed in 1920 and is now grade-II listed. Whilst it may have taken a few years to attain listed status, the church, which was designed by Godfrey Pinkerton, remains a cherished local asset and a hub of the community.

You also probably were not aware that London’s first purpose-built mosque – the Fazl-Mosque or London Mosque – is located in Southfields very close to this neighbourhood! The London Mosque was inaugurated on the 23rd October 1926, and has been the international headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community since 1984!

Whilst this charming area in South West London is predominantly loved by its residents, there has unfortunately been a recent problem with traffic on the roads, and some are worried about the safety of the area. A number of busy roads intersect the neighbourhood area, which has led to a few recent incidents, such as the recent death of a man in Earlsfield involving two motorbikes. Despite this, there is certainly a strong sense of community which exists in the area, something which is demonstrated by one local group in particular – the Summerstown 182 project. This community project was launched by the vicar of local St Mary’s church, and it aims to connect local residents with the legacies of soldiers from the area who fought and died during World War One. This inspirational heritage project, which was endorsed by current Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (who was MP for Tooting), truly demonstrates the spirit of the local community and, as one of the main organisers of the project remarked, it has enabled him to ‘see the area where I have lived for nearly twenty years in a new and exciting light’ as well as connect with other local residents.

One exciting opportunity for local initiatives is Wandsworth Council’s Grant Fund, which has now been operating for 7 years since 2015. It is a great opportunity for local projects to receive some much-needed financial support, targeted towards projects in need of between £500 and £10,000 of funding. One of the projects that received funding recently was non-other than the Summerstown 182 Stripes of Peace Project.

One exciting development to come to the local community is the Wandsworth Councils Grant Fund’s 7th year of funding – a great opportunity for local projects to receive some much-needed financial support. A total of £319,500 was earmarked for the 2018/19 year for the fund, and one of the projects receiving funding is non- other than the Summerstown 182 Stripes of Peace Project. The funding went towards the project’s efforts to create 182 hangings to put up around locations where World War One soldiers, nurses, and other fallen residents once resided. Other projects that receive support range from art projects, such as from Elays Art and Culture, which focuses on Black History Month when it was granted funding, to environmental projects – such as ‘Green the Grid’ which entailed laying flowers and shrubbery in the local area!