Tag Archives: Commonside West

51 and 52 Commonside West

A pair of cottages that were demolished in 1967.

The south end of the building can be seen in this 1966 photo by Eric Montague of the Park Place North Lodge.

1966 photo by Eric Montague of the Lodge buildings as seen from Park Place. Reproduced by kind permission of the Merton Historical Society.

Clip from Merton Memories photo 50712

Clip from Merton Memories photo 50712 Copyright: London Borough of Merton.

1953 OS Map

From the minutes of the London Borough of Merton
Volume 4
1967 to 1968
Education Committee
page 280
26th June 1967

(12) Former News of the World Sports Ground – No.s 51/52 Commonside West – The Chief Education Officer referred to Minute 2642(3)/3/67 and reported that the cost of demolishing two cottages formerly known as 51/52 Commonside West (situate within the curtilage of the the former “News of the World” Sports Ground) and the brick at the rear of the properties would amount to £75, exclusive of levelling and fencing the site.

Resolved – That No.s 51/52, Commonside West be demolished as soon as possible and the sites thereof levelled and fenced as necessary.


The hut for the 2157 (Mitcham) Squadron of the Air Training Corps was built on this site in 1969/70.


Minutes of meetings held by the London Borough of Merton are available on request from the Merton Heritage and Local Studies Centre at Morden Library.

News of the World Sportsground Pillbox

From the Archaelogy Data Service Defence of Britain Data Archive, the pillbox next to the running track on the News of the World Sports ground can be seen, although there are no further details about it.

1953 OS map

From this map, the size of the pillbox was measured at 71 feet by 84 feet.

Pillbox NS length

Pillbox WE length

Google Earth Canons Pillbox

Annoyingly, the entry on the Archaeology Database shows it as being in New Malden.

The Defence of Britain

Location: New Malden

Condition: Removed

Description: 03/1992 Pillbox, no specification.

Source: Corrected Defence of Britain Records Click here for more details
EDOBID: e14458
Last Edited:
Images: None