Raynes Park, SW20 is an emerging and dynamic town centre which is growing year by year. Major brands are beginning to open up such as Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Costa Coffee and Starbucks, a sure sign that things are progressing in an area.
Raynes Park is situated in South West London in the London Borough of Merton less than 10 miles from the Centre of London. Raynes Park British Rail taking 21 minutes to Waterloo with 17 trains per hour in peak times!
The opening up of the Railway station in 1871 changed the area from farming country to residential land development.
A major player in this development was Richard Garth, Lord of the Manor of Morden who began laying out the suburb. Grand Drive was originally built as a carriage way to the railway station with the first road being Blenheim Road. Large mansions appeared on Grand Drive in the 1880’s with the Apostles being built in the 1890’s. There were 12 roads built hence the name Apostles, roads such as Aston Road, Prince Georges Road, Edna Road and Chestnut Road are exceedingly sought after.
In the 1930’s the Cannon Hill Estate was built by George Blay. Most were quite spacious and a mixture of both terraced and semi detached houses. George Blay picked up oak pick-axe handles from a job lot left over from the First World War. The first case of property recycling? Cannon Hill Lane, Parkway and Elm Walk SW20 are good examples of Blay built houses.
The Morden Homes and Estate Company was busy building houses in the Motspur Park area starting with Phyllis Road. Motspur Park once again started to be developed with the opening of Motspur Park Railway Station in 1925. Many of these roads were named after people such as Adela, Estella, Arthur and Douglas!
Raynes Park, taking its name from the station continued to grow with an impressive church, and a golf club. The railway formed an unofficial boundary line between Raynes Park and the rapidly developing West Wimbledon.