Putney Park Lane and The Pleasance have both been awarded Green Flag status for the first time, increasing the number of parks in Wandsworth with the honour from seven to 12.
The awards recognise parks that excel in environmental management, community engagement and visitor experience.
Putney Park Lane stretches nearly a mile between Upper Richmond Road and Putney Heath along an unmade, tree-lined route that retains its rural charm.
Dating back to at least the 18th century—and possibly earlier—this historic thoroughfare once linked to a medieval deer park and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s hunting lodge on The Pleasance. Today, it spans 0.9 hectares, designated a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation, home to diverse wildflowers, elm scrub and the rare white‑letter hairstreak butterfly.
The Lane still preserves its historic features, including gated entrances and surviving lodges. Across the road lies St Margaret’s Church, a former Baptist and Presbyterian chapel converted to Anglican use in 1912.
The Pleasance: from hunting lodge to community space
The Pleasance occupies the site of the Archbishop’s medieval hunting lodge, later replaced by grand houses in the 17th and 18th centuries. When the Dover House Estate was laid out in the 1920s by the London County Council—on Garden City principles—it preserved this woodland open space as a communal green .
Today it features mature trees, spring bulbs, informal stepping‑stone paths and a natural playground. The Pleasance retains its pastoral atmosphere, overlooked by interwar cottages set in large communal verges.
Borough-wide green success
These historical gems form part of a wider borough initiative that saw Wandsworth secure 12 Green Flags in 2025, up from seven in 2024. The other newly flagged parks are King George’s Park, Bramford Gardens, Godley Gardens, and Fishponds Playing Fields.
What makes a Green Flag park?
Run by Keep Britain Tidy, the Green Flag Award is the international benchmark for well-managed parks. Criteria include welcoming spaces, safety, cleanliness, environmental stewardship, biodiversity, heritage, community involvement, marketing and clear management plans.
Both Putney Park Lane and The Pleasance will now benefit from continued maintenance under Enable and Krinkels, which manage parks for the council. Plans include installing more interpretive signage, preserving historic features and sustaining biodiversity. Residents can expect further community-produced enhancements, inclusive play upgrades and rewilding initiatives in their local parks.
