Clapham Common
Clapham Common
Type	Historic common
Location	Clapham
Coordinates	51.4578° N 0.1494° W
Size	220 acres (0. Common land (a common) is a piece of land owned by one person but over which other people can exercise certain traditional rights such as allowing their livestock to graze Clapham is an area of South London, England, in the London Borough of Lambeth. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. 8 km²)
Operated by	Lambeth LB Council
Status	open all year

Clapham Common is a triangular area of grassland of about 220 acres (0. The London Borough of Lambeth ( is a London borough in South London, England and forms part of Inner London. 8 km²) in size, situated between Clapham, Battersea and Balham in south London, England. Clapham is an area of South London, England, in the London Borough of Lambeth. Battersea is a place in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is an inner-city district located 2 Balham is a neighbourhood in South London, England. The settlement appears in the Domesday Book as Belgeham. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland It was historically common land for the parishes of Battersea and Clapham, but was converted to parkland under the terms of the Metropolitan Commons Act 1878.

Some 108 acres (43 hectares) of the common (the area historically known as Battersea Common) are within the London Borough of Wandsworth. The London Borough of Wandsworth (ˈlʌndən bʌɹə ɒv ˈwɒndz Although the Common is wholly managed and maintained by the London Borough of Lambeth, the policing of the open space is divided between the Wandsworth and Lambeth borough "commands" of the Metropolitan Police, which follow the local government boundaries. The London Borough of Lambeth ( is a London borough in South London, England and forms part of Inner London. "Metropolitan Police" redirects here See also Metropolitan police.

NB: Clapham Common is also the name of an electoral ward in the London Borough of Lambeth covering the area of housing to the southeast of Clapham Common Southside better known as "Abbeville Village". In Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, a ward is an Electoral district The London Borough of Lambeth ( is a London borough in South London, England and forms part of Inner London.

Contents 1 Features of the Common 2 The Bandstand 3 Sport and Other Events 4 Other references in popular culture 5 References 6 External links

Features of the Common

The common contains three ponds which are historical features and a more modern paddling pool.

Eagle Pond and Mount Pond are predominantly used for angling and contain a variety of species including Carp to 20lb, Roach, Tench and Bream. Angling is a method of Fishing by means of an "angle" ( hook) Carp is a common name for various Freshwater Fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large For the submarine class see Tench class submarine. The tench or doctor fish ( Tinca tinca) is a Freshwater Bream is a general term for a number of species of Freshwater and marine Fish, mainly but not exhaustively drawn from the genera Eagle Pond was extensively refurbished in 2002 where it was completely drained, landscaped and replanted to provide a better habitat for the fish it contained. Long Pond has a century old tradition of use for model boating. Long Pond may refer to England Long Pond London, one of the three historical ponds on Clapham Common Massachusetts

The common is surrounded by many fine houses which began to be built in the 1790s and became fashionable dwellings in (what was then) this village south of London, many being home to wealthy business people. Some of these were members of the Clapham Sect of evangelical reformers, including Lord Teignmouth and John Thornton, the banker and abolitionist. The Clapham Sect was an influential group of like-minded Church of England social reformers in England at the beginning of the nineteenth century (active c John Shore 1st Baron Teignmouth ( 5 October 1751 - 14 February 1834) was a British politician who served as Governor-General of India John Thornton is the name of John Thornton (glass painter York Minster stain glass designer between 1405 and 1408 John Thornton (football A banker or bank is a Financial institution whose primary activity is to act as a payment agent for customers and to borrow and lend money Abolitionism was a political movement of the 18th and 19th century which sought to make Slavery illegal particularly in the United States and British West Indies As London expanded in the 19th century this became part of a built-up area, and Clapham was eventually absorbed into the capital. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar

Holy Trinity Church (1776) is close to the North Side of the common. Year 1776 ( MDCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a An Anglican church, it hosts its fete on the common every summer. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs

Clapham Common tube station and Clapham South tube station are on the edge of the common at its easternmost and southernmost points respectively. Clapham Common tube station is a station on London Underground 's Northern Line. Clapham South tube station is a station on London Underground 's Northern Line between Clapham Common and Balham stations

A memorial tree to actor Jeremy Brett - who had lived locally for many years prior to his death in 1995 - was planted on 30 March 2007. Jeremy Brett (3 November 1933 – 12 September 1995 born Peter Jeremy William Huggins, was an English Actor famous among other things for his Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

The Bandstand

In the centre of the common is the Clapham bandstand constructed in 1890. Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common It is the largest bandstand in London and a Grade II Listed Building. A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance For many years it was also erroneously thought to be one of the bandstands first erected in 1861 in the Royal Horticultural Society's gardens in South Kensington, which would have made it the oldest surviving cast iron bandstand in Europe. Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Royal Horticultural Society ( RHS) was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. However, recent research has shown that these bandstands went to Southwark Park and Peckham Rye, and it appears that the Clapham bandstand was fabricated to a very similar design almost thirty years later. Southwark Park is located in Rotherhithe, in central South East London and is managed by the London Borough of Southwark. Peckham Rye is an open space and road in the London Borough of Southwark in London, England. ^[1] The bandstand's maintenance had been neglected by Lambeth Council for thirty years, and by 2001 it was thought to be in danger of collapse and had to be shored up with scaffolding for five years. In 2005-2006, a full restoration of the bandstand and surrounding landscape took place, partly funded by an £895,000 lottery grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund matched by local fundraising efforts and the proceeds of the Ben and Jerry's Summer Sundae event held on the Common. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc

Sport and Other Events

Clapham Common is the traditional venue for the British Australian Rules Football League Grand Final. A Grand Final is a predominantly Australian sporting term used to describe a final that decides a league champion

The common has also been the site of one of the Colourscape Music Festival structures since 1995. Colourscape is a collection of large inflatable sculptures which are usually found in Britain but it has also appeared in other countries (e Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 It has also been the venue for a number of annual Gay Pride festivals. LGBT pride or gay pride refers to a world wide movement and philosophy asserting that LGBT ( Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and It has also seen changing annual programmes of large scale music events.

Other references in popular culture

Parts of Clapham Common have long had a reputation as a location for sexual liaisons. As such it was connected with the infamous Ron Davies "moment of madness" incident in 1998. Ronald Davies (born 6 August 1946 is a Welsh Politician, former Secretary of State for Wales, former Member of Parliament and former member Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) ^[2] It is mentioned in Are You Being Served? by Mrs Slocombe: "I haven't forgotten being flung flat on me back on Clapham Common by a land mine--and the German Air Force was responsible. Are You Being Served? was a long-running British sitcom broadcast from 1972 to 1985 " to which Mr Lucas ripostes: "All the other times she was flat on her back the American Air Force was responsible. "

The Common also featured in a heterosexual capacity in the Squeeze song Up the Junction. Heterosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the opposite sex or to a heterosexual orientation Squeeze are an English band that came to prominence in the United Kingdom during the New Wave period of the late 1970s and continued recording successfully " Up the Junction " was the third single released from Squeeze 's second album Cool for Cats. It is cited suggestively in Morrissey's song "Mute Witness," followed by the line, "Oh, god, what was she doing there?"

Some parts of the common are used by homosexual men for "cottaging" activities. Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. Cottaging is a British Gay slang term referring to anonymous male-male sex in a public Lavatory (a cottage or tea-room) or to the There have recently been attacks on gay people in the wooded area of the common,^[3] one of them being the brutal murder of Jody Dobrowski on 14 October 2005. ‎ Jody Dobrowski ( 27 July 1981 - October 14 2005) was a 24-year old assistant bar manager who was murdered on Clapham Common in south Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[3][4]

References

External links

• Friends of Clapham Common - Voluntary organisation committed to the protection and improvement of Clapham Common.
• Clapham Angling Association
• LocalClapham.com - Google customised by the Clapham community

---

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic