Wildcroft Manor is a historic site in Putney in the

London Borough of Wandsworth Wandsworth () is a London boroughs, London borough in southwest London; it forms part of Inner London and has an estimated population of 329,677 inhabitants. Its main named areas are Battersea, Balham, Putney, Tooting and Wandsworth, Wandsworth ...

, with private housing and a

Grade II Listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

iron gateway.

Location

The estate is located on Wildcroft road within

Putney Heath Wimbledon Common is a large open space in Wimbledon, southwest London. There are three named areas: Wimbledon Common, Putney Heath, and Putney Lower Common, which together are managed under the name Wimbledon and Putney Commons totalling 460 ...

, between the Telegraph pub and the A3 dual carriageway.

History

The original building was built in 1776 by politician

David Hartley (the Younger) David Hartley the Younger (1732 – 19 December 1813) was a statesman, a scientific inventor and the son of the philosopher David Hartley (philosopher), David Hartley. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Kingston upon Hull (UK Parliament ...

1732–1813 who received a grant of £2500 to build an experimental fireproof house. A Grade II listed obelisk nearby on

commemorates this innovation. The building was later home to publisher George Newnes 1851–1910, architect of

Putney Library Putney Library is a Grade II listed public library in the London Borough of Wandsworth. Location The library is at numbers 5 to 7 on the north side of Disraeli road, just off Putney High street. Founding The original building design was in ...

, who was made baronet "of Wildcroft, in the parish of Putney" in 1895. Newnes demolished and rebuilt the building in 1877 and it was visited by writer

Naomi Royde-Smith Naomi Royde-Smith (1875–1964) was a British writer who published nearly four dozen novels, biographies, and plays. She was the first woman literary editor of the ''Westminster Gazette'' and in that capacity published the early work of such wri ...

as a child from 1900. The wrought iron gates were built around 1900 by J & C McLaughlin (likely McGloughlin) Ltd, Dublin, and were Grade II listed in 1983. Later buildlings were built in mid 1930s in Art Deco style, with 56 flats created on the site of the former manor, in four-storey blocks in Tudor vernacular. A V1 flying bomb fell on the site on 3 July 1944, killing Canadian firefighter J.S. Coull (Winnipeg) and caused serious damage to all buildings on the site. Entertainer Ian Whitcomb later lived on the site in the 1960s, as well as Sir (Frank)

Cyril Hawker Sir (Frank) Cyril Hawker (21 July 1900 – 22 February 1991) was an English banker and cricketer. Hawker was born in Epping in 1900, the son of Frank Charles Hawker. He was educated at the City of London School between 1913 and 1919. Finance H ...

Sheriff of London 1963–1964.

References

External links

Historic England listing for the gates
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wildcroft Manor Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Wandsworth Putney Houses in the London Borough of Wandsworth Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Wandsworth