2003 - Present

The Friends Group

The Friends group was set up in 2003 by members of the community committed to looking after Sir Joseph Hood Memorial Playing Field, campaigning, organizing events, and raising money. It was initially set up following a public meeting about a proposal from AFC Wimbledon to use the playing field and threats to reduce the opening of the paddling pool.

2001

Millennium Wood

10,000 trees were planted as a Millennium wood adjacent to the Memorial Wood.

1990s

Woodland Becomes Accessible

The Memorial wood, originally planted in the 1860s, was inaccessible to the public until the 1990s and was a designated bird reserve. Since then, entrances were made in the North East corner and the South with a footpath. It was established as a nature reserve in 1994.

2007

Bowling Green becomes Crazy Golf

The Bowling Green was developed into a Crazy Golf course.

1937 - Early 2000s

Bowling Green

From 1937 until the early 2000s, there was a Bowling Green at Sir Joseph Hood Memorial Playing Field.

Unknown Date

Paddling Pool

We don't know exactly when the paddling pool was put into the park and we believe it was originally in a different location. If you have any information on this or any other aspect of the park's history, especially about the different sports clubs that have been based there, please get in touch

1935

Park Opening

Sir Joseph Hood Memorial Playing Field was opened on the 26th October 1935 in memory of Sir Joseph Hood, who served as Mayor of Wimbledon (1930-31) and as MP for Wimbledon (1918-24).

The park was covenanted as a playing field and recreation site with the assistance of the Carnegie Trust and the National Playing Fields Association, which contributed, in today's money, the equivalent of £118,650 towards the purchase and creation of the park.

The Merton and Morden Urban District Council contributed half of the purchase price of the site and agreed to maintain it in perpetuity as a playing field and recreation ground.

Sir Harold Hood, Sir Joseph Hood's son, and Lady Hood attended the opening ceremony outside the pavilion.

The original programme from the opening of Sir Joseph Hood Memorial Playing Field on the 26th October 1935.

1931

Obituary of Sir Joseph Hood

We announce today the death of Sir Joseph Hood, Mayor of Wimbledon and generous public benefactor of the Wimbledon and Morden districts. He had been a Conservative member for the borough from 1918 until 1924. It was expected that during his term of office as Mayor, the new Town Hall and municipal buildings would be opened, possibly by a member of the Royal Family.

Sir Joseph was born at Ashby-de-la-Zouch on March 31st, 1863. He was educated at the Ashby-de-la-Zouch Grammar School and admitted as a solicitor in 1890, practicing in Liverpool until 1903. In 1902, he was engaged in the formation of the British-American Tobacco Company Limited and was appointed the first solicitor to the company and its associated companies. Later, he became one of the directors and subsequently one of the Deputy Chairmen. Parliamentary and other duties led him to resign these directorships in 1921.

During the War, he served on two committees of the Board of Trade and was Assistant Controller of the Department of Turkey. At the end of 1918, he was elected Coalition Unionist member for Wimbledon with a majority of over 10,000. During his Parliamentary career, Sir Joseph was a member of the Tobacco Licensing Committee of the Board of Trade, the Advisory Committee of the Tobacco Control Board, and the Board of Trade Merchandise Marks Committee, of the last of which he was Deputy Chairman. In recognition of these and other services, he was made a Baronet in 1922.

Among his gifts to Wimbledon was that of 21 acres of land at Raynes Park adjoining Cannon Hill Common. This area he fully equipped as a recreation ground (Joseph Hood Recreation Ground) at a cost of £11,000 and handed over to Merton and Morden Council. He also laid out, at a cost of £2,500, an area of 5 1/2 acres of vacant land at Garfield Road, South Wimbledon, as a recreation ground and in many other ways that district found him a liberal benefactor. He and Lady Hood were given the Freedom of the Borough in 1924.

He married first, in 1900, Katherine (who died in 1913), daughter of Mr. Martin Kenny of Ballindaggin, County Wexford, and by her had three daughters; and second, Marie Josephine, daughter of Mr. Archibald Robinson of Dublin, by whom he had two sons. The heir to the Baronetcy was born in 1916.

The Friends wish to express our thanks to Josepha Murray née Hood (Granddaughter of Sir Joseph Hood) for the above information.