'Springfield Revealed' Stories from Wandsworth's Old Asylum

Springfield in Springtime - as a swathe of golden daffodils illuminate the Wandle Valley and herald the start of brighter days, surely no better time to check-in on the extraordinary Springfield Hospital development! Once the site of 'The Surrey County Pauper Lunatic Asylum' this beautiful, unique location comes with some astounding history and this Walk combines past, present and future in a sensitive and respectful manner. Meet at Toast cafe just off Burntwood Lane, an ideal starting point for a two hour circuit of a constantly evolving site. Since the Park opened almost three years ago, our 'Springfield Revealed' Walks have been a great way of keeping an eye on the progress and introducing it to people from all over London. The last phase of housing is in full swing with work on the 449 new homes in the south east corner meaning a new gateway into Streatham Cemetery will be open soon! As another connecting green route emerges, you can observe how a place that was 'hidden' for so long now brings so much joy to the local community.

Before it became a groundbreaking hospital, this was once the site of a manor house, the only remains of which is the restored 'Ice House' in the grounds of Burntwood School. Opening its doors in 1841, Springfield has provided refuge and care for tens of thousands of people. It is where Hugh Welch Diamond practised his pioneering photography and world-renowned cat artist Louis Wain was a patient (look out for the film 'The Electric Life of Louis Wain'). One hundred years after he was 'discovered' here, we've been campaigning for a plaque. Joan Bicknell, Dr Hamid Ghodse, Mary Seacole and Hugh Gardiner-Hill are just some of the names associated with this location, people whose work was dedicated to improving the lives of the vulnerable. Their 'secret garden' may have relocated but Share Community Nursery continue to thrive.

Geoff Simmons runs a community history project in south west London called Summerstown182 alongside his job as a graphic designer. This involves Guided Walks and Talks, working with schools and putting up plaques. Over the last ten years a trail of these have emerged along the Wandle Valley, shining a light on some of the lesser-known history in this area. They range from the youngest soldier to serve this country in the First World War to a ground-breaking plaque acknowledging Romany Gypsy and Traveller heritage in Wandsworth. A recent plaque acknowledged the presence of 'Rollisson's Lost Nursery' whose grounds bordered the Springfield site. Have a look on Geoff's blog for more details or follow @summerstown182 on social media.