Streatham Common to the Tooting Commons: A South London Landscape History

"We are halfway through our exploration of South London’s great chain of commons, having started in the far south-east and worked our way westward, from Bostall Heath, through Winn’s Common, Plumstead Common, Woolwich Common, Eltham Common, Blackheath, One Tree Hill and Peckham Rye. Next up is a constellation of three: Streatham Common, Tooting Bec Common and Tooting Graveney Common, all fragments of a huge heath that once covered much of south-west London."

The Commonplace series of zines details how, taken together, the commons provide the key to the South London landscape. Written by landscape historian John Gray, this fourth volume in the series mixes history, ecology, psychogeography, architecture, poetry and memoir to unpack the history of three ancient commons. Featuring beautiful, luminous photos by Sam Walton and a wraparound lino-cut cover by Palak Garg, the whole edition was Risograph-printed by Lewisham's legendary Page Masters.

52pp., A5. Edition of 600

CONTENTS: Why is London like Budapest?—the Roman roads of South London—the lost commons of Lambeth—Anglo-Saxon hams —vast antiquity of common rights—how Kennington Common was gentrified—Chartists, cattle drovers and squatters—"A Chapel was built in the midst / Where I used to play on the green"—tracing the Roman road through Brixton to Rush Common—simple archival pleasures—over the hill to Streatham Common—the Effra, "black and powerful river coursing without light"—at the Bull—Zodiac Court—the Anglo-Saxon trackways of Crystal Palace—the longue duree of the Vicar's Oak—GLADNESS CREATED THIS BARBERS—the Rookery and Royal Streatham, not to mention Royal Norwood—ONE SLIP: DEAD—why are there two Tooting Commons?—"absolutely spoilt by the discordant noise of the jazz band"—how the commons were carved up—"six men, dressed in black, and crapes over their faces, got out of the carriage..."—"The glory of Tooting Common consists in its trees"—field of dreams and passion—"Beyond the last lone lamp I passed"—William Morris + Le Corbusier—the South London vernacular—Because it is two cities divided by a river...