Launch of Digital Mini Film Festival!
Launch of Digital Mini Film Festival!
We are delighted to launch an exciting series of short films, each telling a different story of Wimbledon and Putney Commons - and the people who love them.
Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players, Wimbledon and Putney Commons secured vital funding in 2019 to develop a masterplan to help sustain and conserve this unspoilt landscape. The masterplan will ensure that future generations can enjoy the beauty, nature and heritage of this slice of countryside in the city.
The Commons are a mosaic of natural habitats; ancient heathland, acidic grasslands, woodlands, and wetlands, each with their own unique flora and fauna. Nocturnal sightings of badgers and foxes are commonplace and recently muntjac deer have been seen on Putney Heath. Over 96 species of birds and 30 species of butterflies have made this place their home, as well as the increasingly scarce Stag Beetle. The Commons’ importance is recognised with its designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
The team at Wimbledon and Putney Commons have been working with consultants, Barker Langham, landscape architects MRG Studio, architects IF_DO and Barry Stow, to devise a masterplan that will protect this precious wilderness for our visitors and the flora and fauna that live here. The commitment of everyone involved in this project has resulted in a masterplan that will pull together all the vital strands: landscape and heritage conservation, visitor experience, accessibility and facilities, and also takes in development of the iconic Wimbledon Windmill Museum. A public consultation on the masterplan will be undertaken later this year.
This year marks the Commons’ 150th anniversary and the Commons' unique history is clear to see. The Keepers still patrol on horseback, golfers still adhere to the old byelaw of wearing red, and the site is scattered with built heritage from bronze-age earth works to war memorials.
But a century and a half after their foundation, the true value of the Commons has never been more apparent. The Commons have been a lifeline for local people during the Covid-19 pandemic. They are a place to walk, run, meet, escape, explore and breathe – and people need that more than ever.
Film 1 - Introduction
We are 150 years old this year – and we are looking to the future. To celebrate our anniversary and our new masterplan, we will be sharing a new short film every day this week. Each one will tell a different story of the Commons and the people who help make them special.
Watch the video here:
