Wimbledon

Wimbledon Today

Wimbledon is a both a bustling town in its own right and a popular suburb of the Greater London Metropolis. It benefits from a lively town centre, an attractive urban village and plenty of green open spaces, including the well-known Wimbledon Common.

The Parliamentary constituency of Wimbledon stretches from Wimbledon Park in the North, to Morden in the South East and Raynes Park in the South West. It covers an area of nearly seven square miles and currently has just fewer than 64,000 registered voters.

Wimbledon is, of course, famous for the All England Tennis Club (see 'Brief History of Wimbledon' below); the annual Championships staged at the grounds attract many thousands of visitors and receive worldwide coverage. The town is also connected with the 'Wombles' from the renowned series of books written by Elizabeth Beresford.

Brief History of Wimbledon

The constituency of Wimbledon has existed since 1885. In that time it has been represented by eleven MPs and seen two by-elections. It is currently one of two constituencies within the London Borough of Merton. Prior to 1965 it was part of the county of Surrey.

Wimbledon has been home to some of the most influential families in British political history, including the Cecils, the Spencers and the Churchills. It was also home to William Wilberforce, the MP and leading campaigner against the slave trade in the early 19th Century. More recently, John Major, former Prime Minister, was educated in one of Wimbledon’s schools, Rutlish.

Wimbledon’s origins go back to medieval times when it belonged to the Archbishop of Canterbury as part of the manor of Mortlake. In 1588 Sir Thomas Cecil improved the road from London and soon City merchants and government officials were setting up residence there. However, it was the arrival of the railway in 1838 that transformed Wimbledon. From that point onwards the population rose rapidly.

Wimbledon’s world-renowned All England Lawn Tennis Club was founded in 1868 – as a croquet club. The first Lawn Tennis Championships were held in 1877 and croquet was no longer offered to members after 1882. The Club’s first ground was situated off the Worple Road; it moved to its present location in 1922 and was opened by King George V.