Wandsworth Heritage Festival to Celebrate Area's Rich Past

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Health and wellbeing the theme of this year's event

Public Health Inspector taking milk sample from T H Jones Dairyman c1936. Picture: Wandsworth Heritage Service

April 5, 2024

The value of the borough’s heritage has been demonstrated by a recent survey by Historic England showing that people living in Wandsworth are among the happiest in the country due to living close to so many historic parks, buildings and monuments.

The area’s rich past is set to be celebrated again in The Wandsworth Heritage Festival 2024 which runs from 18 May to 9 June. The theme this year will be health and wellbeing.

The annual event is organised by the Wandsworth Heritage Service with the support of contributors from local groups and societies who share their enthusiasm, knowledge, and time.

It is one of a series of events that aims to celebrate and highlight Wandsworth’s unique culture and heritage as Wandsworth prepares to become London Borough of Culture 2025.

Highlights include encounters with the dead in cemetery walks, finding folklore in the borough’s flora and fauna, a heritage day of walks, talks and book sales at the recently restored Woodfield Pavilion, talks and archive tours exploring the overlap between educational training and health, tutored beer tastings in Ram Street, a chance to trace your black ancestry, a deep dive into the history of Tooting market, the untold histories of local hospitals and a chance to beat the bounds of Tooting Graveney parish. 

St Anne’s Church in Wandsworth will celebrate its bicentenary with open days and there will be commemorative plaques unveiled celebrating Dr Levinson and the Furzedown Project, Deaconess Isabella Gilmore and Charlotte Despard.

 

Activities for children include library story times and a craft and archaeology workshop.

Cllr Kemi Akinola, Deputy Leader of the Council said, “We have a variety of events planned such as public art installations and plaque unveilings that celebrate individuals and organisations who have made a difference to our borough; guided walks investigating everything from our wild plant species to the history of social care; talks which delve into the histories of our hospitals and our health; and events dedicated to exploring Black history.”

See the full programme

 

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