FOREWORD
This is not the first published work about the 34 very special acres of Cannizaro Park beside Wimbledon Common. Others have covered its colourful residents over the first 250 years and the fine landscaping with rare shrubs and trees, mostly planted in more recent times. But no earlier work has told the complete story, linking history and horticulture to art, entertainment, and recent battles to preserve the magic of this precious enclave in south-west London.
Since 1987, Cannizaro House Hotel has invited clientele to a romantic setting largely dependent on the beautiful scenery beyond its doors. From 1989, the park’s annual open air festival has seen successive organisers facing challenging financial odds to present public entertainment in beautiful summer surroundings. Yet as a venue for other visual arts, Cannizaro draws back exhibitors year after year, regardless of visitor numbers.
Cannizaro Park is a rare treasure among public pleasure grounds. Its importance was recognised by the London Borough of Merton when it was registered as an English Heritage Grade II* garden in October 1987, one of very few at this higher level in the whole of Greater London. It held the status of a flagship park and its bedding displays were used to promote Merton as a whole - a proud alternative to Wimbledon’s All-England Lawn Tennis Club down the hill.
Circumstances change. Merton’s top funding priorities no longer include Cannizaro and it shows. Its future cannot be taken for granted. But with dedicated friends, its story continues.