About Cannizaro Park
The name Cannizaro dates back to 1832 when Count St Antonio, occupant of what was then Warren House on the west side of the Common, succeeded to the dukedom of Cannizzaro in Sicily.
He soon left to live with his mistress in Milan, but his long-suffering Scottish wife, Sophia prided herself on the title of Duchess of Cannizzaro and kept the name of Cannizzaro until she died in 1841 and her estate was recorded under this name. Apart from the spelling change, the name Cannizaro has stuck ever since.
In Cannizaro Park we have one of the most diverse collections of trees in Greater London. There are over 200 different species in the park and information about a selection of these is available here.
More than 30 trees in the park have been recognised as ‘Champions’ for Greater London by The Tree Register of the British Isles (TROBI) in their extensive database, which means that they are the tallest and/or have the thickest trunks (largest girth) of their species.
We have incredible diversity of nature in the the park. From the more commonplace animals such as squirrels and foxes to rarer birds, bats, butterflies and amphibians. Our aim, with our restoration work in the park, is to improve the quality and quantity of different habitats to keep increasing this diversity of wildlife and to maintain the delicate ecological balance.
The Gothic style aviary is reached as you pass Richard Rome’s ‘teapot’ fountain in the entrance to the Park. It is an iconic building, housing a collection of exotic rescue birds until this summer. It is now the subject of a full review by the Friends, to determine its future purpose.
Our herb garden, which is in a walled garden reached beyond the sunken garden beside Cannizaro Hotel du Vin, has a wide range of culinary, medicinal and decorative herbs. From carpets of thyme to spikes of lavender, all the planting attracts insects and has year-round appeal. In summer, the scents are heady and powerful, in winter, the planting is sculptural when frosty with cobwebs.
Visiting The Park
The main entrance to Cannizaro Park is on Westside Common, London SW19 4UE
The park is open Monday-Friday, 08:00 AM – Dusk, and Saturday, Sunday, and Bank Holidays, 09:00 AM – Dusk, all year.
Wimbledon Station (London Underground and British Rail) is a 20-minute walk away.
The 93 Bus stop just outside Wimbledon Village on the edge of the common from where Cannizaro Park is an 8-10 minute walk across the common.
Car parking is very limited – although there are some pay and display bays on The Causeway.