Kennington Common

Kennington Common was a large area of common land mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth. The area was notable for being one of the earliest venues for cricket within London and top-class matches were played there from 1724 to 1785. The common was also used for public executions, fairs and public gatherings.

Early history

In 1600, the common was bounded on the south west by Vauxhall Creek. It extended over marshy land to the south west of the Roman road called Stane Street, now Kennington Park Road. There is a 1660 record of a common keeper being paid for grazing. In 1661, the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens were laid out nearby (its location is noted as the Vauxhall End at The Oval). The large open space was often used for a variety of purposes by people living on the southbank of the River Thames.

Sports

Cricket has been played at Kennington since the late 17th century although there are no definite records. In 1725 players were known to use the Horns tavern as their clubhouse. This was recorded a year after the first known cricket match had taken place. Other sports to have been periodically played on the common included quoits and bowls.

Kennington

Coordinates: 51°28′53″N 0°07′11″W / 51.4813°N 0.1197°W / 51.4813; -0.1197

Kennington is a district in London, England, south of the River Thames.

It is mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, running along the boundary with the London Borough of Southwark a boundary which can be discerned from the early medieval period between the Lambeth and St George's parishes of those boroughs respectively. It is located 1.4 miles (2.3 km) south of Charing Cross, in Inner London and is identified as a local centre in the London Plan. It was a royal manor in the ancient parish of St Mary, Lambeth in the county of Surrey and was the administrative centre of the parish from 1853. Proximity to central London was key to the development of the area as a residential suburb and it was incorporated into the metropolitan area of London in 1855.

Kennington is the location of three significant London landmarks: the Oval cricket ground, the Imperial War Museum, and Kennington Park. Its population at the United Kingdom Census 2011 was 21,287.

Kennington (disambiguation)

Kennington is the name of several places, the most prominent amongst them being Kennington in London.

See also

Kennington (UK Parliament constituency)

Kennington was a borough constituency centred on the Kennington district of South London. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

The constituency was created for the 1885 general election, and abolished for the 1950 general election.

Members of Parliament

Election results

Elections in the 1940s

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1910s

Elections in the 1900s

Elections in the 1890s

Elections in the 1880s

References