The National Trust merely own the common, they don't set any byelaws or regulations - Richmond Council are fully in control here. They won't even list it amongst their properties on their website, much like Selsdon Wood, for that reason. That said, they do have a webpage for it, with a brief description of the site and all that jazz.
East Sheen Common actually predates Richmond Park, having merely been a section of the far larger common land in the area. Whilst Richmond Park was growing into a royal residence and hunting ground, the common was biding its time, eventually coming under the wing of the East Sheen Common Preservation Society in 1880. They handed the common over to the National Trust in 1908, which brings us up to date.
The common
East Sheen Common isn't the largest common, coming in at thirty hectares, far smaller than most. That said, calling it a common would be a bit misleading. Thinking back to a blogpost I wrote over two years ago, whilst yes it is a common by definition, it's not a common by vibes.
When you approach the common from the side road entrance on Fife Road, it looks very common-y. There's the bowls ground, as well as a few tennis courts. There's a signpost with various notices on picking up dog shit and keeping the common tidy. It's a wide open space you can feasibly imagine seeing people picknicking whilst resting on the grass, except it's late September so you'd have to go back a month to witness that. Things only start getting less common-like when you start heading down footpaths, and find yourself in the heart of the common.
It's woodland, no doubt about it. The trees hang high above you, brown leaves lay dormant at your feet, and the path in front of you is distinctly rough and untamed. I thought before I headed here that I was going to amble around a normal-looking park, before leaving slightly disappointed, but thankfully I was in the wrong. It's a charming little wood, one you won't walk around for ages because it's far too small, but still lovely nonetheless.
The most curious part about the common is the sign that points you towards the "Bungalow". I followed the sign, mainly because it was along my route, and ended up outside a pretty standard-looking house. It's pretty easy to explain - this is one part of an estate that sprawled around the common, and the Bungalow just so happens to intrude the furthest. Not sure why it needed to be signposted, however I do like the idea of someone walking through the park just to get home. Must be quite the experience.
The rest of the common looked pretty identikit to me, as someone without any in-depth knowledge of tree species. You will find various signs scattered around the common indicating the flora and fauna you can find here, including oak and beech trees, as well as the song thrush and stag beetle. You're probably disappointed this post didn't go into as much detail about this like I did when writing about Selsdon Wood, but in my defence, there was no tidy trail giving me information every step along the way.
Soon enough, only a few minutes after starting my brisk walk, I ended up outside the Bog Gate. This is the wall which separates the common from its far more celebrated sister, Richmond Park. It's nearly a thousand hectares in comparison, the kind of place you can walk through for ages without seeing a nearby exit. It's absolutely stunning, but deserves a blogpost of its own, so you can look forward to that at some point.
Either way, I exited East Sheen Common, and headed briefly through Richmond Park before making my way to uni. Whilst I can't say East Sheen Common is the most magnificent park, and I definitely can't argue East Sheen itself is the most pleasant suburb, I will concede the common is a lovely place to visit. As a park, it's very easily missed, but as a National Trust site, it's worth ticking off.
Now I only have one left, and it looks like the coolest one of all. I'll come down to Bromley to look around sometime in November, I think, to end this short series on a high!
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