Just south of the tube station is the church of St John the Divine. Designed by Architect, C. Gage, the church was built in 1913/14 to mark the anniversary of the death of Lord Nelson. The Admiral’s house, Merton Place, stood near the site and the altarpiece in the church is made from timber taken from Nelson’s flagship, HMS Victory.
Like the church, Nelson Gardens Recreation Ground was created on a parcel of land donated by the great nephew of Rear Admiral Isaac Smith, to mark the centenary of Nelson’s death. The site holds a commemorative plaque and a fine pair of 12 pounder guns, once thought to have adorned the Merton Place estate where they supposedly sat to either side of the front door.
A visit to the rather modest Lord Nelson memorial in Merton, south London (via Urban75):
This rather modest memorial to Merton’s most famous resident, Admiral Horatio Nelson, stands on the site of his former properties at Merton Place, south London.
Nelson purchased Merton Place in 1802, and gradually expanded the estate until his Merton property covered most of the area west of the Wandle and north of Morden Hall Park, and also included the whole of the area between Merton Road, South Park Road and Haydons Road.
Inbetween haunts off to the sea, Nelson lived at Merton Place with his mistress Emma Hamilton (and, curiously, her husband Sir William Hamilton, until he died at his London house in 1803).
Nelson wasn’t to enjoy Merton life for too long, as he was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar in October 1805.
I arrived at the park just as it was getting dark but visit urban75 for some fine shots of the guns.