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Buddhapadipa Temple (also known as Deepdale)

Pgds 20160708 124235 Buddhapadipa18961
Pgds 20160708 124517 Buddhapadipa19461

Introduction

To the north-west of Deepdale lies a serpentine lake that was part of the 18th-century landscape designed by 'Capability' Brown for Earl Spencer of Wimbledon House, where he worked in 1767 and 1768. The major part of his landscape has been covered by housing developments of the 19th- and 20th centuries and what remains of the lake is now within the grounds of the Buddhapadipa Temple, a Thai style Buddhist monastery, which include the ornamental lake, small grove of trees, flower garden and orchard.

This represents a remnant of one of the old estates lying between Wimbledon Common Parkside and Wimbledon Village, retaining much mature woodland and shrubbery, large pond and grassland that is the Buddhapadipa Temple and monastery setting now. Old maps show the northern fork of Wimbledon Park Brook originating in this area and a series of large ponds developed in the grounds of Alberton Grange, later Atherton Grange, in the mid C19th. The largest of these ponds was in the area of the present-day Parkside Avenue, Margin Drive and Deepdale, and the present pond in the Temple Grounds is a northern remnant of these. The small wood is a survival of more extensive planting that is shown on late C19th maps. The house on the present site was not built until the early C20th. The Shrine Hall of the monastery was built in 1979 and inaugurated on 31 October 1982 by Her Royal Highness Princess Kalyani Vaddhana, a sister of the King of Thailand; it was designed by Thai architect Praves Limparangsri. The Temple was built in 1980. The Temple Grounds are open to the public at festival times, Soangkran in April, and Loy-kratong in November.
Visitor Access, Directions & Contacts

Access contact details

The site is only open occasionally. Please check the website.

Directions

The park can be accessed from the Wimbledon Park Road.

Owners

London Borough of Merton

Civic Centre, London Road, Morden, SM4 5DX
History

Period

18th Century (1701 to 1800)

Associated People
Key Information

Type

Park

Purpose

Sacred/ritual/ funerary

Principal Building

Religious Ritual And Funerary

Period

18th Century (1701 to 1800)

Survival

Part: standing remains

Hectares

1.5

Open to the public

Yes

References

Contributors

  • London Parks and Gardens Trust