A landscaped area surrounded by Streatham Common. As well as the formal garden there are areas of woodland. Has provided a setting for many theatrical productions.
The text off a number of information boards in the area gives: "The Rookery stands on the site of the Streatham Mineral wells. The Mineral Wells were discovered here in 1659 and established Streatham as a fashionable spa town. Around 1786 a large house known as The Rookery was built on the terrace amid three acres of private gardens and parkland.
In 1912 the area was under threat from developers when local resident, Stenton Covington, led a campaign that saved the site. It was subsequently bought and, with a budget of £1,000, the house was demolished and the gardens created by Major Maud, of the London County Council. The new gardens, keeping The Rookery name, opened to the public on July 23rd 1913. Later, more land was added, including the strip of woodland alongside Covington Way.
The wishing well stands on the site of one of the mineral wells for which Streatham was famous in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. At the height of Streatham’s fame, three wells were in operation here of which the wishing well is the sole survivor."
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk
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