Discover more at Morden Hall Park
Find out how to get to Morden Hall Park, where to park, the things to see and do and more.
Things to do at Morden Hall Park
Open all year, Morden Hall Park is an urban oasis – an opportunity to escape city life, enjoy the open green space and discover wildlife and nature. As you walk through open meadows crisscrossed by tree-lined avenues, wooded riverside and wetlands, you see hints to the park’s heritage including the Rose Garden and Snuff Mill. There’s a natural play area for our younger visitors and cafés and a garden centre to make the most of your visit.
Explore the park
Don’t miss out on seeing some of the favourite spots in the park. Pause to enjoy the sounds of the rushing river or spot wildlife in the wetlands. Admire the views across the bridges to the historic buildings.
Looking for a friendly place to bring your dog? Come along to Morden Hall Park where there’s 125 acres of beautiful parkland for you and your four-legged friend to explore.
Rain or shine, the park always looks inviting and magical especially if you get here early in the morning before everyone else. Many of the buildings aren’t open to the public as they’re tenanted to raise valuable income for the park.
Here are some of the special spots you won’t want to miss:
- Look back from the white bridge to the restored waterwheel
- Peer over the folly bridges to see Morden Hall
- Watch the sun come up over the meadows
Christmas at Morden Hall Park
This festive season, join us for Chrismas lunch in the Potting Shed Cafe, make a Christmas wreath in our workshop with the Dulwich Petal Project, choose your Christmas tree from the Garden Centre and browse Christmas gifts from our Young Makers Markets.
Throughout the year at Morden Hall Park
We organising a variety of events and activities in the park throughout the year for the local community to take part in.
Guided Walks
If you would like to discover more about the history of the park, join our knowledgeable tour guides for a leisurely stroll around the park. Our free history tours run on Sundays at 11am and 12.30pm. There's no need to book, just turn up. See forthcoming dates here.
Orchard Wassail Celebration
Saturday 24 January
Join us for a lively orchard celebration filled with music, song and blessing. Make your own wassail headdress, enjoy live fiddle and accordion, sip warm spiced cider and watch the Black Swan Border Morris dance at 3pm for the orchard’s good health.
Winter in the park
Winter is a great time to enjoy the open spaces offered by Morden Hall Park, when there are no leaves to obscure the views from the avenues. Walk out into the South Park across the white bridge and return along the river from the Surrey Arms entrance through the rose garden. The arboretum at the far end of the rose garden is home to early snowdrops, so watch out from mid to late January for their blooms.
Fun for children, whatever the weather
Wrap up the little ones for fresh air and fun in the recently refurbished natural play area to keep up their immune systems, motor skills and physical fitness. If the weather gets too cold or wet, head indoors to the café, garden centre or bookshop to relax and warm up.
Take some time for you
Grab every opportunity to get outside during daylight hours. Exercise in nature helps boost your immune system, lowers risk for chronic diseases and reduces stress levels. When you’ve walked your favourite route or explored some of the less-visited corners of the park and built up a healthy appetite, try the Stableyard Gallery and Café for some hot soup and some artistic food for your eyes.
Why not pop next door to browse the second-hand bookshop, with its collectables and shelves packed with classics, non-fiction and bestsellers, then take a short walk over to the extremely well-stocked garden centre to get some ideas for your garden, or pick up unique gifts and delicious treats.
Winter wetland magic
If you're an early bird, head down to meet the wildlife in the wetland. Frosty, misty mornings in the wetland are peaceful and full of beauty – the perfect antidote to a busy day in south London.
At Morden Hall Park there are some rather special winter visitors. The resident birds are joined by little egret and snipe in winter, which make the wetland a good destination for birdwatching. Tread quietly and the boardwalk allows you to get really close to the birds.
Walking and Cycling
Once powering over 100 mills, the Wandle meanders throughout the park. The restored waterwheel gives a glimpse back to the park’s industrial history. The wheel no longer turns, but behind it you can see the modern waterwheel, a hydro-electric turbine.
Enjoy the sounds of the rushing water over the weir, race your sticks under the many historic bridges or simply explore the channels that network around the park.
Looking for a friendly place to bring your dog? Come along to Morden Hall Park where there’s 125 acres of beautiful parkland for you and your four-legged friend to explore.
Follow the Wandle Trail
The park sits in the middle of the 14-mile (20km) Wandle Trail, which follows the route of the River Wandle from Croydon to Wandsworth. There are both walking and cycling routes which allow you to enjoy the heritage, flora and fauna of this typical chalk stream.
Find a map of the Trail on the Merton Council website.
Follow our cycle code
- Please consider other park users at all times
- Control your speed according to the surface conditions
- Please dismount on the wetland boardwalk as the pathway is too narrow
- Help us care for Morden Hall Park and use the litter bins provided
- Take care when cycling over the bridges.
Go orienteering
Add an extra challenge to your walk or run through Morden Halk Park and have a go at orienteering. Whether you're walking with family, exploring an area or going for a run, download the map and look for the 14 posts in the park. Your challenge is to find the quickest route to each of the posts.
The route has been created by Mole Valley Orienteering Club and you can download the map from their website or the Go Orienteering website.
Explore the park's historic buildings
Spot all the old estate buildings that made up the Hatfeilds’ country estate. Morden Hall sits majestically in its own private garden, the white bridge tempting you to get a little bit closer.
Morden Cottage, set perfectly in Mr Hatfeild’s rose garden, boasts fond memories of many registry office weddings.
The restored Stableyard welcomes you inside to discover the exhibition centre hosting a changing programme of community exhibitions.
Fishing at Morden Hall Park
To allow fish to breed in peace in Morden Hall Park we enforce the traditional closed season for coarse fishing from 15 March to 15 June inclusive. You can view more information about fishing in the park here.
Staying safe around water
Whilst the river might be inviting, it is not safe to enter, either for paddling or swimming. It is fast flowing, varies in depth and has unseen hazards that may result in serious injury or death. In addition, the water quality is unsuitable. Your cooperation in staying out of the water also helps us to protect the river wildlife and avoid damage to the banks.
Watching wildlife in the wetlands
At the north end of the park discover the wetlands fed by the Wandle. Take to the boardwalk to watch and listen for a variety of wildlife visitors, from the squawk of the invading green parakeets to the blue flash of native kingfishers.
The viewing platform on the boardwalk is a great place to get close to waterfowl such as mallards, herons and seasonal visitors including the little egret.
Woodland beauty
One of the most beautiful aspects of Morden Hall Park is the sheer number of trees. Head in any direction you like to discover magnificent specimen trees and pockets of woodland.
The adventure play area
The natural play area is all about fun - with a zip wire, play fort, stepping stones, bucket swings and climbing posts. Whether your youngsters are into imaginative play or physical challenge, there’s something for them to enjoy here.
Family facilities at Morden Hall Park
Baby-changing facilities are available in the Stableyard toilets, Snuff Mill, and Potting shed café. Pathways around estate are level and accessible for pushchairs. There is a toddlers and children book section available in our second-hand bookshop.
Accessibility at Morden Hall Park
The National Trust has teamed up with AccessAble to give visitors detailed information to work out if a place is going to be accessible for them. You can view Morden Hall Park's detailed access guide here. A manual wheelchair is available for use from the Garden Centre, but we recommend pre-booking by calling ahead of your visit to ensure availability.
Our Park Regulations and Policies
When Gilliat Hatfeild left Morden Hall and its estate to the National Trust in 1941, he stipulated that the park should be available for the public for free which is the case today. However, we are a small team of staff and volunteers looking after this special place and need your help. Please respect our polices and regulations so that all our visitors can enjoy it. You can view them here
Thank you for your support
Morden Hall Park is open to everyone throughout the year for free. The cafés and garden centre help raise money to keep the park looking splendid. Every coffee you drink and gift you buy helps look after this lovely place.
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What's on at Morden Hall Park
Find out about events taking place at Morden Hall Park over the coming months, from Summer outdoor theatre, monthly guided walks, wellness events and children's activities, there's something for everyone.
Walking and cycling at Morden Hall Park
Discover the network of footpaths and cycling trails – with routes suitable for pushchairs, dogs and wheelchairs, everyone can explore this place.
Visiting Morden Hall Park with your dog
Morden Hall Park is a three pawprint rated place. There are 125 acres of beautiful parkland, paths and riverside for you and your dog to explore here.
Eating and shopping at Morden Hall Park
Enjoy freshly prepared tasty snacks and cakes at a choice of two cafés and pick up the perfect read at the second-hand bookshop, all supporting the National Trust’s work.
The Garden Centre at Morden Hall Park
Shop for plants, seeds, pots, gardening equipment, toys and games, gifts and homewares at the National Trust’s first garden centre, with all profits supporting our work.
