On 31st May 2025, Merton celebrated its diverse faith communities with a unique walking tour. In this article, local resident Peter Evans shares his experience of the day, visiting places of worship across the borough and reflecting on Merton’s rich spiritual history.
This post is written by Peter Evans, a local resident with a passion for the River Wandle.
Saturday 31st May 2025 saw the second incarnation of what is set to become an annual walk celebrating the diversification of religious belief in Merton.
We congregated at the Civic Centre in Morden at 10am with a chance to view the fantastic display of sacred texts in the library. I picked up a leaflet on the five precepts of Buddhism in the library as I knew we would not be able to make it to the Buddhapadipa Temple in Wimbledon Village on this occasion.
Last year, apparently, the walk took place further north and embraced this temple and the Synagogue. At 11am, the assembled masses, set off on a slow procession that took us to seven buildings that represent much of the wide religious philosophies that are celebrated in the borough. At each stop we were greeted by members of that religious order with one of three themes: planet, peace or people.
Morden grew from a small rural village to a London suburb with the opening of the underground station on 13 September 1926. This was during the reign of King George 6th and the Prime Ministership of Stanley Baldwin. The St Helier estate, which radiates south from the station was constructed to re-house the working class from the slums in the east end of London. Many people who moved here were probably unfamiliar with the British countryside. It became something of a garden suburb as every house had a front and back garden.
Our route began walking past the Merton Islamic Centre that is situated on the Morden one-way system, crossing over and strolling the short distance to the Baitul Futuh Mosque. Prior to the purchase by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in 1996 and refurbishment in 2003 the buildings had been derelict since 1992. After the former use as a milk bottling and distribution complex ceased to be viable, with the decline in the popularity of door step milk deliveries, the buildings were empty. The building has been transformed into a fantastic architectural edifice that has become something of a local landmark. Inside we were shown around the interior of parts of the buildings and informed of their various uses. The complex houses TV and radio broadcasting studios that transmit world wide.
The next part of our expedition took us slightly up hill towards Merton College, through the beautiful 120 acres of Morden Park where there is also a leisure centre. On the other side we crossed over Hillcross Avenue and took Monkleigh Road to bring us to the Roman Catholic church of St John Fisher on Cannon Hill Lane. The site of the church was purchased in 1938 when a lot of the local housing was beginning to be built. The present building was opened in September 1962 and the style of construction is very representative of that era. Inside you can see the stained glass windows depicting the twelve stages of the cross which is a central tenet of the Catholic faith.
Onward the procession proceeded, along Cannon Hill Lane, past Rutlish School in Watery Lane, across Mostyn Road to St Mary’s Church in Merton Park. This is an Anglican Church within the diocese of Southwark. It was founded by the Augustinian Monks who also founded Merton Priory. The building dates from 1115 although there has been a place of religious worship in the vicinity even prior to this. The church has a lovely secluded and shady churchyard that has the resting place of the remains of some notable local people. John Innes will be a familiar name for many who have picked up a bag of compost from a garden centre. William Rutlish (1605-1687), embroiderer to Charles II. It is also site to Commonwealth War Graves. There is a memorial to Sir Gregory Lovell, treasurer to Elizabeth the first. There is also a stained glass window designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898) who was a member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
Next our journey of discovery took us past the headquarters of the John Innes Society, over the level crossing at the end of Dorset Road, near Merton Park Tram stop, along Kingston Road to the headquarters of the local Salvation Army Corps. The building is very close to where the current Fire Brigade Station in Kingston Road is located. Captain Kook gave us some background of the formation of the local Salvation Army community and the voyages of spiritual discovery in which they endeavour. A short respite was enjoyed here with the provision of lunch. The present congregation has a large contingent from the Korean community. This has stemmed from the historical migration of people from this background to the south west London area. This development has largely happened since 1998 with further consolidation taking place during 2005 in Wimbledon.
The next stop was Wimbledon Spiritualist Church which started life as The Wimbledon Spiritualist Mission founded by Richard Arthur Bush after a message through a Ouija board. Richard Bush was born in Hackney on 12th June in either 1862 or 1863. He is credited with being the secretary of the local NSPCC. He died in 1933. The church was formally opened in December 1925 in Hartfield Road, Wimbledon. It has a beautiful stained glass window that was installed in 1953. Previously I have visited the private members South London Irish Club as a guest but never been inside the church next door so this was something of a revelation.
The penultimate place of worship was that of the Wimbledon International Seventh Day Adventists. Not too far from the YMCA, situated in Stanley Road the building has an art deco look and is built of red brick. This church practices the sabbath on Saturday whereas most other Christian churches celebrate it on a Sunday. In this church we were treated to a musical performance by a group of the youth section of the church called Adventurerists, wearing their uniform.
The final resting place of this walk was scheduled as the Shree Ghanapathy Temple in Effra Road Wimbledon. Unfortunately, when we arrived the doors were locked and there was nobody to greet us. This was a major disappointment to me. The exterior of the Hindu Temple is very ornate with remarkable, intricate carvings. I would have relished an opportunity to view the interior. Many of the walkers remained and hopefully those people gained access but I needed to catch a train for my homeward journey. The walkers congregated for a group photograph and we all received certificates to commemorate the event.
I saw this walk advertised on the Metropolitan Police website and the local constabulary sent two representatives, in uniform, along for the walk. Many religious beliefs were present in person in my fellow pilgrims. The atmosphere was of communion rather than sectarianism. A general air of humanism pervaded the event. There were polytheists, monotheists and even an atheist! Every institution that we entered was welcoming and inclusive.
My thanks to Richard Smart who led the walk with knowledge and enthusiasm also to Suzanne D’Cruz who supported with her leadership and interpersonal skills. I live in hope that there will be a third incarnation of this event next year.