Tooting Bec Common
Watercolour by S. H. McCloy depicting Tooting Bec Common. c1890
This watercolour captures a tranquil rural scene featuring a quaint cottage with chimneys and a red-tiled roof, nestled within a lush garden. A smaller outbuilding, similarly roofed, sits to the right, partially hidden by trees. The background is filled with dense foliage and tall trees.
In the late 1800s, Tooting Bec Common transitioned from rural pastureland to a vital public green space, reflecting the changing landscape of south-west London. Originally part of the parish of Streatham and historically linked to Bec Abbey in Normandy, the common faced increasing pressure from urban expansion and railway development.
To protect it from enclosure, the Metropolitan Board of Works acquired the land under the Metropolitan Commons Act of 1866, securing Tooting Bec Common in 1873 and neighbouring Tooting Graveney Common in 1875. These efforts preserved the commons as open spaces for public recreation and health.
Victorian ideals of civic improvement shaped the landscape: formal avenues of horse chestnut trees were planted, and pathways laid out to encourage leisure and exercise. The commons became a cherished retreat for local residents, offering respite from the rapidly growing suburbs.
Artist Biography
Samuel McCloy (1831–1904) Irish painter, illustrator, and designer Samuel McCloy was born in Lisburn, County Antrim, and trained at the Belfast School of Design and Somerset House, London. Initially working as an engraver, he later became Master of the Waterford School of Art, contributing significantly to art education in Ireland. McCloy was known for his delicate watercolours, genre scenes, still-life, and landscapes, and exhibited widely across Britain and Ireland, including at the Royal Hibernian Academy and Royal Scottish Academy. He also worked as a commercial illustrator, producing greeting cards for Marcus Ward & Co. and contributing to publications such as the Illustrated London News. In 1865, he married fellow artist Ellen Lucy Harris. Later in life, McCloy settled in London, where he continued to exhibit and gained popularity for his refined and accessible style. He died in Balham in 1904.
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