Tooting facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tooting |
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 Junction of Mitcham Road and Tooting High Street |
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 Tooting
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| Population | 16,239 (2011 Census. Ward) |
| OS grid reference | TQ275715 |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | SW17 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament |
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| London Assembly |
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Tooting is a lively area in South London. It is part of the London Borough of Wandsworth. You can find it about 8 kilometers (5 miles) south-west of Charing Cross, a famous spot in central London.
Contents
Tooting's Long History
Tooting has a very long history. People lived here even before the Anglo-Saxons arrived. The name 'Tooting' comes from Anglo-Saxon times. Its exact meaning is not certain. It might mean "the people of Tota," who could have been a local Anglo-Saxon leader. Another idea is that it comes from an old word "to tout," meaning to look out. Perhaps there was a watchtower here on the road to London. So, it could mean "the people of the look-out post."
The Romans built a road through Tooting. This road was later called Stane Street by the English. It connected London (Londinium) to Chichester. Today, Tooting High Street follows this old Roman road.
In Saxon times, Tooting and Streatham were given to the Abbey of Chertsey. Later, a Viking named Suene (Sweyn) might have owned some of the land. In 933, King Athelstan is thought to have confirmed that Tooting belonged to Chertsey Abbey.
Tooting in the Domesday Book
Tooting is mentioned in the Domesday Book from 1086. It was called Totinges. Lower Tooting was held by Haimo the Sheriff. It had a church, farmland, and meadow. The people living there paid £4 a year to their overlords. Later, it was owned by the De Gravenel family. This is why it was named Tooting Graveney. This area covered about 2 square kilometers (0.8 square miles).
Upper Tooting was known as Tooting Bec. It was managed as part of Streatham for many centuries. It was a manor owned by the Bec Abbey in Normandy, France. This is where the "Bec" in its name comes from.
Tooting's Growth Over Time
Like many areas in South London, Tooting grew a lot in the late Victorian period. More growth happened in the 1920s and 1930s.
Here are some important dates for Tooting:
- 1902: Tooting Library opened. A second floor was added in 1906. It was updated in 2012.
- 1906: Tooting Bec Lido opened. This is a large outdoor swimming pool.
- 1930: St Benedict's Hospital was built.
- 1931: The Granada cinema opened.
- 1954: St George's Hospital started moving to Tooting. It took over old hospital buildings.
- 2003: The redevelopment of St George's Hospital was finished.
Who Lives in Tooting?
Tooting has a large British Asian community. It is sometimes called "land of the curry mile." This is because there are many South Asian restaurants here.
In the 2011 census, the people in Tooting were:
- 47% White or White British
- 28.8% Asian or Asian British
- 15.5% Black or Black British
- 5% Mixed/multiple ethnic groups
- 2.9% Other ethnic groups
The most common first language is English. Other languages spoken include Urdu, Punjabi, Polish, and Gujarati.
Getting Around Tooting
Tooting has two Northern line tube stations: Tooting Bec and Tooting Broadway. These stations are at different ends of the High Street.
You can also use National Rail at Tooting railway station. This connects Tooting directly to Sutton (via Wimbledon) and to Farringdon, St Pancras, and Luton in the north.
Many bus routes serve Tooting. You can travel to Central London, Richmond, Croydon, Sutton, and Kingston, among other places.
Tooting Broadway tube station might become a stop on the future Crossrail 2 line. This would help with crowded trains on the Northern Line. It would also give Tooting quick and direct links to major London stations. These include Clapham Junction, Victoria, Tottenham Court Road, and Euston.
Special Areas in Tooting
Totterdown Fields Conservation Area
The Totterdown Fields estate was made a special "conservation area" in 1978. It was the first "cottage estate" built by the London County Council. It was built between 1901 and 1911. It has 1244 houses over 38 acres (15 hectares). Its design was inspired by the Garden city movement and the Arts and Crafts movement.
Social Housing Estates
Tooting has many social housing estates. Totterdown Fields estate is very important historically. It was the first "cottage estate" in London. It is now protected from being redeveloped. Tooting has the fourth-highest number of social housing homes in the London Borough of Wandsworth. Some large estates are Aboyne/Holborn and Hazelhurst. Smaller ones include Bevill Allen Close and Flowersmead.
Green Spaces in Tooting
A large open area called the Tooting Commons is at the northern end of Tooting. Historically, these were two separate areas: Tooting Graveney Common and Tooting Bec Common. The commons are home to Tooting Bec Lido. This is a very large outdoor swimming pool, measuring 91.5 by 30 meters.
Sports in Tooting
Tooting shares two football clubs with nearby Mitcham: Tooting & Mitcham FC and Tooting & Mitcham Wanderers FC.
A greyhound racing track called the 'Wimbledon Stadium' was located in Tooting on Plough Lane. AFC Wimbledon football club moved to this site in 2021.
Tooting's Markets
Tooting has two indoor markets with many permanent stalls. Both market entrances are on Tooting High Street, very close to each other. They offer many different types of shops. Since the 2010s, they have also become popular for street food stalls. Tooting Market is the smaller of the two. The other, The Broadway Market, is one of London's largest indoor markets. It has over ninety stalls and has been open since 1936.
Famous People from Tooting
Many well-known people have connections to Tooting:
- Stephen K Amos (b. 1967), a comedian.
- Darren Bent (b. 1984), a professional footballer.
- Jeremy Bulloch (1945–2020), an actor famous for playing Boba Fett in the early Star Wars films.
- George Cole (1925–2015), an actor.
- Fuse ODG (b. 1988), a rapper.
- Girlschool, a band.
- Milton Jones (b. 1965), a comedian.
- Rachel Agatha Keen (b. 1997), also known as Raye, a Pop & R&B singer.
- Sadiq Khan (b. 1970), a politician who is the current Mayor of London. He used to be the Member of Parliament for Tooting.
- Ramona Marquez (b. 2001), an actress.
- Paul Merton (b. 1957), a comedian.
- Natasha O'Keeffe (b. 1986), an actress.
- Paul Sinha (b. 1970), a comedian and broadcaster.
- Jimmy White (b. 1962), a professional snooker player.
- Matt Willis (b. 1983), a musician.
Images for kids
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Junction of Mitcham Road and Tooting High Street
See also
In Spanish: Tooting para niños
