John Gray: Streatham Common to the Tooting Commons

John Gray, 2026, softcover, 52 pages, 14.6 x 20.6 cm

“We are halfway through our exploration of South London’s great chain of commons, having started in the far south-east and worked our way westward, from Bostall Heath, through Winn’s Common, Plumstead Common, Woolwich Common, Eltham Common, Blackheath, One Tree Hill and Peckham Rye. Next up is a constellation of three: Streatham Common, Tooting Bec Common and Tooting Graveney Common, all fragments of a huge heath that once covered much of south-west London.”

The Commonplace series of zines details how, taken together, the commons provide the key to the South London landscape. Written by landscape historian John Gray, this fourth volume in the series mixes history, ecology, psychogeography, architecture, poetry and memoir to unpack the history of three ancient commons. Featuring beautiful, luminous photos by Sam Walton and a wraparound lino-cut cover by Palak Garg, the whole edition was Risograph-printed by Lewisham’s legendary Page Masters.