Originally part of the deer park at Carew Manor at its peak in Tudor times the park was vast and took up a large area around Mitcham and Merton. During the nineteenth century the importance of the local landowners waned and the park fell into public hands and was gifted to the people of the borough as a place to relax away from the dirty streets. The area has been the site of many important archaeological discoveries. The park is full of cultured gardens, lakes and canals and also has facilities for people to play sports but is primarily a place of peace and tranquillity for locals and tourists to sit back and watch the world go by.