North Sheen Recreation Ground 3.36

North Sheen Recreation Ground, in Dancer Road, Kew, Richmond, London, is a recreation area and the home of Kew Park Rangers Football Club.HistoryNorth Sheen, in the former Municipal Borough of Richmond (Surrey), was first marked on maps from 1904. At that time the area was mostly undeveloped and was used to grow fruit and vegetables for market, but by 1920 residential building was underway. North Sheen was incorporated into Kew in 1965 when the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames was created.Opened in June 1909 and extended in 1923, the recreation ground was originally part of an orchard belonging to the Popham Estate, owned by the Leyborne Pophams whose family seat was at Littlecote House, Wiltshire.During the Second World War the recreation ground was used for allotments and there was an underground public shelter opposite what is now the sports pavilion clubhouse.FacilitiesKnown locally as "The Rec", it now contains football pitches, a children's paddling pool, two extensive playgrounds, a large dog-free grassed area and a sports pavilion clubhouse, set amongst trees and shrubs. The clubhouse, which cost £1 million and opened in September 2011, includes a community cafe and a community hall. A new adventure playground was opened in 2016.