Editing Carshalton (section)

=== Oaks Park ===
[[File:P1170403 Artist..Carshalton 10.04.14...jpg|thumb|upright|Artist at work in Carshalton]]
[[Oaks Park, Carshalton|Oaks Park]] is a large park landscaped in a generally naturalistic style, providing downland walks. It is varied and includes formal horticulture, natural chalk meadows, woodlands and informal parkland. It was substantially laid out for the [[Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby|Earl of Derby]] nearly 250 years ago – in the 1770s – but its villa dates back further than that. The villa (for one Thomas Gosling) was built around 1750, in the era's fashionable landscape style, with trees forming a perimeter screen and placed in artful clumps to suggest a natural landscape. The house was partly rebuilt by [[Robert Taylor (architect)]] for [[John Burgoyne]] in 1775 and by [[Robert Adam]] for the 12th Earl of Derby in 1790.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Oaks & Oaks Park, London Borough of Sutton|url=http://www.sutton.gov.uk/leisure/heritage/Carshalton/oaksandpark.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080507113955/http://www.sutton.gov.uk/leisure/heritage/Carshalton/oaksandpark.htm|archive-date=7 May 2008}}</ref> The villa's bakehouse, stable block and some outbuildings remain to this day.

The Oaks Park estate lent its name to the Oaks horse-race which was inaugurated by the Earl in 1779, and is run annually during the Derby meeting at Epsom Downs Racecourse, about 4 miles to the west. The original Oaks Race ran from Barrow Hedges, north of The Oaks and through Oaks Park before heading west to approximately the site of the current Epsom Downs Racecourse. Part of the off-road route still exists.

The modern day open space also hosts a public golf course and sports centre. The park itself contains a craft-centre and a café. There are also the '''Oaks Park Studios''' set in the 1770 stable block, where working artists display their paintings and other artwork.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oaksfineart.co.uk/index.htm|title=Oaks Fine Art|work=oaksfineart.co.uk|access-date=11 December 2014|archive-date=26 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126181338/http://www.oaksfineart.co.uk/index.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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