The Commons are managed by the Clerk and Ranger, supported by a Deputy, a Wildlife & Conservation Officer and a personal assistant.

"These annual gatherings are attended by the élite of fashion, and always include a large number of ladies, who generally evince the greatest interest in the target practice of the various competitors, whether it be for the honour of carrying off the Elcho Shield, the Queen's or the Prince of Wales's Prize, or the shield shot for by our great Public Schools, or the Annual Rifle Match between the Houses of Lords and Commons.

[12] Two broad, shallow pools, Kingsmere and Rushmere, lie near roads on the higher parts of Wimbledon Common and seem to be the result of gravel extraction.

[7][15] At the southern end of the common on the part used by the Royal Wimbledon Golf Club, but with a public footpath running through the middle, are the remains of an Iron Age hill fort known (in fact only since the 19th century) as Caesar's Camp.

[16] It is possible the site was settled as far back as the Bronze Age, but it and the surrounding barrows were deliberately destroyed by John Erle-Drax in 1875.

The obelisk, with the ornately detailed foundation stone, is still standing and can be accessed via the car park adjacent to The Telegraph public house, off Wildcroft Road, SW15.

The lower part of this house was repeatedly set on fire in the presence, among others, of George III and Queen Charlotte, the members of Parliament, the Lord Mayor, and the Aldermen.

The house derived its name from the bowling-green formerly attached to it, and for more than sixty years (1690–1750) was the most famous green in the neighbourhood of London.

"In the early days of George III's reign it was celebrated for its public breakfasts and evening assemblies during the summer season.

[11] The heath near the Telegraph pub was also the venue for the September 1809 duel between Cabinet ministers George Canning and Lord Castlereagh.

Because of its elevation, from 1796 to 1816 Putney Heath hosted a station in the shutter telegraph chain, which connected the Admiralty in London to its naval ships in Portsmouth.

"The site of Cromwell's birthplace is still pointed out by tradition, and is in some measure confirmed by the survey of Wimbledon Manor... for it describes on that spot 'an ancient cottage called the smith's shop, lying west of the highway from Richmond to Wandsworth, being the sign of the Anchor.'

In 1795, the notorious highwayman Jeremiah Abershaw – also known as Jerry Avershaw – was caught in the pub (now owned by Wandsworth brewery Young's,[28]) on the north side of the heath where Putney Hill meets Tibbet's Ride.

[29] The inn was later knocked down and became the KLG factory, founded by Kenelm Lee Guinness, part of the famous brewing dynasty and a noted early motor racer before developing highly reliable auto and aero spark plugs.

Above the hill peak of the A3 at Tibbet's Corner – on the A219 towards Putney – stands an ancient wood fence cattle pound opposite the Green Man, adjacent to two huge plane trees near the bus terminus.

[30] A number of fine homes lined Putney Hill and the north face of the heath, west of the Green Man.

With the development of transport routes for the growing financial sector, Putney Heath became highly desirable for City gentlemen in the 1890s, and they were initially known as "outsiders".

Despite a full array of places of worship, he said the area was noted for low church attendance with all denominations "struggling for the souls of pleasure-seeking Putney ... the middle class here are as indifferent as the poor elsewhere.

In 1926 it was opened as the Ross Institute and Hospital for Tropical Diseases by the then Prince of Wales, the future Edward VIII.

[36] It has two teams in the highly competitive Fullers Surrey County League and a Sunday side that plays on a more social level.

[37] Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, who presided at the club dinner in 1910, allowed his two young children – Raymond and Cecily[38] – to play cowboys and Indians on the cricket green during the week.

[39] The Chelsea Water Company originally owned the reservoir site and allowed construction of the club pavilion on its property.

Ground rent is paid by the touring company to the Wimbledon and Putney Commons Conservators, as part of the income of the charity.

The Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields, which form part of the Commons and are situated in Kingston Vale, provide football and rugby pitches for local schools and clubs.

Annually Thames Hare and Hounds host the 1st team (Blues) Varsity cross-country match between Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

"[47] In August 2016 the Charity Commission announced a Statutory Inquiry into the potential loss due to granting of an easement for access rights to Putney Lower Common.

Charity Commission Statutory Inquiry Conclusion On 4 August 2020, The Times newspaper published an article suggesting that the Charity Commission's Statutory Inquiry was a whitewash, as criticism of the deal and trustees was removed when the report was challenged by lawyers acting for Sir Ian Andrews.

In the article the Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge questioned whether the commission was 'fit for purpose', due to the changes.

There was resistance at the time to a similar provision in the draft Bill that preceded the Act, whereby an article in The Spectator in January 1865 objected to the creation of 'Spencerian Police'.

The historic role of the Keeper was captured in a 1959 British Pathé film, which showed them dressed in bowler hats and tweeds being inspected by the Warden (a former Lieutenant Colonel) before going about their daily routine of tackling summer fires and challenging golfers who were not in appropriate attire.