Battersea Park The site of this park was formerly known as Battersea Fields. Part of the ground was used for market gardening, but much of it was a marshy waste reclaimed from the river in the sixteenth century and later used for pigeon shooting, fairs, donkey racing and other amusements. The famous duel between the Duke of Wellington and the Earl of Wichelsea took place here in 1829. In 1846, an act authorised the purchase by H.M. Office of Works of 320 acres in Battersea Fields for a public park. The fields were drained and their level raised by soil excavated from the Victoria Docks. The cost of embarking and laying out the park was covered by the sale of part of the ground for building. The park, which is 200 acres in extent, was handed over to the Metropolitan Board of Works in 1887. Transferred to the London County Council in 1889 and the Greater London Council in 1965. Since 1986 it has been managed by Wandsworth Borough Council.