The Old Wooden Buildings of Carshalton
Take a step back in time… here’s a look at some wooden weatherboard buildings, which were once a common design feature that dotted Carshalton High Street, as this old image below shows. To the right of the main pic was once a small maze of worker cottages, such as these houses at Clark’s Yard in […]
Why Are There No Pubs in Carshalton Beeches? The Mystery of The Quaker Covenant
Like a sect, the Quakers seem a quiet and secretive bunch, controlling where we go and what we do… Stop there. First off, don’t get your hopes up. I’ve found no evidence of a Quaker covenant depriving us of our enjoyment of a pint on every street corner in Carshalton Beeches. But how did the […]
Location of Old Boundary Wall Around Carshalton Park
I thought it would be interesting to plot the rough location of the old park wall, to scale, and to see that Carshalton park about 120 years ago was 4 – 5 times larger than it is now. You can of course still see some of the original old boundary wall around the area, some […]
The Grotto In Carshalton Park Was Once Completely Covered in Flint
One of my regular wanders takes in The Grotto at Carshalton Park. Did you know Carshalton’s grotto is even older than other better known ones, such as Stourhead, Goldney and Painshill. 🗝 The Grotto was originally constructed around 1724, and designed by the land owner Thomas Scawen. He lived in Stone Court, a building which […]
Bank Of England Governor, Sir William Scawen Has An Ornate Memorial At All Saints Carshalton
Thomas Scawen was the man who created The Grotto in Carshalton Park (see my previous post about The Grotto), and he had inherited the land from his uncle, who had no heirs. 🗝 His uncle Sir William Scawen is pictured here. He once had the prestigious and lucrative role of the Governor of the Bank […]
The Carshalton Water Mill that Produced Engine for World’s first Kit-Car in 1900
This is an old and unusual car, part of which was built at the following Carshalton location. Read on to find out more… The photo below is taken from the wooden bridge over the River Wandle, just off Mill Lane, facing Papermill Close. Below that, is the same view taken years earlier, when it was […]
The Hidden House on the Hill with Britain’s RICHEST History – in Beddington
This once grand home stands on a high point in Beddington, it would have had panoramic views over fields and the River Wandle below. In 1906 there was a large bowling green in front. It’s still standing and is situated on The Brandries, off Guy Road in Beddington. 🗝 Brick built, possibly in the early […]
Kings and Queens of Carshalton – Uncovering 500 years of Royal visits and connections
This is the famous well in the heart of Carshalton village that may be named after Tudor Queen, Anne Boleyn. She possibly stopped at Carshalton, perhaps on the way to Carew Manor in Beddington, where she met King Henry VIII for four days of ‘pleasure’. From Diana, Princess of Wales to the Duke and Duchess […]
The Forgotten Ghosts of Carshalton
Carshalton is now a bustling, busy and large village on the outskirts of London, and with a constant stream of traffic, but it’s not always been that way. When night comes, peace and quiet descends and the ghosts of the past come out and visit. Late at night when darkness has fallen, are you brave […]