The White Cliffs of Carshalton

Carshalton Chalk Pit

*Historical* This incredible chalk cliff can be discovered within a short walk up Park Hill from Carshalton’s Windsor Castle pub – and it’s totally unique! Possibly the only survivor of its kind in the whole borough, perhaps in all of London. Because, not only will you find the well-defined remains of a small chalk pit […]

Butter Hill estate and the long-lost country house

Butter Hill

If you know of Butter Hill in Wallington you may have often wondered what was there before the 1930s estate was built. Let’s find out more… Butter Hill estate was constructed on the grounds of a large house called Elm Grove. It’s not clear when the lovely old home was built, but it was here […]

Tom Scott on the groundbreaking bed-cycle built in Pound Street

Tom Scott

*Historical* Famous YouTube star Tom Scott, talks about an amazing invention built in Carshalton and designed by Dr Ludwig Guttmann at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire. The Hospital is famous for creating the Paralympics, and this 1945 bed-cycle helped people train. It’s currently on display at the Science Museum in London. Here’s a 2-minute […]

Discovering Croydon’s surprisingly nice architecture

Neighbouring Sutton, Croydon was recently listed in the top 10 of the UK’s worst towns. In the authors opinion this is very unfair. Croydon appears to have a relatively small amount of people that continually manage to tar its reputation. But it has a surprisingly expansive shopping district with, for example, one of the largest […]

The 100 Shackleton Huskies that sadly never made it home

Samson dog

*Historical* Sir Ernest Shackleton is famous for being the captain of Endurance, the ship that took him and his crew on a doomed voyage to Antarctica in 1914. Their exploits have been covered in numerous films and tv programs. To pull the expedition through treacherous snow, dogs such as Samson pictured above, were needed. So […]

Poignant WWII memorial discovered on Carshalton Beeches bench

bench

This bench has a memorial plaque dedicated to Godfrey Woolven who was killed during WWII. It’s a memorial that is in continuous use in everyday life. People often sit here waiting for the bus and it’s easy to miss the tribute, situated in Park Hill close to Carshalton Beeches Railway Station. Godfrey, aged 22, was […]

Old railings are all that remain of Battersea Dogs Home in Hackbridge

hackbridge dogs home

*Historical* It’s hard to believe that Battersea Dogs Home once owned large kennels in Hackbridge. You would have seen them when standing at this spot on the railway bridge looking towards what are now blocks of flats. The famous dogs home began life at Battersea in 1871, but due to a rabies outbreak in London […]

Tick Tock landmark at Sutton Railway Station

This modern clock is outside Sutton Railway Station in South London, and is one of the first things that greets you on arrival. Perhaps you’ve never really paid much attention to it, but I think the clock looks rather striking against the backdrop of trees. So now it’s time to hear a little more about […]