Carshalton is a suburban area of the
London Borough of SuttonThe London Borough of Sutton is a London borough in South London, England and forms part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the 80th largest local authority in England by population. It is one of the southernmost boroughs of London...
, England. It is located 10 miles (16.1 km) south-southwest of
Charing CrossCharing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
, situated in the valley of the
River WandleThe River Wandle is a river in south-east England. The names of the river and of Wandsworth are thought to have derived from the Old English "Wendlesworth" meaning "Wendle's Settlement". The river runs through southwest London and is about long...
, one of the sources of which is Carshalton Ponds in the centre of the village. The combined population of the five wards comprising Carshalton was 45,525 at the 2001 census. It is in the UK Parliamentary constituency of Carshalton and Wallington.
History
To the south of the area now known as Carshalton, remains of
artefactAn artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
s dating from the
NeolithicThe Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
to the
Iron AgeThe British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
have been found, suggesting that this was an early place of habitation. Prior to the Norman Conquest it is recorded that there were five manors in this location owned by five freemen.
The village lay within the
Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
administrative division of
WallingtonWallington was an ancient hundred in the north east of the county of Surrey, England. The majority of its area has been absorbed by the growth of London; with its name currently referring to the district of Wallington...
hundredA hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...
.
Carshalton appears in
Domesday BookDomesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as Aultone. It was held by Goisfrid (Geoffrey) de Mandeville. Its domesday assets were: 3½
hideThe hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
s; 1 church, 10
ploughThe plough or plow is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
s, 1
millA grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...
worth £1 15s 0d, 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) of
meadowA meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
,
woodlandEcologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
worth 2 hogs. It rendered £15 10s 0d.
Carshalton was known for its springs; these may have given the place its name Cars - Aul - ton. Aul means well or spring. A ton is a farm which was in some way enclosed. The meaning of the Cars element is uncertain but early spellings (Kersaulton and Cresaulton) may indicate connection with a cross or perhaps cress, watercress having been grown locally.
In his book History of the Worthies of England, the 17th century historian
Thomas FullerThomas Fuller was an English churchman and historian. He is now remembered for his writings, particularly his Worthies of England, published after his death...
refers to Carshalton for its walnuts and trout.
Land was primarily put to
arableAgronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants for food, fuel, feed, fiber, and reclamation. Agronomy encompasses work in the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science. Agronomy is the application of a combination of sciences like biology,...
use and the river Wandle gave rise to manufacturing using
water powerA water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of free-flowing or falling water into useful forms of power. A water wheel consists of a large wooden or metal wheel, with a number of blades or buckets arranged on the outside rim forming the driving surface...
. A water mill to grind corn was mentioned in the Domesday Book. By the end of the 18th century it was recorded that there were several mills for the production of paper and parchment, leather, snuff, log-wood and seed oil. There were also bleaching grounds for calico. During the
Victorian eraThe Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
and into the early 20th century, Carshalton was known for its
lavenderThe lavenders are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. An Old World genus, distributed from Macaronesia across Africa, the Mediterranean, South-West Asia, Arabia, Western Iran and South-East India...
fields, but the increasing land demand for residential building put an end to commercial growing.
The
Commonwealth War Graves CommissionThe Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves, and places of commemoration, of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars...
lists 78 civilian casualties in Carshalton during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
From 1894 to 1965 Carshalton formed part of the
Carshalton Urban DistrictCarshalton was a local government district in north east Surrey from 1883 to 1965 around the town of Carshalton.The parish of Carshalton adopted the Local Government Act 1858 in 1883 and a local board was formed to govern the town. The Local Government Act 1894 reconstituted the area as an urban...
.
Geography
Central Carshalton, around the ponds and High Street, retains a village character, although the busy A232 runs through the area. There are a number of buildings and open spaces protected by the Carshalton Village Conservation Area.
Carshalton-on-the-Hill is the residential area on the high chalk upland ground to the south of Carshalton Park around Boundary Road, Stanley Road and Stanley Park Road and stretching out towards the
smallholdingA smallholding is a farm of small size.In third world countries, smallholdings are usually farms supporting a single family with a mixture of cash crops and subsistence farming. As a country becomes more affluent and farming practices become more efficient, smallholdings may persist as a legacy of...
s of Little Woodcote.
Carshalton Beeches is the area to the west of Carshalton-on-the-Hill, around Beeches Avenue,
BansteadBanstead is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in the county of Surrey, England, on the border with Greater London. It lies south of London, west of Croydon and of the county town of Kingston-Upon-Thames. Banstead is on the North Downs and is protected by the Metropolitan Green Belt;...
Road and
WoodmansterneWoodmansterne is a village in Reigate and Banstead borough of the county of Surrey, England. Woodmansterne village is located on the B278, which starts at Morden and winds through Carshalton past Oaks Park and into the village. The road continues down to Chipstead Bottom...
Road. It grew up around the railway station which was named after Beeches Avenue, a street near to its location; which, in turn, is named after the
beechBeech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
trees which line it.
The Wrythe, or Wrythe Green, lies between Carshalton village to the south and St Helier to the north-west. Its name is thought to derive from the rye that was once grown in this area, or from the Anglo-Saxon word rithe which means a small stream. During the time of the
RomanRoman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
occupation of the British Isles, a small spring was situated near the green, now shadowed by a
BPBP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
garage. Roman activity in the area is confirmed by the fact that there was once a Roman Villa built in Beddington, just a couple of miles away, and a number of roads in the vicinity of Roman origin. The spring has since disappeared under ground and the culvert it feeds flows into the Wandle near Hackbridge.
All Saints Church
The parish church of All Saints overlooks Carshalton Ponds. A church has stood on this site since at least Norman times and probably much longer. The current church contains 12th century work but has been much extended over the centuries; most dramatically in 1891 when a new
naveIn Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and north
aisleAn aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
were added.
Just outside the churchyard wall is a spring locally known as "
Anne BoleynAnne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
's Well". It is popularly said to have received this name because it appeared when Anne Boleyn's horse kicked a stone and a spring of water appeared. Anne was probably riding to or from an assignation with her would-be lover
King Henry VIIIHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
at the nearby home of Sir Nicholas Carew.
Another possible explanation is that the name is a corruption of "
Boulogne-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
". The
Counts of BoulogneThe county of Boulogne was a historical region in the Low Countries. It consisted of a part of the present-day French département of the Pas-de-Calais , in parts of which there is still a Dutch-speaking minority....
owned land here in the 12th century and there may have been a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Boulogne near the well.
Carshalton House Water Tower
The water tower was built in the early 18th century primarily to house a water driven pump supplying water to Carshalton House (now
St Philomena's SchoolSt Philomena's Catholic High School for Girls is a school for girls in Carshalton, South London, England. Ofsted praised the school as 'outstanding' and the Archdiocese of Southwark found the establishment to be 'a very strong school'. , the chair of governors is Dr. Mary Howard, and the current...
) and its gardens. It was planned as a multi-purpose building, however, and also contains an
orangeryAn orangery was a building in the grounds of fashionable residences from the 17th to the 19th centuries and given a classicising architectural form. The orangery was similar to a greenhouse or conservatory...
, a saloon and a bathroom which retains original
DelftDelft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
tiles.
Little Holland House
Little Holland House in Carshalton Beeches was the home of the artist Frank Dickinson (1874–1961). Dickinson's
Arts and CraftsArts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
style interior was influenced by
John RuskinJohn Ruskin was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, also an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects ranging from geology to architecture, myth to ornithology, literature to education, and botany to political...
and
William MorrisWilliam Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
. The house contains many of his art works. It is now occasionally open to members of the public.
Honeywood
Honeywood is a large and attractive house at the western end of Carshalton Ponds. At its earliest it dates from the 17th century but has been much extended and restored, particularly in the period 1896 to 1903. It now houses the London Borough of Sutton's Museum and has a local history collection, including objects that date back to the Bronze Age.
The Oaks bakehouse
The late 19th century bakehouse in Oaks Park is all that remains of "The Oaks" mansion which burned down and was demolished in the 1950s. The original bread oven remains in situ. Blocks of burnt bricks from the ruins of the great house were used by local builders to construct garden walls for houses all along Woodmansterne Road, and may still be seen today.
The Orangery
The
OrangeryAn orangery was a building in the grounds of fashionable residences from the 17th to the 19th centuries and given a classicising architectural form. The orangery was similar to a greenhouse or conservatory...
in The Square was built in the second half of the 18th century in Carshalton Park (the section of which between here and Ruskin Road has since been built over). It is now used for commercial office space.
Strawberry Lodge
Constructed in 1685, Strawberry Lodge is one of Carshalton's oldest buildings. It was built by Josias Dewye who was described in records at the time as a 'clothworker and citizen of London'. In the late 17th century Josias moved from Chilworth to Carshalton to run a Gunpowder Mill on the
River WandleThe River Wandle is a river in south-east England. The names of the river and of Wandsworth are thought to have derived from the Old English "Wendlesworth" meaning "Wendle's Settlement". The river runs through southwest London and is about long...
and decided to make his home nearby at the lodge.
Located on the corner of Strawberry Lane and Mill Lane, Strawberry Lodge is owned by Carshalton Baptist Church. Besides being a place of worship it is also used during the week as a conference and training centre. During the 1990s the site was renovated by the Baptist Church supported by the
London Borough of SuttonThe London Borough of Sutton is a London borough in South London, England and forms part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the 80th largest local authority in England by population. It is one of the southernmost boroughs of London...
.
Parks
In common with the London Borough of Sutton as a whole, Carshalton has many green spaces with three main public parks of note. The present day
Carshalton ParkCarshalton Park is a public park in Carshalton, in the London Borough of Sutton. It is situated south of the High Street, in the area bounded by Ruskin Road, Ashcombe Road, Woodstock Road and The Park...
is much reduced from its original size but still offers features of historical significance.
Grove ParkThe Grove Park, or The Grove is a public park in Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton. It is situated close to Carshalton Village in the area approximately bounded by the High Street, North Street and Mill Lane...
, closest to the village, is the best example of a Victorian park in the Borough.
Oaks ParkThe Oaks Park is a public park in Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton. It is bounded on the south by Croydon Lane , and on the east by Woodmansterne Road; smaller roads lie to west and north.-History:...
is a large park landscaped in a naturalistic style, providing downland walks.
Transport
Carshalton has two railway stations:
CarshaltonCarshalton railway station is a railway station at Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton in South London.The station is served by First Capital Connect and Southern trains. It is in Travelcard Zone 5. From here you can catch a direct train to as far north as Luton in Bedfordshire and...
and
Carshalton BeechesCarshalton Beeches railway station is in south Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton in south London. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southern, and is in Travelcard Zone 5.- Services :...
. From 1847 to the opening of the current Carshalton in 1868
Wallington railway stationWallington railway station is in the London Borough of Sutton in south London. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southern, and is in Travelcard Zone 5....
was named Carshalton. The closest
London UndergroundThe London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
station is
MordenMorden is a London Underground station in Morden in the London Borough of Merton. The station is the southern terminus for the Northern line and is the most southerly station on the Underground network. The next station north is...
, which is a 12-21 minute journey from Carshalton High Street by
157London Buses route 157 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Abellio London.-History:...
bus. Bus services 127, 407, 627, and
X26London Buses route X26 is a Transport for London contracted bus route from Heathrow Airport to West Croydon. The service is currently contracted to Metrobus.The route is the longest London Buses route in London.-History:...
also serve the High Street. Bus service 154 serves Carshalton Beeches Station with links to Morden and West Croydon.
Sports
Carshalton has two football clubs:
Carshalton Athletic F.C.Carshalton Athletic F.C. is an English football club based in Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton, London. They currently play in the Isthmian League Premier Division, and are based at the War Memorial Sports Ground.-Early years:...
(home ground at The War Memorial Sports Ground, Colston Avenue) and Carshalton FC (at Beddington Park).
At the Westcroft Leisure Centre in
Grove Park, CarshaltonThe Grove Park, or The Grove is a public park in Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton. It is situated close to Carshalton Village in the area approximately bounded by the High Street, North Street and Mill Lane...
, there are health and fitness facilities including two swimming pools one being a teaching pool, sports hall, two others halls, squash court and fitness centre. There is also a children's play area called Kid's Kingdom. It is due to have a refurbishment to repair the building and introuduce new facitlites, which will last about a year. It has been managed by many different organisations, currently by SLM trading as Everyone Active.
Events
Annual events include a charity fireworks display at
Carshalton ParkCarshalton Park is a public park in Carshalton, in the London Borough of Sutton. It is situated south of the High Street, in the area bounded by Ruskin Road, Ashcombe Road, Woodstock Road and The Park...
on the Saturday nearest to
Guy Fawkes NightGuy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Firework Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in England. Its history begins with the events of 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding...
, a summer carnival on the second Saturday of June, a beer festival over the first Bank Holiday weekend in May, the Environmental Fair also held in Carshalton Park on the August Bank Holiday Monday.
and Carshalton
Charter fairA charter fair in England is a street fair or market which was established by Royal Charter. Many charter fairs date back to the Middle Ages, with their heyday occurring during the 13th century...
held in September.
There are frequent theatrical and musical productions at The Charles Cryer Studio Theatre, which is situated on the High Street.
The Ecology Centre and Honeywood Heritage Centre also hold regular events and meetings.
The Methodist hall in Ruskin Road is home to the Ruskin Players and the Carshalton Choral Society, both of which perform at regular intervals throughout the year.
The annual Carshalton Lavender harvest weekend is held in July, at Stanley Park Allotments, Carshalton-on-the-Hill.
Education
- St Philomena's School (Catholic Girls' High School)
- Carshalton High School for Girls
Carshalton High School for Girls is a community comprehensive school for 11–18 year old girls in Carshalton, Sutton, England.The school is a specialist Arts and Humanities College. The headteacher is Vivien Jones.- External links :* * by Ofsted*...
- Carshalton Boys Sports College
Carshalton Boys Sports College is a comprehensive school for 11–19 year old boys in Carshalton, London Borough of Sutton, England...
(renamed from Carshalton High School for Boys)
- Stanley Park High School
Stanley Park High School is a mixed government funded school in Carshalton, Surrey, England.The school is due for a move to a new £38 million site on Cherry Orchard Road.-Specialism:...
- Carshalton College
Carshalton College is a further education college located in the Carshalton area of the London Borough of Sutton, in South London, England.The college offers a range of courses for students from the surrounding area including vocational education, ESOL courses, apprenticeships and Access courses...
- See the London Borough of Sutton
The London Borough of Sutton is a London borough in South London, England and forms part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the 80th largest local authority in England by population. It is one of the southernmost boroughs of London...
and List of schools in Sutton articles for details of education in the whole borough.
Notable individuals
- See the London Borough of Sutton
The London Borough of Sutton is a London borough in South London, England and forms part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the 80th largest local authority in England by population. It is one of the southernmost boroughs of London...
article for notable individuals in the whole borough.'
External links