Mitcham
Encyclopedia
Mitcham is a district in the south west area of London
, in the London Borough of Merton
. A suburban area, Mitcham is located on the border of Inner London
and Outer London
. It is both residentially and financially developed, well served by Transport for London
, and home to Mitcham Town Centre, Mitcham Library
, and Mitcham Cricket Green
. Nearby districts include Streatham
, Tooting
, Morden
, Sutton
, and Croydon
.
and is bounded by the London Borough of Wandsworth
, the London Borough of Croydon
, the London Borough of Lambeth
and the London Borough of Sutton
. Mitcham is close to Wimbledon
, Croydon
, Streatham
and Tooting
. The River Wandle
bounds the town to the southwest. The original village lies in the west, although expansion has pushed the eastern boundary the furthest. Mitcham Common
takes up the greater part of the boundary and area to the south.
Mitcham had never been well served by railway, due to its being equidistant between the historic lines of Waterloo
to Southampton
and London Bridge
to Brighton
. A recent addition of Mitcham Eastfields railway station
in June 2008, nearer to the centre of the town than Mitcham Junction, on the same line, has improved transport links. It is the first suburban station to be built in 50 years in the area. The station serves routes to London Victoria, Blackfriars
and London Bridge
, and by changing at Streatham
5 minutes away, makes St Albans
and Bedford
and Luton airport within reach by direct trains. An 18th century milestone on Figges Marsh
indicates Mitcham to be 8.5 miles from Whitehall
.
"Mitcham" is Old English in origin and believed to mean big settlement. Before the Romans
and Saxons
were present, there was a Celtic
settlement in the area, with evidence of a hill fort
in the Pollards Hill
area. The discovery of Roman-era graves and a well on the site of the Mitcham gas works evince Roman settlement. The Saxon graveyard, located on the North bank of the Wandle is the largest discovered to date, and many of the finds therein are on display in the British Museum
. The area is a possible location for the Battle of Merton, 871, in which King Ethelred of Wessex
was either mortally wounded or killed outright. The Church of England parish church
of St Peter and St Paul
dates from the Saxon era. Although it was mostly rebuilt in 1819–21, the current building retains the original Saxon tower. The Domesday Book
of 1086 lists Mitcham as a small farming community, with 250 people living in two hamlets
; Mitcham, an area known today as Upper Mitcham; and Whitford, today known as the Lower Green area.
The area lay within the Anglo-Saxon
administrative division of Wallington
hundred
.
The Domesday Book records Mitcham as Michelham. It was held partly by the Canons of Bayeux
; partly by William, son of Ansculf and partly by Osbert. Its domesday assets were: 8 hide
s and 1 virgate
. It had ½ mill
worth £1, 3½ plough
s, 56 acres (22.7 ha) of meadow
. It rendered £4 5s 4d.
During her reign Queen Elizabeth I
made at least five visits to the area. John Donne
and Sir Walter Raleigh
also had residences here in this era. It was at this time that Mitcham became gentrified, as due to the abundance of lavender
fields Mitcham became renowned for its soothing air. The air also led people to settle in the area during times of plague
.
When industrialisation
occurred, Mitcham quickly grew to become a town and most of the farms were swallowed up in the expansion. Remnants of this farming history today include: Mitcham Common itself; Arthur's Pond, sited on the corner of Watney's Road and Commonside East, and named for a local farmer; Alfred Mizen School (Now named Garden Primary), named after a local nursery man who was very charitable towards the burgeoning town; and the road New Barnes Avenue, which was named after the farm that stood on that site.
There were many lavender fields in Mitcham, and peppermint
and lavender oils were also distilled
there. In 1749 two local physic gardeners, John Potter and William Moore, founded a company to make and market toiletries made from locally-grown herbs and flowers. Lavender features on Merton Council's coat of arms and the badge of the local football team, Tooting & Mitcham United F.C.
, as well as in the name of a local council ward, Lavender Field.
Mitcham was industrialised first along the banks of the Wandle, where snuff
, copper
, flour, iron
and dye
were all worked. Mitcham, along with nearby Merton Abbey
, became the calico cloth
printing centres of England by 1750. Asprey
, suppliers of luxury goods made from various materials, was founded in Mitcham as a silk
-printing business in 1781. William Morris
opened a factory on the River Wandle at Merton Abbey. Merton Abbey Mills were the Liberty
silk-printing works. It is now a craft village and its waterwheel has been preserved.
The activity along the Wandle led to the building of the Surrey Iron Railway
, the World's first public railway, in 1803. The decline and failure of the railway in the 1840s also heralded a change in industry, as horticulture gradually gave way to manufacturing
, with paint
, varnish
, linoleum
and firework manufacturers moving into the area. The work provided and migratory patterns eventually resulted in a doubling of the population between the years 1900 and 1910.
Mitcham became a borough on 19 September 1934 with the charter of incorporation being presented to the 84-year old mayor, Mr. R.M. Chart, by the Lord Lieutenant
of Surrey, Lord Ashcombe
.
Social housing schemes in the 1930s included New Close, aimed at housing people made homeless by a factory explosion in 1933 and Sunshine Way
, for housing the poor from inner London. This industry made Mitcham a target for German bombing
during World War II
. During this time Mitcham also returned to its agricultural
roots, with Mitcham Common being farmed to help with the war effort.
From 1929 the electronics company Mullard
had a factory on New Road.
Post war, the areas of Eastfields
, Phipps Bridge and Pollards Hill were rebuilt to provide cheaper more affordable housing. The largest council housing project in Mitcham is Phipps Bridge Estate. Further expansion of the housing estates in Eastfields, Phipps Bridge and Pollards Hill occurred after 1965. In Mitcham Cricket Green
, the area lays reasonable, although not definitive, claim to having the world's oldest cricket ground in continual use, and the world's oldest club in Mitcham Cricket Club
. The ground is also notable for having a road separate the pavilion from the pitch. Local folklore
also claims Mitcham has the oldest fair
in England, believing it to have been granted a charter
by Queen Elizabeth I, although this claim has not been proven.
Ethnicities
White - 47.5%
White: British 35
White: Irish 2.8
White: Other White 9.7
Mixed - 3.9%
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean 1.5
Mixed: White and Black African 0.7
Mixed: White and Asian 0.9
Mixed: Other Mixed 0.8
Asian or Asian British - 19.5%
Asian or Asian British: Indian 5.3
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 4.6
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 3.4
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 6.2
Black or Black British - 23.5%
Black or Black British: Caribbean 10.4
Black or Black British: African 10.8
Black or Black British: Other Black 2.3
Chinese or other ethnic group - 5.6%
Chinese or other ethnic group: Chinese 2.5
Chinese or other ethnic group: Other ethnic group 3.1
Religion:
Christian: 57.9%, Hindu: 5.9%, Muslim: 11.5% Other: 24.7%
Gender:
Male: 48.6%, Female: 51.4%
in the area of Eastfields
, opened on Monday 2 June 2008. This is located at Eastfields Road level crossing, about a mile to the north of Mitcham Junction. The station has filled in a gap in the rail system and serves the centre of Mitcham more directly.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, in the London Borough of Merton
London Borough of Merton
The London Borough of Merton is a borough in southwest London, England.The borough was formed under the London Government Act in 1965 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Mitcham, the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon and the Merton and Morden Urban District, all formerly within Surrey...
. A suburban area, Mitcham is located on the border of Inner London
Inner London
Inner London is the name for the group of London boroughs which form the interior part of Greater London and are surrounded by Outer London. The area was first officially defined in 1965 and for purposes such as statistics, the definition has changed over time. The terms Inner London and Central...
and Outer London
Outer London
Outer London is the name for the group of London Boroughs that form a ring around Inner London.These were areas that were not part of the County of London and became formally part of Greater London in 1965...
. It is both residentially and financially developed, well served by Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
, and home to Mitcham Town Centre, Mitcham Library
Mitcham Library
Mitcham Library is a public library in Mitcham, England, being one of the libraries of the London Borough of Merton. It was built in 1933 on land donated by a local builder, Mr Joseph Owen. In April 1932 he donated £4,025 towards its construction....
, and Mitcham Cricket Green
Mitcham Cricket Green
Mitcham Cricket Green is a cricket ground in Mitcham, south London . It is the home of Mitcham Cricket Club and is reportedly the oldest cricket ground still in use, having been used for cricket since 1685.-History:...
. Nearby districts include Streatham
Streatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, Tooting
Tooting
Tooting is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, Morden
Morden
Morden is a district in the London Borough of Merton. It is located approximately South-southwest of central London between Merton Park , Mitcham , Sutton and Worcester Park .- Origin of name :...
, Sutton
Sutton, London
Sutton is a large suburban town in southwest London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Sutton. It is located south-southwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. The town was connected to central London by...
, and Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
.
Location
Mitcham is on the east side of the London Borough of MertonLondon Borough of Merton
The London Borough of Merton is a borough in southwest London, England.The borough was formed under the London Government Act in 1965 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Mitcham, the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon and the Merton and Morden Urban District, all formerly within Surrey...
and is bounded by the London Borough of Wandsworth
London Borough of Wandsworth
The London Borough of Wandsworth is a London borough in southwest London, England, and forms part of Inner London.-History:The borough was formed in 1965 from the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea and much of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth, but...
, the London Borough of Croydon
London Borough of Croydon
The London Borough of Croydon is a London borough in South London, England and is part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the largest London borough by population. It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name...
, the London Borough of Lambeth
London Borough of Lambeth
The London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in south London, England and forms part of Inner London. The local authority is Lambeth London Borough Council.-Origins:...
and the London Borough of Sutton
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...
. Mitcham is close to Wimbledon
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
, Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, Streatham
Streatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
and Tooting
Tooting
Tooting is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
. The River Wandle
River Wandle
The 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...
bounds the town to the southwest. The original village lies in the west, although expansion has pushed the eastern boundary the furthest. Mitcham Common
Mitcham Common
Mitcham Common or Seven Islands is 182 hectares of common land situated in South London. It is predominantly in the London borough of Merton, with parts straddling the borders with Sutton and Croydon.- History :...
takes up the greater part of the boundary and area to the south.
Mitcham had never been well served by railway, due to its being equidistant between the historic lines of Waterloo
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
to Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
and London Bridge
London Bridge station
London Bridge railway station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the London Borough of Southwark, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge and 1.6 miles east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the...
to Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
. A recent addition of Mitcham Eastfields railway station
Mitcham Eastfields railway station
Mitcham Eastfields is a railway station in London, United Kingdom, which opened on 2 June 2008. The station is located at Eastfields Road level crossing, in an area previously poorly served by public transport...
in June 2008, nearer to the centre of the town than Mitcham Junction, on the same line, has improved transport links. It is the first suburban station to be built in 50 years in the area. The station serves routes to London Victoria, Blackfriars
Blackfriars station
Blackfriars station, also known as London Blackfriars, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the City of London, England. Its platforms will eventually span the River Thames a short distance downstream from Blackfriars Bridge. The current entrance is located on the...
and London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
, and by changing at Streatham
Streatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
5 minutes away, makes St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
and Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
and Luton airport within reach by direct trains. An 18th century milestone on Figges Marsh
Figges Marsh
Figges Marsh is a park in the London Borough of Merton . It's located in Mitcham, close to Tooting railway station. Originally, the park was located next to a toll road into London. It was named after William Figge who occupied the land from 1357.-References:...
indicates Mitcham to be 8.5 miles from Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
.
History
The toponymToponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
"Mitcham" is Old English in origin and believed to mean big settlement. Before the Romans
Roman Britain
Roman 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...
and Saxons
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
were present, there was a Celtic
Britons (historical)
The Britons were the Celtic people culturally dominating Great Britain from the Iron Age through the Early Middle Ages. They spoke the Insular Celtic language known as British or Brythonic...
settlement in the area, with evidence of a hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
in the Pollards Hill
Pollards Hill
Pollards Hill is a residential district crossing the border of the south London boroughs of Merton and Croydon between Mitcham and Norbury. It is the name of a council ward in Merton. The district is bisected by the Merton/Croydon boundary along Recreation Way...
area. The discovery of Roman-era graves and a well on the site of the Mitcham gas works evince Roman settlement. The Saxon graveyard, located on the North bank of the Wandle is the largest discovered to date, and many of the finds therein are on display in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. The area is a possible location for the Battle of Merton, 871, in which King Ethelred of Wessex
Ethelred of Wessex
King Æthelred I was King of Wessex from 865 to 871. He was the fourth son of King Æthelwulf of Wessex...
was either mortally wounded or killed outright. The Church of England parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of St Peter and St Paul
Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, or the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, is a liturgical feast in honour of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which is observed on 29 June...
dates from the Saxon era. Although it was mostly rebuilt in 1819–21, the current building retains the original Saxon tower. The Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday 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...
of 1086 lists Mitcham as a small farming community, with 250 people living in two hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
; Mitcham, an area known today as Upper Mitcham; and Whitford, today known as the Lower Green area.
The area lay within the Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-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 Wallington
Wallington (hundred)
Wallington 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...
hundred
Hundred (division)
A 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...
.
The Domesday Book records Mitcham as Michelham. It was held partly by the Canons of Bayeux
Bayeux
Bayeux is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in northwestern France.Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England.-Administration:Bayeux is a sub-prefecture of Calvados...
; partly by William, son of Ansculf and partly by Osbert. Its domesday assets were: 8 hide
Hide (unit)
The 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 and 1 virgate
Virgate
The virgate or yardland was a unit of land area measurement used in medieval England, typically outside the Danelaw, and was held to be the amount of land that a team of two oxen could plough in a single annual season. It was equivalent to a quarter of a hide, so was nominally thirty acres...
. It had ½ mill
Mill (grinding)
A 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, 3½ plough
Plough
The 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, 56 acres (22.7 ha) of meadow
Meadow
A 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...
. It rendered £4 5s 4d.
During her reign Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
made at least five visits to the area. John Donne
John Donne
John Donne 31 March 1631), English poet, satirist, lawyer, and priest, is now considered the preeminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are notable for their strong and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs,...
and Sir Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England....
also had residences here in this era. It was at this time that Mitcham became gentrified, as due to the abundance of lavender
Lavender
The 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 Mitcham became renowned for its soothing air. The air also led people to settle in the area during times of plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
.
When industrialisation
Industrialisation
Industrialization is the process of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial one...
occurred, Mitcham quickly grew to become a town and most of the farms were swallowed up in the expansion. Remnants of this farming history today include: Mitcham Common itself; Arthur's Pond, sited on the corner of Watney's Road and Commonside East, and named for a local farmer; Alfred Mizen School (Now named Garden Primary), named after a local nursery man who was very charitable towards the burgeoning town; and the road New Barnes Avenue, which was named after the farm that stood on that site.
There were many lavender fields in Mitcham, and peppermint
Peppermint
Peppermint is a hybrid mint, a cross between the watermint and spearmint . The plant, indigenous to Europe, is now widespread in cultivation throughout all regions of the world...
and lavender oils were also distilled
Distillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
there. In 1749 two local physic gardeners, John Potter and William Moore, founded a company to make and market toiletries made from locally-grown herbs and flowers. Lavender features on Merton Council's coat of arms and the badge of the local football team, Tooting & Mitcham United F.C.
Tooting & Mitcham United F.C.
Tooting & Mitcham United Football Club are a semi-professional association football club representing the south-west London areas of Tooting and Mitcham, within the London Borough of Merton. The club's stadium, Imperial Fields is located in Morden. The club are nicknamed The Terrors or...
, as well as in the name of a local council ward, Lavender Field.
Mitcham was industrialised first along the banks of the Wandle, where snuff
Snuff
Snuff is a product made from ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. It is an example of smokeless tobacco. It originated in the Americas and was in common use in Europe by the 17th century...
, copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, flour, iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
and dye
Dye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
were all worked. Mitcham, along with nearby Merton Abbey
Merton Abbey, London
Merton Abbey is an area in southwest London, England. It lies between South Wimbledon and Colliers Wood in the London Borough of Merton. Merton Abbey takes its name from Merton Priory, which once stood on the northern edge of the district...
, became the calico cloth
Calico (fabric)
Calico is a plain-woven textile made from unbleached, and often not fully processed, cotton. It may contain unseparated husk parts, for example. The fabric is less coarse and thick than canvas or denim, but owing to its unfinished and undyed appearance, it is still very cheap. Originally from the...
printing centres of England by 1750. Asprey
Asprey
Asprey is a British luxury brand with a heritage that dates back to 1781. The brand offers an extensive range of gifts, jewellery, watches, leather, silver, bone china, crystal and rare books, all available in its flagship New Bond Street store. Asprey was once the destination for crowns,...
, suppliers of luxury goods made from various materials, was founded in Mitcham as a silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
-printing business in 1781. William Morris
William Morris
William 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...
opened a factory on the River Wandle at Merton Abbey. Merton Abbey Mills were the Liberty
Liberty (department store)
Liberty is a long-established department store in Regent Street in Central London, England, in the West End shopping district.-Early years:...
silk-printing works. It is now a craft village and its waterwheel has been preserved.
The activity along the Wandle led to the building of the Surrey Iron Railway
Surrey Iron Railway
The Surrey Iron Railway was a horse drawn plateway whose width approximated to a standard gauge railway that linked the former Surrey towns of Wandsworth and Croydon via Mitcham...
, the World's first public railway, in 1803. The decline and failure of the railway in the 1840s also heralded a change in industry, as horticulture gradually gave way to manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
, with paint
Paint
Paint is any liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition which after application to a substrate in a thin layer is converted to an opaque solid film. One may also consider the digital mimicry thereof...
, varnish
Varnish
Varnish is a transparent, hard, protective finish or film primarily used in wood finishing but also for other materials. Varnish is traditionally a combination of a drying oil, a resin, and a thinner or solvent. Varnish finishes are usually glossy but may be designed to produce satin or semi-gloss...
, linoleum
Linoleum
Linoleum is a floor covering made from renewable materials such as solidified linseed oil , pine rosin, ground cork dust, wood flour, and mineral fillers such as calcium carbonate, most commonly on a burlap or canvas backing; pigments are often added to the materials.The finest linoleum floors,...
and firework manufacturers moving into the area. The work provided and migratory patterns eventually resulted in a doubling of the population between the years 1900 and 1910.
Mitcham became a borough on 19 September 1934 with the charter of incorporation being presented to the 84-year old mayor, Mr. R.M. Chart, by the Lord Lieutenant
Lord Lieutenant
The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
of Surrey, Lord Ashcombe
Henry Cubitt, 2nd Baron Ashcombe
Henry Cubitt, 2nd Baron Ashcombe CB, TD was a United Kingdom politician and peer, the son of George Cubitt, 1st Baron Ashcombe and his wife Laura Joyce.-Education and career:...
.
| 19th Century | 20th Century | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 3,466 | 1901 | 14,903 |
| 1811 | 4,175 | 1911 | 29,606 |
| 1821 | 4,453 | 1921 | 35,119 |
| 1831 | 4,387 | 1931 | 56,859 |
| 1841 | 4,532 | 1941¹ | war |
| 1851 | 4,641 | 1951 | 67,269 |
| 1861 | 5,078 | 1961 | 63,690 |
| 1871 | 6,498 | 1971 | 60,608 |
| 1881 | 8,960 | 1981 | 57,158 |
| 1891 | 12,127 | 1991² | n/a |
|
|||
| source: UK census | |||
Social housing schemes in the 1930s included New Close, aimed at housing people made homeless by a factory explosion in 1933 and Sunshine Way
Sunshine Way
Sunshine Way is the name of a crescent-shaped street in Mitcham, England, built in 1936 for families from overcrowded areas of inner London, and including specially-designed houses to suit the needs of tuberculosis patients....
, for housing the poor from inner London. This industry made Mitcham a target for German bombing
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
during World War II
World War II
World 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...
. During this time Mitcham also returned to its agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
roots, with Mitcham Common being farmed to help with the war effort.
From 1929 the electronics company Mullard
Mullard
Mullard Limited was a British manufacturer of electronic components. The Mullard Radio Valve Co. Ltd. of Southfields, London, was founded in 1920 by Captain Stanley R. Mullard, who had previously designed valves for the Admiralty before becoming managing director of the Z Electric Lamp Co. The...
had a factory on New Road.
Post war, the areas of Eastfields
Eastfields
Eastfields is an area of South London situated between Mitcham and Streatham. The area is home to St. Marks Academy secondary school and to a new railway station, Mitcham Eastfields railway station, which opened on 2 June 2008. The area has two council estates, Laburnum and Eastfields Estate, 5...
, Phipps Bridge and Pollards Hill were rebuilt to provide cheaper more affordable housing. The largest council housing project in Mitcham is Phipps Bridge Estate. Further expansion of the housing estates in Eastfields, Phipps Bridge and Pollards Hill occurred after 1965. In Mitcham Cricket Green
Mitcham Cricket Green
Mitcham Cricket Green is a cricket ground in Mitcham, south London . It is the home of Mitcham Cricket Club and is reportedly the oldest cricket ground still in use, having been used for cricket since 1685.-History:...
, the area lays reasonable, although not definitive, claim to having the world's oldest cricket ground in continual use, and the world's oldest club in Mitcham Cricket Club
Mitcham Cricket Club
]Mitcham Cricket Club is reported by The Independent to be the oldest cricket club in existence, with the club having been playing cricket on Mitcham Cricket Green since 1685. Mitcham club were also reportedly watched by Lord Nelson during his time in the area...
. The ground is also notable for having a road separate the pavilion from the pitch. Local folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
also claims Mitcham has the oldest fair
Fair
A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
in England, believing it to have been granted a charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
by Queen Elizabeth I, although this claim has not been proven.
Demographics
Population - 47,500Ethnicities
White - 47.5%
White: British 35
White: Irish 2.8
White: Other White 9.7
Mixed - 3.9%
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean 1.5
Mixed: White and Black African 0.7
Mixed: White and Asian 0.9
Mixed: Other Mixed 0.8
Asian or Asian British - 19.5%
Asian or Asian British: Indian 5.3
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 4.6
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 3.4
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 6.2
Black or Black British - 23.5%
Black or Black British: Caribbean 10.4
Black or Black British: African 10.8
Black or Black British: Other Black 2.3
Chinese or other ethnic group - 5.6%
Chinese or other ethnic group: Chinese 2.5
Chinese or other ethnic group: Other ethnic group 3.1
Religion:
Christian: 57.9%, Hindu: 5.9%, Muslim: 11.5% Other: 24.7%
Gender:
Male: 48.6%, Female: 51.4%
Notable buildings
- The Canons, built in 1680.
- Eagle House, built in 1705.
- Mitcham Common Windmill, a post mill dating from 1806.
- Old Mitcham Station, on the Surrey Iron Railway route. Now called Station Court, the building was a former merchant's home and is possibly the oldest station in the world.
- The Tate AlmshouseAlmshouseAlmshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s, built in 1829 to provide for the poor by Mary Tate. - The Watermead Fishing Cottages.
- Vestry Hall, the annex of which now houses the Wandle Industrial Museum.
- Mitcham Public LibraryMitcham LibraryMitcham Library is a public library in Mitcham, England, being one of the libraries of the London Borough of Merton. It was built in 1933 on land donated by a local builder, Mr Joseph Owen. In April 1932 he donated £4,025 towards its construction....
, built in 1933. - Elm Lodge, 1808. This listed RegencyRegency architectureThe Regency style of architecture refers primarily to buildings built in Britain during the period in the early 19th century when George IV was Prince Regent, and also to later buildings following the same style...
house was occupied by Dr. Parrott, a village doctor, in the early 19th century, and for a short time by the artist, Sir William Nicholson. The curved canopy over the entrance door is a typical feature of this period. - Mitcham Court. The centre portion, first known as Elm Court, was built in 1840, the wings later. Caesar Czarnikow, a sugar merchant, lived here circa 1865-86 and presented the village with a new horse-drawn fire engine. Sir Harry Mallaby-Deeley, M.P., conveyed the house to the borough in the mid-1930s. The IonicIonic orderThe Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
columned porch and the ironwork on the ground floor windows are notable features. - Renshaw's factory, a marzipanMarzipanMarzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar and almond meal. Persipan is a similar, yet less expensive product, in which the almonds are replaced by apricot or peach kernels...
factory, founded in 1898 in the CityCity of LondonThe City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
and thus one of the earliest in the country, which came to Mitcham in 1924. It was on Locks Lane until 1991, when the company moved its operations to LiverpoolLiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. The factory was featured in three 1950s British Pathe NewsPathe NewsPathé Newsreels were produced from 1910 until the 1970s, when production of newsreels was in general stopped. Pathé News today is known as British Pathé and its archive of over 90,000 reels is fully digitised and online.-History:...
shorts. The building has lent its name to the area where it stood, Renshaw Corner. - Mitcham Greyhound Stadium, which has long been demolished.
- Poulters Park, Home to Mitcham Rugby Union Football Club
- Imperial FieldsImperial FieldsImperial Fields is a football stadium in Morden, south London that is home to Tooting & Mitcham United F.C. and Chelsea L.F.C.. The stadium opened in 2002 and has a total capacity of 3,500 . Tooting & Mitcham United moved in 2002 from an all-wooden facility at Sandy Lane in Tooting, which had been...
, Tooting & Mitcham United F.C.Tooting & Mitcham United F.C.Tooting & Mitcham United Football Club are a semi-professional association football club representing the south-west London areas of Tooting and Mitcham, within the London Borough of Merton. The club's stadium, Imperial Fields is located in Morden. The club are nicknamed The Terrors or...
's home ground.
Notable residents
- Jo BrandJo BrandJosephine Grace "Jo" Brand is a BAFTA winning British comedian, writer, and actor.- Early life :Jo Brand was born 23 July 1957 in Wandsworth, London. Her mother was a social worker. Brand is the middle of three children, with two brothers...
– comedienne: lived in Mitcham - Steve BrooksteinSteve BrooksteinSteve Brookstein is an English jazz and soul singer, who rose to fame in the UK in 2004 after winning the first series of The X Factor...
– winner of the first series of TV talent show The X FactorThe X Factor (UK)The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
. - Roy BuddRoy BuddRoy Frederick Budd , was a British jazz musician and composer, known for his film scores.Born in Mitcham, Surrey, Budd became interested in music from an early age and had built up a vast musical repertoire by the age of eight...
– jazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician - Ambrose CrowleyAmbrose CrowleySir Ambrose Crowley III was a 17th century English ironmonger.-Early years:He was the son of Ambrose Crowley II , a Quaker Blacksmith in Stourbridge but rose Dick Whittington-style to become Sheriff of London .-Career:...
– ironmaster - John DonneJohn DonneJohn Donne 31 March 1631), English poet, satirist, lawyer, and priest, is now considered the preeminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are notable for their strong and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs,...
– JacobeanJacobean eraThe Jacobean era refers to the period in English and Scottish history that coincides with the reign of King James VI of Scotland, who also inherited the crown of England in 1603 as James I...
poet. - M.I.A.M.I.A. (artist)Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...
– singer, songwriter and rapper. - Master ShortieMaster ShortieTheo Jerome Kerlin is a British MC who is credited by his stage name Master Shortie. He is also a singer, establishing his own record label, Odd One Out. Plus has been listed in the Sound of 2009 poll.-Early life:...
– MC - Michael FieldingMichael FieldingMichael Fielding, more commonly known as Mike Fielding, is a comedian and actor. He was born 1981 in Westminster, London, England and raised in Mitcham, Surrey.-Career:...
– The Mighty BooshThe Mighty BooshThe Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of twenty television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the...
comedian – Noel's younger brother - Noel FieldingNoel FieldingNoel Fielding is a British artist, comedian and actor. He is known for his roles as Vince Noir in The Mighty Boosh, which he co-writes with comedy partner Julian Barratt, and as team captain on the music panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks.-Stand-up comedy:Noel Fielding performed regularly as a...
– The Mighty Boosh comedian - Mike FilleryMike FilleryMichael Christopher Fillery is an English former professional footballer who played for Chelsea and QPR as a midfielder during the 1970s and 1980s....
– footballer - David GibsonDavid Gibson (cricketer)David Gibson is an English former cricketer who played for Surrey from 1957 to 1969. He was a fast-medium bowler who captured over 500 wickets in his career, and also a useful enough batsman almost to rank as an all-rounder...
– cricketerCricketerA cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player".... - Neil HowlettNeil HowlettNeil Howlett is a retired English operatic baritone who has sung leading roles in major opera houses and festivals in the UK and abroad, including the Royal Opera House, Teatro Colón, and the English National Opera, where he was the Principal Baritone for seventeen years...
– opera singer, born in Mitcham - Maxwell KnightMaxwell KnightCharles Henry Maxwell Knight OBE, known as Maxwell Knight, was an English spymaster, naturalist and broadcaster, whilst reputedly being a model for the James Bond character M.-Spymaster:...
– spymaster - Chris PowellChris PowellChristopher George Robin "Chris" Powell is an English football manager and retired player, who had a long career as a left back, crowned by five caps for the English national team...
– manager of League One football club Charlton AthleticCharlton Athletic F.C.Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
and former footballer, grew up in Mitcham. - Annie RossAnnie RossAnnie Ross is an English jazz singer, and actress, best known as a member of the trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.-Early years:...
– jazz singer - Slick RickSlick RickRichard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...
– rapper: born in Mitcham but moved to the Bronx, New York aged 10. - Shane SmeltzShane SmeltzShane Edward Smeltz is a New Zealand professional association football player. He plays as a striker for Perth Glory FC.-Club career:...
– New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
footballer: lived in Mitcham when he played for AFC WimbledonAFC WimbledonAFC Wimbledon is a professional English football club that traces its origins to Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton. Based at Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames, the club are members of Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football.... - Alex StepneyAlex StepneyAlexander Cyril "Alex" Stepney is a former English football player who was Manchester United's goalkeeper when they became the first English club to win the European Cup.-London beginnings:...
– former Manchester United footballer and 1968 European Cup winner - Herbert StrudwickHerbert StrudwickHerbert Strudwick was an English wicket-keeper...
– cricket wicket-keeper - John Mosely TurnerJohn Mosely TurnerJohn Mosely Turner was a British supercentenarian and the oldest recognised living person for more than two years...
– supercentenarianSupercentenarianA supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians.... - William Allison WhiteWilliam Allison WhiteWilliam Allison White VC TD was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
– recipient of the Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories.... - Faryadi Sarwar ZardadFaryadi Sarwar ZardadFaryadi Sarwar Zardad is a former Afghan warlord. In 2005 he was convicted in the United Kingdom where he was living, for conspiring to take hostages and conspiring to torture during the 1990s in Afghanistan.-War crimes:Born circa 1963, Faryadi Sarwar Zardad is Pashtun and a former Mujahideen...
– AfghanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
warlord. Later tried for war crimes, convicted and imprisoned. - MudMud (band)Mud were an English glam rock band, formed in February 1968, best remembered for their single "Tiger Feet", which was the UK's best-selling single of 1974...
– glam rockGlam rockGlam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
group
Nearest places
- Pollards HillPollards HillPollards Hill is a residential district crossing the border of the south London boroughs of Merton and Croydon between Mitcham and Norbury. It is the name of a council ward in Merton. The district is bisected by the Merton/Croydon boundary along Recreation Way...
- BeddingtonBeddingtonBeddington is a settlement between the London Boroughs of Sutton and Croydon. The BedZED low energy housing scheme is located here. In Beddington was a static inverter plant of HVDC Kingsnorth....
- SuttonSutton, LondonSutton is a large suburban town in southwest London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Sutton. It is located south-southwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. The town was connected to central London by...
- CarshaltonCarshaltonCarshalton is a suburban area of the London Borough of Sutton, England. It is located 10 miles south-southwest of Charing Cross, situated in the valley of the River Wandle, one of the sources of which is Carshalton Ponds in the centre of the village. The combined population of the five wards...
- MordenMordenMorden is a district in the London Borough of Merton. It is located approximately South-southwest of central London between Merton Park , Mitcham , Sutton and Worcester Park .- Origin of name :...
- NorburyNorburyNorbury is a town in the London Borough of Croydon, also crossing the London Borough of Merton. It shares the postcode London SW16 with nearby Streatham. Norbury is south of Charing Cross.-History:...
- StreathamStreathamStreatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
- Thornton HeathThornton HeathThornton Heath is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south-southeast of Charing Cross.-Geography:...
- TootingTootingTooting is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
- CroydonCroydonCroydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
- Colliers WoodColliers WoodColliers Wood is an area in south London, England, in the London Borough of Merton. Colliers Wood station is served by the London Underground's Northern Line.It is a mostly residential area, split down the middle by a busy High Street...
Nearest stations
- Mitcham Eastfields station
- Mitcham Junction stationMitcham Junction stationMitcham Junction is a National Rail station served by First Capital Connect and Southern trains, and a Tramlink stop. It is in the London Borough of Merton and is in Travelcard Zone 4.The station opened on 1 October 1868...
- Mitcham tram station
- Tooting railway stationTooting railway stationTooting railway station is in the London Borough of Merton in South London, in Travelcard Zone 3. The station is served by First Capital Connect and Southern trains, and is on the Sutton Loop....
- Tooting Broadway tube stationTooting Broadway tube stationTooting Broadway is a London Underground station in Tooting, South London. The station is on the Northern Line, between and stations. It is located on the corner of Tooting High Street and Mitcham Road...
- Colliers Wood tube stationColliers Wood tube stationColliers Wood is a London Underground station in South London. The station is on the Northern Line, between and stations. It is located at the corner of Merton High Street and Christchurch Road...
- Norbury railway stationNorbury railway stationNorbury railway station is in the London Borough of Croydon in south London miles from Victoria. The station is operated by Southern, who also provide the majority of services and is in Travelcard Zone 3.Ticket barriers are in operation at this station.- Service :The typical off-peak train...
- Streatham Common railway stationStreatham Common railway stationStreatham Common railway station is in Streatham in south London miles from Victoria, and is in Travelcard Zone 3.The station is managed by Southern who also operate trains from the station...
Recent developments
A new railway station, Mitcham Eastfields railway stationMitcham Eastfields railway station
Mitcham Eastfields is a railway station in London, United Kingdom, which opened on 2 June 2008. The station is located at Eastfields Road level crossing, in an area previously poorly served by public transport...
in the area of Eastfields
Eastfields
Eastfields is an area of South London situated between Mitcham and Streatham. The area is home to St. Marks Academy secondary school and to a new railway station, Mitcham Eastfields railway station, which opened on 2 June 2008. The area has two council estates, Laburnum and Eastfields Estate, 5...
, opened on Monday 2 June 2008. This is located at Eastfields Road level crossing, about a mile to the north of Mitcham Junction. The station has filled in a gap in the rail system and serves the centre of Mitcham more directly.