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Church Path
The chief remains of the village. Old path. Used to have
thatched cottage on it
10
Fine wrought-iron gate formerly to a c17 house
Contemporary
brick walling,
Plain
vicarage of c. 1800,
Small
terrace of cottages,
Merton
Cottage, Georgian with a Victorian refronting. From
1734-1940;
Merton Institute
15-27 1809
Merton
‘Mertone’ 949 in an Anglo-Saxon charter, ‘Meretone’ 1086
in the Domesday Book, ‘Meritone’ 12th century, ‘Mirton alias Marten’ 1679, that
is "farmstead or estate by the pool', from Old English ‘mere’ and ‘tun’.
The 'pool' was no doubt in or by the River Wandle which flows through Merton;
‘Merton Mill’ is marked on the river on the Ordnance Survey map of 1816. The
original settlement would have been near to where the old Roman road from
London to Chichester crossed the river, thus providing a convenient watering
place and overnight halt for early travellers. The identification of Merton
with a place called Merantun, where according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle,
King Cynewulf of Wessex met his death in 786, is exceedingly doubtful; the
naming of the recently built Merantun Way in the town is therefore simply
meretricious and deceptive. In medieval times there was a large Augustinian
priory here, founded in 1114 there is only a distant echo of its existence in
the name Merton Abbey, marked thus on the Ordnance Survey map of 1816, for an area where the priory once stood. The
Manor also had property in the City. ‘South Merton’ is on record as early as
1324. ‘Merton Park’ was developed as a garden suburb on by John Innes. Old
roads intersect the John Innes' development. Innes genetics all on Scorpio.
Innes founded secretive Masonic Lodge. On the Virgin where Lady Hamilton lived.
In the pleasantly secluded area
round the church, traces of the old village blend happily with varied late c19
suburban development. Squeezed between Wimbledon and Mitcham.
Inns estate built 1870s for city gents in the Queen Anne
revival style by Quartermaine
National School 1870 paid for by hermit millionaire,
R.Thornton
Melrose Road
2-30.The next estate architect, J. S. Brocklesby,
added some sensitive and attractive Arts and Crafts houses. C.1906-11, include
a range of pretty whitewashed cottages, with low-pitched roofs and angled bays. Cottages for the farmer
Melrose School.
A low, irregular gabled range, close to the old church, appropriately villagey
in scale. Original parts 1870, picturesque but tough Gothic, by Aldridge &
Willis; several additions, including an extensive one dated 1901, by H. G. Quartermain
Kingston Road:
180 1797 nice by the church, homes for five poor widows of
the parish.
Manor House looks Georgian but earlier
Dorset Hall
Long Lodge
Manor Club John
Innes's establishment by H. G. Quartermain, 1890—1. Founded as a working men's
club,
Merton Public Hall, John Innes's establishment by H. G. Quartermain 1900 as a Masonic
lodge
Mostyn Road
Horse chestnut trees, John Innes. Main thoroughfare of the new estate, broad,
generously planted avenues laid out c. 1870. The earliest development, very
plain, yellow brick, of c. 1870-5, can
be found. It contrasts sharply with what followed. The deliberate creation of a
garden suburb, with generous planting of trees and holly hedges (a
distinguishing feature of the area), allied to picturesque and artistic houses
in the up-to-date Domestic Revival style by the estate architect. G.
Quatermain. Examples can be found from c. 1880 to just after 1900 -
tile-hanging, half- timbering, Queen Anne windows, gables and bargeboards, and
much else.
40-50 cottages for estate workers, then became Victorian
houses for families;
17; 27; 29 infill flint barn of cement
33 The Flint Barn. The
estate architect, J. S. Brocklesby later work is a group of flint-walled and
pantiled houses of the mid 1920s impressive, barn-like, and allegedly
constructed from materials from old farm buildings.
John Innes Horticultural Institute. Part of Rutlish
School, established with money left by John Innes. It was opened in 1910 and
moved from Merton in 1953. Buildings of c. 1910 and later.
John Innes Park,
Originally the grounds of the manor house. Little altered John Innes built it
for himself and left the park to the people of Merton with strict instructions
on layout. The secluded evergreen walks
give it a delightfully intimate character. Entrance lodge, cottage, and archway
by H. Q. Quartermain, probably c. 1890.
The wooden bandstand, handsome brick walls, and a rustic cricket
pavilion date from the park's opening in 1909.
Railway Line
The Sutton line,
built 1929, curves away from the main lines on an embankment ‘the wall of
death’ – for a mile and half through the station. which doubles the track
between Wimbledon and Wimbledon Chase.
Sheridan Road
Main thoroughfare of the new estate,
broad, generously planted avenues laid out c. 1870. Plane
and holly John Innes layout. Greater
London Council tried to demolish it in 1971. The deliberate creation of a garden suburb, with generous planting of
trees and holly hedges (a distinguishing feature of the area), allied to
picturesque and artistic houses in the up-to-date Domestic Revival style by the
estate architect. G. Quatermain. Examples can be found from c. 1880 to just
after 1900 - tile-hanging, half- timbering, Queen Anne windows, gables and
bargeboards, and much else.
Three Flemish style flint houses, southern in the centre
of the triangle.
19; 38; 40.
The estate architect, J. S.
Brocklesby later work is a group of flint-walled and pantiled houses of the mid
1920s:
Wimbledon Chase
Station. 5th
January 1930. Between Wimbledon and South Merton on Thameslink and Southern
Trains. Built by Southern Railway plus a deal with London Electric Railway.
There is no such thing as Wimbledon Chase – ‘railway snobbery’ - the station is in Merton where the district
had been built up in 1900/14. Built in
1929, the facade on the main road in white glazed brick with a never used lift
tower for luggage. It was the prototype
for other Southern Region stations in the ‘marine’ style.
Watery Lane,
Very old road, used to be a stream there, corner cottage
Rutlish School. Victorian part is the old manor house built
by John Innes
School buildings
also part of John Innes Horticultural Institute. A total rebuilding c. 1870-1900 of a former
farmhouse, most of it by H. G. Quartermain: an eclectically picturesque
composition with Tudor doorway, oriel window, and gables and bargeboards. Good
panelling and plasterwork inside. Undistinguished school buildings of 1957 next
to it.
8-12 As Merton Park was also a farming estate,
cottages designed by Quartermain for farm and estate workers are just round the
corner from City men's homes. c. 1895-8. The result is great diversity both of
scale and size, far more so than in the more famous Bedford Park, for example
15 estate architect, J. S. Brocklesby, lived here. He added some sensitive and attractive Arts
and Crafts houses. 1907
17 Steep Roof. Estate architect, J. S. Brocklesby designed and moved
into this c. 1908 - a steep roof indeed, with minute dormers high up.
Manor House plaque
to John Innes 1829-1904 saying 'founder of the John Innes Horticultural
Institute, lived here'. Innes, born in
London, made his fortune as a property developer. He bought the Merton Park
Estate in 1867 and the stately manner in which he lived, contrasted sharply
with the mass density estates he built to house the hordes of farm workers, and
their large families, who were leaving the countryside to live and work in
London. "Instant slums" was how one social worker put it. Innes, in
order to ingratiate himself with the establishment, promoted horticultural
experiments and research and left much of his fortune for that purpose. Despite
his charitable efforts he didn't receive the knighthood he so much wanted and
which he thought he deserved. Plaque erected 1978.
Wilton Crescent
A simpler red brick, roughcast, and
terracotta style appears in his last buildings c. 1897-1904
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