CONSERVATION AREA - London Borough of Merton
25
SUB-AREA 5: CHARACTER ASSESSMENT WANDLE VALLEY CONSERVATION AREA THE PARKS : MORDEN HALL & RAVENSBURY THE PARKS : MORDEN HALL & RAVENSBURY
Transcript of CONSERVATION AREA - London Borough of Merton
SU
B-A
RE
A5
:C
HA
RA
CT
ER
AS
SE
SS
ME
NTWANDLE VALLEY
CONSERVATION AREA
THE PARKS:MORDEN HALL& RAVENSBURY
THE PARKS:MORDEN HALL& RAVENSBURY
1
All photographs of Morden Hall Park are included with the permission of theNational Trust the owners and managers of the Park.
Amended Draft, revisedfollowing public consultation.
New text shownand deleted text shownstruck through.
underlined
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
STRUCTURE OF THE DOCUMENT
LOCATIONAND EXTENT OF THE CONSERVATIONAREA
HISTORY
HISTORIC DEVELOPMENTANDARCHAEOLOGY
LAND USE
BUILDINGS
PLOT WIDTHSAND BUILDING HEIGHTS
OPEN SPACES
STREETAUDIT
NEUTRALAREAS
NEGATIVE FEATURES
CONSERVATIONAREAPROPOSALSAND POLICY
SPECIAL GUIDANCE
NEED FORADDITIONAL PLANNING CONTROLS
REVIEW OF THE CONSERVATIONAREABOUNDARY
ADDITIONAL READING, REFERENCESAND BIBLIOGRAPHY
3
3
3
12
15
16
25
29
31
33
34
40
40
44
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22
4
5
15
36
SUB-AREA4 AGE OF BUILDINGS MAPS
ARCHAEOLOGY
DISTINCTIVE AND TRADITIONAL BUILDING MATERIALS AND LOCALDETAILS
9
25
39
Quality of Open Spaces and Means of Enclosure
Park Furniture
2
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
S T R U C T U R E O F T H EDOCUMENT
The designation of conservation areasis a legislative duty of local authorities.These areas comprise "areas ofspecial architectural or historicinterest, the character or appearanceof which it is desirable to preserve orenhance". Local authorities also havea duty to from time to time to reviewwhether any further designations aren e e d e d . T h e Wa n d l e Va l l e yConservation Area was originallydesignated by the Counci inNovember 1990 and was extended inApril 2000.
The Government's Planning PolicyGuidance Note 15: Planning and theHistoric Environment (PPG 15)a d v i s e s l o c a l a u t h o r i t i e s t op e r i o d i c a l l y r e v i e w e x i s t i n gconse rva t i on a reas and the i rboundaries. PPG 15 also adviseslocal authorities to define and record,as clearly as possible, the specialarchitectural or historic interest thatjustifies each conservation area'sdesignation, through an assessmentof the elements that contribute to anarea's character.
This Character Assessment for theWandle Valley Conservation Area hasbeen prepared by the Council's Designand Conservation Team in accordancewith Guidelines issued by EnglishHeritage and Planning Policy GuidanceNote 15.
that have their own specific historicalbackground and/or defining features.
The character assessment for theWandle Valley Conservation Area hastherefore been structured to comprise ageneral appraisal document coveringthe whole of the conservation areasupported by a series of more detailedappraisals of each of the individual sub-areas.
. Theappraisal is not intended to becomprehensive and the omission of anyparticular building, feature or spaceshould not be taken to imply that it is ofno interest.
Character assessments are useful toolsthat not only set out the specificcharacteristics for which an area hasbeen designated as a conservationarea, but also help the Council to assessthe impact of development proposals onthe character or appearance of aconservation area. They also provide auseful framework within which propertyowners and developers can work whendesigning new development or planningalterat ions to bui ldings, withinconservation areas, by setting out and
describing the special context to whichany new development will need torelate.
Because of its size and linear nature theWandle Valley conservation area, whilsthaving a unifying theme linked to itshistory, development and links to theRiver Wandle, does vary in characteralong its length. The area has, thereforebeen sub-divided into a series of smallerdiscernible sub areas which have theirown special identities and which formrecognisable zones or groups ofbuildings within the area as a whole and
This appraisal covers Sub Area 5:Morden Hall and Ravensbury Parks andshould be read in conjunction with thewhole area character appraisal
3
This area extends over areas ofparkland along the course of the Wandlebetween Phipps Bridge and Mitcham.These represent surviving parts of theformer estates of large houses that onceoccupied areas close to the RiverWandle comprising Morden Hall and
Ravensbury Parks and also theWatermeads Housing Estate which wasbuilt within the former grounds ofMitcham Grove. The sub-area includesMorden Hall the only one of these formerhouses to survive, although there areremains of Ravensbury House visible
LOCATIONAND EXTENT OF THE SUB-AREA
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Sub Area 5: The Parks - Age of Buildings Maps
Morden Hall Park - Key Plan
5
White Cottage
Hall
DE
ER
PA
RK
GA
RD
EN
S DEER
PARK
GARDENS
WALK
Rav
ensb
ury
Pat
h
RavensburyTavern
(PH)
Warehouse
MORDEN ROAD
HA
T
CLOSE
RU
TT
ER
GA
RD
EN
S
RA
VE
NS
BU
RYG
RO
VE R
avensbury
Court
Depot
Dover House
TheChalet
RAVENSBURY LANE
HENGELO GARDENS
95103
9
10
2
105
115
22
17
5
1
1
52
5048
3836
11
1
4
9
10
13
14
21
34
28
26242
220
16
18
1412
10
862
4
171173
177
175
179
189
201 178
176
158
156
1 243
14
13
27
28
34
33 6162
70
69
7778
84
83
8990
95
96
102 101
107
108
114 113
119120
130132144146
134
128126136148
150138
124122140152
154142
120167
165 163
16
1
145
112
141
102
10080
6056
FIELD
1to
59
1
BELGRAVE
13
1to
13
9
1 2
WHIT
EBRID
GEAVENUE
Shelter
Laundry
Fre
nsham
Court
QUEEN'S ROAD
BELGR
AVEROAD
BATSWORTHROAD
Ewhurst Court
NEW
CLOSE
Cra
nle
igh
Court
Bookham Court
PHIPP'S BRIDGE ROAD
CH
UR
CH
RO
AD
SAXONBURY CLOSE
Richmond Court
ILLINGWORTH CLOSE
BE
LG
RA
VEW
ALK
GALE CLOSE
Benedict
Villa
DE
ER
PA
RK
GA
RD
EN
S
BELG
RAV
EW
ALK
Rav
ensb
ury
Pat
h
1to
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1to
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1to
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38
14
4
15
4
158
156
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102
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93
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to92
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73
67to
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66
59
47to58
46
41
37
to4
03
63
1
19to
301811
5 to 10
4
1
178
190
204
206to
212 2
86
10
22
32
to55
13to
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to12
20
28
36
46
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to56
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to66
68
82
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to9
2
2 to 10
12
18
20 to 30
32
46
48 to 70
72
82
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to8
88
57
5
51to
73 4935
23to33
21
11 1to9
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02
104
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12
8to
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2 to 10
12
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24 to 34
36
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52 to 74
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to9
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57
5
51to
73 4935
23to33
21
111to9
13
8to
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6
148
158
170
182 to 190
19
2
20
2
204to
214
216
230
5960
4847
35
36
4
96
Shelter
4
59111315
7
1
21
OXTED
CLO
SE
GOODWIN CLOSE
1
2
6
27
32
36
37 38
39
43
44
45
48
49
53
5
1
15
21
55
61
51
15
20
14
9
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1
9
226
220
27
43
29
39
BEN
ED
ICT
RO
AD
Str
ud
wic
kR
ich
ard
so
n
So
uth
ert
on
Sa
nd
ha
m
Ho
use
Ho
use
Ho
use
Ho
use
TCB
1
15
6to
16
6
7
65
2
10
1to7
14
10
CHANTRY WAY
172to
180
10
1to
10
9111
12
1
8to
14
15
20
3
7
WHITE BRIDGE AVENUE
Hall
Ivy Lodge
MO
RD
ENH
ALL
RO
AD
MordenLodge
The
Surrey Arms
(PH)
Lodge
BAY
HAM
RO
AD
Lodge
MO
RD
EN
RO
AD
BEELEIGH
RO
AD
The Grange
44
56
68
76
86
98
108
83
81
71
61
49
39
25
28
40
50
52
61
59
53
43
76
86
98
110
5456 66
68
2
4
16
9 7 5
31
8
2
1
2
14
1
24
1
22
7
21
5
203
Surgery
MillHouse
Island House
RiversideHouse
1 to 12
1 to 6
1 to 22
NEW
CLO
SE
PH
IPP
'SB
RID
GE
RO
AD
NEW
CLO
SE
NEW CLOSE
MordenHall
Mill Cottage
MordenCottage
70
62
52 44
29
82
92
31
102
39
15
32
10
4
22
11
8
13
0
12
112
122
475
2
3 1
132
142
152
7
TheGardens
156 to166
HA
ZE
LWO
OD
AV
EN
UE
BE
ELE
IGH
RO
AD
AB
BO
TS
BU
RY
RO
AD
BAR
DN
EY
RO
AD BARDNEY
ROAD
MORDEN
HALL
ROAD
ABERCONWAY ROAD
27
50
47
2513
3
1
2
12
14
28
40
52
73
59
62
74
2
12
211
01
00
88
1
76
77
75
59
51
41
2
12
22
34
46
58
70
39
27
9
1
10
25
13
1
39
21
2
14
26
2
19
9
1
19
11
1
75
63
51
39
29
38
50
62
74
76b
76a
76 76c
78
79
89
99
1
13
25
37
210
1
12
4
80
BAY
HA
MR
OA
D
29
ABERCONWAY ROAD
Sa
dd
lers
End
Red
Cotta
ge
Depot
PO
AB
BO
TS
BU
RY
RO
AD
Peel
House
LONDONROAD
Surgery
MO
RD
EN
HA
LL
RO
AD
Morden Hall
Lodge
DA
YB
RO
OK
RO
AD
Clinic
MO
RD
EN
RO
AD
Garage
53
39
31
21
62
18
24
6
25
2
1
11
15
151
161
140
150
162
164
173
24
6to
12
14
32
34 to44
31
21
11
7
42
81
2
18
16
14
20
30
38
48
2834
45
35
29
25
27
23
13
1to
11
53 1
12
14
24
32
42
2
1226
20
25
6
Medical
Centre
1a
34b
64
Works26
0 2 3731
60
50
40
13
23
37
47
59
2921
13
31
17
4
172b
172a
17
21
70
LEWIS ROAD
CH
UR
CH
RO
AD
33
43
55
HASLEMERE AVENUE
66
68
Surgery
57
67
Sunningdale House
1to65
Windlesham House
1to65
Otte
rshaw
House
1to
65
CommunityCentre
YouthClub
1
8
9
16
1
8
9
16
1
8
9
16
Merrow Court
1
6
7
12
PCs
Cobham
Court
BathTavern(PH)
Rip
ley
Court
8
9
16
1
8
9
16
Haslemere FirstSchool
12
2
RO
SLY
NC
LO
SE
1
15
BATSWORTH ROAD
46
39
33
27
26
98
96
Fox's Path
19
18
13
12
6
1
8
12
31
2
2
SY
CA
MO
RE
GA
RD
EN
S
Bro
okla
nds
Court
Bramley Court
5
Albury Court
1
OA
KW
OO
DA
VE
NU
E
1
21
31
43
29 23
17
45
51
22
14
14 2
31
37
BO
UR
NE
DR
IVE
1
3
1
35
13
29
1
15
12
2
1
4
Sin
gle
gate
Clu
b
33
to40
Stables
24
5
Lime Court
41 to 46
to40
35
to34
26
to25
20
10to19
1to9
CHURCH ROAD
CourtNoble
26
1to12
7to
18
13
to24 19to32
25
1
Business
Court
12
abcd
11
14 ab
HORNER LANE
11
VA
RL
EY
WA
Y
FO
XT
ON
GR
OV
E
PA
RK
VIE
WD
RIV
E
THORNVILLE GROVE
13
59
711
13
29
31
to4
1
43
73
72
44 40 42
30 to38
2to
16
60
to6
8 54to5948to53
25 to
3132
37
38
to4
3
17
24
69
79
74
21
1
8
13
6050
53654
44
7
Factory
Works
Works
DE
ER
PA
RK
RO
AD
Works
Depot
PH
IPP
'SB
RID
GE
RO
AD
Windlesham
House
Works
Works
Works
HAZLEMEREAVE
Otte
rsh
aw
Ho
use
Works
55
65
22
52
31
23
9
84
94
251
261
273
1to65
96
98
81
0
11Lo
mb
ard
Bu
sin
ess
Pa
rk
39
33
27
23
THORNVILLE
GROVE
MO
RD
EN
RO
AD
Lombard
Tanks
Works
Tanks
Hall
TyndaleHouse
DEERPARK
ROAD
Tank
188
20
6
19
4
18
2
17
01
68
159
151
57
21
4
BusinessPark
200
White Cottage
Hall
HA
T
CLOSE
RU
TT
ER
GA
RD
EN
S
RA
VE
NS
BU
RYG
RO
VE R
avensbury
C
5048
3836
11
1
4
9
10
13
14
21
34
28
26242
220
16
18
1412
10
862
4
171173
177
175
179
189
201
FIELD
Shelter
Laundry
Fre
nsham
Court
QUEEN'S ROAD
Ewhurst Court
NEW
CLOSE
Cra
nle
igh
Court
Bo
SAXONBURY C
1to
73
1to
34
1to
27
1to
38
14
4
15
4
158
156
160
162
164
174
102
176
93
81
to92
80
73
67to
72
6
4
1
178
15
6to
16
6
Hall
Ivy Lodge
MO
RD
ENH
ALL
RO
AD
MordenLodge
The
Surrey Arms
(PH)
Lodge
BAY
HAM
RO
AD
Lodge
MO
RD
EN
RO
AD
BEELEIGH
RO
AD
44
56
68
76
86
98
108
83
81
71
61
49
39
25
28
40
50
52
61
59
53
43
98
110
5456 66
68
2
4
1
2
14
1
24
1
22
7
21
5
203
Island House
1 to 22
NEW
CLO
SE
PH
IPP
'SB
RID
GE
RO
AD
NEW
CLO
SE
NEW CLOSE
MordenHall
Mill Cottage
MordenCottage
70
62
52 44
29
82
92
31
102
39
15
32
10
4
22
11
8
13
0
12
112
122
475
2
3 1
132
142
152
7
TheGardens
156 to166
HA
ZE
LWO
OD
AV
BE
ELE
IGH
RO
AD
BAR
DN
EY
RO
AD BARDNEY
ROAD
MORDEN
HALL
ROAD
ABERCONWAY ROAD
2 133
1
2
12
14
28
40
41
2
12
22
34
46
58
70
39
27
9
1
10
25
13
1
39
21
2
14
26
2
19
9
1
19
11
1
75
63
51
395
0
62
74
76b
BAY
HA
MR
OA
D
29
Sa
dd
lers
End
Red
Cotta
ge
Depot
PO
D
Surgery
MO
RD
EN
HA
LL
RO
AD
Morden Hall
Lodge
Clinic
MO
RD
EN
RO
AD
24
6
25
2
164
24
6to
12
14
45
35
29
25
27
23
13
1to
11
53 1
12
14
24
32
42
2
1226
20
25
6
Medical
Centre
Otte
rshaw
House
1to
65
CommunityCentre
YouthClub
1
8
9
16
1
8
9
16
1
8
9
16
Merrow Court
1
6
7
12
PCs
Cobham
Court
BathTavern(PH)
Rip
ley
Court
816
Bramley Court
5
Albury Court
PA
RK
VIE
WD
RIV
E
60
to6
86
9
79
74
Works
Works
Works
HAZLEMEREAVE
Otte
rsh
aw
Ho
use
Works
273
96
98
NEW
CLO
S
70
62
52 44
29
32
10
4
Works
DE
ER
PA
RK
RO
AD
Works
Depot
PH
IPP
'SB
RID
GE
RO
AD
Windlesh
Hous
orks
HAZLEMEREAV
Otte
55
65
22
52
31
23
9
84
94
251
261
273
65
96
98
39
33
27
THORNV
GROV
Inset Map
Inset Map 2
Conservation Area Boundary
Historic Park
Statutory List Local List
1950-20001900-19491850-18991800-1849
1750-1799
Conservation Area Boundary
1700-1749Pre-1700Medieval
Key:
Morden Hall Park -Inset Map 1
6
Statutory List Local List
1950-20001900-19491850-18991800-1849
1750-1799
Conservation Area Boundary
1700-1749Pre-1700Medieval
Key:
Morden Hall Park -Inset Map 2
7
Statutory List Local List
1950-20001900-19491850-18991800-1849
1750-1799
Conservation Area Boundary
1700-1749Pre-1700Medieval
Key:
MO
RD
EN
RO
AD
WANDLE
RO
AD
TH
ED
RIV
E
1920
21
24
25
26
2728
33
29
34
37
38
39
10
2133
139
151
163
192194
180182
164166
162
160
154
2
14
1
241
227
131
Surgery
MillHouse
Island HouseIsland House
RiversideHouse
1 to 121 to 12
1 to 61 to 6
1 to 221 to 22
MORDEN ROAD
HA
T
CLOSE
RU
TT
ER
GA
RD
EN
S
RA
VE
NS
BU
RYG
RO
VE R
ave
nsb
ury
Court
Depot
Dover HouseDover House
TheChaletChalet
MO
RD
EN
GA
RD
EN
S
RAVENSBURY LANE
HENGELO GARDENS
WANDLE
ROAD
PC
PC
Par
kview
Cha
ntry
CrotonCroton
Heath
erd
ene
Court
HEATHERDENE CLOSE
RAWNSLEY
AVE
85
86to
9091
94
30
36
1 2
65
7987
95103
919
29
4142
30
20
10
2
105
115
22
17
11
10
5
1
1
11
142
150
68
70
66
64
62
52
5048
3836
11
1
4
21
34
28
26242
220
16
18
145
141
102
10080
6056
FIE
LD
1to
59
1
RUNES CLOSERUNES CLOSE
1
5
6
12
Goods
Shed
HEATHERDENE CLOSE
RAWNSLEY AVENUE
73
61
48
47
43
37
12
6
2
23
29
HE
AT
HE
RD
EN
EC
LO
SE
RUNES CLOSE
CONNAUGHTGA
R
WyvernYouth
Centre
TH
ED
RIV
E
ARRAS AVENUE
42
43
46
44
45
47
485
049
51
52
53
575958
60
63
16
127
125
26
36
40382
18
21
24
6 8
1
1915 11
1
42
DE
NS
1a
Park View
WANDLE ROAD
FR
EE
MA
NR
OA
D
RAWNSLEY AVENUE
54a
54b
56
66
12
69
57
12
11
1920
76
71
2
1
85
88
100
87
2a
2
31
9to
12
5
6to
8
1to
4
13
to16
17
91
112
124
136
97
107
119
78
72to
77
66
to71
65
60
56to
59
55
50
44to49
38to
43
37
31
19
19A
5253to
58
59
to64
65
71
76
82
6
12
17
18to22
DLE
RO
AD
TH
ED
RIV
E
10
2133
180182
164166
162
160
154
2
241
131
nd HouseIsland House
1 to 221 to 22
RU
TT
E
RA
VE
N
TheChaletChalet
MO
RD
EN
GA
RD
EN
S
RAVENSBURY LANE
HENGELO GARDENS
WANDLE
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HEATHERDENE CLOSE
RAWNSLEY
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38to
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71
76
82
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17
18to22
Ravensbury Park
Ravensbury Park
8
within Ravensbury Park and a survivingformer stable block located on the southside of Wandle Road to the south ofRavensbury Park just beyond theconservation area boundary. The sub-area also embraces the sites of threesurviving water mills, Ravensbury Milland two former Snuff Mills withinMorden Hall Park and there is evidenceof water milling in the area from the mid13th Century onwards and pastindustrial activities included tobaccoand snuff manufacture, calicobleaching and printing. The site ofRavensbury printworks is immediatelyadjacent to the conservation area to thenorth of Ravensbury Mill.
Morden Hall and Ravensbury Parkswere both once part of the formerestates of Morden Hall and RavensburyHouse respectively.
Morden Hall was built in 1770 byRichard Garth on land formerly ownedby Westminster Abbey. The ownershipof the Hall and the Morden Estatepassed to Gilliatt Hatfeild
in 1872. Gilliatt Hatfeildactually lived in Morden Cottage, withinthe grounds of Morden Park, as it wasapparently better suited to his Bachelorexistence than the Hall. He was a keenhuntsman and fisherman and heconverted and adapted many of theestate buildings to suit these interestsand the grounds were used as a deerpark. The Hall has seen a variety of usesfrom a family home to a boarding schoolfor young gentlemen and a militaryhospital during the First World War,Council Offices and most recently it wasfully restored and converted into apublic house and restaurant.
The Estate was bequeathed by GilliatHatfeild to the National Trust in 1941 inorder to secure it intact for futuregenerations and it, therefore, survives asopen parkland. The estate includes anumber of other historic buildingsincluding Morden Hall, Morden Cottage,Mill Cottage, Morden Snuff Mill and theStables. The park extending over some124 acres represents an oasis oftranquility amidst the busy Londonsuburbs.
Morden Hall Park contains many of theother historic estate buildings, includingtwo 18th-century cottages, a stableblock, gathered around the two watermills, which until 1922 were used forgrinding snuff. One of the mills buildings,the Snuff Mill eastern block, has recentlybeen converted into an
Centre by the National Trustproviding a study centre for children
from area.
The present Morden Lodge occupies thesite of an earlier house, also calledMorden Lodge. This was the home offinancier and philanthropist AbrahamGoldsmid. The son of a Dutch merchantwho settled in this country around 1763and who set up business with his brotherBenjamin as bill brokers in London. Bothwere noted for their public and privategenerosity, and he had a part in foundingthe German and Dutch Jews Hospital inMile End. The Goldsmid brothers wereon very intimate terms with the RoyalDukes, the sons of George III, whovisited Morden Lodge on a number ofoccasions. The Prince of Wales came tothe house's opening party in 1806, andon another occasion the Duke of Sussexdrove back from Morden in the samecarriage as Hymon, a famous pastry-
’s son, alsoGilliatt, jnr
Educationaland
groups a wide
Environmental
the local
HISTORY
Morden Hall Morden Lodge
9
cook, “disguised for the journey as adistinguished foreigner”. AbrahamGoldsmid was also a close friend ofAdmiral Nelson and Lady EmmaHamilton and supported EmmaHamilton after Nelson’s death fromwhom he eventually purchased MertonPlace.
Emma rewarded his friendship with a giftof a round tortoiseshell box made fromwood from HMS Victory and with acrystal intaglio of Vice-Admiral HoratioNelson (1758-1805) set in the lid, this iscurrently held by the National MaritimeMuseum in Greenwich.
Goldsmid was, however, forced intobankruptcy due to losses in connectionwith a Government loan he jointly madewith Barings Bank and he committedsuicide in 1810. It seems that shorly afterthis the Lodge was demolished and thepresent smaller Regency buildingconstructed. Another occupier ofMorden Lodge was George MatthewHoare, the son of Henry Hoare who builtMitcham Grove.
Ravensbury Park was once part of theRavensbury Manor an Estate datingback to the 13th Century and on whichthe 18th Century Ravensbury ManorHouse stood.
In the 17th and 18th centuries theRavensbury Park area was an importantindustrial area. Ravensbury Mill waslocated on the banks of the Wandle atthe western end of the site and a calicofactory was established to the north, justoutside the current park boundary. Atthis time the site formed part of theRavensbury Park Estate of RavensburyManor. The Manor House stood on thenorthern bank of the Wandle,immediately to the south of the present
day staff yard. The foundations of themanor house can still be seen amongstdense young woodland and ivy.
The original alignment of Morden Roadused to pass through the Park, followingthe route of the present day RavensburyLane. It passed directly in front of theManor House and crossed the Wandleon a small bridge. In the mid-18th centurythe then owner of the estate, JohnArbuthnott, applied successfully for theroad to be diverted further west, along itspresent route. Mr Arbuthnott also setabout laying out the gardens of theManor and developed walks along thebanks of the river. A circular walk ranaround Ravensbury Meadow, the opengrassland area in the centre of the Park,which may have been used for calicobleaching and drying or as a haymeadow. Diversions to the river, tosupply water to the calico factory, werealso made around this time.
By the late 19th century the Manor househad fallen into ruin and a substantialmixed conifer and broadleaf woodlandhad developed around the house andalong the banks of the Wandle. In theear ly 20th century the formerRavensbury Park Estate was partitionedand sold for residential development.Faced with increasing developmentp ressure and recogn is ing therecreational potential of the area, theUrban District Councils of Mitcham, andof Merton and Morden jointly purchasedthe remaining grounds of RavensburyManor in 1929 to set aside as a publicpark. The park was formally opened on10th May 1930.
The surrounding area becameincreasingly urbanised in the yearsfollowing the establishment of the Park.Changes in the Park itself have beenmore gradual and most of the Park
Ravensbury Park
10
remains substantially as it was when firstopened
. The lake in the eastern part of thePark was originally created for drainagepurposes in the 1970's as part of thelandscaping around the Watermeadshousing development and at this timethe riverside walk was extendedeastwards as far as Bishopsford Road.The area around Ravensbury Mill hasalso been modified, with a new weir andby-pass channel to the Mill added andfilling and simplification of otherwatercourses. Significant tree loss,including some very large London planetrees, occurred during the Great Stormof October 1987.
To the north west of Ravensbury Millthere was a house set back from thecurrent Morden Road was an old cottagepossibly dating from the late 18th orearly 19th Century this fell into disrepairand which was eventually demolished inthe 1980s.
The eastern part of the park comprisesremnants of the grounds of anElizabethan Manor House, MitchamGrove, once one of Mitcham's finesthouses. Between 1774 and 1784 thehouse was owned by Alexander
Wedderburn, King’s Counsel, later LordLoghborough who defended Clive ofI n d i a a g a i n s t t h e c h a r g e o fimpeachment in 1773. Mitcham Grovewas acquired in 1784 by Henry Hoare asenior Partner in the well-known familybanking firm and also a shareholder inthe Croydon, Merstham and GodstoneIron Railway. His Great Uncle HenryHoare built Stourhead in Wiltshire, todesigns of the Architect, ColenCampbell.
Following Henry Hoare’s death in 1828the house was purchased by Sir JohnLubbock, head of the banking firm ofLubbock & Co, who moved there fromHigh Elms in Down, near Bromley andwho stayed there until his death in 1840.After Sir John’s death his only son JohnWill iam Ruddock the renownedastronomer and mathemat ic iandemolished and rebuilt the former familyhome at High Elms and moved there in1842, however, Mitcham Groveremained in the family’s ownership until1865, the year of John William’s death. Itappears that they let the house toGeorge Parker Bidder, another wellknown Mitcham resident and his familywho were the last occupiers of the houseand who stayed there until 1864 whenthey moved into their new home,R a v e n s b u r y P a r k H o u s e , o f fBishopsford Road. Bidder was a wellknown Engineer of his day, ranking withRennie, Brunel and the Stephensonsand became a close friend and Partnerof Robert Stephenson.
It seems that Mitcham Grove wasdemolished shortly afterwards. Part ofthe former grounds were acquired jointlyby the Urban District Councils ofMitcham and of Merton and Morden in1930.
although there will be someencroachment following the approval ofa medical centre development in thearea currently occupied by the paddlingpool and former café off RavensburyLane
Mitcham Grove
11
Ravensbury Manor House
Ravensbury Mill
The remains of the 18th CenturyRavensbury House survive within thepark on what is believed to have beenthe site of the earlier medieval manorhouse of Ravensbury.
The Wandle riverside was famed in theeighteenth and nineteenth centuries forthe market gardening of medicinalherbs, watercress and other crops. Itwas also important in the seventeenthand eighteenth centuries for calicobleaching and printing; the area to thesouth of the park close to Morden Roadwas formerly occupied by calicobleaching beds.
Ravensbury Mill was once a tobaccoand snuff mill dating from the early 19thCentury. The northern single storeyextension is a remnant of an earlier 18thCentury mill building. George ParkerBidder had a lease on the building in thelatter part of 19th Century. It is believedto have been the last workingwaterwheel on the Wandle having beenused up until the 1960s to provide powerfor lighting of the mill. The building,which is Grade II Listed, was convertedinto residential use during the 1990s,save for the older north wing and thesurviving mill wheels which are hoped toeventually provide a home for theWandle Industrial Museum.
Historic maps suggest that the earliestdevelopment within this sub area werethe two mills at Ravensbury and withinthe Snuff Mills within the modernMorden Hall Park and the scatteredsettlement of early Morden to the south
and west of the Wandle. There isevidence of a development to the south-east of Ravensbury Mill off a roadroughly following the alignment ofRavensbury Lane crossing the River tothe east of Ravensbury Mill. Otherwise,the area was predominantly agriculturalat this time, with the area divided up intofields.
During the early 18th Century mapsshow the development of Morden Halland The Grove in Mitcham and theirassociated grounds along with furtherindustrial development to north of theWandle at Ravensbury Printworks andalso the Mitcham Linoleum and FloorCloth Works to the South of MordenRoad. Morden Road is shown in thecurrent alignment with the river crossingimmediately in front of Ravensbury Millto its west. Maps also show RavensburyFarm located on the south bank of theWandle immediately to the east ofRavensbury Mill at this time. To the
HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT ANDARCHAEOLOGY
12
Rocque’s Map, 1741 - 5
North of the conservation area andMorden Road is also evidence of an oldgravel pit. Much of Morden Hall Parkand areas beyond were used as a DeerPark during this time and RavensburyPark formed part of the grounds ofGrove House, later named MitchamGrove House.
The 1896 and later maps indicate thesite of the remains of a “Manor House”close to the north bank of the Wandleimmediately to the south-east ofRavensbury Printworks, although littleevidence exists of the appearance ofthis house, it appears that it could be in asimilar location to one of the buildings
shown on Rocque’s 1741-5 Map in thevicinity of Ravensbury Mill and somebrickwork footings are still visible withinthe Park in this area.
Towards the end of the 19th CenturyRavensbury Park House was developedon a site now occupied by WatermeadsHigh School with extensive grounds tothe south of the Wandle which includedan observatory.
By the early 20th Century RavensburyPark House was converted into aconvalescent home and much of itsground parceled up for residentialdevelopment it was demolished by themid 19th Century.
In the early 20th Century another house,Ravensbury Manor, was developedimmediately to the south of the river on asite now occupied by 1-20 Park View inWandle Road with an associated stableblock immediately opposite on the southside of Wandle Road. This house wasalso demolished by the mid 20thCentury, however the stable blocksurvives and is included on the Council’slocal list of buildings of architectural orhistoric significance.
13
Ordnance Survey 1896
Ordnance Survey 1916 Ordnance Survey 1953
Mitcham Grove House also shown tohave survived until the early 20thCentury, but part of is groundssurvived to form Ravensbury Park.Part of the site of Mitcham GroveHouse was also developed forcommercial use in the form of theLocomotors coach works and anassociated sports ground whicheventually provided the site for theconstruction of the WatermeadsEstate. The last survival ofMitcham Grove House appears tohave been a small lodge buildingthat stood on the corner of themodern London Road andRawnsley Avenue on a site nowoccupied by an Electricity sub-
station. It too was demolished in the laterpart of the 20th Century. The areas
around the Wandle remainedprimarily agricultural until wellinto the 20th Century and itwasn’t until the inter-war periodthat rapid suburbanisationoccured largely spurred by thegrowth of the railways. TheParks rema ined la rge l yundeveloped until the 1970s
Aerial Photograph - 1971
Aerial Photograph - 1988
14
when the Watermeads Estate was builton the site of the former sports groundsthis was the last encroachment into theparkland which is now protected by itsMetropolitan Open Land designation.
The sub area is of great significancearchaeologically largely due to itsproximity to Mitcham Common and theevidence of Saxon burials excavated tothe north of the Wandle between theRiver and the modern Morden Road,details of which are provided in the mainappraisal document.
Archaeological investigations were alsocarried out at Ravensbury Mill in 1992 inc o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e h o u s i n gdevelopment on the Mill site. Thisrevealed a series of post-medievaltimber structures or revetments in thenorth-east part of the site that may havebeen associated with activity along thenorth bank of the River Wandle. Brick-lined, vaulted channels were found inthe north-west part of the site datingfrom the mid-late 18th century. Therepurpose was probably to control waterflow under an earlier building which waspossibly a predecessor of the presentmill which is situated to the south-east ofthe structures. On the south-west side ofthe river, a shallow stream channel andits flood plain were recorded runningnorth-west to south-east across the site;this had been leveled up in post-medieval times.
Historically land use within this sub-areacombined small pockets of industrialactivity focused on the two water millsset with a much more rural setting of the
estates of former large country houses.The decline in milling along the Wandleresulted in much reduced commercialactivity, although pockets of commercialactivities do survive to the north of theconservation area based on MordenRoad. Following periods of under useand in the case of Ravensbury Mill neardereliction new uses have been foundfor the historic mill buildings, residentialand community in the case ofRavensbury and office and communityin the case of the snuff mills in MordenHall Park. This part of the conservationarea does however remain largely asparkland with only one major area ofresidential development based on theWatermeads estate. Morden Hall Park iscurrently owned and maintained by theNational Trust along with the manyhistoric building within it and as a resultthey have been preserved in usesassociated with the park it activities andmanagement. Morden Cottage alsowithin Morden Hall Park has beenconverted into offices and is used by alocal environmental trust. The area is,therefore, now almost entirely inrecreational and educational usesassociated with the r iver andsurrounding parks with some residentialareas. The parks and the River itselfform part of a Green Corridor linkingColliers Wood to Mitcham and Suttonbeyond. The landscaping andecological diversity of the area combineto make an important passiverecreational resource within theBorough of Merton.
natural
ARCHAEOLOGY
LAND USE
15
BUILDINGS
The main buildings of significance to thispart of the conservation area compriseMorden Hall and the surviving buildingsof the Estate within Morden Hall Parkand the two surviving water mills. Mostof the buildings within this sub-area,apart from the newer residentialdevelopments at Watermeads and tothe east of Ravensbury MIll, are eitherStatutory or locally listed.
Within Morden Hall Park are a numberof former estate buildings.
comprising two
late 18th, early 19th Century blockslocated on either side of the mill race.B u i l t o f s t o c k b r i c k w i t hweatherboarding to the upper floor ofthe eastern block with steeplypitched slate roofs, gable to theeastern block and hipped to thewestern block. The windows havesegmental arches over andcompr ise a combina t ion o fcasements, and horizontal slidingsash windows to the ground floor ofthe western block. There is a castiron wheel, without paddles, affixedto the west face of the eastern block.The eastern block has a projecting
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Morden Hall is a late 18th, early 19th
Century building, originally theManor House of Morden and theseat of the Garth Family, it is ListedGrade II. It was rendered externallyin the mid 19th Century and alsoextended. Its styling is classicallyGeorgian with tall sliding sashwindows and a shallow pitched slateroof, set behind a parapet. It has aclassical porticoed entrance withDoric columns accessed through anopen half courtyard.
Morden Cottage, also Listed Grade II
is an early 19th Century buildingc o m b i n i n g t r a d i t i o n a lweatherboarding with a stuccoed
wing with more Gothic styling linkingit to the adjacent Snuff Mill building(Eastern Block). The building has ashallow pitched, slate hipped roof toeaves. The entrance itself is slightlyprojecting in the form of a crenellatedporch with a slightly pointed archeddoorway. The windows are verticalsliding sashes with narrow glazingbars to the ground floor and Frenchcasements with wrought ironbalconies above. The stuccoed winghas a crenellated parapet withtraceried pinnacles and the windowshave dripmould details.
Former Snuff Mills
16
single storey tobacco drying ovenwith segmental brick barrel-vaultedroof. Other significant featuresinclude the double height timberdoors with double doors at groundand first floor levels.
Other buildings within the Park include: -
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The stable block comprising stables
and storage buildings arrangedaround a walled open courtyard with
a double-height arched coveredentrance with a hipped slate roofsupporting a clock tower with anopen bell stage surmounted by a tallpinnacle.
The Mill Cottage an early 19th
Century two storey brick with timberboarding to the upper floor. The roofis covered in slate and hipped toeaves. The windows a re Georgianstyle double-hung, vertical slidingsash windows with slender glazingbars. It has a simple timber doorwithout a porch.
The Bothy, a humble single storey
cottage probably dating from mid tolate 18th Century. Timber framedwith painted timber weatherboardingand a prominent projecting brickchimney stack next to the mainentrance. It has a prominent hippedroof with plain red clay tiled to eaves.The roof continues down over thefront door to form an open porchsupported on slender timbercolumns one of which is supportedby the chimney projection. Thewindows are simple small cottagestyle casements.
Morden Lodge, a two storey
Regency Villa, with basement,
17
occupies the site of a largerGeorgian House, Built of brickfinished with stucco the building hasa shallow pitched hipped slate roofwith deep bracketed eaves and asimple porch supported on Doriccolumns. Ground floor windows arelarge vertical sliding sash windowsdivided into small panes with narrowglazing bars. The upper floorscomprise French windows set
b e h i n ddecorative m e ta lg u a r drails setin to thereveals oft h eopenings.
The Gardens,� A late 18th/early 19th
century building with a later 19thCentury addition. The early section isbuilt of warm red brick and the later ofyellow stock bricks with red brickstring courses. The brickwork to theearly section appears to have beenpainted at some time which has beenremoved but the bricks have beendiscoloured by pale residue. Theearly section backs onto the wall ofthe former kitchen garden, nowoccupied by the Garden Centre,shop/café and car park and forms
part of a linear group of former estatebuildings also built into the enclosingwall which are a distinctive feature ofthis part of the Park. The relationshipof buildings to the high brick walls is aparticular feature of Morden HallPark.
Morden Hall Park is also characterisedby early 19th century Lodgebuildings located around its perimeter.Built of a pale gault brick, with a sooty
four three
18
patina from pollution, with shallowpitched gabled roofs roofs withprominent barge boards, Morden Lodgehas been rendered externally and IvyLodge has been much altered.
Built into the wall fronting Morden HallRoad are Sadler’s End and RedCottage, built of red brick with slatepitched roof, the front elevation actuallyforms part of the wall enclosing the Parkwith openings punched through to for thewindows and doors.
To the east of the River Wandle is theMorden Hall Garden Centre set withinthe former walled garden to Morden Hall.Much of the area of the former walledgarden is presently occupied by thegarden centre, Café/Shop and car park,but a number of significant featuressurvive including the original perimeterwalls and the clair-voyee of cast ironrailings along the southern boundary
which have a distinctive Greek “key”pattern.
Located on the north-west side ofMorden Roadcomprising the most westerly Lodge,White Cottage, the Surrey Arms PublicHouse and the Morden Hall Scout HQ
Not forming part of Morden Hall Park butbacking onto it are a group of buildings
is a group of buildings
,all of which, apart from the public house,
19
form part of Morden Hall Park. Historicmaps suggest that White Cottage wasonce one of a semi-detached pair ofcottages with a similar pair immediatelyto the west. The buildings within thisgroup are varied in date, style andcharacter ranging from the localvernacular of which White Cottage,dating from the late 18th Century, is arare survival. This is a timber framedbuilding with timber weather-boadingpainted white and with a double pitchedplain tiled London style roof. The SurreyArms public house was built in the 1930sin the “Jacobethan” style with a lofty tiledroof and leaded light windows both ofwhich contrast with the more utilitarianand functional design of the 1960s ScoutHQ building. To the east of the SurreyArms historic maps indicate that therewas originally another detached housewhich was demolished in the 1980s.
Across the road is Ravensbury Mill aformer convertedinto residential use with an area setaside for a local industrial museum. Themain two-storey block dates from circa1880 with an earlier single storey wing tothe north-east. Constructed of yellowstock brick with cambered, red-brickarches over large industrial windowopenings and the main entrance rangewhich originally comprising a pair of hoistdoors with a iron-crane hoist over above
the main boarded timber doors to theentrance which have now been adaptedfor the residential conversion. Thebuilding has a shallow pitched, hippedslate roof. Windoes are cast-ironcasements divided into small panes. Themill is significant for the retention of two15ft diameter iron undershot waterwheels, dated I.C.R./1884, and of the"Poncelot" type (after invention byJ.C.Poncelot, 1824): each have curvedsheet-iron buckets and cast or wrought-iron draft; wooden pit wheel to left,probably re-used and of earlier date.
The site of the mill complex wasdeveloped as part of the residentialconversion with a pair of 3 storey blocksof flats set on either side of the mill pondlinked with a new bridge. The newbuildings reflect the scale and styling ofthe traditional industrial architecturecharacteristic of the mill itself and thisapproach reflects the character of thearea. The buildings themselves havebeen designed to replicate some of thedetailing of the existing building in manyrespects, particularly in terms ofmaterials used and the shallow pitchedroof forms. However the domestic styletimber window forms and the relativelycrude soldier course arches over thedoor and window openings do not reflectthe quality of the historic building.
snuff and tobacco mill
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Within Ravensbury Park is the formerCafe adjacent to the paddling pool to thesouth of Morden Road and RavensburyLane. The site is defined along it'snorthern boundary by a section of highbrick wall which is a surviving structurefrom the grounds of Mitcham Grove -Ravensbury lane probably aligns withthe original route of the main road beforeit was diverted to its present alignmentvia Ravensbury Mill. Permission wasbeen granted in 2006 for redevelopmentof the Café sitefor a multi-use health centre, nurseryand new café whichproviding for the retention of the historicwall,
.
Watermeads housing estate isdescribed (and illustrated) in Pevsner's -London South as one of the mostattractive housing developments of the1970s. This comprises a development ofhouses and flats arranged in ameandering three-storey ribbon setwithin landscaped grounds that onceformed part of Mitcham Grove grounds.Distinctively different in terms of designfrom other buildings in the area thedevelopment has a strong horizontalemphasis with continuous bands oftimber framed windows separated by
cladding panels andwith a flat roof set behind a parapet setbehind the upper band of claddingpanels.
, the relationship ofthe built development to the surroundinglandscaping and adjacent RavensburyPark contributes to the character of theconservation area.
Other buildings include the Morden HallGarden Centre main building andassociated sheds and storage/officebui ld ings. Mainly steel f ramedglasshouse construction these buildingsreflect the character of garden buildingsand whilst not particularly significantarchitecturally do fit into their parklandsetting.
Also within the area of the formerKitchen Garden is the National Trust
and childrens play area
whilst mainly
will require some demolition of thelocally listed structure
Whilst the quality of thedevelopment has been diminished by alack of consistent fenestration andboundary treatments
horizontal bands of
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café,a traditionally detailed brickbuilding with a wide porch and shallowpitched roof and does not detract fromthe over character and appearance ofthe conservation area.
This sub area is mainly characterised bythe informal arrangement of buildingsset within parkland or within informal,mainly spacious plots. The relationshipbetween buildings and high wallsenclosing and within the Parks is also asignificant contributing characteristic.The way the river watercourses windtheir way through the area linking thelarger Mill buildings also contributessignificantly to the area's character.
Buildings within and adjacent to MordenHall Park and at the western end ofRavensbury Park are predominantlytwo or single storey, the tallest buildingbeing the White House which is threestoreys. To the east is the Watermeadsdevelopment which in contrastcomprises an articulated continuousthree-storey block comprising narrowterraces of flats and houses that windsthrough a wider unified landscape of theformer grounds of Mitcham Groverather than within individual plots. Thisreflects the characteristic relationshipbetween built form and open space
which is a feature of this sub-areaparticularly within the parks.
The Mill buildings which are also twostorey, have a prominence within thearea due to their larger scale ascompared with the more domesticproportions of the of the estate buildingswhich is emphasised by the largerstorey heights and more industrial scaleof the buildings themselves.
By far the mostprevalent buildingm a t e r i a l i s atraditional clay stockbr ick work f romwhich the majority ofb u i l d i n g s a n da s s o c i a t e dstructures such asthe walls enclosingand sub-dividing theparks are built. Anumber of the Lodgeb u i l d i n g s a r econstructed fromwhite Gault brick,which weather in adistinctive way. A
PLOT WIDTHSAND HEIGHTS
D I S T I N C T I V E A N DTRADIT IONAL BUILDINGMATERIALS AND LOCALDETAILS
22
number of buildings, including MordenHall and Ivy Lodge (below) have beenrendered and painted mainly white.
There are also a significant number oft imbe r f ramed bu i l d i ngs w i thweatherboarded exteriors, usually incombination with some brickwork,usually in the form of a plinth.
Windows are predominantly timbersashes, casements and French
windows withsteel "Crittall" windows to the main blockof Ravensbury Mill.
The main roofing materials is Welshslate with some plain clay tiling withsome pantiles to the small workshopbuildings with Morden Hall Park. Roofsare generally pitched, either hipped orwith gables, often with prominentbargeboards. The Watermeads housingdevelopment, however, has flat roofs.
Significant local details include the talldecorative chimney stacks to theMorden Hall Park lodge buildings.These have decorative corbelledfaience cornice caping details andmoulded banding and projectingplaques between each chimney pot alsoin pale cream faience.
to the domestic buildings
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The detailing of the chimney stack andadjoining porch of the Bothy is alsodistinctive.
Other details include: -
the crenellated parapets to Morden
Cottage; and
the clock tower marking the entrance
to the stable courtyards.
Many of the historic buildings retaininternal features such as stable dividesand troughs which are of historicimportance.
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