The London Borough of Sutton – The Five Minute Spare Guide

The London Borough of Sutton was founded in 1965 when the Municipal Boroughs of Sutton and Cheam, Beddington and Wallington, and the Carshalton Urban District were merged. The Borough is quite suburban being located on the outer south-westerly edge of Greater London and is one of the least densely populated areas of the capital. This is reflected in its village-like feel with numerous small district centres, and an abundance of gardened homes.

It also has (at the time of writing) one of the lowest crime rates in the capital and some of the best schools. It covers nearly 17 square miles and is split into 20 districts. Although it has numerous population centres the main one is the town of Sutton its-self which serves as the principal centre for the local council. It is one of the least multi-cultural areas with around 65.1% of the population identified as being White British or Irish, significantly above the London average.

Brief History

The area now identified as the Borough of Sutton was probably inhabited to some degree since at least Roman times, with archaeological excavations uncovering a Roman bathhouse and villa in the area in Victorian times and subsequent ones indicating that the area was frequently used from the end of the first century AD into the fourth century. The area was also widely documented in Saxon times however the earliest records of the population come from the 1801 census which identified the population as being 3,838 and given its more rural location a hundred years later this had only grown to 39,454.

The region’s population grew steadily through the 1920s & 1930s breaching the 100,000 marks in the 1931 census and hitting a 20th Century peak in 1951 at 175,821. From there it was all downhill and the population would never surpass this level again until 2001. The latest census in 2011 lists the population at 190,146. Overall the area remains one of the lesser populated areas of the capital despite its good transport links with Central London

Not A Lot Of People Know That…

The main town of the borough Sutton has a high street that is nearly a mile long and has been a major shopping destination since Victorian times. It is currently London’s sixth most important retail centre with an array of shopping destinations from arts and crafts to major retail chains. It was also where the Rolling Stones were discovered back in 1963, when playing a gig at the then aptly named Winning Post pub.

Sporting Teams

Football

If you are a fan of non-league football then the Borough of Sutton is a good place to visit as it is home to three teams, the most famous of which is Sutton United, who currently play in the National League (the fifth tier in English Football). They are best known for their historic FA Cup performances which have included.

The 1969/70 season,  when they held the then reigning Division One title holders Leeds United (managed by the legendary Don Revie) to a draw in the third round before succumbing in the replay.

Beating then Division One Coventry 2-1 in 1988-89 season and more recently in 2016-17 becoming only the 9th post-war non-league club to reach the FAC 5th round, losing to eventual winners Arsenal.

Last season they were also one of the two English representatives in the Scottish Challenge Cup, where they made it through to round three before losing 4-3 on penalties to Republic of Ireland Side Bohemians in Dublin.

 

Carshalton Athletic

The boroughs other clubs include Carshalton Athletic of the Isthmian League Premier Division (who have a big local rivalry with Sutton United) and Crescent Rovers FC who are based in Wallington playing in the Surrey South Eastern Combination Division Three. Cresent Rovers play at what is a very much grassroots level, however, Carshalton Athletic have reached the FA Cup Proper on five occasions (up to and including the 2018-9) and made it to the second round in 1982-3 before losing to Torquay.

Carshalton Athletic also sported a Ladies team up until the end of the 2017-18 season when they were disbanded however there is talk of them reforming and hopefully the English Ladies success in the 2019 World Cup will spur this forward.

Cricket

Sutton Cricket Club play at the top level of the game in the Surrey Championship Premier Division and are based at Cheam Road in Sutton. The first XI has been Champions Four times (most recently in 2009) and they have various ofter XI teams as well as Ladies and junior teams. The main season runs from late June through to early September and there is almost always a home game at some level each Saturday.

Rugby Union

Fans of the oval ball are catered for thanks to Mitcham & Carshalton RFU club who play in the Surrey County League. Their home ground is Poulter Park in Carshalton, and they have both 1st & 2nd XV teams so there is normally a game on during the season.

Anyone for Tennis?

Tennis seems to be popular in the borough with the Sutton and District Table Tennis League celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2018 while the popular Rosehill Table Tennis Club has been going since 1951. It has a waiting list for membership, however, it is open to visitors on Friday nights if you fancy trying your hand at it.  Lawn Tennis fans are catered for too by the Carshalton Lawn Tennis Club –  an LTA registered venue. This club can trace its roots back over 100 years and although it is members only they can bring guests. It also has Table Tennis players facilities.

Twinning

The Borough is twinned with Four other European cities and has friendship something which seems to be big in the London boroughs. Its twins are:

Gagny in France
Gladsaxe in Denmark
Minden in Germany
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf in Germany
Friendship link with Tavernelle in Italy

Getting Around.

Public Transport

Sutton is not on the London Underground Network, with the nearest being Morden Tube Station in the neighbouring borough of Merton. However, it is fairly well served by overground rail services with the main station in Sutton offering direct links into Central London, including London Victoria, and St Pancras International.

The station is located towards the south of the town however there is plenty of others all over the borough with stations at the major population centres such as Cheam, Carshalton & Worcester Park. There are frequent bus services also, however, unlike the more central boroughs the local population tends to travel by car which is more in keeping with its more affluent and suburban nature.

Air Links

The main town of Sutton is only around 15 miles from both Heathrow & Gatwick airports, so anyone visiting from overseas will find it easily accessible, while Luton Airport is also in the vicinity.

Anyone famous From This London Borough?

The Borough is best known sporting wise for being the birthplace of Formula One driver James Hunt, who won the 1976 Championship. It has also produced a couple of England Cricketers in Peter Loader, & Alec Stewart – who played Test Cricket as recently as 2003.

If music is more your thing and you have a fairly long memory then you will be pleased to hear that the Glam Rock band Mud (still in existence as Mud II) was formed in Carshalton in 1966, while Sir Cliff Richards briefly attended Stanley Park Juniors, in Carshalton in the 1940s. The famous actress Penelope Keith (The Good Life) also hailed from Sutton.

World-famous Botanist David Bellamy OBE lived his early life in the borough, being educated at Cheam and later Sutton Grammer School. He returned in 1989 to open one of the boroughs most important nature reserves The Sutton Ecology Centre (see below).

Things to do In Sutton

The outdoors type will find plenty to do in Sutton given there is a wealth of nature reserves and open parklands to explore, and you will love Waltham Forest as it has a wide expanse of forests, parks and marshes. Many of them follow the banks of the River Lea and are fairly walker-friendly. Although there are 11 in total, not all are easily accessible (or open to the public for that matter) however the following are:

Belmont Pastures

Belmont Pastures is a long narrow triangle covering over 3 acres and is located to the north of Belmont railway station. It is an old traditional flower meadow and a great place to see Grasshoppers & butterflies in the Spring & Summer.

Cuddington Meadows covers about 3.5 acres of scrub & grassland and home to a variety of unusual flowering plants as well as around 16 species of Butterflies including the scarce Small Blue.

Roundshaw Downs is a sizable 130+ acres of what was in the 19th-century farmland, before becoming  Croydon Airport between 1920 & 1959. it is largely grassland, but there are also some wooded areas. It is of note as it has areas of unimproved chalk grassland and as such is one of the UK’s main sites for the rare and protected flower the Greater Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus angustifolius).

Ruffett and Big Woods are near the village of Woodmansterne and at a near combined 17 acres are the largest continuous areas of woodland in the borough. The forests are ancient hardwoods mainly sycamore, ash and hazel, but there are also a couple of old & large Oak Trees. It also has a good population of Bluebells which bloom around Mid April to early May depending on the spring temperature.

The Sutton Ecology Centre in Carshalton was opened by David Bellamy back in 1989 and the area can trace its use back to being an orchard in 1590. It is owned by Sutton Council and is open to the public from 8.00 am.

Area wise it is only 3.2 acres but they have crammed plenty of diverse habitats into it – including ponds, woodland, meadows & marshlands. One of the ponds known as Margaret’s Pool is worth a visit as it has a number of species of dragonfly and damselfly.

 

Wilderness Island

Is near Carshalton, is a 6.67-acre island between two arms of the River Wandle. It was once the site of an ornamental garden and still features the original fish pond. It also encompasses open Meadows & Woodland which includes the endangered Black Poplar tree, which likes to grow in boggy ground.

Birdlife in the Wilderness Island area worth looking out for include Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Kingfishers and the majestic Great Crested Grebes. The reserve is also an important habitat for the rare Hornet Clearwing Moth whose caterpillars feed on the Black Poplar leaves. Sadly they are now in decline along with the trees.

There are several other small reserves in the borough but they don’t have public access and are normally kept locked.

Parks & Recreation

There are eighteen parks in the Borough ranging from the comparatively Petit & Bijou Manor Park in Sutton Town Centre which incidentally is the home of the Straw Bale Cafe, to the famous Oaks Park which has a fillies classic horse race associated with it. Oaks Park incorporates a public golf course, a sports centre and a craft centre within its bounds. There is also a café to relax in after a nice countryside walk. If you are of an Equine bent then you will be pleased to hear that there is also a bridal way that encompasses the perimeter.

The other main parks are listed below and are well worth a visit:

• Beddington Park 
• Carshalton Park
• Cheam Park
• Grove Park
• Mellows Park
• Nonsuch Park

Architecture Of Significance.

Although there are 147 Listed buildings in the borough, not all are likely to be of any interest to the general visitor however some are well worth a visit and one even has Grade 1 Status! This is Beddington Place and the great hall and bell tower are granted this status. Most of them are Churches or Schools now and have little to identify them as being of significance to the casual visitor however the Water Tower for Carshalton Hall does have a nice plaque.

One of the more unusual listed building is the Beddington Place Pigeon House which has Grade II – particularly important buildings of more than special interest.

Unless architecture is a passion of yours, visiting the Borough of Sutton for its buildings is probably not the best choice but they are worth seeing if you are passing. A list can be found here. 

Culture

The Borough given its size is not particularly well served in this department. It once had two Theatres – The Seacombe (named after Sir Harry Seacombe) and The Charles Cryer Studio Theatre which is situated in Carshalton. There are plans to reopen the latter in 2019, but at the time of writing (mid-2019) there were no shows listed as being in production, Watch this space.

Honeywood Museum Carshalton

This is worth a visit but bear in mind it is closed Mondays & Tuesdays and Bank Holidays? for some reason. It is housed in the Grade II building and is well worth a visit if only to see their vintage toy collection.

Whitehall Historic House

This is another Grade II building that has been turned into a Museum thanks to the efforts of the local community and the Lottery Heritage fund. It has regular exhibitions and is family-friendly with toys and activities for children. It is a volunteer ran and only open on certain days so check here for details before planning a visit.

Little Holland House

This is a largely hidden gem which you will really need to know what you are looking for to find, but if you are in the area and are looking for a pleasant way to spend an hour or so then this is well worth a visit. It is near Carshalton Beeches train station so getting to it is not an excuse not to visit. The house was built and occupied by famous local artist and craftsman Frank Reginald Dickinson who moved in after it was built in 1904, and it remained the family home until 1972.

It has retained all its traditional fixtures and offers a glimpse into the arts & crafts movement. Even the garden retains much of his work including the trees he originally planted.

Where to stay?

The town of Sutton not surprisingly has the biggest choice of short term accommodation options from nice Hotels to Bed & Breakfast establishments. The surrounding area is also pretty well served and there is a wealth of short stay apartment options from the likes of Airbnb.

Thinking of Moving Here

The Borough of Sutton is a popular area given its suburban – almost village-like features and its good links to inner London. House prices are reflected in this and expect to pay well above the national average for a property. Prices can vary widely within the borough with Carshalton On The Hill the most desirable area seeing house prices 30-40% higher than those in the less expensive areas. Given the high prices, the most popular property in the areas are flats which attract both first-time buyers and BTL investors.

The rental market seems buoyant and at the time of writing, we found very few houses to rent and even fewer below £2500 PCM. Flats have a higher availability but again were usually into four figures PCM. There are cheaper areas in London but given the local ambience, you do get what you pay for!

So there you have it our quick overview of Sutton. We are covering all of London’s Boroughs so why not have a look at our other guides