61-698: The Charles Cryer Theatre is a studio theatre located in the High Street in Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton . The theatre is named after the man who led the campaign to open the Secombe Theatre in neighbouring Sutton . It was opened by Prince Edward in 1991. It closed in 2016, but in November 2019 it reopened under new management. The theatre is housed in a building which
122-462: A concert venue for local bands and has played host to the local Rockshot festival. The theatre building also incorporates a Thai restaurant. Carshalton railway station Carshalton railway station is a railway station at Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton in South London . It is located between Sutton and Hackbridge. The station is served by Southern and Thameslink . It
183-467: A craft-centre and a café. There are also the Oaks Park Studios set in the 1770 stable block, where working artists display their paintings and other artwork. The Charles Cryer Theatre is situated on Carshalton High Street, within walking distance of Carshalton and Carshalton Beeches railway stations (Carshalton station is the nearer of the two). The theatre opened in the early 1990s on
244-628: A five star review from the Croydon Advertiser . In 2013 the theatre hosted the Breakfast Cat Theatre Company's treatment of George Orwell 's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four , which was noted by the Croydon Citizen for its "skill and flair." Other past productions have included Steel Magnolias , The Tempest , Jesus Christ Superstar and The Witches of Eastwick . The theatre was included by
305-492: A gate house, situated on the northern edge of Grove Park. The Sun public house, is a fine example of Victorian decorative brickwork, and makes a positive contribution to the Conservation Area. The Conservation Area also comprises open parkland of historical importance, including the grounds of Carshalton House Estate (which contains St. Philomena's Catholic School, St Mary's Junior School, St Mary's Infants School and
366-465: A generally naturalistic style, providing downland walks. It is varied and includes formal horticulture, natural chalk meadows, woodlands and informal parkland. It was substantially laid out for the Earl of Derby nearly 250 years ago – in the 1770s – but its villa dates back further than that. The villa (for one Thomas Gosling) was built around 1750, in the era's fashionable landscape style, with trees forming
427-515: A grotto, the Hog Pit Pond, and a recently rediscovered air raid shelter. Hog Pit is now empty of water, and takes the form of an amphitheatre which is utilised as the main stage for the annual Environmental Fair, which the park plays host to. Grove Park , closest to the village centre, is the best example of a Victorian park in the Borough. It is situated in the area approximately bounded by
488-597: A number of neighbourhoods. The main focal point, Carshalton Village, is visually scenic and picturesque. At its centre it has two adjoining ponds, which are overlooked by the Grade II listed All Saints Church on the south side and the Victorian Grove Park on the north side. The Grade II listed Honeywood Museum sits on the west side, a few yards from the water. There are a number of other listed buildings , as well as three conservation areas , including one in
549-511: A perimeter screen and placed in artful clumps to suggest a natural landscape. The house was partly rebuilt by Robert Taylor (architect) for John Burgoyne in 1775 and by Robert Adam for the 12th Earl of Derby in 1790. The villa's bakehouse, stable block and some outbuildings remain to this day. The Oaks Park estate lent its name to the Oaks horse-race which was inaugurated by the Earl in 1779, and
610-509: A rehearsal room for performing to 20 people or less. The 1992 RIBA Downland Design Award judges commented that "the project makes a significant social contribution to the High Street. The theatre is in constant use and well-liked". Past performances have included a "sensitive treatment by a clever director and fine cast" in 2009 of Anton Chekhov 's play Uncle Vanya by the Square Peg Theatre Company, which received
671-648: A spokesperson for STT said: "...They really want to keep the theatres alive, have them work hard, supporting the community. The vision is to focus on community projects as well as classical and contemporary theatre, and big scale commercial dance and comedy events..." In June 2015 the theatres were official handed over to the STT. Cllr Jill Whitehead said: "Now we can look forward to an exciting programme of activity to be unveiled by Sutton Theatres Trust this summer and their contribution to cultural life in Sutton." In August 2016,
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#1732779546401732-418: A successful bid to run the venue (on a 25-year lease) by Cryer Arts Ltd. The company plans a range of events, including music, film and theatre. In November 2019 it was announced that the theatre would reopen later that month. The local councillor responsible for cultural services, Steve Cook, said: "I’m really pleased that we have completed this lease and that Cryer Arts can move forward with their plans to make
793-461: A unique blend of traditional and Art Nouveau, which has featured in several recent TV series on architectural history. Inside the Grade II listed interior are his hand-made furniture, paintings, interior decoration, carvings and metalwork. Dickinson named his house as a homage to George Frederick Watts, the Victorian artist, sculptor and social campaigner, whose ideals he greatly admired. The House
854-487: A whole, Carshalton has many green spaces, with three of its main public parks worthy of particular note. The present day Carshalton Park is situated south of the High Street, in the area bounded by Ruskin Road, Ashcombe Road and Woodstock Road. The park and some of the surrounding houses lie within a conservation area. Although much reduced from its original size, it still offers features of historical significance and includes
915-522: Is a farm which was in some way enclosed. The meaning of the Cars element is uncertain but early spellings (Kersaulton and Cresaulton) may indicate connection with a cross or perhaps cress, watercress having been grown locally. In his book History of the Worthies of England , the 17th century historian Thomas Fuller refers to Carshalton for its walnuts and trout. Land was primarily put to arable use and
976-787: Is a not-for-profit community project that manages three acres of lavender. The other, a 25-acre commercial site in Croydon Lane called Mayfield, is popular with tourists. It is located just within the Carshalton South and Clockhouse ward within the London Borough of Sutton. This area was once famous as the "Lavender Capital of the World". From the 18th to the early 20th centuries the North Downs of Surrey, with its chalky free-draining soil, ideal for lavender growing, were at
1037-496: Is a town, with a historic village centre, in south London , England, within the London Borough of Sutton . It is situated 9.5 miles (15.3 km) south-southwest of Charing Cross , in the valley of the River Wandle , one of the sources of which is Carshalton Ponds in the middle of the village. Prior to the creation of Greater London in 1965, Carshalton was in the administrative county of Surrey . Carshalton consists of
1098-559: Is also surrounded by a garden, which features an 18th-century Hermitage, which was restored in the early 1990s, as well as the rustic-style "Folly Bridge". Little Holland House in Carshalton Beeches was the home of the artist and designer Frank Dickinson (1874–1961). Dickinson's Arts and Crafts style interior was influenced by the writings of John Ruskin and William Morris . The house contains many of his art works. Dickinson built his house between 1902 and 1904, and achieved
1159-715: Is in Travelcard Zone 5 . From here, one can catch a direct train to as far north as St Albans in Hertfordshire and southwards as far as Horsham in West Sussex . The shortest journey time from Carshalton to London Victoria is 25 minutes. The station is on the line opened by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway between Peckham Rye and Sutton on 1 October 1868: one of the many suburban lines opened by that company. The original station of Carshalton
1220-602: Is now open to members of the public on the first Sunday of every month, plus the Sunday and Monday of Bank Holiday weekends, between 11am and 5pm. Admission is free. The Orangery in The Square was built in the second half of the 18th century in Carshalton Park (the section of which between here and Ruskin Road has since been built over). It is thought to have been built by one George Taylor, who owned plantations in
1281-463: Is run annually during the Derby meeting at Epsom Downs Racecourse, about 4 miles to the west. The original Oaks Race ran from Barrow Hedges, north of The Oaks and through Oaks Park before heading west to approximately the site of the current Epsom Downs Racecourse. Part of the off-road route still exists. The modern day open space also hosts a public golf course and sports centre. The park itself contains
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#17327795464011342-485: Is the residential area on the high chalk upland ground to the south of Carshalton Park from Boundary Road in the east, Crichton Road/Queen Mary's Avenue/Diamond Jubilee Way in the west and the smallholdings of Little Woodcote to the south. In the heart of Carshalton-on-the-Hill is Stanley Park (which is often used as a term to describe the area). Carshalton Beeches is the area to the west of Carshalton-on-the-Hill, from Crichton Road/Queen Mary's Avenue/Diamond Jubilee Way in
1403-695: The Independent Newspaper in a 1998 article entitled "The 50 Best: Britain's Best-kept Summer Secrets", which covered its drama workshops for children. Because of the local council's need to make budgetary savings, the venue was, along with its sister theatre, the Secombe Theatre in Sutton , identified by the Theatres Trust as one of 33 theatres in the country for inclusion on its "At Risk" register. Comedian Tim Vine , called on Sutton Council to reconsider its proposals. In November 2014
1464-586: The River Wandle flows through the park. Among its features of interest is the Leoni Bridge , situated where Grove Park meets the Lower Pond. It is made of white Portland stone . Its name derives from the conjecture that the Venetian architect Giacomo Leoni designed it. Leoni had been commissioned to design a new mansion for Carshalton Park during the early 18th century (although the mansion itself
1525-607: The Victorian era and into the early 20th century, Carshalton was known for its lavender fields (also see below under "Landmarks"), but the increasing land demand for residential building put an end to commercial growing. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission lists 78 civilian casualties in Carshalton during World War II . Carshalton formed part of the Carshalton Urban District from 1894 to 1965;
1586-445: The 12th century and there may have been a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Boulogne near the well. Constructed in 1685, Strawberry Lodge is one of Carshalton's oldest buildings. It was built by Josias Dewye who was described in records at the time as a 'clothworker and citizen of London'. In the late 17th century Josias moved from Chilworth to Carshalton to run a Gunpowder Mill on the River Wandle and decided to make his home nearby at
1647-411: The 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. By the middle of the 19th century Carshalton's population was 2,411, making it, at the time, the largest village in what was to become the London Borough of Sutton. It had a very varied character with houses for the wealthy at one extreme and tenements in back yards at the other. In 1847 a railway line was laid from Croydon to Epsom through Carshalton, but the first station
1708-782: The Cryer a real asset to the community and a successful business. It’s great to have a new performance and music space and this has come at a good time for our bid to be London Borough of Culture in 2023. I wish Cryer Arts every success and would encourage everyone to visit, use the restaurant and bar, see a performance or hire the theatre for their group." The theatre is on TfL bus routes 127, 157, 407, and SL7 , and within walking distance of Carshalton railway station and Wallington railway station . [REDACTED] Media related to Charles Cryer Theatre at Wikimedia Commons Carshalton Carshalton ( / k ɑːr ˈ ʃ ɔː l t ə n ˌ - ˈ ʃ ɒ l -/ kar- SHAWL -tən, - SHOL - )
1769-475: The Ecology Centre is that the grounds were until the late eighties known as the "Lodgelands", named after the old gardens of The Lodge in Carshalton. They were used as a tree nursery until the early eighties, when they became surplus to requirements. After a prolonged public debate, it was agreed in 1987 to preserve the area as an open space for public use. In common with the London Borough of Sutton as
1830-491: The High Street, North Street and Mill Lane. The park land was in mediaeval times part of the manor of Stone Court, then consisting mainly of meadows. The manor house was situated at the corner of North Street and Mill Lane. The Grove, including the ornamental gardens, was bought by Carshalton Urban District Council in 1924 and the park was opened to the public a few years later. The southwest corner of Grove Park lies next to one of Carshalton's ponds (Lower Pond), from whence
1891-489: The Middle Ages the land in the village was generally farmed in the form of a number of open fields, divided into strips. The number of strips which each land owner possessed was based roughly on his wealth. There was also an area of open downland in the south of the parish for grazing sheep. Carshalton was known for its springs; these may have given the place its name Cars – Aul – ton . Aul means well or spring. A ton
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1952-488: The Norman Conquest. The church has been much extended over the centuries: the north side, which most visitors see first, is a Victorian facade constructed mostly of dark flint; but the south side is earlier, and shows signs of the many alterations that have been made. The most significant change to the building was in 1891 when a new nave and north aisle were added. The dramatic west end gallery, which accommodates
2013-629: The Sutton Theatre Trust went into administration and the theatre (along with its sister theatre in the borough) closed. The administrator began looking for a buyer for the Trust. Audience numbers had doubled under the new management, but this was still not enough for the Trust to be financially viable without additional support. At a meeting in October 2018, the local council announced that the theatre would be brought back into use, following
2074-642: The UDC was based at the Carshalton Council Offices in The Square until the 1920s when it moved to The Grove. Central Carshalton, around the ponds and High Street, retains a village character, although the busy A232 runs through the area. There are a number of buildings and open spaces protected by the Carshalton Village Conservation Area . given the status by the London Borough of Sutton. In 1993 its boundary
2135-748: The Water Tower) and The Grove Park (which contains The Grove). Other conservation areas in Carshalton are the Wrythe Green Conservation Area and the Park Hill Conservation Area. Sutton is centred 1.2 miles (1.9 km) west of the town centre of Carshalton, its east–west central street can be considered a continuation of Carshalton's own main street, an almost straight A-road route to Orpington via Croydon , beginning in Ewell . Carshalton-on-the-Hill
2196-685: The West Indies. By the late 19th century the Orangery was being used a stable. It is now used as office space, for the Environment Agency. It was renovated in 1987 by film actor Oliver Reed (and his son Mark) at his own expense. The late 19th century bakehouse in Oaks Park is all that remains of "The Oaks" mansion which burned down and was demolished in the 1950s. The original bread oven remains in situ. Blocks of burnt bricks from
2257-454: The bloomy pastel tint of the lavender flowers. The Grade II* listed Water Tower (or Bagnio as it was known at the time) was built in the early 18th century, primarily to house a water driven pump supplying water to Carshalton House (now St Philomena's School ) and the fountains in its gardens. It was planned as a multi-purpose building, and also contains an orangery , a saloon and a bathroom which retains original Delft tiles. The Water Tower
2318-443: The books. Services at Carshalton are operated by Southern and Thameslink using Class 377 and 700 EMUs . The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is: During the peak hours, additional services between London Victoria and Epsom also call at the station. On Saturday evenings (after approximately 18:45) and on Sundays, there is no service south of Dorking to Horsham. London Buses routes 127 , 157 and S3 serve
2379-477: The centre of worldwide production of lavender. It was a very prosperous part of the local agriculture. Blue fields could be seen all over Mitcham, Croydon, Wallington, Banstead, Carshalton and Sutton. The scale of the operation can be understood from the fact that the Daily News in 1914 was able to state: At Carshalton Beeches in every direction the low hill sides of the farm beyond Beeches Halt are swept with
2440-471: The culvert it feeds flows into the Wandle near Hackbridge. The Grade II* listed Anglican parish church of All Saints is located at the west end of Carshalton High Street, opposite Carshalton Ponds. A church has stood on this site since at least Norman times and probably much longer. The current church contains 12th century work; the tower is the oldest part of the building and is thought to date back to before
2501-795: The drawing Room and the bathroom. The Sutton Ecology Centre is located in the Carshalton Village part of Sutton borough. The Grounds are a 1.3 hectare Local Nature Reserve and Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation , Grade 1. It is owned by Sutton Council and managed by the Council together with Sutton Nature Conservation Volunteers – SNCV. It is an area of mainly open space where visitors can find out about wildlife habitats, alternative energy, recycling, composting, and organic gardening. The centre's activities include running educational visits for schools and community groups, as well as events and volunteer days. The history of
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2562-402: The east, Banstead Road/Banstead Road South in the west and Fairlawn Road to the south. It grew up around the railway station which was named after Beeches Avenue, a street near to its location; which, in turn, is named after the beech trees which line it. The Wrythe lies between Carshalton village to the south and St Helier to the north-west. Its name is thought to derive from the rye that
2623-400: The front. The interior was renewed including staircases and porthole shaped windows. A new floor was designed to divide the hall in half. There is a restaurant downstairs with the box office while upstairs are the auditorium and dressing rooms. The auditorium itself features flexible seating for between 68 and 125, dependent upon the arrangement. The stage has limited space to the sides. There is
2684-520: The large three manual Willis Organ , was designed by the Anglo-catholic architect Ninian Comper . Just outside the churchyard wall is a spring locally known as " Anne Boleyn 's Well". It is popularly said to have received this name because it appeared when Anne Boleyn's horse kicked a stone and a spring of water appeared. But the more likely explanation is that the name is a corruption of " Boulogne ". The Counts of Boulogne owned land here in
2745-403: The local council announced that four organisations submitting outline bids to take over the two theatres had been invited to submit full business cases. In January 2015 the bid by the new "Sutton Theatres Trust" (STT) was given approval by the council's environment and neighbourhood committee to take over the theatres, thus saving them from closure. Speaking about the future running of the theatres,
2806-477: The lodge. Located on the corner of Strawberry Lane and Mill Lane, Strawberry Lodge is owned by Carshalton Baptist Church. Besides being a place of worship it is also used during the week as a conference and training centre. During the 1990s the site was renovated by the Baptist Church supported by the London Borough of Sutton . There are two historic lavender fields. One, at Oaks Way, Carshalton Beeches
2867-516: The river Wandle gave rise to manufacturing using water power . A water mill to grind corn was mentioned in the Domesday Book . By the end of the 18th century it was recorded that there were several mills for the production of paper and parchment, leather, snuff, log-wood and seed oil. There were also bleaching grounds for calico . There were timber-framed houses from the end of the Middle Ages, and brick and wooden weather boarded houses from
2928-406: The ruins of the great house were used by local builders to construct garden walls for houses all along Woodmansterne Road, and may still be seen today. Honeywood is a large Grade II listed house at the western end of the picturesque Carshalton Ponds. At its earliest, it dates from the 17th century but it has been much extended and restored since. In particular, during the period 1896 to 1903 when it
2989-464: The site of a former public hall as part of the then "Arts in Carshalton" campaign coordinated by the local council. The theatre is named after the man who led the campaign to open the Secombe Theatre in neighbouring Sutton . As well as drama and musicals, productions include comedy and dance: past material has included Shakespeare and Chekov on the one hand and pantomime on the other, in order to balance popularity with quality. The theatre also serves as
3050-688: The south of the area now known as Carshalton, remains of artefacts dating from the Neolithic to the Iron Age have been found, suggesting that this was an early place of habitation. Prior to the Norman Conquest it is recorded that there were five manors in this location owned by five freemen. The village lay within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Wallington hundred . Carshalton appears in Domesday Book as Aultone . It
3111-658: The village. In addition to Honeywood Museum, there are several other cultural features in Carshalton, including the Charles Cryer Theatre and an art gallery in Oaks Park . It is also home to the Sutton Ecology Centre , and every year an environmental fair is held in Carshalton Park to the south of the village. Carshalton is part of the Carshalton and Wallington parliamentary constituency formed in 1983. Tom Brake ( Liberal Democrat )
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#17327795464013172-404: Was built as a public hall in 1874 for the village. Prior to becoming a theatre it has been used as a roller skating rink (from 1900 to 1912) and a cinema (from 1912 to 1939). To convert the building to a theatre, the roof and the facade were renewed. A stone-set wind vane and three red brick entrance arches were kept. Notable are the tiled eaves to each side of the building, which project past
3233-543: Was built in fields south of Wallington. A station in the village itself was not established until 1868 when the Sutton to Mitcham Line was constructed. The development of Carshalton got into its stride in the early 1890s when the Carshalton Park Estate was sold for housing development. Carshalton is mentioned in the following historic Surrey folk-rhyme: " Sutton for mutton, Carshalton for beeves, Epsom for whores, and Ewell for thieves." During
3294-468: Was built on the Sutton to West Croydon line in May 1847, 1 mile (1.6 km) to the south east and is now known as Wallington station . The line runs along an embankment at this point: the ticket office is on the down side by the underbridge . Ticket barriers control access to the platforms, the only entrance to the station is via the ticket office where a book stand is located. Passengers may borrow or swap
3355-575: Was extended to include parts of Mill Lane and parts of The Square and Talbot Road, containing the All Saints Church Rectory. The Conservation Area contains many of the Listed and Locally Listed Buildings which contribute to the historical significance of the area, and is widely considered to contain some of the finest historical architecture and road layout within the Borough. An example is Stone Court, an early 19th-century building with
3416-476: Was held by Goisfrid (Geoffrey) de Mandeville. Its domesday assets were: 3½ hides ; 1 church, 10 ploughs , 1 mill worth £1 15s 0d, 22 acres (89,000 m ) of meadow , woodland worth 2 hogs . It rendered £15 10s 0d. In the Domesday era there was a church and a water mill in Carshalton, which was then still made up of a number of hamlets dotted around the area, as opposed to a single compact village. In
3477-527: Was its MP from 1997 to 2019, and Elliot Colburn ( Conservative ) was the MP from 2019 to 2024. As of 2024, Bobby Dean ( Liberal Democrat ) is the current MP. The combined population of the five wards comprising Carshalton was 45,525 at the 2001 census. A majority of the population of Carshalton is in the ABC1 social group. In the 2011 Census the wards had been merged into 3 with a total population of 29,917. To
3538-465: Was never constructed). Grove Park also features Grove House, a large early nineteenth house, a watermill and a cascade. The cascade is near the footbridge leading to the Stone Court corner of the park. The 1.5-metre fall is now ornamental in design, but its original purpose was to create a head of water in order to provide power for the nearby "Upper Mill". Oaks Park is a large park landscaped in
3599-705: Was once grown in this area, or from the Anglo-Saxon word rithe which means a small stream. During the time of the Roman occupation of the British Isles, a small spring was situated near the green, now adjacent to a BP garage. Roman activity in the area is confirmed by the fact that there was once a Roman Villa built in Beddington, just a couple of miles away, and a number of roads in the vicinity of Roman origin. The spring has since disappeared under ground and
3660-469: Was owned by one John Pattinson Kirk, a London merchant, a large Edwardian wing was added to the south side. The 17th century element lies behind the façade in the form of a flint and chalk chequer building. The house now plays host to the London Borough of Sutton's Museum , and has a local history collection, including objects that date back to the Bronze Age. There is a tea room and a shop. The museum
3721-481: Was refurbished, reopening in May 2012 with enhanced features. There are now expanded displays, including an interactive map, about the River Wandle and its influence on the life of the area, and a collection of Edwardian toys on display in the "Childhood Room". The interior was restored to its 1903 colour scheme, and the refurbishment also included a restoration of the Edwardian billiards room, its table and fittings,
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