Description
Mitcham Garden Village is a small housing estate that was built in 1929-32, the half-timbered houses all of different design facing inwards around a keyhole-shaped close. It was set up by local benefactor Sir Isaac Wilson who lived in Mitcham and established a trust to build these two-storey houses for the elderly in what was once part of the land owned by the Cranmer family. The design was based on garden village principles then prevalent, with cottage style houses, each with its hedged front garden, set back behind the landscaped 'village green' and the whole enclave surrounded by informally landscaped open spaces.
Practical Information
| Site location | Cranmer Road, Mitcham |
|---|---|
| Postcode | CR4 4HE |
| What3Words | ///admire.shade.data |
| Type of Site | Housing/Estate Landscaping |
| Borough | Merton |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Rail: Mitcham Junction |
| Research Updated | 10 July 2025 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Mitcham Garden Village is a small housing estate that was built in 1929-32, the half-timbered houses all of different design facing inwards around a keyhole-shaped close. It was set up by local benefactor Sir Isaac Wilson who lived in Mitcham and established a trust to build these two-storey houses for the elderly in what was once part of the land owned by the Cranmer family. The design was based on garden village principles then prevalent, with cottage style houses, each with its hedged front garden, set back behind the landscaped 'village green' and the whole enclave surrounded by informally landscaped open spaces. Sir Isaac Wilson had already endowed Wilson Hospital, which opened in 1928, designed by the same architects, Chart, Son and Reading. Mitcham Garden Village was described by Nikolaus Pevsner as showing 'The spirit of Blaise hamlet over a century late'.
Mitcham Garden Village was formally opened on 20 June 1930. A registered charity was established with the aim of providing rental homes for local people, and is administered by voluntary Trustees. The housing originally comprised blocks of terraced houses but in 1937 it was resolved that all houses would be converted into flats.
Mitcham Garden Village was formally opened on 20 June 1930. A registered charity was established with the aim of providing rental homes for local people, and is administered by voluntary Trustees. The housing originally comprised blocks of terraced houses but in 1937 it was resolved that all houses would be converted into flats.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ280678 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Mitcham Garden Village |
| Site Management | Mitcham Garden Village |
| Dates | 1929-32 |
| Designers | Chart, Son and Reading |
| Listed Structures | Local list: 1-52 Mitcham Garden Village |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Merton |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Mitcham Cricket Green |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
The Canons was one of the Manors of Mitcham and the site of a grange farm of the Augustinian Canons of St Mary Overie, Southwark, who built the stone dovecote of c.1511 that stands in the gardens. The pond was formerly a fish pond for the priory and was later divided into two 'stew' ponds for carp breeding. It was enlarged and deepened in 1664 by City merchant Robert Cranmer, whose son John built the present house, which once housed Merton Heritage Centre. The property had been purchased in July 1939 by the Corporation of Mitcham intending to use the house as a community centre and the grounds for sports. After WWII the neglected grounds were laid out with perimeter paths, some of the historic features restored and recreational facilities provided. Further improvements were made to the grounds after 1965 when the new London Borough of Merton was created. A National Lottery grant was awarded in 2021/22 to restore the house and landscape.
Mitcham Common is ancient commonland that once extended much further and before clearance in Neolithic times was oak woodlands. It was divided between four manors and was long used for agriculture and grazing, and from the early C19th for gravel extraction. In response to public concern about threat of development Mitcham Common was secured by Act of Parliament in 1891. Land south of Croydon Road became a public golf course in the 1890s, and land in the north was used for playing fields.
Mary Tate's Almshouses overlook Cricket Green and were established to accommodate 12 poor widows or spinsters of the parish of Mitcham. They were built in 1829 on the site of a large C18th house owned by Miss Mary Tate whose family had lived in Mitcham for over a century. Designed by architect J C Buckler, the single storey almshouses form 3 sides of a square around a communal front garden, and are constructed in stock brick with central and end gables. A memorial to 'Mrs Tate', 1821 by sculptor Sir Richard Westmacott is in St Peter and St Paul's Church. The rear garden area was originally provided for the use of residents, but later informally rented out as allotments. It now serves as a private green space.
