Category Archives: Buildings

Sir Arthur Bliss Court

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Sheltered housing block of flats, built on the site of the former Holborn Union Workhouse in London Road, south of the junction with Bond Road.

Photo from Apple Maps, June 2021.


After the Second World War, temporary housing was built on this site by the borough council.

1953 aerial view

1953 aerial view

When contacted, the Arthur Bliss Society said that from their archives:

Vol. 8, no. 2, page 34. … says that “the Performing Rights Society, of whom Sir Arthur was President from 1954 to 1975, named one of their sheltered housing projects for the Society’s members and dependants ‘Sir Arthur Bliss Court’. This was to mark the 75th anniversary of the PRS.

PRS refers to the Performing Right Society.

Planning application MER563/86 was granted permission (subject to conditions) on 17th July 1986, for

redevelopment of site by the erection of sheltered housing accommodation comprising 46 x 1 person flats 12 x 2 person flats and 2 wardens’ houses ancillary common rooms car parking and landscaping.

This application referred to the site’s address as

1-9 High Holborn, London Road, 202-218 London Road And, 1-27 Bond Road, Mitcham

High Holborn can be seen on this 1950 OS map:

1952 OS map

Maps are reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.

Laing’s Corner

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A three story block of seven shops and offices with flats above, on the corner of London Road and Locks Lane, postcode CR4 2JA.

Eric Montague, on page 5 of Mitcham Histories: 14 Upper Mitcham and Western Road, said it was named after William Frederick Laing, who founded the estate agents Seymour Laing and Co.

Mitcham Borough Council minutes, page 131, of 7th December, 1938, said that the block was given a name as there were only four numbers available in London Road, which wasn’t enough for all twelve flats.

Norwood News – Friday 18 February 1938
Image © Trinity Mirror. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. Via the British Newspaper Archive.

Text of ad:

LAINGS CORNER
London Road, Mitcham
For Particulars of the SHOPS and OFFICES
now being erected on
MITCHAMS MOST IMPORTANT SITE

Apply Sole Agent –
Seymour E. Laing, A.V.I., F.N.A.A.
87 London Road, Mitcham

(Opposite Swan Hotel)

Telephone : MITcham 0826

1951 OS map

A clock was on the wall above number 5 until around 2009. It can be seen using the history option on Google Street View, for July 2008.

July 2008

Adverts

1952

Norwood News – Friday 19 February 1960
Image © Trinity Mirror. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Minutes of meetings held by the Mitcham Borough Council are available on request from the Merton Heritage and Local Studies Centre at Morden Library.

Maps are reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.