The Fountain pub was on the corner of Fountain Road with Western Road. It was closed in July 1975 and demolished for the building of the ‘Quadrant’ housing estate of Sadler Close. This estate includes a block of flats called Fountain House.
Its last owner was Charringtons, who had acquired it when they took over Hoare’s, see webpage “Breweries taken over by Charringtons“.
Known locally as the Blood Tub or, after WW2, as Johnny Brown’s. In a newspaper report of 1975, it was described as the Blood Pub, and this has been copied into the description for this Merton Memories Photo.
clip from Merton Memories photo 51092
Copyright London Borough of Merton
Photos of coach outings
These were kindly supplied by a member of the Facebook Mitcham History Group.
Outside the pub in Fountain Road.
Ladies outing, outside the pub
Bulletin 170 (pdf) of the Merton Historical Society says that Peter DALE ran the Fountain from around 1867 to at least 1891.
Licensees
| Year | Licensee | |
|---|---|---|
| 1890 | Peter DALE | |
| 1898 | T. BLEEZE | |
| 1903 | Emma BLEEZE | |
| 1907 | John Howard FULLERTON | |
| 1911 | Richard CROSS | |
| 1920 to 1923 | Richard and Charlotte CROSS | |
| 1924 to 1926 | Andrew Charles and Letitia HEATH | |
| 1931 to ???? | Fred Herbert BROWN | |
| ???? to 1973 | John V. BROWN | |
| 1975 | Ian DENNIS |
When the pub contributed to the Explosion Relief Fund in 1933, the landlord was F. H. Brown.
Licensed Victuallers Records
Sources : Licensed Victuallers 1785-1903 on Ancestry
In 1903 shown as fully licensed, and licensed before 1869. Name and address of owners: A. C. S. & H. Crowley, Croydon, to which the pub was tied for draught beer. Name of licensee was Emma Bleeze who resided on the premises.
Accomodation provided for the public
| Refreshments other than Intoxicants | Sleeping | Stabling | Sanitary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread and cheese | Nil | 1 horse | Urinal |
Remarks: Ordinary class trade.
In 1892 shown as licensed as a Beer House from before 1869 and for on and off trade trade. Name and address of owners:Messrs Crowley, Croydon. Name of licensee was Thomas Edw Bleeze who resided on the premises.
Note that the scan on Ancestry shows only part of the licensee’s middle name, with the fourth letter unreadable, so it could be Edward or Edwin.
Page & Overton Ltd. applied for planning permission in 1953 for an extension of the cellar and saloon bar. Source: Mitcham Borough Council minutes, volume 20, page 308.
Newspaper articles
| Date | Headline | Newspaper | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/1/1958 | Round and About | Mitcham & Colliers Wood Gazette | 4 |
| 24/8/1973 | Pub runs dry | Mitcham News & Mercury | 9 |
| 25/7/1975 | Last orders called at the Fountain | Mitcham News & Mercury | 1 |
Earlier news stories
Streatham News – Friday 28 November 1941
SATURDAY NIGHT SCENE
A Saturday night row outside a Mitcham public-house was investigated by the local magistrates on Monday, when William Harding, Peartree-close, and Alfred Albert Aslett, Seales-yard, Gladstone-road, both of Mitcham, were charged with using language and creating an obstruction calculated to cause a breach of the peace.
Both denied the allegations.
P.C. Kersley stated that at 10.10 on Saturday night he heard a lot of shouting and singing going on outside the Fountain public-house, Western-road He went to the scene and saw a crowd of men and women singing, dancing and making a great noise, He told them to stop, whereupon Harding said, ” Leave the —— people alone and mind your own business.” Witness asked him to refrain from using bad language and told him to go away Harding replied, “ I’ll go when I’m ready. It’s a pity you have not got something else better to do.” As Harding persisted in his obstruction witness arrested him, and was putting him in the police van when Aslett shouted “Leave him alone,” and tried to incite the crowd to become hostile. Told to go away, Aslett said “Why should I go? He is my pal and I’m going to stop here and see fair play.”
Eventually both men were taken into custody.
Another constable corroborated this evidence. Harding, in evidence, said he never opened his mouth and he did not hear anybody use bad language. He called his young son, Leonard Harding, who said the police “came from nowhere and bundled his father into the police van for nothing.”
The Bench fined each defendant 10s.
From the Croydon Guardian and Surrey County Gazette – Saturday 9th February 1907:
There was only one transfer, and that was the “Fountain,” Mitcham, the new licensee being John Howard Fullerton.
1889 : Flooding at the Fountain
1890 and Gipsies
From the Mitcham News & Mercury
25th July 1975
LAST ORDERS CALLED AT THE FOUNTAIN
One of Mitcham’s oldest pubs is calling last orders on Wednesday.
The Fountain Public House in Western Road, Mitcham, has been pulling pints for over 100 years.
But now Merton Council have bought the Victorian pub which will soon come down as part of Mitcham’s North-West Quadrant redevelopment.
But as the last beers are downed there won’t be any tears from present landlord, Mr Ian Dennis.
“It’s about time it was pulled down, it is in a terrible state. The wallpaper is peeling way and it is likely to catch fire any moment. No I won’t be at all sorry to leave it,” he said.
Negotiations between the brewers, Charringtons, and the council for the valuable site have been going on for some time.
Charringtons refused the council’s first offer plus an alternative site but now things have been ironed out.
A Charrington’s spokesman said the Fountain will close on Wednesday and equipment will be taken away following day.
“We have reached an agreement with the council but I am unable to disclose the terms of it. We are getting an alternative site but I don’t know where it is yet.”
The pub’s history goes back to Mid-Victorian times when it was nicknamed the “Blood Pub” due to the caravans parked opposite.
It was named The Fountain after a mineral spring, which was situated nearby, which has long disappeared.
A Council spokesman said: “There are still negotiations going on with the brewery to provide an alternative to site but I can’t say any more about that until it is officially decided.”
Note: this puts the closing date as 30th July 1975.
Minutes of meetings held by the Mitcham Borough Council are available on request from the Merton Heritage and Local Studies Centre at Morden Library.
Mitcham History Notes 