Tag Archives: 1910

Mitcham Post Offices

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Eric Montague said in his book Mitcham Histories : 12 Church Street and Whitford Lane, page 107, that Mitcham’s post office had occupied 5 locations, as listed below:

1st : at Westhall’s grocery shop in the Broadway

The 1855 directory shows the postal services available:

It lists Joseph WESTALL as grocer and cheesemonger as well as the post office receiving house in Lower Mitcham.

2nd : in a small shop near Mitcham Station

This photo from 1895 shows part of the words ‘Post Office’ above the shop.

clip from Merton Memories, photo reference Mit_Public_Services_18-2, copyright London Borough of Merton

3rd : a purpose built building in the Broadway

The words ‘Post Office’ can be seen etched in the windows on the building on the right in this photo of around 1910:

clip from Meton Memories, photo reference Mit_streets_Lon_38-25, copyright London Borough of Merton

According to Eric Montague in his book Mitcham Histories : 4 Lower Mitcham, pages 127-8, this post office was

erected in about 1900 … a three-storeyed building … its rather fussy facade including false timber framing to simulate an Elizabethan structure.”

4th : Post Office and Telephone Exchange building on the corner of London Road and Elmwood Road

Built around 1920, shown here in this 1953 photo:

clip from Merton Memories photo, reference Mit_Streets_Lon_38-46, copyright London Borough of Merton

5th : Langdale Parade

In 1961 the post office moved to Langdale Parade in the Fair Green. The telephone exchange building remains.

Currently, in 2019, the Langdale Parade post office has moved to a smaller shop nearby at number 5:

Post Office at no. 5 Langdale Parade. Photo taken 23rd April 2019

Mitcham Preparatory School and Kindergarten

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clip from Merton Memories photo, reference Mit_Buildings_23-1, copyright London Borough of Merton.

This photo is of a pair of buildings north of, and adjacent to the Tom Francis London House stores, on London Road. The right hand one may be the Mitcham Preparatory School and Kindergarten. This OS map of 1910 shows London House on the west (left hand) side of the London Road, opposite Langdale Avenue (where the ’67’ is shown at the bottom of the map). A pair of buildings can be seen north of London House.

1910 OS map

Another clue is the entry in the 1911 street directory. This describes the buildings on the west side, going south from Tooting Junction station to the river Wandle. It lists no buildings after Upper Green until the Kindergarten and Primrose Cottage before getting to Thomas Francis, outfitter.

extract from the 1911 street directory

A further clue is what looks like a notice board near the entrance to the right-hand property.

Merton Memories also has a photo of the rear of this building.

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