Tag Archives: 1926

Lunstone Concrete Co.

LONDON CONTRACT FOR BEXHILL

The Lunstone Concrete Co., Ltd., the local firm who manufacture many varieties of concrete at their Glyne Gap works, have just obtained the contract for the supply of all the breeze slabs to be used on the housing scheme which the Mitcham Borough Council have recently started. This contract, which is expected to extend over a year, was gained in competition with several London and North Country firms.

As showing the difference between local and London housing condition, it might be mentioned that Mitcham is using brick for only the outer skin the ground floor walls and for the parting walls. All other walls and the internal partitions are to be breeze concrete, thus effecting a considerable saving in expense.

The Lunstone Concrete Company are manufacturing the blocks on the actual housing site. The first section of the scheme provides tor the erection of about 200 houses.

Source: Bexhill-on-Sea Observer – Saturday 06 February 1926 from the British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)

News of the World Houses

Houses built along Madeira Road and Commonside West, possibly between 1922 and 1926.

These photos, taken in May 2016, show houses along Commonside West. Most of the houses in Madeira Road have been extended to the front with porches etc.

Commonside West

Commonside West

Commonside West

Commonside West

This photo is from the 1926 article referred to below.

1926 NotW Houses

Architects CULPIN and BOWERS

COST: Approximately £600 per house.

MATERIALS: The external 9 inch brick walls are covered up to the cill levels of the first floors, above which the front has a projecting stucco band and a felt-floated cream-white plaster finish; the chimney stacks are faced with red sand-faced bricks; the window casements throughout are of wood; the halls and sculleries have red composition floors, and the roof is covered with variegated sand-faced plain tiles.

Source: an unnamed architectural magazine being sold on ebay


Building application no. 350 submitted by the News of the World for ’28 cottages, Commonside East (sic) and Madeira Road’ was approved by Mitcham Urban District Council on 12th September, 1922. Source: Proceedings of the council Volume VIII 1922 – 23.


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