Tag Archives: 2008

Gardeners Arms Pub Sign

The Gardeners Arms pub, 107 London Road, Mitcham, had a heraldic style sign hanging from a post in the centre of the wall on the upper floor. In November 2017, the sign couldn’t be found by the new landlord.

There are three photographs on Merton Memories, and none show a sign attached, for example, this one from 1989:

Clip from Merton Memories photo Mit_21_11-2 copyright London Borough of Merton.

This undated black an white photo shows flower baskets hanging from the wall:

Clip from Merton Memories photo Mit_21_11-1 copyright London Borough of Merton.

The late Eric Montague, of the Merton Historical Society, took a slide of 109 & 111 London Road in 1966, and this included the pub, which has no sign.

A 1973 photo on the Collage collection also doesn’t show the sign:

1973

The only photograph found so far showing the sign is from Google Street View, from 2008:-

The sign is blurred when zooming in, but what can be seen is shield with a blue background, a white chevron with two objects above and three or more below. The shield has two supporters, one of which may be a gardener. The Surrey Coats of Arms, online at the Surrey History centre website, have been searched for Mitcham arms, and none of these have a field of blue with a white chevron.

Street View of 2012 shows no sign:

2012

Tesco, London Road

Supermarket that was at 286-288 London Road, CR4 3NB

The Tesco supermarket was opened in 1965 at 286 London Road. After the Mormon bookshop at no. 288 closed, Tesco expanded there, and so occupied no.s 286 to 288.

When it was announced by Tesco that this supermarket was to close, local MP Siobhain McDonagh wrote to the chief executive. Tesco then agreed to stay open in no. 286 as a smaller ‘express’.

2008 from historical view on Google Street View

The Tesco Express closed on 5th November 2016.

Photos on Merton Memories
c.1970
1983
1987