Cottages, originally painted blue, near the Ravensbury Arms pub, on land between Croydon and Carshalton roads.
From a Percy Mayhew postcard. The Ravensbury Arms is on the left.
History
Eric Montague, in his book Mitcham Common, says, on page 63, that this area was called Sheldon’s Corner, the earliest mention of which was in 1738. Montague also said that the theory the cottages were painted blue was to match the stables of the Surrey Iron Railway. He agrees though with early railway history expert, the late Charles E. Lee, who dismissed it.
Merton Memories photos
1870
1890
1910 colourised
6 buildings can be seen on this 1866 OS map.
9 houses according to this 1874 auction.
In the booklet 50 Years at Grove Mills, Mitcham by Mr E.B. Hedger, fireman Charlie JORDAN, employed by John S Deed & Sons, lived in one of these cottages in 1907. See page 87 of Mitcham Histories : 6.
Occupants in Electoral Registers
1910
James HOOKER
John JORDAN
4 houses on this 1910 OS map and 1952 OS map.
The Land
Although surrounded by Mitcham Common, Land Registry title SGL704178, it is not part of it.
Mitcham Common – registered land map
London Borough of Merton own two plots of land, shown on this map in red:
LBM Owned land
Part of this land, title number SY258367, showing houses numbered 3 and 4 on the 1952 map, was bought by T.R. City of London Trust PLC (company registration number 34871) in 1984 and sold at Savills auction in February 2015 for £36,000 and again in June 2015 for £96,000.
Plan showing title SY2583677
The houses are presumed to have been demolished in 1963, as they are mentioned as a Clearance Area in these Mitcham Borough Council minutes:
From the Public Health Committee
27th June 19636. Housing Act, 1957: Blue House Cottages, Croydon Road, Clearance Area
Further to paragraph 5 of the report of this Committee of 28th February, 1963 (Volume 29, page 747), the Town Clerk reported that the Minister of Housing and Local Government had confirmed the Blue House Cottages, Croydon Road, Clearance Order, 1963, without modification.
Source: Proceedings of the Council and committees, Mitcham Borough Council, Volume 30 1963-4, page 111
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 