Tag Archives: Hatton Garden

Walsingham Road

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A cul-de-sac road that is off of the east side of Caesars Walk, after Cecil Place and before Hatton Gardens.

1954 OS map

The name refers to Francis Walsingham, spymaster of Elizabeth I. See wikipedia entry.

This road, and the other roads between the railway line and the Wilson Hospital were on the former estate of The Cranmers which was bought by Isaac Wilson in 1926. All these roads have names related to Elizabeth I.

There are 37 houses, all with the postcode CR4 4LN.

As entered from Caesars Walk, the houses on the left are numbered odd from 1 to 29, with three terraces of 6, 5 then 4 houses. At the end of the road is a square, and a terrace of 4 houses, numbered 31 to 37, is at right angles to the rest of the road. The houses on the south side of the road are numbered even from Caesars Walk end from 2 to 30, also in three terraces of 6, 5 then 4 houses.

Number 13 was destroyed by enemy action during the Blitz. On 29th October 1941 four people lost their lives. (The links are to the Commonwealth War Grave Commission website.)

Eleanor Margaret GRANGER, aged 27 and Reginald Frederick Stanley GRANGER, aged 30.

William Joseph LISMORE, aged 75 and Ada Rosa Lavinia LISMORE, aged 64.

Planning application MIT1287 was granted 29th July 1949 for the house to be rebuilt.

Occupations from the 1939 Register:

Architect & Surveyor
Bakers Roundsman
Bricklayer
Chargehand Wireless Coil Winder
Clerk Advertisement Dept Newspaper (Make-up )
Clerk Upholstery Factory
District Foreman Wandsworth & Dist Gas Co
Domestic Duties
Draper’s Warehouseman’s Clerk
Dressmaker
Engine Fitter & Oxy-acetylene Welder Heavy Worker
Established Clerical Officer H M Civil Service
Gardener (Retired)
Gas Works Labourer Coke Dept Heavy Worker
General Labourer
Hop Factor
House Furnishings Salesman
House Painter
House to House Salesman Own Account
Household duties (unpaid)
Housewife
In Receipt of Old Age Pension
Incapacitated (Age )
Junior Clerk Chartered Accountants
Labourer Registered Hide Market Leather Control
Laundry Hand
Machine Room Capstan Labourer
Metal Polisher
Metropolitan Police Constable
Metropolitan Water Board Assistant Turncock Heavy Worker
Nitro-Cellulose Lacquer ‘Lab’ Assistant
Nurse
Photogravine Operator
Piano Manufacturer
Police Officer Retired
Registered Architect & Surveyor Chief Technical Assistant (In control of all A.R.P. shelter construction work in Borough of Holborn)
Roneo Operator (Retired )
Sheet Metal Worker (Aircraft)
Shop Assistant (Food Dept)
Stores & Stock Clerk (Wireless Receiver & Spares)
Sub-postmaster
Telephone Exchange Wireman (Travels)
Tram Driver LPTB (London Passenger Transport Board)
Unpaid Domestic Duties
Unpaid Domestic Duties Occasionaly Drapery Shop Assistant
Varnish Factory Warehouseman Retired
Wood Machinist

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

Caesar’s Walk

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Road that runs south westerly from Cranmer Road to the footpath alongside the tram line. On this 1932 OS map, the footpath is shown as Tramway Path.

1932 OS map

Road sign at corner of Caesars Walk and Cranmer Road. The Wilson Hospital can be seen in the background.

The name of the road refers to Sir Julius Caesar Adelmere who, it was believed, had a mansion on the site where the Wilson Hospital is now. In 1598 he entertained Queen Elizabeth I. From this the names of the roads off of Caesars Walk are related to that monarch.

However, Eric Montague, in his book Mitcham Histories:11 The Cranmers, The Canons and Park Place, page 70, says that local records indicate that Sir Julius’s residence was actually south of the Burn Bullock, on the London Road.

Sir Isaac Wilson had bought in 1926 the Cranmers and surrounding land that stretched across the South London and Sutton railway line to the junction of Cranmer Road/Willow Lane with Carshalton Road. He built the eponymous hospital, which opened in 1928, as well as the Garden Village. In between the two he developed Caesars Walk, Burghley Place, Cecil Place, Walsingham Road and Hatton Gardens.

Ad for number 29, on the corner with Walsingham Road, from the Norwood News – Friday 27th October 1933

MITCHAM COMMON

(7 mins, Mitcham Junction Station, 20 mins, Town); semi-detached freehold house; built 6 years; garage; 3 bed, 2 reception,bathroom. kitchenette; gas, e. l., hot water; re-decorated; excellent condition; £650. – Owner, 29, Caesars-walk. Mitcham.

WW2 civilian deaths on 24th February 1944 (links are to Commonwealth War Grave Commission website):

51 Caesars Walk
George Arthur WILLIAMS, aged 56, Air Raid Warden

Private Betty Violet WILLIAMS, aged 23, Auxiliary Territorial Service

55 Caesars Walk
Edith WHITE, aged 17
Rosa Harriett WHITE, aged 51

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