Tag Archives: London Road

Lock’s Lane

Road that runs south-eastwards from junctions with Streatham Road and London Road, twoards Eastfields Road. It was named after Lock’s Farm, at the Figges Marsh end, according to J.D. Drewett, in his ‘Memories of Old Mitcham’.

In this OS map from 1893, the part now called Eastfields Road is shown as Tamworth Lane:

1893 OS map

These street directories describe the road from Figg’s Marsh:

1896

George DAVIS, greengrocer
2, Mrs Rhoda GILBERT, laundress

Grange Villas:

1, James NEW
4, John W. BEARDWELL

Primrose Cottage, James MIZEN

Note that what is today called Eastfields Road was once part of Tamworth Lane and hence the Primrose Cottage listed in Lock’s Lane is the same as the one in Eastfields Road.

1904-5

Henry WOODS, pig dealer

2, Mrs Emma SCHMIDT, laundress
James FLEMMING
Charles WELLER
Clement BELCHER
Richard TOOGOOD
Edward THUMWOOD, carman

1910-11

The Mitcham Steam Laundry Co.
Henry WOODS, pig dealer

2, Robert John BULL, laundry
Clement BELCHER
Thomas DAVIS, decorator
Richard TOOGOOD, confectioner
George William TURNER, carman

1915

This directory disagrees with the 1914 electoral register that has Toogood and Rosemary Villas in Eastfields Road.

John HARDING, laundry
The Mitcham Steam Laundry Co.

… here are Carew & Lansdell Roads

Mrs H. TOOGOOD, confectioner

Rosemary Villas:

10, Charles WILSON
9, John GODDEN
8, James SULLIVAN
7, George HEPWORTH
6, Henry WOODS
5, Edwin LUMB
4, John Frederick WADE
3, Andrew DUNNING
2, Samuel AULT
1, William BENSTEAD

George William TURNER, carman

The 1925 street directory describes the road as from Streatham Road to Eastfields Road:

John F. RENSHAW & Co. Ltd., almond specialists

Brookborough Cottages:
John Frederick SCOTT
William EDWARDS

Vine Cottages:
2, Walter MILLER
1, Mrs PENNIGER

Marsh Cottages:
2, Joseph BATES
1, Thomas Joseph WOODING, verger St Marks, Upper Mitcham
St. Mary’s (Balham) Social & Lawn Tennis Club (H.G. Brightwell, hon. treasurer)
Star Laundry (J.J. HARDING, proprietor)
Thomas TRICKER

The 1935 OS map shows that Marsh and Firtree Avenues have now been built off the south side of Locks Lane. The confectionaery factory shown is that of John F. Renshaw, which made marzipan and supplied almonds for cakes etc.

1935 OS map

References in Newspapers

West London Observer – Saturday 30 April 1887

WANTED, by a Respectable Young Man, regular employment of any kind ; not with horses.— Apply, W. B., 11, Lock’s Lane, Mitcham.

World War 1 Connections
Private William Henry Tricker

Sir Arthur Bliss Court

Sheltered housing block of flats, built on the site of the former Holborn Union Workhouse in London Road, south of the junction with Bond Road.

Photo from Apple Maps, June 2021.


After the Second World War, temporary housing was built on this site by the borough council.

1953 aerial view

1953 aerial view

When contacted, the Arthur Bliss Society said that from their archives:

Vol. 8, no. 2, page 34. … says that “the Performing Rights Society, of whom Sir Arthur was President from 1954 to 1975, named one of their sheltered housing projects for the Society’s members and dependants ‘Sir Arthur Bliss Court’. This was to mark the 75th anniversary of the PRS.

PRS refers to the Performing Right Society.

Planning application MER563/86 was granted permission (subject to conditions) on 17th July 1986, for

redevelopment of site by the erection of sheltered housing accommodation comprising 46 x 1 person flats 12 x 2 person flats and 2 wardens’ houses ancillary common rooms car parking and landscaping.

This application referred to the site’s address as

1-9 High Holborn, London Road, 202-218 London Road And, 1-27 Bond Road, Mitcham

High Holborn can be seen on this 1950 OS map:

1952 OS map


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