Humanities Information

Last Chance to See: Grove Mill, Mitcham


Grove Mill, Mitcham; where in 1934 many of the iron wheels from Surrey Iron Railway waggons were still visible in the tail-race, is being given the Ravensbury treatment. All but the central building is being cleared for housing.

In fact, there was already not much to see. The small row of cottages called the Fisheriesthe that were originally built to house the mill workers for the Grove Mill that stood nearby but has now disappeared. In the early 20th century they were used by the Wandle Fisheries Association, an association set up by the local Gentry to stock the river with trout.

However it is a chance to revisit this ancient industrial site. As part of the planning process an Archaeological report was commissioned from Compass Archaeology, who produced an excellent report in 2002, drawing extensively on the resources of the Museum and Merton Historical Society (mostly in the person of Eric Montague, and in the various works produced by him and Peter Harris over the years).

As the report shows, there has been a Mitcham mill since the Domesday Book, and, (as Mitcham itself lay north of the Wandle it is reasonable to assume that this was the site. , as the London Road crossed the Wandle by a ford rather than a bridge, and it is unlikely that anything requiring water power or use would be set where the water would be regularly fouled by traffic.

Real evidence emerges during the 17th century, and the Grover mill site went through copper, flour and soap manufacturing stages before ending its life as an orthopaedic shoe factory.

Crown Mill standing behind it, but destroyed by fire in the 1960's, goes through felt manufacturing, engineering, and then flour. A third mill stood on the south side of the Wandle, facing these two.

More interesting event than that, though, is the evidence shown by the 100 years of plans annexed to the report, from 1879 through to 1968, demonstrating the ways in which the River Wandle was tortured and twisted to suit the requirements of the industrial ages, with the present course out of Watermeads south of Grove Mill an invention of the last 50 years only.

The site has a special interest to the Museum, as it was here that two Surrey Iron Railway wagon wheels were dredged up from papermill cut, one of which is to be seen in the Museum, and also in the local legend that the Crown Mill site was used as factory and workshops for the benefit of the Surrey iron Railway during its brief existence.

If possible, we will be making more of the report available through the website, but this will require copyright clearance.

See figure 1; The site in relation to the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey 24 inch mile ma of 1879 (surveyed 1865-67), See figure 2; The site in relation to the 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey 24 inch map of 1895 revised 1894), See figure 3; The site in relation to the 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey 24 inch: mile map of 1935 (revised 1932).

I am the website administrator of the Wandle Industrial Museum (http://www.wandle.org). Established in 1983 by local people determined to ensure that the history of the valley was no longer neglected but enhanced awareness its heritage for the use and benefits of the community.

  


MORE RESOURCES:

Voice of America

President Bush Gives Arts and Humanities Awards
Voice of America - Nov 18, 2008
By Deborah Block President Bush handed out the National Medals of the Arts and Humanities at the White House on Monday. The annual awards recognize ...
Bush Awardees Include Stan Lee, Olivia de Havilland Washington Post
Arts Medals Awarded New York Times
Bush bestows medals on administration members, too The Associated Press
Wall Street Journal Blogs - Los Angeles Times
all 70 news articles


United Press International

President Bush Awards 2008 National Humanities Medals
Media Newswire (press release), NY - Nov 19, 2008
President George W. Bush on Monday awarded the prestigious National Humanities Medal for 2008 to radio show host Milton J. Rosenberg during a ceremony held ...
UPI NewsTrack Entertainment News United Press International
all 40 news articles


Lincoln scholar Boritt awarded National Humanities Medal
The Evening Sun, PA - Nov 19, 2008
By KATHARINE HARMON The president of the United States awarded the director and founder of Gettysburg College's Civil War Institute a National Humanities ...


Denton Record Chronicle

President surprises former TWU professor
Denton Record Chronicle, TX - 7 hours ago
Martin attended Monday’s ceremony in honor of several people who were receiving the National Medal of Arts and the National Humanities Medal. ...
Honors for life written in stone Corpus Christi Caller Times
all 3 news articles


Humanities Iowa names prize winner
Iowa City Press Citizen, IA - Nov 19, 2008
The biennial award of $90000 is funded by Humanities Iowa, the state affiliate to the National Endowment for the Humanities. In creating the award, ...
Simpson teacher wins history prize DesMoinesRegister.com
all 3 news articles


National Humanities Center hosts "What makes us human?" conference
The Independent Weekly, NC - Nov 19, 2008
Last week brought the chance to see some of the leading lights of academia live, in person, as the National Humanities Center opened its doors to the public ...


American Thinker Congratulates WGN Radio host Milt Rosenberg
American Thinker, WA - 6 hours ago
Legendary WGN radio talk show host Milt Rosenberg was one of the recipients of this year's National Humanities Medal awarded by the President during a ...


Norman Rockwell Musem Receives National Humanities Medal
Art Daily - Nov 18, 2008
Norman Rockwell Museum today received the National Humanities Medal, America’s highest recognition of work by individuals and institutions in the field of ...


Avon High Students Hear Personal Account Of Rwanda Genocide
Hartford Courant, United States - 13 hours ago
Stu Abrams, an Avon High School humanities and social studies teacher, first met Wilkens in February at a state Capitol hearing in Hartford about proposed ...


Irondequoit High School grad earns prestigious award
MPNnow.com, NY - 20 hours ago
He was recognized with the National Medal of Humanities “for helping reintroduce Americans to the personalities, eccentricities, and noble ideals of our ...

humanities - Google News

Article List | Index | Site Map
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved.