Timeless Stories

A violent storm in 1974 pulled down an old tree, to reveal a forgotten skeleton.  It was in an area behind the gatehouse (pictured above) at St Philomena’s school. Local school boys discovered the remains. Throughout the early 70s, in the residential area to the left of the picture below, one of the school children […]

*Historical* This is Wallace House that stood off Pound Street in Carshalton. It was lived in by the sisters known locally as ‘The Misses Wallace’. The two sisters were highly regarded as in the 1880s they set up a special ‘soup kitchen’ to help the poor of the district. Carshalton experienced poverty and social disparity, characteristic […]

EXCLUSIVE This incredible find reveals the small creatures fossilised beneath our feet — water dwellers that lived here millions of years ago. Carshalton’s oldest residents, if you like. The area on the corner of Butter Hill and Mill Lane was once an oyster bed, at a time when, incredibly, parts of Carshalton were submerged beneath […]

*Historical* It was 17 years ago that the traditional high street was beginning to change, and these photos show a turning point. The independent shoe shop had recently closed, but the greengrocers and butchers were still hanging on. Do you wish it was like it again, or do you remember any of these places? It’s […]

This is Carshalton’s very own coat of arms. It used to take pride of place in the offices of the Carshalton Urban District Council. At this time they were located at The Grove. But what do all these symbols mean? Secret Carshalton has compiled a quick and handy interactive guide so you can be in […]

The Cure is an internationally popular band whose hits include Friday I’m In Love, and Just Like Heaven. Lead singer Robert Smith is the only member to have been in the band from the beginning, and he recently appeared on stage with Olivia Rodrigo at Glastonbury 2025. Formed in 1976, the band first became known […]

Start your engines, it’s time for some local history! Carshalton Motor Cycle Club began in 1924, riding the wave of interest in a new sport connected to these two-wheeled wonders. The badge above is dated 1950, and the club still uses the same logo to this day.  There are now many motorcycle clubs across the […]

*News* On the edge of the borough of Sutton is a brewery and tap room belonging to Anspach and Hobday. ‘London Black’, likened to Guinness, has topped the ‘We Are Beer’s Top 50 UK Beer 2025 list‘. The awards recognise the best beers across the UK, and the people behind it organise the London Craft […]