If you know of Butter Hill in Wallington you may have often wondered what was there before the 1930s estate was built. Let’s find out more…
Butter Hill estate was constructed on the grounds of a large house called Elm Grove. It’s not clear when the lovely old home was built, but it was here from at least 1866.
The house had large floor-to-ceiling windows on the ground floor and a particularly grand first-floor room with panoramic country views. There was also a veranda and sunroom. The photo below is taken from the London Road side and is shown toward the end of its life, as it appears to be in a state of disrepair.
Due to the man’s clothes, we estimate the image to be around 1915 but it may be a little earlier. There appear to be very few mentions of the house in newspaper archives but a Mr W F Graham once lived here. He died in 1877. Elm Grove belonged to a Duncan Stewart by 1897, though he actually lived further along London Road in a house called The Hollies. Other than that, there is not much known about the owners.
Thanks to the estate diagram below, we can see that the large grounds spread from the pond by London Road back to the railway track. It boasted a kitchen garden, stabling, lodge, two summer houses, and a farmery.
Perhaps cows grazed on the land and they made butter – hence the name Butter Hill.
Elm Grove, or The Elms, stood roughly where Burleigh Avenue is now.
Not much remains, but fortunately parts survive. The Elm Grove Pond opposite the Rose and Crown pub was part of the grounds.
There was an Elm Grove Fountain, which I believe was the circular stone planter with the small tree in it.
The Elm Grove Lodge has also survived, close to where the ornamental pond still is. The building marks the entrance to the lost house.
So there you have it.
What are your memories of living at Butter Hill? Share your thoughts in the comments below…
This is an abridged account by Chris Pocock with assistance from Jim Parker, Richard Pocock, Joy Reynard and Abby Matthews at the Local Studies Sutton Archive.
Gosh that is such an interesting history. On the way to school in the 50’s (i was in charge of my little bother), he fell in the pond on London Road. How many times have i walked up Leechcroft to where we lived in Victoria Avenue the deepest road in the butter hill estate? I ran a brownie pack in Elm Grove parade hall. And attended sunday school there ftom the age of 3. (1951) there was 2 tall, pillars that looked like pillars for 2 large gates to be hung from opposite the hall and there was an old house behind, which was lived in as flats!!! I often wondered what house it was originally.
A small holdings was along the bank of the wandle down by the little bridge. Where the large bridge carries the trains over the wandle. I often fished for tiddlers there. The young girl who lived in the small holdings brought a lamb into school one day.
I often wondered why it was called Butter Hill estate.
There were allotments to the side of the house opposite the Elm Grove hall. A pathway, a short cut, to walk through to Westcroft and the Grove.
I would love to get a street map of the estate now and superimpose it on the map of the Butter hill estate drawing.
My parents bought the house in 1950, so the house was techically only 35 yeats after it was actually an estate. That is fasinating. Thank you for the information.
Thanks for sharing your memories, and I’m glad to hear you found it interesting