'Mysterious Mitcham' is the online sequel to the original 'Strange Mitcham', which contains stories not found on this website:



Second (2011) edition is now available.

Also available for Kindle.

'MYSTERIOUS
MITCHAM'

  Contents:

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Covers the London Borough of Wandsworth (Balham, Battersea, Putney, Tooting & Wandsworth):

Mitcham's (not so) Haunted Mansion

The most substantial relic of Merton Priory [1] was discovered by accident. When Sir Arthur Liberty established his print works on the old priory grounds, he had several of the more dilapidated buildings on the site destroyed, and in 1914 demolition work on one house uncovered a magnificent stone Norman archway.

Archaeologists believe this archway to have been the entrance to the Priory's Guest House. After the Dissolution, the arch was retained and used as the front door to a mansion house, which, according to W H Chamberlain in his Reminiscences of Old Merton (1925), later acquired a reputation for being haunted.


Unearthly Sounds

During the early years of the 19th Century, it seems that the mansion was a forbidding structure, standing alone and abandoned near the Priory's old burial grounds. Abandoned it may have been, but there were plenty of villagers who were terrified to walk past after dark because of the unearthly sounds that could be heard emanating from within.

In about 1820, a small band of brave souls elected to visit the creaky old building to discover the source of these sounds. Led by the silk printers Messrs Bradshaw and Wagland, the group armed themselves with sticks and candles and waited for darkness to descend.

That night, as they stood guard, the eerie noises began again and, listening carefully, the investigators determined that the disturbance was coming from the direction of the staircase. Rushing forward to illuminate that area with their candles, they found not ghosts but hordes of water rats swarming up and down the steps.

With the mysterious sounds thus explained, Bradshaw and Wagland decided to follow the rats' example and they moved into the building. The creatures were dealt with and the printers obtained the house at a low rental, made repairs and kept the property for several years. They were succeeded by a Mr Littler who took over their silk printing business and moved into the building with his family.

Later, the house passed into the possession of Messrs. Liberty & Co. Ltd, who decided to have it pulled down. At some point in the building's past, the Norman arch had been plastered over, but now it was revealed again. Because of its historical value it was carefully preserved and in 1935 it was rebuilt in the church grounds of St Mary the Virgin in Merton Park where it can still be seen today.

Notes:

[1] There is a tradition that the site of Merton Priory is cursed - see Strange Mitcham for details.


[Source: Chamberlain, W H (1925) Reminiscences of Old Merton.]