Mitcham Common

Coordinates: 51°23′37″N 0°8′49″W / 51.39361°N 0.14694°W / 51.39361; -0.14694
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

View of Mitcham Commons
Map of Mitcham Common

Mitcham Common is 182 hectares (460 acres) of

London borough of Merton, with parts straddling the borders of Croydon and Sutton.[2] It is designated a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation.[3]

History

In

feudal times, the poorest, least productive soil in a parish
was designated as common land available for parishioners to graze animals and cut turf and timber for fuel. Members of this community with these rights were known as commoners. However, in the 19th century when material for road building became a valuable resource, the old grazing land was replaced by a series of pits for gravel extraction.

These works reached such a proportion that public opposition, led by

Metropolitan Commons Act and the cost of its maintenance was split between the parish councils of Mitcham, Beddington, Wallington and Croydon
according to the proportion of the common within each parish boundary.

Mitcham, now part of the London Borough of Merton bears the majority of the costs, with the remainder going to the London Boroughs of Croydon and Sutton.[4] These funds support a warden and three assistants. Each council is represented by four nominated members of The Board, elected every two years.

Geography and environment

Seven Islands Pond, on Mitcham Common

The course of the Thames has gradually altered, exposing gravels that were initially colonised by

grasses and other Flowering Plants. Over time, woody species slowly overwhelmed these early colonisers, developing a loose scrubby vegetation that became denser until woodland had developed. Early humans were responsible for clearing trees and suppressing their regeneration by grazing cattle
and cutting turf and timber for fuel.

In the late 19th Century these practices ceased and woodland was allowed to regenerate. This process allowed a succession from grassland, through a series of intermediate stages, to woodland.

The river gravels are well drained and strongly

pipe laying
programmes have brought trapped nutrients to the surface. The result is a patchwork of soil types, each providing different plant and animal habitats. As the grassland reverts to woodland, the various stages in this process create further habitats.

The Seven Islands pond is the largest of the ponds on the common, and was created as the result of

George Parker Bidder
.

Buildings

There are a few buildings on the common. The buildings comprising the Windmill Trading Estate have existed in one form or another since 1782, when the estate was established as

George Parker Bidder
.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Mitcham Common". Mitcham Common Conservators. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  2. ^ "Mitcham Common Home Page". Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  3. ^ "Mitcham Common". Greenspace Information for Greater London. 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  4. ^ "About Mitcham Common". Archived from the original on 10 March 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2015.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mitcham Common.

51°23′37″N 0°8′49″W / 51.39361°N 0.14694°W / 51.39361; -0.14694

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