Mitcham Common

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

Mitcham Common is 182 hectares (460 acres) of common land situated in south London. It is predominantly in the London borough of Merton, with parts straddling the borders of Croydon and Sutton. It is designated a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation.

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 George Parker Bidder QC, culminated in the protection of the common under the 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, London

Coordinates: 51°24′03″N 0°09′06″W / 51.4009°N 0.1517°W / 51.4009; -0.1517

Mitcham is a district in south London, located within the London Borough of Merton. It is centred 7.2 miles (11.6 km) south-west of Charing Cross. A suburban area, Mitcham is located on the border of Inner London and Outer London, and was historically in the county of Surrey. It is both residentially and financially developed and served by train, bus and tram routes. Localities within Mitcham include Mitcham Town Centre and Mitcham Common. Amenities include Mitcham Library and Mitcham Cricket Green. Nearby districts include Wimbledon, Streatham, Croydon, Tooting, Morden and Sutton. Mitcham itself had a population of 63,393 which includes the electrol wards of Cricket Green, Figges Marsh, Graveney, Lavender Fields, Longthornton and Pollards Hill in 2011 but its urban area had a population of 103,298.

Location

Mitcham is in the east of the London Borough of Merton and is bounded by the London Borough of Wandsworth, the London Borough of Croydon, the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Sutton. Mitcham is close to Wimbledon, Croydon, Streatham and Tooting. The River Wandle bounds the town to the southwest. The original village lies in the west, although expansion has pushed the eastern boundary the furthest. Mitcham Common takes up the greater part of the boundary and area to the south.

Mitcham (UK Parliament constituency)

Mitcham was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Mitcham suburb of South London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

The constituency was created for the 1918 general election from part of the Wimbledon constituency, and abolished for the February 1974 general election.

Boundaries

1918-1945: The Urban Districts of Mitcham; Beddington and Wallington; and Carshalton.

1945-1974: The Municipal Boroughs of Mitcham; and Beddington and Wallington.

Members of Parliament

Election Results

1970s

1960s

1950s

1940s

1930s

1920s

References

Mitcham (disambiguation)

Mitcham is the name of several places:

Mitcham is also a surname:

See also Mitchum (surname)