The Surrey Arms and "Casablanca," Morden Road, Mitcham
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| Partial / Incomplete Date | c.1930 |
|---|---|
| Area | Mitcham |
| Copyright 1 | London Borough of Merton |
| Picture Reference | Mit_TomFrancis_Ln166 |
| Original Format | Photo |
| Photographer / Origin of Photo | Tom Francis |
| Notes / History | The original pub and adjacent cottage were weather-boarded. This construction style was common in Surrey during the 18th and 19th century. The pub was demolished during the early 1930s and replaced with a mock Tudor equivalent. The larger property (far right) was known by various names – White House, White Cottage and rather grandly, ‘Casablanca’. During the Victorian era, Robert Ellis, a local mineral water manufacturer, sank an Artesian Well into the land to the rear of the house. There was also an iron drinking fountain at the roadside, complete with a chained metal cup for public use. Ellis junior bored another deep well near Western Road, where he opened a factory to bottle mineral water in 1877. This ‘Ravenspring Works’ was ultimately purchased by the firm C.A.M.W.A.L. – (Chemists Aerated Mineral Water Company Ltd.) |
