Cheam
| Cheam | |
| Surrey | |
|---|---|
 Cottages in Cheam | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TQ245625 |
| Location: | 51°20’52"N, 0°12’41"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Sutton |
| Postcode: | SM2, SM3 |
| Dialling code: | 020 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Sutton |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Sutton and Cheam |
Cheam is a large suburban village in Surrey within the metropolitan conurbation, close to Sutton. It is divided into two main areas: North Cheam and Cheam Village.
North Cheam includes more retail shops and supermarkets, whilst Cheam Village and the south of Cheam are more residential. It is bordered by Worcester Park (to the north-west), Morden (to the north-east), Sutton (to the east), Ewell (to the west) as well as Banstead and Belmont to the South. It is served by Cheam railway station.
Cheam lies within the Wallington hundred.
History
Cheam's roots can be dated back as far as 1018, when Chertsey Abbey owned the area. Cheam appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Ceiham. It was held by Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury. Its Domesday assets were: 4 hides; 1 church, 17 ploughs, 1 acre of meadow, woodland worth 25 hogs. It rendered £14.[1]
In the Middle Ages, Cheam was known for its potteries, and recent excavations have been carried out by archaeologists.
In 1538, part of Cheam was acquired by King Henry VIII, and in the same year the King began work on Nonsuch Palace, which he decorated fantastically; its name was a boast that there was "none such" else to be found. The Palace was not used in later reigns and King Charles II gave it away to the Countess of Castlemaine, who later had it demolished.
Cheam was the original home of Cheam School which was formed in Whitehall in 1645 and later occupied Tabor Court from 1719 until 1934 when the school moved to Berkshire. Prince Philip attended the school in Cheam in the years immediately preceding its move.
In 1801, the time of the first census, Cheam had a population of 616.
Churches
- Church of England:
- St Dunstan's
- Lumley Chapel (see below)
Hancock's Half Hour
In most series of the comedy show Hancock's Half Hour, Tony Hancock's eponymous character lived at "23 Railway Cuttings, East Cheam". Both Railway Cuttings and East Cheam itself are fictional, but it has ensured that Cheam has reappeared in numerous comedy references since then.
Places of interest
Lumley Chapel
The Lumley Chapel next to St Dunstan's church is the oldest standing building in Cheam. It contains many notable monuments to local families and is in the care of a national charity the Churches Conservation Trust. Too small to be used for regular worship it is open to visitors with the key being held by nearby properties.
Whitehall
Whitehall is a timber framed, weatherboarded house in the centre of Cheam Village. It was originally built in about 1500 as a wattle and daub yeoman farmer's house but has been much extended. The external weatherboarded appearance dates from the 18th century. In the garden there is a mediæval well which served an earlier building on the site.
The building is open to the public on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 2-5pm; Saturday 10 am - 5 pm, Sunday & Bank Holiday Monday 2-5 pm. There is an admission charge, and an audio guide. There is a programme of events and changing exhibitions in the house, which also has displays about the history of the house and its inhabitants, nearby Cheam School, and Henry VIII's Nonsuch Palace.
Nonsuch Mansion
A Gothic revival mansion within Nonsuch Park built in 1802-6. The service wing is occasionally open to the public. A popular place for wedding receptions, as it is available for hire.
The Old Rectory
A large part timber-framed house, built in Tudor period, but extended and remodelled in the Eighteenth Century. Occasionally open to the public.
The Old Farmhouse
A large timber-framed and weatherboarded Yeoman farmers house, forming part of the Cheam Conservation Area with St Dunstan's Church, Whitehall, The Old Rectory and the Lumley Chapel. The Old Farmhouse has a crown post roof and large Tudor axial chimney stack in the centre with large fireplaces. The earliest part of the house is 15th Century, with several building stages extending the house in the 16th and 17th centuries, creating a Baffle House design popular in the 17th Century. Many original features remain including oak doors and hinges, window shutters and fireplaces. Much of the timber framing is exposed throughout the house. Recent excavation and ground imaging uncovered a large Tudor kitchen underneath the house with a Tudor hearth and hood visible. Access to the cellar kitchen was by a staircase going north to south, which is now under the floor of the current owner's kitchen.
A file of text and images relating to the house is available in the Conservation Archive in Sutton Library.
North Cheam
North Cheam is found at the main cross roads between Sutton and Central London. Its centre is Victoria Junction. The area consists of a Sainsbury's supermarket, numerous independent shops and restaurants, a post office and several banks. It also has St Anthony's Hospital, a large private hospital on the London Road.
The nearest tube station is in Morden on the Northern Line.
Parks and gardens
Today Cheam is mainly built up, but still retains Nonsuch Park, with a chicken pen, drinking fountain, ice cream shop, and car park. Cheam Park backs onto Nonsuch Park, with many facilities such as tennis courts, football pitches and a children's playground.
References
Outside links
- Hancock's Legacy David McKie in The Guardian, November 30, 2006.
- Cheam Rangers [1]