Beddington

For other uses, see Beddington (disambiguation).

Coordinates: 51°22′24″N 0°07′27″W / 51.3734°N 0.1241°W / 51.3734; -0.1241

Beddington
Beddington  Beddington shown within Greater London
OS grid reference	TQ305655
London borough	Sutton
	Croydon
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	WALLINGTON
Postcode district	SM6
Post town	CROYDON
Postcode district	CR0
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Carshalton and Wallington
London Assembly	Croydon and Sutton
	Croydon and Sutton
List of places: UK • England • London

Beddington is a settlement between the London Boroughs of Sutton and Croydon. The BedZED low energy housing scheme is located here. In Beddington was a static inverter plant of HVDC Kingsnorth.

The village lay within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Wallington hundred.

The settlement appears in the Domesday Book as Beddinton(e). It was held partly by Robert de Watevile from Richard de Tonebrige and by Miles Crispin. Its Domesday Assets were: 6 hides; 1 church, 14 ploughs, 4 mills worth £3 15s 0d, 44 acres (180,000 m²) of meadow, woodland worth 10 hogs. It rendered: £19 10s 0d.^[1]

Beddington Park

Beddington Park is the location of Carew Manor which was the home of the Carew family. The Domesday Book mentions two Beddington estates and these were united by Nicholas Carew to form Carew Manor in 1381. The Manor, once a medieval moated house, was home to the Royal Female Orphanage from 1762 until 1968. It now contains council offices and Carew Manor School.

In about 1591 Sir Walter Raleigh secretly, and without royal permission, married one of Queen Elizabeth I's maids of honour, Elizabeth Throckmorton of Carew Manor. Raleigh spent time in the Tower of London for this and Elizabeth was expelled from the court but the marriage appears to have been a genuine love-match and survived the imprisonment. A popular story is that when Raleigh was beheaded by James I in 1618, Elizabeth claimed his embalmed head and kept it in a bag for the rest of her life. His body was buried in St Margaret's, Westminster, and after his wife's death 29 years later, Raleigh's head was returned to his tomb and interred at St. Margaret's Church.^[2] Local myths claim the head remains in Beddington park or was inherited by his son and buried with him.

The Grade I listedbanqueting hall,^[3] which boasts a fine hammerbeam roof, survives from the original house along with part of the orangery built by Sir Francis Carew and claimed to be the first in England. In the grounds is an early 18th century Grade II* listed dovecote^[4] .

Queen Elizabeth's Walk is a short wooded trail that dates back to the first Elizabeth. Local legend has it that the Monarch and Sir Walter Raleigh used to stroll together there^{[citation needed]}. However, this was actually land left unused for the proposed M23 motorway extension.

Archaeologists have recently discovered a Tudor garden including a grotto at Carew Manor, believed to have been created by Sir Francis Carew in the 16th century. Its exact location is currently not being disclosed in order to protect it from looting.

The 14th Century flint parish church of St Mary's is situated in the park next to the house.It is Grade B listed ^[5] and contains an organ screen by William Morris.

Carew Manor

Nearest places

• Carshalton
• Hackbridge
• Mitcham
• Roundshaw
• Waddon
• Wallington

References

1. ^ Surrey Domesday Book
2. ^ Lloyd, J & Mitchinson, J: "The Book of General I.
3. ^ http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-206699-beddington-place-great-hall-only-walling
4. ^ http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-206705-pigeon-house-to-north-west-of-beddington
5. ^ http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-206694-parish-church-of-st-mary-the-virgin-wall