Beddington

Beddington is formed from a village of the same name which until early the 20th century still included land which became termed entirely as Wallington.

Beddington forms part of the Carshalton and Wallington constituency, which, since 2024, is represented in Westminster by Bobby Dean, a Liberal Democrat.

The village lay in Wallington hundred and until the 19th century was in secular and ecclesiastical terms a large parish in its own right.

Wallington was for centuries a manor in Beddington parish and although known as a shorthand for the area stretching from Cheam to Addington and from Chaldon to Mitcham (inclusive).

As this was before the expansion of Wallington, it extends on the south over the chalk downs at Roundshaw and northwards on to the London Clay.

In Bishop Willis's visitation of 1725 the chapel is described as partly used for a barn, no service having taken place [in memory].

There were extensive common fields, as was usual in the parishes on the north side of the chalk range.

A few old houses remain at Wallington Corner, but none of these appear to date from earlier than the beginning of the 19th century.

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.

The Grade II* listed 14th-century flint parish church of St Mary's occupies a prominent position in Beddington Park, immediately south of what is now Carew Manor School.

The church is designated at Grade II* for the following principal reasons:[12] Beddington is served by the Wimbledon branch of the Tramlink network.

Beddington Mill in 2010
Carew Manor, the former manor house of the Carew family, now Carew Manor School, Beddington
Arms of Carew Or, 3 lions passant in pale sable
St Mary's Church
The boating lake in Beddington Park