Path on Mitcham Common alongside Windmill Road

Introduction

The photograph on this page of Path on Mitcham Common alongside Windmill Road by Marathon as part of the Geograph project.

The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.

There are currently over 7.5m images from over 14,400 individuals and you can help contribute to the project by visiting https://www.geograph.org.uk

Path on Mitcham Common alongside Windmill Road

Image: © Marathon Taken: 16 May 2012

Mitcham Common was once a much larger area of common pasture. The subsequent survival of the Common was helped by the division between four manors. As the boundaries were unclear, no single lord was emboldened to try to control the whole Common. In the early 19th century, gravel winning began in earnest. It became such a problem with gravel pits being started all over the Common that Mitcham Common was protected under the Metropolitan Commons Act of 1891. With the acquisition of mineral rights from the lords of the manors in 1894, the Conservators of Mitcham Common were able to bring the practice of gravel digging to an end. However, the tipping of domestic refuse on Mitcham Common dramatically altered the previously flat profile of Mitcham Common by creating artificial hills. The highest of these is Mill Hill (named after the nearby former windmill) which was completed in 1960 and subsequently landscaped. This is the view along the foot of Mill Hill's eastern slope. Windmill Road is just to the left of the trees. Cow parsley is much in evidence.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0

Image Location

coordinates on a map icon
Latitude
51.396811
Longitude
-0.146101