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East Drive, CARSHALTON, SM5 4PA

East Drive is a residential road in Carshalton, in south London's outer suburbs.

South of Carshalton village centre, Fountain Drive - the former entrance driveway - climbs towards the site of the former Queen Mary Hospital. Here, two roads approach it as if to cross it - East Drive from the west and Dingwall Road to the east - but each is blocked to road traffic by a wall. There is a degree of social separation across the entrance driveway - Dingwall Road lies within an apparent former council estate, whilst East Drive comprises more expensive private housing – and this reflects the fact that originally the walls were a solid barrier even to pedestrians. During the Second World War gaps were created in the walls to facilitate access to and from the hospital from the nearby residential areas; after the War it was intended to reinstate the barriers but local pressure prevented this, residents finding that the hospital’s entrance provided, for instance, a swift route to Carshalton Beeches station. Pedestrians are allowed through to this day, but there has never been an open road crossing. My thanks to John Hyde (http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/122976 ) for making this layout clear.

South of Carshalton village centre, Fountain Drive - the former entrance driveway - climbs towards the site of the former Queen Mary Hospital. Here, two roads approach it as if to cross it - East Drive from the west and Dingwall Road to the east - but each is blocked to road traffic by a wall. There is a degree of social separation across the entrance driveway - Dingwall Road lies within an apparent former council estate, whilst East Drive comprises more expensive private housing – and this reflects the fact that originally the walls were a solid barrier even to pedestrians. During the Second World War gaps were created in the walls to facilitate access to and from the hospital from the nearby residential areas; after the War it was intended to reinstate the barriers but local pressure prevented this, residents finding that the hospital’s entrance provided, for instance, a swift route to Carshalton Beeches station. Pedestrians are allowed through to this day, but there has never been an open road crossing. My thanks to John Hyde (http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/122976 ) for making this layout clear.

South of Carshalton village centre, Fountain Drive - the former entrance driveway - climbs towards the site of the former Queen Mary Hospital. Here, two roads approach it as if to cross it - East Drive from the west and Dingwall Road to the east - but each is blocked to road traffic by a wall. There is a degree of social separation across the entrance driveway - Dingwall Road lies within an apparent former council estate, whilst East Drive comprises more expensive private housing – and this reflects the fact that originally the walls were a solid barrier even to pedestrians. During the Second World War gaps were created in the walls to facilitate access to and from the hospital from the nearby residential areas; after the War it was intended to reinstate the barriers but local pressure prevented this, residents finding that the hospital’s entrance provided, for instance, a swift route to Carshalton Beeches station. Pedestrians are allowed through to this day, but there has never been an open road crossing. My thanks to John Hyde (http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/122976 ) for making this layout clear.

Diamond Jubilee Way was formerly the driveway into a hospital. The hospital closed in 1993 and the site has been redeveloped for housing.

Damson Way forms part of a housing development on the site of a former hospital in Carshalton, in the outer suburbs of south London. The hospital closed in 1993.

Diamond Jubilee Way in Carshalton, in the outer suburbs of south London. This street forms part of a recently-built housing development on a site formerly occupied by a hospital. The hospital had closed in 1993.

A former NHS site much of which now seems to be a modern housing estate (behind and to the left of photographer). Signs indicate that a number of clinics still operate here, including perhaps the main building on the left, while the three other buildings visible are disused and boarded-up. See here for a fuller history: Image]

Large green at the top of Courtney Crescent, first marked on the 1935 25 inch map.

Lavender has long been grown in this area of the North Downs: Christmas decorations in the London Borough of Sutton take the form of illuminated lavender, local scout troupes wear it as their distinguishing shoulder patch, and so forth. The crop is still grown commercially at a few locations in the area.