Ewell in 1842
Ewell is about 13 miles from the General Post-office, on the Worthing road. The parish, which is partly in Copthorne, partly in Reigate hundred, has an area of 2,410 acres ; the population, in 1831, was 1,851. The village is in Copthorne hundred, near the foot of Banstead downs. A little to the east of it, but in Cuddington parish, are the remains of Nonsuch Palace, built with great magnificence by Henry VIII. The streets of Ewell are well paved. The market has been discontinued, but there are two yearly fairs, one of them a very large sheep-fair, and considerable trade is carried on. There are a brick, tile, and pottery work, and several corn and gunpowder mills. The living is a vicarage, united with the perpetual curacy of Kingswood chapel, of the clear yearly value of £277, in the rural deanery of Ewell.
Along the road that leads by the foot of Banstead downs from Ewell to Croydon are the villages of Cheam, Sutton, Carshalton, Wallington, and Beddington, all in Wallington hundred. Beddington and Carshalton are on the Wandle, and had, in 1831, a joint population of 3,348. There are several flour-mills, and there are drug, snuff, flock, paper, and oil mills, a silk and woollen print-work, and a distillery of mint and lavender water. Some leather-dressing is also carried on. Carshalton church has some early English and some decorated English portions. Beddington church is handsome, with a fine tower : it is mostly built of flint and stone, and is of perpendicular character. |