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The modern borough was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963, covering the combined area of the former boroughs of Mitcham and Wimbledon and the Merton and Morden Urban District. The area was transferred from Surrey to Greater London to become one of the 32 London Boroughs.
The London Borough of Merton and its council were created under the London Government Act 1963, with the first election held in 1964. [3] For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's three outgoing authorities, being the councils of the municipal boroughs of Mitcham and Wimbledon and the urban district of Merton and Morden. [4]
- Early Settlers
- Roman Merton
- Anglo-Saxons
- Gilbert The Knight
- Did You Know?
- The Industrial Revolution
- Famous Characters
- The Railways
- A Devastating War
- A Vibrant Community
Mitcham, Morden, Merton and Wimbledon merged to form the London Borough of Merton in 1965, but the area was settled much earlier. Archaeology has shown that Merton was active even in prehistoric times. Celtic warriors were roaming Wimbledon Village long before the shoppers and drinkers of today. You can find the remnants of an Iron Age hill fort to...
The local Celtic tribes were quickly subdued when the Romans invaded Britain in AD 43. Shortly after they arrived the Romans set about building an important road through the borough called Stane Street. This was a fast overland link between London and the Roman port of Chichester, and quickly became a busy trade route. Imposed on today's map, the s...
Germanic Anglo-Saxons were quick to replace the Roman settlers when the empire collapsed in AD 410. The invaders penetrated Surrey up river valleys such as the Wandle, and there is evidence of some violent meetings with the native Britons. However, Merton's proximity to London meant it continued to prosper despite the loss of Stane Street's imperia...
Merton grew in significance when Henry I granted the estate to a knight called Gilbert in 1114. Gilbert founded an Augustinian priory in 1117 at the point where the old Roman road crossed the River Wandle, where Sainsbury’s and Merton Abbey Mills now stand. It became nationally important when it was used for royal councils and conferences. In 1236 ...
In 1569, a Wimbledon woman was sentenced to hang for witchcraft. She was accused of killing three children and four pigs in the village by casting spells on them.
The area soon passed from the hands of royalty into those of successful tradesmen. Industry expanded on the banks of the Wandle, whose fast-flowing waters provided ideal power for the milling process. Flour, snuff, copper, iron, leather and dye works all flourished on the river at points like Mitcham Bridge and Phipps Bridge. By 1750, Merton Abbey ...
Admiral Lord Nelsonmoved into Merton Place House off Merton High Street in 1801. He loved his country home in Merton and wrote in his diary as he departed for the Trafalgar campaign: "At half past ten I drove from dear, dear Merton where I left all I hold dear in this world to go and serve my king and country". Tragically Nelson was killed at the B...
London's gentry began to populate Merton soon after the railway reached the borough. In the Victorian era shops such as Elys (opened in 1876) opened to cater for the tastes of the new suburban residents. In 1868 the All England Croquet Club was founded in Worple Road. By 1877 this had become the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club. The Club’s ...
World War II caused considerable damage to Merton. Housing was in great demand in the post-war era and new estates were constructed at Phipps Bridge, Pollards Hill and High Path, Merton. Recovery from the war was painfully slow and food shortages did not end completely until 1956. Redevelopment schemes were remarkably successful and the coronation ...
There was greater affluence by the 1960s and the formation of the new London Borough of Merton in 1965 prompted further economic growth. Five new town centres emerged to form the Merton we know today: Colliers Wood, Mitcham, Morden, Raynes Park and Wimbledon. They are all primarily residential areas, each with their own commercial and shopping cent...
Merton, outer borough of London, England, located south of Wandsworth. Merton is part of the historic county of Surrey. The present borough was established in 1965 by amalgamation of the boroughs of Mitcham and Wimbledon and the urban district of Merton and Morden. It includes such areas and
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
About Merton. Formed in 1965, the London Borough of Merton is an outer London borough to the south-west of the capital. It has a population of over 200,000 residents living in 80,000 households, served by 7000 businesses, and an area of approximately 14.7 square miles. The borough’s five main town centres are:
Oct 30, 2020 · In 1965, in a region in South West London, the borough of Mitcham, Wimbledon and Morden formed what we now call Merton. Since their joining, Merton has been evolving and constantly diversifying ...
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The London Borough of Merton is a London borough in London, England. The borough was formed under the London Government Act 1963 in 1965 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Mitcham, the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon and the Merton and Morden Urban District, all formerly within Surrey.
