Belmont, Sutton Explained

Country:England
Static Image Name:St. John's Church (C of E), Queens Road, Belmont - geograph.org.uk - 478223.jpg
Static Image Caption:St. John's Church (C of E), Queens Road, Belmont, Sutton
Coordinates:51.3433°N -0.2024°W
Region:London
Official Name:Belmont
Constituency Westminster:Sutton and Cheam
Population:10,048
Population Ref:(2011 Census. Ward)[1]
Post Town:SUTTON
Postcode Area:SM
Postcode District:SM2
London Borough:Sutton
Dial Code:020
Os Grid Reference:TQ253620

Belmont is a village in the London Borough of Sutton, in South London, England. It is located off the A217 road and near to Banstead Downs in Surrey. It is a suburban development situated 10.8 miles (17.4 km) south-southwest of Charing Cross.

History

Belmont did not exist until the late 19th century.[2] Belmont railway station opened in May 1865 and was originally called 'California Station', named after the California Arms public house on the opposite side of Brighton Road which was built by John Gibbons in approximately 1858. The station was renamed 'Belmont' in 1875, and the name was attached to the village that emerged subsequently.[2] The original pub was heavily damaged by German bombing in the Second World War. The new building, built on the site in 1955, was known as "The California" later changed to 'The Belmont', but in 2014, under new management, reverted to its original name of 'The California'.[2] St. John's Church (C of E) stands in Queens Road, near the end of the small High Street ("Station Road").

Banstead Hospital and the emergence of Belmont

The village of Belmont strongly owed its development to the presence of Banstead Asylum.[2] Although located in the parish of Banstead, the asylum was much closer to the village and railway station of Belmont than those of Banstead. The site is now occupied by HM Prison High Down.[3]

Belmont Hospital and the South Metropolitan District School

Belmont Hospital was a psychiatric hospital. It closed and was demolished in the 1980s. The site is now occupied by the 'Belmont Heights' housing development, which is situated to the west of Brighton Road, to the north of Belmont village. Belmont Hospital opened after the Second World War. The premises had previously fulfilled a number of different institutional purposes.[2] For example, during World War II it was used as an emergency hospital for military and civilian casualties, including psychiatric cases. The oldest buildings on the site, built in the early 1850s, had originally been a large Poor Law residential 'district' school belonging to the South Metropolitan Schools District. This institution catered for pauper children from several parishes in south-east London. Along with its nearby annex site, built in 1884 in Cotswold Road (formerly Banstead Road), this establishment closed in 1902. The premises at both sites were then acquired by the Metropolitan Asylums Board. Some of the buildings of the Cotswold Road site still exist.[2]

Public institutions

See main article: Royal Marsden Hospital.

See main article: Institute of Cancer Research.

Green Space

In addition to Belmont Park, Belmont contains two Local Nature Reserves.[6]

Just to the south of the village is Banstead Downs, which extends for around a mile further south towards neighbouring Banstead, Surrey. Banstead Downs is a large Site of Special Scientific Interest, covering 430 acres (170 ha). Banstead Golf Course is on the northern slopes.

Economy

Station Road is the main commercial street of Belmont Village, containing a range of mainly independent shops and restaurants. It runs for about a quarter of a mile from Belmont Station in the east to St John's Church in the west. One mile to the north lies the larger economic centre of Sutton.

Nearest places

Transport

Belmont railway station is on the Sutton to Epsom Downs branchline and the London Victoria to Epsom Downs line. It is part of the Sutton & Mole Valley Line services of the Southern rail operating company, and is in London Travelcard Zone 5. TfL buses also run in this area.

Former residents

Further reading (local history)

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sutton Ward population 2011. 9 October 2016. Office for National Statistics. Neighbourhood Statistics. https://web.archive.org/web/20161021055911/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=13689064&c=Belmont&d=14&e=62&g=6337336&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&o=362&m=0&r=1&s=1476029059262&enc=1. 21 October 2016. dead. dmy-all.
  2. Sparkes, Roland (2009) Belmont: A Century Ago.
  3. Web site: Banstead Hospital. Lost Hospitals of London. 27 May 2018.
  4. Web site: University of London: Colleges/Institutes . Lon.ac.uk . 29 March 2010 . 29 April 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100110134105/http://www.lon.ac.uk/colleges_institutes . 10 January 2010 . dead . dmy-all .
  5. Web site: Annual Review 2009. 21 October 2010. Institute of Cancer Research. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20101124214033/http://icr.ac.uk/about_us/annual_review/15136.pdf. 24 November 2010. dmy-all.
  6. Web site: Local Nature Reserves: Search results for Greater London . Natural England . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130927113247/http://www.lnr.naturalengland.org.uk/special/lnr/lnr_results.asp?N=&C=17&Submit=Search . 27 September 2013 . dmy .
  7. Web site: London Borough of Sutton . Cuddington Meadows LNR . 3 April 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141223235018/https://www.sutton.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2398 . 23 December 2014 . dmy .