Sutton High Street

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Sutton High Street
Sutton, Surrey London Sutton High Street -.JPG
A view of Sutton High Street within its Conservation Area section
Length 0.9 mi[1] (1.4 km)
Postal code SM1
north end Angel Hill
51.3718N 0.1945W
south end Brighton Road
51.3593N 0.1913W
Sutton High Street is a high street[2] running north-south through the town of
Sutton in the London Borough of Sutton.

The High Street area constitutes the sixth most important retail centre in London,
and is home to many restaurants and major retail names. It is pedestrianised for
most of its length, and a conservation area runs down a three hundred yard section.
There are three examples of public art in the street, and parks at either end of
it.

Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Conservation Area and Heritage Action Zone
3 Landmarks
3.1 Restaurants and bars
3.2 Rolling Stones gigs in High Street pub
3.3 Booksellers
3.4 Public Art
3.5 Supermarkets
3.6 Other features of interest
4 Regeneration
4.1 Sutton Point
4.2 Old Gasworks (Sutton North Central)
5 Transport
6 References
7 External links
History[edit]

Painting of The Cock Inn by Thomas Rowlandson in 1789.[3]

Milestone on Sutton High Street. This shows that Sutton is 11 miles by road from
the administrative quarter of London (Whitehall) and 12 miles from the financial
quarter (Royal Exchange)

The High Street in Christmas 1910 south end (above); north end (below)

The Barclays Bank building

Sutton High Street in the 1960s

The section of road that is now Sutton High Street dates from the Middle Ages, and
developed into part of the main road from London to Brighton. By the 18th century
Brighton's popularity as a coastal resort was growing, and the route was well used,
but not yet regularly maintained. This was put right in 1755 when the enacting of
turnpike legislation provided a means for the road's better maintenance. This,
combined with its intersection with the east-west CarshaltonCheam Road, led to the
development of a small settlement around the tollhouse in what is now the centre of
the town. By the beginning of the 19th century Sutton had become a fully-fledged
village, and the road was dotted with a number of houses, pubs and shops from
Sutton Green southwards up to the Cock crossroads. The road was used frequently by
the Prince Regent to access Sutton Lodge on Brighton Road, and, being the main
route to Epsom Downs, it was also heavily used by visitors to the Epsom Derby. In
1801 the population of the town stood at 579, at that point lower than the other
settlements in the borough. However, by 1861 it had risen enough to make Sutton the
largest settlement in the borough.[4][5][6]

Their position on the London to Brighton turnpike provided the village's two large
coaching inns, the Cock and the Greyhound, with trade serving coaches travelling
through the village. The Cock Hotel's sign straddled the Brighton road, and its
proprietor was the champion pugilist, Gentleman Jackson.[3] The building was
demolished in 1898, shortly after a new Cock Hotel had been constructed on a
directly adjacent site to the north.[7] Its name originated from the cock horses
needed along this part of the road. Twenty horse and carts passed up and down this
stretch in a day. Regular contact beyond the town brought both expansion and
sophistication. Small businesses opened up, at first directly related to travellers
on the turnpike bakers and brewers to feed visitors, seamstresses to provide
running repairs, leather workers to make or mend harnesses and then to provide
trade goods for neighbouring communities.[8]

When the railway arrived, Sutton's people had become travellers themselves.[8] The
population of Sutton grew and the village turned into a town. The High Street near
the top was known as Cock Hill until the 1880s the shops on the east side were
built in 1880, ten years later than those on the west side.[9]

A notatable building to appear around this time was the grand and decorative 1894
London and Provincial Bank building (now home to Barclays Bank), which stands over
the historic crossroads. It is four storeys tall and forms a prominent landmark
when arriving in the town centre from a westerly direction. There is a series of
arches at ground level, and the main entrance is on the corner where the two roads
meet, rounded in shape and surrounded by an ornate architrave and segmental
pediment.[5][6]

Main article Barclays Bank building, Sutton

By 1900 the High Street had become heavily built up. By the late 1930s the shops
had altered, but the buildings above remained much the same. One new building at
this time was Ernest Shinner's new department store,[9] which replaced a Baptist
church that had been built in 1886. This later became Allders.

The oldest retail business currently operating in Sutton dates back to the 1860s
Pearson Cycles was originally a blacksmith shop, but in the 1890s changed to
bicycle making and repair. The Pearsons have run the cycle business from the same
High Street location ever since.[4] It has been recognised by Guinness World
Records as the oldest bicycle shop in the world.[10]

Conservation Area and Heritage Action Zone[edit]

Pub sign overlooking Sutton High Street at the historic crossroads

Sutton High Street at its historic crossroads in 1960 and 2011

The shop units (apart from Lloyds Banks) have changed hands and the High Street has
been pedestrianised, but the buildings are the same
The high street includes a conservation area, the Sutton Town Centre High Street
Crossroads Conservation Area, which was designated on 9 May 2011, following a
review of the town centre, which highlighted the historic importance of the highway
network at the crossroads of Cheam RoadCarshalton Road and the High Street, as well
as the associated buildings and spaces. The conservation area focuses on the area
around the historic crossroads, and stretches from the Station down to Trinity
Square. The local authority noted that the buildings, especially their upper
storeys, were worthy of preservation and enhancement. Its report concluded that
Conservation status was warranted on the basis of the historic importance of the
area together with its architectural and aesthetic merit. The designation would
enable the provision of guidance to landowners and developers on maintaining and
improving the historic aspects of the area.[5][6]

Gordon Rookledge in his Sutton Architectural Identifier remarks on the vivid,

Victorian, polychrome brick and stone faades in his description of Sutton High
Street.[11]

Heritage Action Zone

In March 2017 it was announced that Sutton town centre had been designated one of
the first ten Heritage Action Zones by Historic England. Gaining this status will
unlock resources to enhance th