Beddington
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Beddington | |
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| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| London borough | Sutton |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WALLINGTON |
| Postcode district | SM6 |
| Post town | CROYDON |
| Postcode district | CR0 |
| Dial code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| UK Parliament | Carshalton and Wallington |
| London Assembly | Croydon and Sutton |
| European Parliament | London |
| List of places: UK • England • London | |
- Beddington is also a neighbourhood in the Canadian city of Calgary.
Beddington is a place in the London Borough of Sutton. The BedZED low energy housing scheme is located here. In Beddington was a static inverter plant of HVDC Kingsnorth.
[edit] Beddington Park
Beddington Park is the location of Carew Manor which was the home of the Carew family. The Domesday Book mentions two Beddington estates and these were united by Nicholas Carew to form Carew Manor in 1381. The Manor, once a medieval moated house, was home to the Royal Female Orphanage from 1762 until 1968. It now contains council offices and Carew Manor School.
In about 1591 Sir Walter Raleigh secretly, and without royal permission, married one of Queen Elizabeth I's maids of honour, Elizabeth Throckmorton of Carew Manor. Raleigh spent time in the Tower of London for this and Elizabeth was expelled from the court but the marriage appears to have been a genuine love-match and survived the imprisonment. A popular story is that when Raleigh was beheaded by James I in 1618, Elizabeth claimed his embalmed head and kept it in a bag for the rest of her life. His body buried in St Margaret's, Westminster but many suspect his head remains in Beddington park. Some say his son inherited the enbalmed head and that it was buried with him.
The banqueting hall, which boasts a fine hammerbeam roof, survives from the original house along with part of the orangery built by Sir Francis Carew and claimed to be the first in England. In the grounds is an early 18th century dovecot.
Queen Elizabeth's Walk is a short wooded trail that dates back to the first Elizabeth. Local legend has it that the Monarch and Sir Walter Raleigh used to stroll together there. However, this was actually land left unused for the proposed M23 motorway extension.
Archaeologists have recently discovered a Tudor garden including a grotto at Carew Manor, believed to have been created by Sir Francis Carew in the 16th century. Its exact location is currently not being disclosed in order to protect it from looting.
The 14th Century flint parish church of St Mary's is situated in the park next to the house. It contains an organ screen by William Morris.
