Place Name
Originally this was just a continuation of Merton Lane (later Western Road), and later was plain Church Road. Takes its name, unsurprisingly, from the church of the same name, to serve the growing population of north Mitcham. Originally known as Christ Church, Singlegate, when building started in 1873, it was laid out on land that had previously been fields belonging to Willow Farm. Eric Montague notes: “[In 1874] the ecclesiastical parish of Christchurch was formed by the first subdivision of the parish of Mitcham to occur since its creation in the early Middle Ages.” The population was served by the ancient church of St Peter and St Paul.” E S Broadbridge writing on Christchurch’s centenary in 1973 wrote: “In 1861, when the population of the parish numbered 5,097, the new vicar, the Rev, Daniel F. Wilson, expressed concern for the Colliers Wood end of the parish…” Efforts to meet the spiritual needs of local people struggled. Despite missionary work and the setting up of a church school in the area religion struggled against reports of a “dismal picture of drunkenness and apathy”. It was decided what was needed was a permanent church, the first reference to a new one was in 1871. Among the benefactors was a Mr and Mrs Harris of Gorringe Park who paid for the architects and provided the Parsonage. “On 7th June 1873 the foundation of the church was laid by Mr Harris, who announced and the church was [to] receive the name Christ Church…. the church was consecrated by Bishop Harold Brown of Winchester on 14th May 1874.” In 1875 the District Chapelry of Christ Church, Mitcham, was created, and this became a parish some time between 1875 and 1914. It was not until recent years that the name of the parish was changed to Christ Church, Colliers Wood, to reflect changes in population. The church was damaged during the Second World War but restored afterwards.
