Place Name
Thought to be a reference to either the Broadwater family, feudal tenants of Tooting Manor, or (more likely) the large water features, some thought to date from mediaeval times, which were supplied from a nearby spring. They were in the grounds of the Manor House, a large winged mansion sited between Hereward and Moffat Roads, facing the highway. The 11 acres of grounds held pleasure gardens which contained this complex of water features along with a timber brew house, a brick stable and meadow land. The gardens which were “adorned with gravelled walks, shrubberies and curious trees and exotic plants” as well as the fishponds became popular in the 18thCentury when the Manor House was occupied by Samuel Rush (between 1785 to 1794). Jacob Goodhart, a sugar refiner, was the owner from 1810 to 1855. The house remained in his family until it was knocked down sometime around 1894, with members of the Goodhart family moving to Mount Ephraim Road, Streatham.
