History

The Summerhouse, which is now situated in the garden of the old Gardener’s Cottage (not open to the public) and close to the old Stable block, is one of a number of small structures which were situated in the grounds of Bramblehaw mansion, the mansion itself is now long gone. The Summerhouse is described as a grand architectural Queen Anne - style bauble, and was built between 1905 and 1914 (most likely between 1905 to 1908.) Originally it would have faced the long-gone mansion south-west across the lawn. The design is almost certainly that of Liverpool-born architect R. Frank Atkinson (1869-1923) who lived at Bramblehaw in 1905-8. Atkinson was consulted by Carshalton Urban District Council officials over the designs for the new Public Offices situated in the Square, off the High Street, itself built between 1908 and 1909 (visible from outside). Both buildings exhibit the use of variable coloured bricks, termed ‘broken coloured brickwork’ by the architect; adopted here to reflect Carshalton’s being (as he stated) ‘‘a purely Georgian or earlier – partly classic – district, the Georgian was the simplification of the classic” as “most old walls in the district were built in that way.”