Green Wrythe Lane
Once a grassy track
Berry pickers in Green Wrythe Lane circa 1910
Sutton Local Studies and Archives
This road had different names over time: Little Wrythe Lane and Canon Sheephouse Lane being two of them. Although ancient, it was a little-used roadway used mainly for accessing Batts Farm which lay on its right-hand side. The trackway leading up to the farmhouse crossed the area now occupied by the new Circle Library.
Public or private?
In 1863 there was a court dispute over who was responsible for the upkeep of the road – Carshalton Parish or the landlord of Batts Farm, John Blake. In court the lane was described as being between 40 to 50 feet wide and covered with grass. There were hedges on either side growing on banks protected by ditches and containing elms of great age. The hedges were very old and probably dated from the time when the parish was first divided into fields. The court decided that the upkeep of the road was the duty of Carshalton Parish rather than the owner of Batts Farm, despite the fact that some witnesses claimed that it was sometimes blocked by dungheaps and felled trees and was often too muddy to use.* This judgement was the opposite to that made in a similar dispute in 1784 when William Smearley who owned a brickfield off the lane, wanted the Parish to keep it in good repair. On that occasion William had to pay up. The lane was often called Smearley's Lane at that time.