Pitlake Bridge

A Memory of Croydon.

I was born in Cuthbert Road, West Croydon, next to Pitlake Bridge, and have a vivid memory of when the manholes on the bridge exploded.
Wandle Park was our playground, and a fairground or circus had its winter storage next to the park. I was christened in St Edmund's Church which was also next to Wandle Park, but I think must have been demolished.
On the two corners of Westfield Road, where it met Cuthbert, were two shops - one a grocers and the other a 'fancy goods' store - they were run by two brothers (twins?).
The slaughter house was at the end of our road, and it was awful to hear the terrified animals squealing. They often escaped, and people used to leap into our gated sideway for safety, especially when it was a bull which had escaped! No wonder I'm a vegetarian!

Alison

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Added 03 March 2008

#220976

Comments & Feedback

My auntie gert lived on Westfield Rd...near the park...the church is still there but empty....I was there in April 2014......

By Valerie Bradey on Tue Mar 17th 2015, at 9:01 am

My twin Great Aunts owned 2 shops which they ran with their husbands in Cuthbert Road - one was a haberdashers and the other a grocers this was in the 1920's through to the 1960's I am wondering if this was what you are thinking of. I do not remember the slaughterhouse but like you I am a vegetarian. I was brought up in Croydon in the 1950's.

By brendaveiter on Fri Feb 19th 2016, at 12:21 pm

Thanks! Yes they were the shops and I realise now it was sisters that ran them. So much part of my childhood. I think we moved away from the area in around 1961. Did you live in one of those roads 'below' Pitlake Bridge? I have written a Kindle book about my Croydon childhood, (To Set My Feet a-Dancing) so it's great to have my memories confirmed (almost!).

By hallyally on Fri Feb 19th 2016, at 2:48 pm

Thanks Valerie. We did manage to go back to Croydon in 2012, and visited St Edmunds. It looked a little shabby, but it was great to see it still standing!

By hallyally on Fri Feb 19th 2016, at 2:50 pm

anybody know the Dyballs that lived in WESTFIELD ROAD ,

By xdiamondgalxx on Sat May 21st 2016, at 1:53 am

my father ralph whitear ran the slaughterhouse in cuthbert road till it closed in 1964 he had various butcher shops in croydon till about 2002 but i run a small hotel rhyl north wales,if any one has more info please email me on awhitear@hotmail.com or phone 01745 353036

By awhitear on Wed Oct 5th 2016, at 1:56 pm

Have you tried doing the Croydon Reconnected group on Facebook? Lots of local knowledge there.

By hallyally on Wed Oct 5th 2016, at 5:20 pm

It's really interesting to read these reflections. I've been researching a bit of the history of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, the Croydon composer, who grew up on Waddon New Road, 1876 to around 1890 close to a slaughterhouse and by the train tracks.

By Sam 1 on Thu Apr 12th 2018, at 10:14 pm

Hi Sam - I found out about Samuel Coleridge-Taylor a while back and included him in my book!
The slaughterhouse was at the end of Cuthbert Road. We lived opposite the railway line you mention. I believe Elgar was a great supporter and Samuel was a favourite of King Edward VII. Do you have any connection with the composer? Would be interested in any other pieces of info you could share. Cheers!

By hallyally on Fri Apr 13th 2018, at 4:53 pm

My memory of St. Edmund's is of church parade with 97 Squadron Air Training Corps bugle and drums band, waking up the local residents on Sunday mornings in the early 1960's. We marched along Mitcham Road from the barracks to just inside Wandle Park, where the church was located. We attended a religious service inside St. Edmund's church before marching back again.

By d_harwood on Mon Feb 25th 2019, at 5:21 pm

When I was young, cannot remember the year, your wonderful Great Uncle Chris saved my life. We were on top of Pitlake Bridge waiting to cross the road whe he heard the rumble just before the manhole in the road exploded . He pushed me against the wall of the bridgee and shielded me. The maanhole cover went right up ,hit the trolly bus lines and came down again THANK YOU CHRIS

By Norma Price on Sun Aug 30th 2020, at 9:43 am

Hello Norma - so pleased you added a comment about the manholes exploding on Pitlake Bridge, as I was beginning to think I'd imagined it! I wrote about this in my Croydon childhood memoir, so it's good to have your experience too. It happened on a Wednesday according to the story I wrote for school. Do you have any other memories of the area? Cheers, Allie

By hallyally on Tue Sep 1st 2020, at 6:00 pm

Hi all, I have moved into the block of flats that used to be the church at the end on Westfield road and I’ve come on here to find out if anyone can educate me on the history of what happened in the area.

Myself and some of the residents who live in the building have been experiencing some weird things in our flats i.e shadows of people and blurs, sounds of children’s footsteps running in vacant flats, weird noises etc. 2 days ago I woke up to bloody footprints that looks like it was in the shape of a cow’s hoof or something.

Does anybody know if anyone died in the area or any deaths connected to the church or the school that it used to be?

I would really appreciate any comments that you might have.

Thanks

Kimberley

By Kimberley Ingram on Wed Feb 17th 2021, at 10:55 am

For Kimberley - well the abattoir was not where your flats are, but at the end of Cuthbert Road. The little church of St Edmunds stood where I think your flats are but as far as I know, nothing untoward went on there during my time!

By hallyally on Wed Feb 17th 2021, at 5:33 pm

Yes. They lived at the top of Westfield road, down from Connie's grocery shop. I was a friend of Trudy and remember her big sister and brother. Trudys dad made her a pair of stilts, which were fun. I lived at the other side of Westfield road. Remember st Edmund's, went to sunday school and also the slaughter house, where a sheep escaped from once and headed off to the Wandle Park,

By Christine Legg on Fri Mar 19th 2021, at 5:51 pm

yes remember those stilts fell off a few times as well he made me a swing he made me a few things l remember sitting in his shed waiting for them to be finished he had a little fire in there that he burnt all the garden rubbish but always warm and cosy

By Trudie O.Hara on Tue Jun 1st 2021, at 3:43 pm

l remember when mr mrs gitting moved into the church house with there son Tony he would be about 5 and me about 8 his mother was heavy pregnant she use to pass our house to go to the shops and would leave Tony at our house while she went l got to know him well and we would play at the house as the garden was so big she had the baby in the end but sorry to say it died at birth it was what you called a blue baby l do know there was some money that went missing something to do with toc H what ever that was

By Trudie O.Hara on Sat Jun 5th 2021, at 11:18 am

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