Sheet 22 of Stanford’s Library Map of London and Its Suburbs records the southern edge of London in 1862, covering Streatham, Tooting and Mitcham. The sheet preserves a predominantly open landscape of commons, fields and village roads, with railway lines beginning to reshape access to the capital.
Map Details
- Original title: Stanford’s Library Map of London and Its Suburbs
- Sheet: 22 of 24
- Publisher: Edward Stanford
- Published: London, 15 February 1862
- Scale: Six inches to one mile, approximately 1:10,560
- Area shown: Streatham, Tooting, Mitcham and adjoining districts
- Orientation: North at the top
- Original appearance: Printed linework with hand-coloured roads, water, boundaries and open ground
Streatham, Tooting and Mitcham in 1862
The three settlements remain separated by substantial stretches of open ground. Streets cluster around older roads and village centres, while fields and commons dominate much of the surrounding landscape.
Commons and Railway Expansion
The contrast between broad open spaces and the new railway corridors is one of the defining features of the sheet. These transport links would later encourage the rapid suburbanisation of the area.
Postal and Administrative Detail
The map records the contemporary South Western postal district and parish boundaries before the formation of modern boroughs.
Modern Postcode Coverage
The area shown broadly corresponds with parts of:
- SW16 – Streatham
- SW17 – Tooting
- CR4 – Mitcham
- SW12 – the northern edge towards Balham
Modern postcode boundaries do not precisely follow the historic divisions shown on the map.
