Honeywood Museum in Carshalton

Honeywood Museum is a grade II listed building on the western side of Carshalton Ponds. It contains displays about local history, as well as the history of the house and its former inhabitants. The museum is located a short distance from the start or end of the Wandle Trail.

This post is all about Honeywood Museum including its location and opening hours.

Honeywood Museum

What is Honeywood Museum?

Honeywood Museum is a house that was built in the 17th century, originally known as Wandle Cottage. At the time it was built, a second house was also constructed close by, which was known as “Honeywood”. When the second house was demolished in 1884, Wandle Cottage was renamed “Honeywood”.

The two houses were built on a line of springs, which suggests that they were using the water in some way. A stream even flows beneath the current Honeywood house.

Since there would not have been enough power from the flow of the stream to power a mill, its more likely that the houses were the site of cold baths.

The practice of bathing in cold water was popular in the 17th and 18th century, and believed to cure many illnesses. Although there is no evidence that Honeywood was originally built as a commercial cold bath, it seems the most likely explanation for its location.

The house today contains displays about the people who lived in Honeywood House in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. It also has information about the history of Carshalton, and the River Wandle that powered Carshalton’s mills.

What Can You See at Honeywood Museum?

The museum has displays about:

• The Pattinson Kirk family who lived in the house from 1878-1939
• The springs and ponds of Carshalton
• Industries on the River Wandle
• Other local buildings such as Carew Manor and Carshalton House
• The history of the house and garden
• Carshalton during the second world war

There is also an art gallery which displays the work of local artists.

Edwardian Billiards Room

When you enter the museum, the first room is the billiard’s room. This was one of the major additions that the Kirk family made to the house in 1903, and the decorations remain relatively untouched.

Kirk bought the freehold to both Wandle Cottage and Honeywood in 1883, and demolished the original Honeywood house a year later. He transferred the name “Honeywood” to Wandle Cottage, and added a large extension to the house.

The extension included the billiard’s room and drawing room on the ground floor, and an extra bedroom and nursery upstairs.

Drawing Room

The drawing room contains displays and photographs about the history of Carshalton, as well as Carshalton’s famous springs. The area was once full of ponds and streams, and known for the purity of its water.

Water Room

Upstairs there are two small rooms named “Water Rooms” which contain displays about the use of water in Carshalton. One room is dedicated to the use of water in industry, and contains information about Carshalton’s mills, and the other is about the use of water in leisure, and has information about local gardens, fountains and fisheries.

There is a rainbow trout on display in one of the rooms, shown in the photograph above. The trout is believed to have been caught in the River Wandle near Hackbridge in 1898.

Childhood Room

The childhood room contains a delightful collection of Edwardian toys, as well as paintings of characters from Alice in Wonderland and Wind in the Willows.

Bathroom

The bathroom in the house dates from around 1870. Before this time most houses did not have bathrooms as people washed themselves in their bedrooms or dressing rooms. There is a bell on the wall to summon a servant.

Victorian Scullery

Behind the tearoom you can see a small Victorian scullery. Sculleries were small kitchens or rooms at the back of a house that were used for washing dishes or clothing.

World War Two Room

One of the upstairs bedrooms that was part of an extension to the original building, contains a display about Carshalton during World War Two.

The Landing

The landing upstairs is part of the original 17th century building, although the window is from the 18th century.

Honeywood Tea Room

Honeywood has a tea room that serves teas, sandwiches and scones with clotted cream and jam. The tearoom has different opening times to the museum, and is open every day throughout the year.

Honeywood Museum’s Shop

The museum’s shop contains books on local history, mugs, tea towels and souvenirs, as well as unusual gifts and bird food to feed the ducks.

The bay window at the front of the shop was one of the extensions to the original house.

How do You Get to Honeywood Museum?

Honeywood Museum is about five minutes walk from Carshalton railway station. Trains run to Carshalton from Epsom, Sutton, West Croydon, Balham, and London Victoria.

The following bus routes stop near to Honeywood Museum: 127, 157, 407, S3, X26.

Honeywood Museum Opening Times

Honeywood Museum is open at the following times (except on bank holidays). Entrance to the museum is free. Donations are welcomed.

More Information

• The Friends of Honeywood Museum website – has an on-going diary of events, as well as information about interactive exhibitions at the museum.
• Honeywood Tea Room website – has the full menu for the lovely tea room.
• An Overview of the History of the River Wandle – has information about the history of the river Wandle from the Paleolithic and Mesolithic Periods to the present day.

Other Museums Along the Wandle Trail

• Wandle Industrial Museum – has lots of information about the industries and mills that once existed around the River Wandle.

This post was about Honeywood Museum in Carshalton

Thank you for reading my post about Honeywood Museum in Carshalton. Honeywood Museum is located on Honeywood Walk next to the picturesque Carshalton Ponds. It is a family-friendly museum with lots of activities for children, and an extensive programme of workshops.