The early years
The growing and distilling of Carshalton lavender (Lavendula Angustifolia) was an important industry for many years. The area around Mitcham was well known for lavender from the 1500 hundreds (hence Carshalton Lavender is also often refered to as Mitcham Lavender). In the heyday of production during the 19th century the area around Mitcham, Wallington, Carshalton and Sutton was a sea of blue in the summer and was known as the Lavender capital of the world.
Harvest
The lavender was harvested in August when the oil was at its best. The women would cut the lavender and bundle it loosely in 'mats' which were carried to the still-room. Where the lavender was distilled, the resulting oil was used as the basis for the lavender perfume. Much of the oil was distilled in distillaries in both Mitcham and Wallington. The distillary in Wallington (Ross Parade) being the official Lavender distillers to Queen Victoria.
What Makes Carshalton Lavender so Special?
Even the French admit Carshalton Lavender is the finest Lavender in the world. A combination of vareity, the chalk soil conditions and climate make for a truely remarkable Lavender which is both deep and herbaceous and has wonderful floral top notes. The Esther levels (often a mark of the purity and quality of Lavender) often exceed the most expensive high alititude Lavenders available and makre for a truely remarkable oil. |
Why did Carshalton Lavender die out?
Carshalton is only 12 miles from the centre of London. With the expansion of London in the interwar period the Lavender fields slowly started to become housing developments until very little of the Lavender remained - the history can be found in many of the road names in and around Carshalton. Luckily however some fields did remain and it is these fields along with the dedicated work of volunteers and enthusiasts which managed to reclassify all the Lavender species and bring back Original Carshalton Lavender in our Lavender field in Carshalton.
About the Lavender field and Redevelopment
Three acres of disused allotments have been transformed into lavender pastures in the London Borough of Sutton. The changes at the site, which was formerly subject to fly tipping, were originally initiated by environmental organisation, BioRegional Development Group, with help from a partnership of other organisations and volunteers. They all collaborated towards the regeneration of the environment andcommunity.
The lavender project has its roots in a long-term collaboration with local prison HMP Downview. Cuttings of the traditional varieties of the area were collected from the public and grown in an ambitious horticulture project within the prison, providing prisoners with useful skills. Once ready for planting, after two or three years, prisoners on day-release helped BioRegional staff clear and plant up disused allotments. |
The harvest has been a popular attraction since 1999 with the flower crop growing larger every year. In 2001 an ingenious harvesting solution was found in the form of a small scale “Heritage Harvester”. The fabulous contraption was custom built from scrap and recycled materials by an engineering team from Cranfield University, led by Dr James Brighton, consultant engineer to Channel 4’s "Scrap-heap Challenge” and “Junkyard Wars". The Heritage Harvester was specially designed to harvest narrow rows of lavender without damaging the plants, and demonstrates good re-use of materials from second-hand agricultural machines, a rotator and a quad bike.
The harvested lavender is distilled into pure essential oil and is used exclusively in Carshalton Lavender products produced by Naturallythinking. The funds from the purchase of the Carshalton Lavender Oil go directly back into funding the community project run by Carshalton Lavender
Carshalton Lavender was formed to manage the field and related events, cross-pollinating the varied interests and talents of artists, craftsmen, aromatherapists, allotment holders, brownies, organic gardeners, lavender lovers, conservationists, historians, and outdoor volunteers. |
Aromatherapy 
