An Ivy Clad Cottage
For centuries the old farm house stood at the site of the Colliers Water Farm. The house was built in 1590 and Victorian times it had become a popular place to visit.
One of these visitors was John Bartlett. Born in Brackley, Northampton, in 1852. He later moved to Croydon where he established a successful stationery and book shop at 63 North End. He visited Colliers Water in the late 1890's and was so impressed that he decided to capture the view for posterity and began to set us his camera. While preparing the shot on a Sunday, a number of other visitors were watching him. So he asked them to pose in the scene too.
He produced around 300 local views on postcards and offered them for sale in his shop, some of which sold several thousand copies.
Colliers Water Farm in Thornton Heath.
Bartletts stationery and book shop at 63 North End, Croydon.
