OUR STORY

The elegant 'birdcages' - "Ivy", "Grace" and "Bella" - where our visitors relax and enjoy their luscious afternoon teas.

The photo below shows a view of the High Street in the early 1900s. The doorway and shop front of  what is now Mountain Ash House has since been remodelled.

Above: the Conveyance of the building to Ellen Pattenden in 1890

The tea room building dates from the early 19th century, though it has been much modified and has housed many different businesses over the years. The building was originally a chemist's - owned by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners (Manor of Streatham) - and rented out to Sarah West, proprietress of the White Hart in 1880. In 1890, Sarah bought the copyhold and sold the premises to Ellen Pattenden - for £475 - on  condition that she would ...not at any time hereafter use or permit to be used the said messuage and premises as a Bakers or Confectioners Shop, or permit to be carried on on the said premises the business of a Baker or Confectioner...

In the 1940s the shop was a hairdressers'. The photo on the left, dating from 1947, shows barber Charles Tyler with postman Bob Wells, and milkman Tom Thorns outside the shop front.

In later years, as Village Care, the shop sold a large range of goods, including toiletries, cosmetics, clothing, toys, fashion accessories, jewellery, travel accessories, etc. It also provided passport photos and had a watch battery changing service.

Though now predominantly a tea room, the shop still retails a range of gift items - and continues to change watch batteries and provide an instant, offline passport photo service.

Above - the High Street in the 1920s. Mountain Ash House, now Christina's, is in between the Post Office (Clarence House) with its horizontal black signboard and the shops with the white sun awnings.