TREASURE DESCRIPTION: An attractive weatherboarded house which was the home of the Hatfeild family before and after they lived in Morden Hall. It has also been a registry office. Grade II Listing Number: 1193502
This was the home of the family who were most associated with Morden Hall Park and owned the Snuff Mills and so were one of the most important tobacco manufacturers in the country. The cottage was built around 1750 by Nathaniel Polhill, M.P. who was involved in the tobacco trade. However it is best remembered for its association with the Hatfeild family. They lived in the 13 roomed cottage when they first came to Morden at the beginning of 19th Century, and one of Alexander Hatfeild’s daughters was married from there and all of his children were born there. Gilliat Edward Hatfeild, his son, moved from there to Morden Hall in 1867. However Gilliat returned to live there when he took over the business following his father’s death in 1902 and stayed there until his death in 1941, when all the estate was left to The National Trust.
The cottage has since had different uses: oneclaim to fame being that it hosted the Sunday Pictorial Film Star parties in the 1940s and 1950s, with famous stars such as Richard Attenborough in attendance. Other uses have been as a council office, registry office and at present it is a school.
These treasures were made as part of The Building Exploratory, Wandle Treasures project. This project was part of the wider Living Wandle Landscape Partnership Scheme, funded by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund.
