I am shocked and horrified at my negligence of this very worthwhile little blog! If only I knew 3 years ago what I know now… Which is the entire purpose of letting you know.

One place that is screamingly obvious by its absence is the delightful little gem that is Merton Abbey Mills.

As the name suggests, it is one of the only remaining parts of Merton Abbey, and is in possession of London’s oldest working watermill. You would be forgiven for not knowing it was there at all, because its surrounded by ugly ugly ugly light industrial-y buildings, a huge Sainsbury’s Hypermarket,  and under the shadow of one of Britain’s most infamous buildings, the office tower of Colliers Wood, affectionately nicknamed by my friends as ‘Gotham City’. But fear not.

Abbey Mills has been a complete life saver to me on many occasions, particularly during the Summer months. Around the mill is an array of quaint low rise buildings which almost make you forget you are in London. In some of these buildings you will find many independent arts and crafts shops, as well as bookshops, vintage clothes, tattoo and piercing studios and a lovely music shop. In others you will find restaurants and cafes providing a variety of cuisines, including Thai, Italian, Brazilian, Caribbean and Belgian. There is a traditional family pub called The William Morris, and on the weekends an art and crafts gifts fair, as well as a farmer’s market. The variety of pretty eateries makes it a good contender for a nice quiet evening date too!  And last but not least, the abbey mills also have a small theatre which puts on a number of productions, including pantomimes.

The atmosphere is very family friendly, but not in exclusion of the single and younger among us; especially in July and August when a free open air music festival is held and the place gets pretty busy, yet never unpleasant. People come to sit on the edge of the river with a beer or two and listen to the dulcet tones of whoever happens to be performing at the time.

Another HUGE advantage of Abbey Mills is its close proximity to a number of  family friendly and cheap activities. It is within easy walking distance of Deen City Farm and Riding School, Eddie Catz and Morden Hall Park(which is possibly the nicest thing about Morden).

Underground: Colliers Wood – Escalators


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