Lavender facts & statistics

The Local Lavender project

•When HMP Downview prisoners cleared the 3-acre allotment site of weeds they also dealt with 24 tonnes of rubbish!

•The field was planted in 1996.

•The first community harvest was in 1999.

•In 2000 the plants were more mature so
hand-harvesting took several days, during which there was danger of rain spoiling the flowers.

So in 2001 the scrap heap harvester was built by a student from Cranfield University. With the help of the harvester it took only 1 1/2 days to harvest the field, the rain started just after we finished!

•Carshalton Lavender was formed in 2003. This is a voluntary group made up of local people who now manage the field and organise harvesting weekends.

The History of lavender

•Lavenders use dates back to the Egyptians. They used the plant for cosmetics and embalming.

•The Romans also used lavender for pomades and ointments and within public baths.

•The name Lavender may have come from:
lavare - latin verb - to wash
livendulo - meaning livid or blueish

•Egyptians were the first to experiment with distillation but is was the Medieval Persians who
perfected the process.

•Romans introduced lavender to the UK, it began to be grown quite commonly by the 15th Century.

•In the 18th Century Pembrokeshire, Hitchen, Kent, and Mitcham became known for lavender growing.

•Mitcham was viewed as ‘Bumpkin’ land and was used by physic gardeners who grew many plants for oils such as lavender, peppermint, cloves, lemon, rosemary, bergamot, roses and chamomile.

•The area was noted for good air and good company.Mitcham’s rich black loam soil denoted quality.

•Mitcham’s arms incorporated lavender sprigs and the boroughs colours were green and mauve.

•In 1749 Potter and Moore were established in Mitcham and became famous distillers of lavender water. Their product was endorsed by stars such as Gracie Fields.

•Around 1850 there were 500 acres of physic gardens in the area. Carts and wagons would travel to London markets every day.

•By the 19th to early 20th century Mitcham, Carshalton and Wallington were the world's leading suppliers. Thousands of acres could be found in Carshalton, Cheam, Sutton Common, Beddington, Hackbridge.

•In 1910 Yardley established a shop in New Bond Street, using lavender bought from Mitcham

•The havests took place in August - when flowers produce the most oil.

•Women, men and children would work 14 hour days, using small steel sickles. Whole families from Ireland would travel to the area and then move on to hop picking in Kent Lavender harvesting was a major source of employment in the South London
area.

•Around 1910 the industry began to decline as
cheap French lavender started to appear on the market.

•Suburban development also effected the area as the daily Mitcham to London stage coach service attracted bankers.

•During the First world war fields were taken over for food production.

•Last distilling in Mitcham was in 1933.

•Mitcham lavender still lives on - Heacham, Norfolk homes a 90 acre farm. Lavender is also still grown in Australia, New Zealand, Eastern Europe and Canada.

Last updated 14th January 2008