St Philomena’s School and Carshalton House
Carshalton House, now part of St Philomena’s Catholic High School for Girls, has long been linked to reports of hauntings.
According to Secret Carshalton, stories include the appearance of a “Grey Lady” in the dormitories and the ghost of a nun seen walking near the Water Tower.
Former pupils have described the grounds as eerie at night and recalled unexplained incidents, such as a dumbwaiter moving on its own despite being locked.
Past on Glass adds further accounts linked to the building’s staircase.
In the early 1700s, the house was owned by Dr John Radcliffe, physician to Queen Anne.
One story claims he killed a royal messenger by throwing him down the stairs.
Another tale suggests that a later owner, Sir John Fellowes, dispatched a tax collector in the same way.
There is no confirmed evidence of either event, but the staircase continues to be associated with sightings.
Past on Glass also describes other ghostly legends tied to the house, including the re-enactment of a servant’s murder in the gallery, hammering noises where a body was allegedly hidden, and sightings of a woman carrying a child.
The Greyhound pub, Carshalton
The Greyhound pub, situated beside Carshalton Ponds, is another building steeped in local legend.
According to Secret Carshalton, the pub dates back at least to 1706, and possibly earlier.
In the 1800s, a traveller in a long cloak was found frozen to death on the doorstep.
Since then, some have reported seeing a grey-faced figure in the early hours, shivering and silent.
Carshalton War Memorial Hospital
Built in 1924, the War Memorial Hospital overlooks Carshalton Park.
It replaced a smaller facility on Rochester Road and has since been converted into flats.
One former community nurse told Secret Carshalton that while working there in the early 2000s, she saw the figure of a nurse in a long dress standing by a window at dusk.
A nurse on duty later told her that ghost sightings were a regular occurrence among night staff.
Rose Cottage, West Street
Rose Cottage, near Carshalton Station, was built around 1675.
It features in Haunted Houses of London, a book by Elliott O’Donnell published in 1909.
According to both Secret Carshalton and Past on Glass, the house is said to be haunted by a woman seen standing by the fireplace.
Louise Gasperelli, who lived there in the 1970s and 80s, reported a presence in certain rooms but not the specific figure mentioned in earlier accounts.
Cinemas and the ghost of “Old Charlie”
Several ghost stories are linked to Sutton’s lost cinemas.
The Century Cinema on Station Way in Cheam was built in the 1930s and demolished decades later.
According to both Past on Glass and Great British Ghost Tour, a workman vanished during construction, leaving only his coat and lunch behind.
Later reports described footsteps on the stage long after closing.
Some staff blamed “Old Charlie”, a ghost said to patrol the building.
Nearby in St Helier, the Gaumont Cinema was also associated with strange happenings.
Past on Glass reports that cleaners and electricians saw a man walking in the building.
The same blog recounts that neighbours complained about loud organ music, even though the Hammond organ had already been removed.
Elsewhere in Sutton
Carew Manor in Beddington, once an orphanage and now a school, is reported by Great British Ghost Tour to be haunted by Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Walter Raleigh, and a nun seen in 1972.
In Nonsuch Park, witnesses have reported a tall figure in a dark coat and hat near the south entrance.
The ghost, described as having a thin face, is included in Great British Ghost Tour and the book Haunted Surrey by Rupert Matthews.
The Old Rectory in Cheam, which dates to the 1500s, is reportedly home to seven ghosts.
According to Past on Glass, one of them is known for pinching visitors on the bottom around Halloween.
Another is believed to be the ghost of Bishop Lancelot Andrews, visible only from the knees up.
Past on Glass notes that later renovation work revealed raised floors, which may explain the partial apparition.
Whether based in history or myth, Sutton’s ghost stories continue to capture the imagination.
