Benhill Estate
Benhill is a recently renovated and regenerated council housing estate in Sutton, London, originally built in the 1960s upon woodland.[1] It is east of Sutton High Street.[2]
The wider surrounding area whose initial development of large villas dates from Victorian times was intended for the upper middle class, whereas nearby Newtown - built around the same time as Benhill - was intended for the lower class.[2] Construction began in 1852.[2] However, development of it was slow and by 1913 there were still many empty building plots.[2]
One of its residents, Gerard 'Jed' Edge, had a picture of him selected as part of the 2009 BP Portrait Award exhibition[3] and supplied snakes for the Steven Spielberg film Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.[4] He died on 11 April 2013 after his flat in Benhill Wood Road caught fire.[5]
Crime
Crime levels in the borough are very low by London standards (see Crime in London), but extra patrols were made on the estate in January 2014[6]
References
- ^ Burgess, Frank. Sutton: A Pictorial History. Phillimore & Co. Ltd. p. 16.
- ^ a b c d "Sutton: A brief history". London Borough of Sutton. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
- ^ Julia Kennard (18 June 2009). "Indiana Jones' snake man immortalised in national gallery". Suttonguardian.co.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
- ^ Mike Murphy-Pyle (12 April 2013). "Pensioner dead in flat fire was 'wonderful' snake man Jed Edge". Suttonguardian.co.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
- ^ Mike Murphy-Pyle (12 April 2013). "Tragedy as neighbours unable to save pensioner in flat fire". Suttonguardian.co.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
- ^ Mike Murphy-Pyle (15 January 2014). "Police increase patrols on estate after bogus council worker rapes woman". Suttonguardian.co.uk. Retrieved 17 January 2014.