Carshalton is a suburb of London, part of the London Borough of Sutton, located 10 miles (16.1 km) south south-west of Charing Cross. It is in the UK Parliament constituency of Carshalton and Wallington. It is situated in the valley of the river Wandle, one of the sources of which is Carshalton Ponds in the centre of the village. To the south of the area now known as Carshalton, remains of artifacts dating from the Neolithic to the Iron Age have been found, suggesting that this was an early place of habitation. Prior to the Norman Conquest it is recorded that there were five manors in this location owned by five freemen. The area is mentioned in the Domesday book under the name Aultone and owned by Geoffrey de Mandeville. Carshalton was known for its springs and these may have given the place its name Cars - Aul - ton. Aul means well or spring. A ton is a farm which was in some way enclosed. The meaning of the Cars element is uncertain but early spellings (Kersaulton and Cresaulton) may indicate connection with a cross or perhaps cress, watercress having been grown locally. In his book History of the Worthies of England, the 17th century historian Thomas Fuller refers to Carshalton for its walnuts and trout. Land was primarily put to arable use and the river Wandle gave rise to manufacturing using water power. A water mill to grind corn was mentioned in the Domesday Book. By the end of the 18th century it was recorded that there were several mills for the production of paper and parchment, leather, snuff, log-wood and seed oil. There were also bleaching grounds for calico.During the Victorian era and into the early 20th century, Carshalton was known for its lavender fields , but the increasing land demand for residential building put an end to commercial growing.