Carshalton began as a village to the south of London and has a rich history and legacy of public houses.

The pub crawl is a British tradition of drunken revelry, requiring several pubs within walking distance, for which Carshalton is well-suited.

The book, though, is a sober history of its inns and taverns, brewers and ale houses, through beer houses and hotels to the public houses it has today.

It sheds light on local characters and stories, some tragic or amusing, and on the development of Carshalton from Surrey village to London suburb.

Drunken revelry is entirely optional!