Until urban/suburban development in the mid 20th century this area formed a small, east part of the Precinct of Norwood a relatively rare half subdivision of the large parish of Hayes.
Southall and Norwood manors in much of the medieval period belonged to the Archbishop of Canterbury hence giving the Norwood quasi-chapelry — virtually all a mixed agricultural area which covered today's Dormer's Wells, Norwood Green and Southall — the higher, less alienable status of a precinct.
The 12th century founded, much-altered chapel is St Mary's Church, Norwood Green.
St John's Church, Southall was built and endowed in 1838; consecrated in three years and made a parish in 1850. Nine years later Norwood precinct was created a parish separate from that of Hayes.
Further Anglican churches followed: Holy Trinity, St George, Christ the Redeemer and Emmanuel none are named after this area.
In 1800 the precinct's overshot flour mill on the edge of the fields associated with "Dorman's Well Farm" belonged to the Hayes manorial estate, the main manor in the parish. At that date it stood, together with a house and other property, at Dorman's Well. The overshot mill, comprising a mill, house, millpond, and land, was owned by the Earl of Jersey in 1821 (Villiers family seated at nearby Osterley Park) and in the 1860s stood, as before, on Windmill Lane at Dorman's Well.
In the late 20th century migration into the area included part of London's Sikh community, who established a large community building and venue for public hire, the Baba Wadbhag Singh Trust building.