96-632: Croydon is a large town in South London , England, 9.3 miles (15.0 km) south of Charing Cross . Part of the London Borough of Croydon , a local government district of Greater London , it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensive shopping district. The entire town had a population of 192,064 as of 2011, whilst the wider borough had a population of 384,837. Historically an ancient parish in
192-415: A charter for a weekly market , and this probably marks the foundation of Croydon as an urban centre. Croydon developed into one of the main market towns of north east Surrey. The market place was laid out on the higher ground to the east of the manor house in the triangle now bounded by High Street, Surrey Street and Crown Hill. By the 16th century the manor house had become a substantial palace, used as
288-466: A triglyph frieze and panelled parapet. The Parish Church of St Michael and All Angels by John Loughborough Pearson in West Croydon was built between 1880 and 1885, and is Grade I listed. The development of Brighton as a fashionable resort in the 1780s increased Croydon's importance as a halt for stage coaches on the road south of London. At the beginning of the 19th century, Croydon became
384-507: A 43-storey tower, began on Wellesley Road in 2011 and was completed in 2016. Other developments with towers over 50 floors high have been given planning approval. These include the 54-storey "Menta Tower" in Cherry Orchard Road near East Croydon station, and a 55-storey tower at One Lansdowne Road, on which construction was set to begin in early 2013. The latter is set to be Britain's tallest block of flats, including office space,
480-480: A beautiful little chapel, dedicated to St Mary. The flèch-capped chapel and the gables compose a very pretty hamlet. Godstone Green became a busy centre of roads and vehicles during the growth of wheeled traffic in the 16th century, an era which spawned the establishment of Godstone's numerous inns. A number of houses built entirely of brick appeared in the 18th century, notably the row in the High Street. During
576-506: A compound horizontal engine and a further extension in 1912. In 1883 Croydon was incorporated as a borough. In 1889 it became a county borough, with a greater degree of autonomy. The new county borough council implemented the Croydon Improvement scheme in the early 1890s, which widened the High Street and cleared much of the "Middle Row" slum area. The remaining slums were cleared shortly after Second World War , with much of
672-615: A four-star hotel and a health club. In May 2012 it was announced that Croydon had been successful in its bid to become one of twelve " Portas Pilot " towns and would receive a share of £1.2m funding to help rejuvenate its central shopping areas. In November 2013, Central Croydon MP Gavin Barwell gave a presentation at a public meeting on the Croydon regeneration project, detailing various developments underway due to be completed in coming years. On 26 November 2013, Croydon Council approved
768-459: A hospital and school in Croydon for the "poor, needy and impotent people" from the parishes of Croydon and Lambeth . The foundation stone was laid in 1596 and the building was completed in 1599. The premises included the Hospital or Almshouses, providing accommodation for between 28 and 40 people, and a nearby schoolhouse and schoolmaster's house. There was a Warden in charge of the well-being of
864-474: A listed brew house, oast house and stable just north on its moat. It forms a neighbourhood buffered by countryside immediately north of Godstone railway station . It has St Stephen's Church, St Stephen's C of E primary school, a garage, several garden nurseries, a hairdresser, and a sports and social club. There was once a pub opposite the railway station – originally named 'The Railway', it has since been renamed 'The Lagham' – it
960-430: A memorial chapel in 1787, which has the tombs of Sir John and Lady Evelyn. The North aisle was built in about 1845. Sir George Gilbert Scott 's restoration of the church in 1872–3 involved widening of the chancel arch, inserting a new north side to the chancel, new windows to the nave and east end, and adding the south aisle. The churchyard contains a notable sarsen stone marking the grave of Walker Miles whose work in
1056-566: A narrow road leading from the south of the village to the church, and the footpath running from the White Hart pub and its barn, along Bay Pond to Church Lane. The original village around St Nicholas Church was decimated during the great plague of 1342 with the victims being buried in two 'plague pits' in Bullbeggars Lane. Even in death, the sexes were kept separate; men and women were interred in separate pits. The road running past
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#17327653049411152-594: A personal name, Crocus : he suggests a family connection with the documented Chrocus , king of the Alemanni , who allegedly played a part in the proclamation of Constantine as emperor at York in AD 306. The town lies on the line of the Roman road from London to Portslade , and there is some archaeological evidence for small-scale Roman settlement in the area: there may have been a mansio (staging-post) here. Later, in
1248-725: A popular society venue attracting crowds to its fêtes . One widely publicised event was a "Grand Scottish Fete" on 16 September 1834 "with a tightrope performance by Pablo Fanque , the black circus performer who would later dominate the Victorian circus and achieve immortality in the Beatles song, Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! " The spa closed in 1856 soon after the opening nearby of the Crystal Palace which had been rebuilt on Sydenham Hill in 1854, following its success at
1344-421: A population of 1,329,000. This definition is used by organisations such as Connexions . Between 2008 and 2011 it was replaced with a South East sub-region consisting of Southwark, Lewisham, Greenwich, Bexley and Bromley and a South West sub-region consisting of Croydon, Kingston, Lambeth, Merton, Sutton, Richmond and Wandsworth. In 2011 a new south London region was created consisting of Bromley, Croydon,
1440-473: A recorded population of 73 households (representing roughly 365 individuals); and its value in terms of taxes rendered was £37 10s 0d. The church had been established in the middle Saxon period, and was probably a minster church , a base for a group of clergy living a communal life. A charter issued by King Coenwulf of Mercia refers to a council that had taken place close to the monasterium (meaning minster) of Croydon. An Anglo-Saxon will made in about 960
1536-689: A redevelopment of the Town Centre by The Croydon Partnership, a joint venture by the Westfield Group and Hammerson. London Mayor Boris Johnson approved the plan the following day. The Croydon Advertiser listed the approval as an "Historic Night for Croydon". At Ruskin Square , a Boxpark made of sea containers opened in 2016 as a temporary measure until new buildings are constructed for shops, offices and housing. The London Evening Standard said that this and other developments were reviving
1632-689: A scandal about cash for peerages . Also abandoned were plans for an arena near the East Croydon station, after a compulsory purchase order was rejected in 2008 at Cabinet level. On 22 November 2011, then Mayor of London Boris Johnson announced £23m of additional funding to help redevelop the town at the Develop Croydon Conference. Several apartment developments, for instance Altitude 25 (completed 2010), have been built in recent years, and several more are being built or planned. The construction of Saffron Square , which includes
1728-487: A score of 90%. The Zotefoams company has its headquarters in Croydon. For centuries the area lay within the Wallington hundred , an ancient Anglo-Saxon administrative division of the county of Surrey . In the later Middle Ages – probably from the late 13th century onwards – residents of the town of Croydon, as defined by boundary markers known as the "four crosses", enjoyed a degree of self-government through
1824-444: A significant urban and commercial centre in its own right, located on the outskirts of a larger metropolitan area (in this case, London). In 1960 Croydon celebrated its millennium with a pageant held at Lloyd Park and an exhibition held at the old Croydon Aerodrome. The growing town attracted many new buildings. The Fairfield Halls arts centre and event venue opened in 1962. Croydon developed as an important centre for shopping, with
1920-422: A town court or portmote , and a form of free tenure of property . These privileges set the area of the town apart from its rural hinterland, where the more usual and more restrictive rules of manorial tenure applied. However, Croydon did not hold any kind of formal borough status. In 1690, the leading inhabitants petitioned William III and Mary for Croydon to be incorporated as a borough. The application
2016-516: Is a Perpendicular -style church, which was remodelled in 1849 but destroyed in a great fire in 1867, after which only the tower, south porch, and outer walls remained. A new church was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott , one of the greatest architects of the Victorian age , and opened in 1870. His design loosely followed the previous layout, with knapped flint facing and many of the original features, including several tombs. Croydon Parish Church
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#17327653049412112-584: Is currently operating as an Indian Restaurant. The Fox & Hounds on Tilburstow Hill is close by. It is home to South Godstone FC, whose first team currently compete in Intermediate Division One of the Surrey South Eastern Combination . Blindley Heath is the southernmost portion of the parish, a hamlet separated by fields from the village of Godstone. The Blindley Heath Site of Special Scientific Interest
2208-420: Is divided between Surrey County Council , where Godstone is represented by one councillor, Chris Farr who is an Independent; and Tandridge District Council , where Godstone has three councillors: Ward There is also a parish council with 9 members. The average level of accommodation in the region composed of detached houses was 28%, the average that was apartments was 22.6%. The proportion of households in
2304-413: Is no indication the hamlet was named for her. Attributions to a non-historical founder named Cōd are examples of founding myths . Godstone was originally merely a hamlet in the parish of Walkingstead, with the centre of population later shifting from the latter to the former. It appears that the manor-houses of Marden and Lagham were centres of population till the inhabitants were nearly exterminated by
2400-640: Is the best known example of a relict damp grassland on Weald Clay in Surrey and has several ponds and a stretch of the Ray Brook. It is also a Local Nature Reserve and is managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust . There is an active C of E church to St John the Evangelist built in 1842. This is a small parcel of land, tucked away in between Tilburstow Hill Road and Eastbourne Road, to
2496-551: Is the burial place of six Archbishops of Canterbury: John Whitgift , Edmund Grindal , Gilbert Sheldon , William Wake , John Potter and Thomas Herring . Historically part of the Diocese of Canterbury , Croydon is now in the Diocese of Southwark . In addition to the suffragan Bishop of Croydon , the Vicar of Croydon is a preferment . Addington Palace is a Palladian-style mansion between Addington Village and Shirley , in
2592-614: Is the southern part of Greater London , England , south of the River Thames . The region consists of the boroughs , in whole or in part, of Bexley , Bromley , Croydon , Greenwich , Kingston , Lambeth , Lewisham , Merton , Richmond , Southwark , Sutton and Wandsworth . South London originally emerged from Southwark , first recorded as Suthriganaweorc , meaning 'fort of the men of Surrey '. From Southwark , London then extended further down into northern Surrey and western Kent . South London began at Southwark at
2688-499: Is witnessed by Elfsies, priest of Croydon; and the church is also mentioned in Domesday Book . The will of John de Croydon, fishmonger, dated 6 December 1347, includes a bequest to "the church of S John de Croydon", the earliest clear record of its dedication . The church still bears the arms of Archbishop Courtenay and Archbishop Chichele , believed to have been its benefactors. In 1276 Archbishop Robert Kilwardby acquired
2784-604: The Black Death of 1349. The village lay within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Tandridge hundred . It was built along a stretch of the London to Brighton Way Roman road, which came through the high Caterham Gap and continues southward along Tilburstow Hill Road. The church gave its name to another and probably earlier settlement on the main road, which then passed by Marden Park and went on to Lagham. In
2880-593: The Grand National . Increasing local opposition to the presence of allegedly unruly racegoers coupled with the need to obtain a licence from the local authority led to it being closed down in 1890. The Elizabethan Whitgift Almshouses , the "Hospital of the Holy Trinity", in the centre of Croydon at the corner of North End and George Street, were erected by Archbishop John Whitgift. He petitioned for and received permission from Queen Elizabeth I to establish
2976-541: The Great Exhibition in Hyde Park . Horse racing in the area took place occasionally, notably during visits of Queen Elizabeth I to the archbishop. Regular meetings became established first on a course at Park Hill in 1860 and from 1866 at Woodside , where particularly good prizes were offered for the races run under National Hunt rules. In that sphere its prestige was second only to Aintree , home of
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3072-621: The London Borough of Croydon . Six archbishops lived there between 1807 and 1898, when it was sold. Between 1953 and 1996 it was the home of the Royal School of Church Music . It is now a conference and banqueting venue. Croydon was home to the Addiscombe Military Seminary (1809–1861), at which young officers were trained for the army of the East India Company . Croydon was a leisure destination in
3168-638: The National Highways , which leads to Eastbourne , East Sussex . Junction 6 of the M25 motorway is just to the north of the village, immediately south of this junction is the town's fire station. Godstone is also the traffic control centre for the southern M25. The village is served by Godstone railway station on the Redhill–Tonbridge line which is located in the hamlet of South Godstone (which used to be known as Lagham), approximately 2 miles to
3264-635: The North Downs , both the North Downs Way and the Greensand Way pass through Godstone. The earliest known appearance of the name is Godeston from AD 1248. It was subsequently known as Godestone, Godiston, Codeston, Codestone, Coddestone, Coddeston and Goddeston. The name took its current form in AD 1548. The root itself is uncertain but is the same as the towns of Godalming and Godmanchester , suggesting it may be derived from
3360-602: The North Downs , one taken by the A23 Brighton Road and the main railway line through Purley and Merstham and the other by the A22 from Purley to the M25 Godstone interchange. Road traffic is diverted away from a largely pedestrianised town centre, mostly consisting of North End . East Croydon railway station is a hub of the national railway system, with frequent fast services to central London, Brighton and
3456-625: The Wallington Hundred of Surrey, at the time of the Norman conquest of England Croydon had a church, a mill, and around 365 inhabitants, as recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. Croydon expanded in the Middle Ages as a market town and a centre for charcoal production, leather tanning and brewing. The brewing industry remaining strong for hundreds of years. The Surrey Iron Railway from Croydon to Wandsworth opened in 1803 and
3552-566: The ethnonym of the Goths who settled Sub-Roman Britain . It appears the town was part of a Sub-Roman network, linked via old Roman road to Goddards Green and Ditchling in Sussex . A proposed link with Godgifu , daughter of Æthelred the Unready , is speculative. The Domesday Book of 1086 does record the parish as being held by her widower, Count Eustace II of Boulogne , but there
3648-477: The sandpit , the brook , the woods, and the bluebells . Godstone Village School is in the Godstone Green neighbourhood of the village. It caters for children between the ages of 3 and 11. The Orpheus Centre is an inclusive performing arts college for young adults with physical or learning disabilities, founded in 1998 by British entertainer and musician Richard Stilgoe in his former family home in
3744-402: The 1800s, stone was quarried at Godstone. The mine is no longer in production but is used by the caving community. The heart of Godstone consists of two centres, Church Town and Godstone Green, linked by other neighbourhoods. Both are now conservation areas . Overall the long north–south parish covers 1,806 hectares (4,460 acres) and through its length of approximately 3 miles (4.8 km)
3840-499: The 19th century, The Pond at Godstone Green was used as a horse-pond with a sloping bank down which the wagoners drove their horses. In the very core of the village is a triangular island, which in Victorian times, was densely packed with a remarkable number of cottages intersected by alleys. It is claimed to have been the worst slum in Surrey, which is no longer the case, with each dwelling having been paid much care and attention. The two parts of Godstone are linked by Bullbeggars Lane,
3936-505: The 5th to 7th centuries, a large pagan Saxon cemetery was situated on what is now Park Lane, although the extent of any associated settlement is unknown. By the late Saxon period Croydon was the hub of an estate belonging to the Archbishops of Canterbury . The church and the archbishops' manor house occupied the area still known as " Old Town ". The archbishops used the manor house as an occasional place of residence: as lords of
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4032-425: The A22 road runs. Church Town has old timber-framed buildings. The Old Packhouse, dating from the 15th century, is the oldest timber-framed building in the town. In the 18th century, brick became the fashionable material for house building, and Church End and Church House, opposite the church, are two listed architectural examples. St Nicholas Church dominates Church Town. James Evelyn of Fellbridge House built
4128-586: The Norse or Danish word for crooked, which is expressed in Anglo-Saxon by crumb , a totally different word. From the Danish came our crook and crooked . This term accurately describes the locality; it is a crooked or winding valley , in reference to the valley that runs in an oblique and serpentine course from Godstone to Croydon." Anderson challenged a claim, originally made by Andrew Coltee Ducarel , that
4224-568: The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Richmond upon Thames, Merton, Sutton, Wandsworth, Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham. South London is, like other parts of London and the UK in general, a temperate maritime climate according to the Köppen climate classification system . Three Met Office weather stations currently collect climate data south of the river; Kew, Hampton and Kenley Airfield, on
4320-619: The Thames. Often snow can be seen to lie on the North Downs near Croydon when central London is snow free. The record high temperature at Greenwich is 37.5 °C (99.5 °F) recorded during August 2003. Sunshine is notably lower than other London area weather stations (by about 50–100 hours a year), suggesting Greenwich may be a fog trap in winter, and that the hillier land to the south may obscure early morning and late evening sunshine. The highest temperature recorded across south London
4416-529: The Tower' (East London) . The area now usually referred to as North London developed later. As late as the mid 18th century, however, there were no other bridges crossing the river and as a result urban growth was considerably slower in the south than in areas north of the Thames . The opening of Westminster Bridge and other subsequent bridges to the west encouraged growth in the south-west, but only Tower Bridge
4512-651: The Vikings. Southwark was also known as the Borough due to be it being an incorporated (nationally represented) Borough from 1295. From 1550 to 1899 it was administered as part of the City of London and referred to as the ward of Bridge Without . In 1720, John Strype's 'Survey of London' described Southwark as one of the then four distinct areas of London; in it he describes the City of London , Westminster (West London) , Southwark (South London) , and 'That Part Beyond
4608-475: The Whitgift Centre, and adjoining the smaller Drummond Centre . House of Fraser and Debenhams are the anchor stores in the combined centre. In addition, there are plans for a large, new one billion pound shopping centre, in the form of a new Westfield shopping mall to add to the two which the company currently has in Greater London; Westfield plans to work jointly with Hammerson and to incorporate
4704-512: The almoners. The building takes the form of a courtyard surrounded by the chambers of the almoners and various offices. Threatened by various reconstruction plans and road-widening schemes, the Almshouses were saved in 1923 by intervention of the House of Lords . On 21 June 1983 Queen Elizabeth II visited the Almshouses and unveiled a plaque celebrating the recently completed reconstruction of
4800-429: The area. The 12 boroughs included, in whole or part are: (Outer London for statistics) A small area of land, on which the southern end of Blackfriars Bridge stands, is not part of Southwark. It forms part of the City of London , a sui generis local authority which is mainly located north of the Thames. The term 'south London' has been used for a variety of formal purposes with the boundaries defined according to
4896-506: The best aspects of the two companies' designs. In November 2017, Croydon Council gave permission for the new Westfield shopping centre to be built and in January 2018, the Mayor of London , Sadiq Khan , approved the regeneration scheme. Work to demolish the existing Whitgift Centre was due to begin in 2018 and Westfield Croydon was initially to open by 2022. The Westfield plans were delayed and
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#17327653049414992-588: The building. On 22 March each year the laying of the foundation stone is commemorated as Founder's Day. In 1864, the Catholic St Mary's Church in Croydon was opened. It was designed by E. W. Pugin and Frederick Walters in the Gothic Revival style . The Grade II listed West Croydon Baptist Church was built in 1873 by J. Theodore Barker. It is a red brick building with stone dressings. Its three bays are divided by paired Doric pilasters supporting
5088-606: The centre was the " Picasso 's Croydon Period" exhibition of March–May 1995. The Croydon Tramlink began operation in May 2000 (see Transport section below). The Prospect West office development was built in 1991 to 1992, and its remodelling planned in 2012 has now been completed. Renamed Interchange Croydon when it was reopened in 2014, the 180,000 square foot office development was the first new grade A office development of its size to open in Croydon for more than 20 years. Another large shopping centre, Centrale , opened in 2004 opposite
5184-517: The church was at one time the main coastal road with the present village not being built until Tudor times. The Pack House featured in the Gracie Fields film 'Sing as you dance along', with Gracie dancing along the lane past the cottage which used to be an Inn. South Godstone was originally known as Lagham and centred on the old mediæval moated manor house of Lagham, a scheduled ancient monument and Grade II* listed building . It also features
5280-411: The civil parish who owned their home outright compares to the regional average of 35.1%. The proportion who owned their home with a loan compares to the regional average of 32.5%. The remaining % is made up of rented dwellings (plus a negligible % of households living rent-free). In 2009, 93 people were infected by an outbreak of the E. coli bacteria at Godstone Farm, liability for which
5376-618: The construction of the Whitgift Centre in 1969. No. 1 Croydon (formerly the NLA Tower) designed by Richard Seifert & Partners was completed in 1970. The Warehouse Theatre opened in 1977. The 1990s saw further changes intended to give the town a more attractive image. These included the closure of North End to vehicles in 1989 and the opening of the Croydon Clocktower arts centre in 1994. An early success of
5472-509: The cottages in 1857, now number 6 and 7 The Enterdent. These buildings were enlarged with an extension at the rear and five further cottages were added, making a row of seven. A second terrace of cottages, this time eight in number, appeared further up the valley. Today, the fifteen original cottages have been converted to eight homes. The additional five cottages from the original terrace have since been converted into two larger properties, number 1 comprising three cottages, and number 5 comprising
5568-455: The cultivation of saffron . It has been argued that this cultivation is likely to have taken place in the Roman period, when the saffron crocus would have been grown to supply the London market, most probably for medicinal purposes, and particularly for the treatment of granulation of the eyelids . There is also a plausible Brittonic origin for Croydon in the form "Crai-din" meaning "settlement near fresh water" (cf Creuddyn, Ceredigion ),
5664-473: The early days of the "Ramblers' movement" contributed to the formation of the Ramblers of Great Britain. At the same time, Sir George Gilbert Scott designed St Mary's almshouses next to St Nicholas Church for Mrs Mabel Hunt of Wonham House, in memory of her only daughter who had died at the age of sixteen. Built in a Victorian Tudor/gothic style, they include eight self-contained houses, a wardens house and
5760-544: The first half of the 20th century, towns in the Home Counties such as Kingston, Croydon and Bromley gradually coalesced with South London, until Greater London was formed in 1965. A significant feature of south London's economic geography is that while there are more than thirty bridges linking the area with West London and the City , there is only one, Tower Bridge , linking the area with East London . Very little of London's underground rail network lies south of
5856-428: The first towns in the country to acquire a local board of health . The Board constructed public health infrastructure including a reservoir , water supply network , sewers , a pumping station and sewage disposal works. The Surrey Street Pumping Station is Grade II listed; it was built in four phases. starting with the engine house in 1851, with a further engine house in 1862, a further extension in 1876–7 to house
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#17327653049415952-451: The go-ahead to property fund manager Legal and General Property's plans to convert the empty 24-storey St George's House office building, occupied by Nestlé until September 2012, into 288 flats. In 2007, events were held under the label of Croydon Exp07 to promote billions of pounds of promised projects, including swimming pools and a library. However, plans for a new shopping centre, to be called Park Place , had already been abandoned amid
6048-585: The linchpin of a cultural quarter encompassing nearby College Green. Plans include an art gallery, a new college , shops and offices, with a multi-storey car park set for demolition to make space for 218 homes. As of 2011, Croydon's annual retail turnover from comparison goods was £353 million, the fifth-highest in Greater London behind the West End , Shepherd's Bush , Stratford and Kingston upon Thames . Croydon had as of 2012 320,991 square metres (3,455,120 sq ft) of total town centre floorspace,
6144-453: The main summer home of the archbishops and visited by monarchs and other dignitaries. However, the palace gradually became dilapidated and surrounded by slums and stagnant ponds, and in 1781 the archbishops sold it, and in its place purchased a new residence at nearby Addington . Nevertheless, many of the buildings of the original Croydon Palace survive, and are in use today as Old Palace School . The Parish Church (now Croydon Minster )
6240-415: The manor they dominated the life of the town well into the early modern period , and as local patrons they continue to have an influence. Croydon appears in Domesday Book (1086) as Croindene , held by Archbishop Lanfranc . Its Domesday assets included 16 hides and 1 virgate of land; a church; a mill worth 5s; 38 plough -teams; 8 acres (3.2 ha) of meadow ; and woodland for 200 hogs . It had
6336-509: The mid 19th century. In 1831, one of England's most prominent architects, Decimus Burton , designed a spa and pleasure gardens below Beulah Hill and off what is now Spa Hill in a bowl of land on the south-facing side of the hill around a spring of chalybeate water. Burton was responsible for the Beulah Spa Hotel (demolished around 1935) and the layout of the grounds. Its official title was The Royal Beulah Spa and Gardens. It became
6432-514: The name Crai (variously spelled) being found in Kent at various places even as late as the Domesday Book . Alternative, although less probable, theories of the name's origin have been proposed. According to John Corbet Anderson: "The earliest mention of Croydon is in the joint will of Beorhtric and Aelfswth, dated about the year 962. In this Anglo-Saxon document the name is spelt [here he uses Old English characters] Crogdaene . Crog was, and still is,
6528-593: The name came from the Old French for "chalk hill", because it was in use at least a century before the French language would have been commonly used following the Norman Conquest . However, there was no long-term Danish occupation (see Danelaw ) in Surrey, which was part of Wessex , and Danish-derived nomenclature is also highly unlikely. More recently, David Bird has speculated that the name might derive from
6624-688: The planning permission elapsed: however, in 2021, Croydon Council confirmed they were committed to see the Westfield Centre proceed. There are several other major plans for the town including the redevelopment of the Croydon Gateway site; and extensions of Tramlink to Purley Way, Streatham , Lewisham and Crystal Palace . Croydon has many tall buildings such as the former Nestlé Tower (St George's House). The London Borough of Croydon's strategic planning committee in February 2013 gave
6720-481: The population relocated to the isolated new settlement of New Addington . New stores opened and expanded in central Croydon, including Allders , Kennards and Grade II listed Grants , as well as the first Sainsbury's self-service shop in the country. There was a market on Surrey Street . Croydon was the location of London's main airport until the Second World War. During the war, much of central Croydon
6816-402: The purposes of the designation. In 2017 the government asked the Boundary Commission for England to reconsider the boundaries of parliamentary constituencies. The commission's study, was to start with existing regions of England and then group the local authorities within that area into sub-regions for further sub-division. The south London sub-region included the 11 boroughs which lay south of
6912-521: The remaining two. Numbers 6 and 7 still remain as individual cottages. At the entrance to the Enterdent, from Eastbourne Road, is a Georgian -style house, which was a tea room and a hotel from the 1920s to the 1940s. It has since been converted into two cottages, River Cottage and White Cottage. Despite all the changes, the Enterdent has essentially remained relatively unaltered. The cottage gardens and vegetable allotments stand to this day, so too do
7008-453: The rise of office blocks and the Whitgift Centre , the largest shopping centre in Greater London until 2008. Historically, the town formed part of the County of Surrey , and between 1889 and 1965 a county borough , but it was amalgamated into Greater London in 1965. Croydon lies on a transport corridor between central London and the south coast of England, to the north of two high gaps in
7104-535: The river, largely due to the challenging geology; however, 21st-century technology makes tunnelling much cheaper (though stations are still expensive) and this may lead to an improved underground provision in south London with the Crossrail 2 line proposed alongside extensions to the Northern and Bakerloo Lines . South London contains an extensive overground rail network and all of London's trams operate within
7200-513: The river, plus the parts of cross-river Richmond upon Thames that did so. An earlier 2013 study, whose recommendations were not adopted, took a different approach by including all of Richmond in its south London sub-region. For the purposes of progress reporting on the London Plan , there was a south London sub-region in operation from 2004 to 2008 consisting of Bromley, Croydon, Kingston, Merton, Richmond and Sutton. In 2001 this area had
7296-455: The route of the canal (which had closed in 1836). Other connections to London and the south followed. The arrival of the railways and other communications advances in the 19th century led to a 23-fold increase in Croydon's population between 1801 and 1901. This rapid expansion of the town led to considerable health problems, especially in the damp and overcrowded working class district of Old Town. In response to this, in 1849 Croydon became one of
7392-540: The second highest in Greater London only behind the West End. Apart from its large central shopping district, Croydon has a number of smaller shopping areas, especially towards the southern end of the town in which are many restaurants. As of 2011, two of Croydon's restaurants were listed in The Good Food Guide . In a 2015 study by CACI , Croydon was ranked 12th in the "Hot 100 UK retail locations" with
7488-516: The south coast. The town is also at the centre of the only tramway system in southern England. As the vast majority of place names in the area are of Anglo-Saxon origin, the theory accepted by most philologists is that the name Croydon derives originally from the Old English croh , meaning " crocus ", and denu , " valley ", indicating that, like Saffron Walden in Essex, it was a centre for
7584-423: The south of Godstone. The name Enterdent alludes to a cluster of cottages on the land set in a wooded valley. The origin of the name, the Enterdent, has never been satisfactorily explained. It has previously been known as Lower and Upper Henterden and, in the 19th century, Polly Pains Bottom. It is perhaps the dene or valley between two hills. The first two dwellings appeared in 1842, and improvements began on
7680-405: The south of the village. The station is served by hourly train services between Redhill and Tonbridge . Godstone is served by Metrobus route 400 and Southdown PSV routes 409 and 410. These services provide connections to Oxted , Selsdon , Redhill , Caterham , Gatwick Airport , East Grinstead and Crawley . The Greensand Way , a long-distance footpath, skirts the southern edge of
7776-444: The southern edge of the urban area. Long term climate observations dating back to 1763 are available for Greenwich, although observations ceased here in 2003. Temperatures increase towards the Thames, firstly because of the urban warming effect of the surrounding area, but secondly due to altitude decreasing towards the river, meaning the southern margins of south London are often a couple of degrees cooler than those areas adjacent to
7872-585: The southern end of London Bridge , the first permanent crossing over the river, with early development of the area being a direct result of the existence and location of the bridge . Southwark was first known as Suthriganaweorc , the fortress of the men of Surrey , mentioned in the Burghal Hidage as part of military system created by Alfred the Great to defeat the Great Heathen Army of
7968-640: The terminus of two pioneering commercial transport links with London. The first, opened in 1803, was the horse-drawn Surrey Iron Railway from Wandsworth , which in 1805 was extended to Merstham , as the Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Railway. The second, opened in 1809, was the Croydon Canal , which branched off the Grand Surrey Canal at Deptford . The London and Croydon Railway (an atmospheric and steam-powered railway) opened between London Bridge and West Croydon in 1839, using much of
8064-623: The terms of the London Government Act 1963 ) the County Borough of Croydon was abolished and the area was transferred to Greater London and combined with the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District to form the London Borough of Croydon . The borough has on several occasions sought city status . (This would be a purely honorific change of title, making no practical difference to the borough's governance.) A draft petition
8160-405: The town which was in the process of gentrification. A Croydon Vision 2020 plan was drawn up by Croydon Council after a 1999 study by town planning consultants EDAW . The plan includes new office blocks, apartment buildings, shopping centres and other developments, some of which have already been built. More than 2,000 new homes are planned. A redeveloped Fairfield Halls has been planned to be
8256-613: The village en route to Tandridge . Godstone is the home of Godstone Football Club, whose first team currently play in the championship of the Mid-Sussex League. Godstone FC U17 RS play in the Epsom & Ewell League Under 18 Premier League, Godstone FC U17 play in Division 2. Godstone FC Vets play a number of friendlies against local sides throughout the season. All home games are played on Godstone Green. Local administration
8352-515: The village. The CEO is Graham Whitehead. The college is overseen by a voluntary Board of eight, of which the chairman is John Beer OBE. Godstone Vineyards is a local wine producer selling wine from the premises on Quarry Road. There is a petting zoo and farm by the Vineyards, Godstone Farm. Godstone is at the junction of the A22 and A25 long-distance roads, the A22 is designated a trunk road by
8448-596: Was "the largest town which does not have the title of City in the whole of Western Europe". The grounds on which it has been turned down have invariably been that it is (as was stated in 1992) merely "part of the London conurbation, rather than a place with a character and identity of its own". Undeterred, council representatives have more than once described Croydon as "a city in all but name". In 2008, Boris Johnson , then Mayor of London, said he would support Croydon being awarded city status. South London South London
8544-735: Was 38.1 °C (100.6 °F) on the same occasion at Kew Gardens. Although the Met Office accepts a higher reading from Brogdale in Kent, many have questioned the accuracy of this and regard the Kew reading as the most reliable highest UK temperature reading. Godstone Godstone is a village and civil parish in the Tandridge District of Surrey , England. It is 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Reigate , 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Oxted , 22 miles (35 km) east of Guildford and 18 miles (29 km) south of London . Close to
8640-400: Was an early public railway. Later 19th century railway building facilitated Croydon's growth as a commuter town for London. By the early 20th century, Croydon was an important industrial area, known for car manufacture, metal working and Croydon Airport . In the mid 20th century these sectors were replaced by retailing and the service economy , brought about by massive redevelopment which saw
8736-545: Was built to the east of London Bridge , so south-east London grew more slowly, at least until the Surrey Commercial Docks were built. The development of a dense network of railway lines in the mid nineteenth century significantly accelerated growth. The County of London was formed in 1899, which incorporated these boroughs south of the river: Wandsworth, Lambeth, Battersea, Camberwell, Southwark, Bermondsey, Deptford, Lewisham, Greenwich and Woolwich. During
8832-515: Was devastated by German V-1 flying bombs and V-2 rockets , and for many years the town bore the scars of the destruction. After the war, Heathrow Airport superseded Croydon Airport as London's main airport, and Croydon Airport quickly went into a decline, finally closing in 1959. By the 1950s, with its continuing growth, the town was becoming congested , and the Council decided on another major redevelopment scheme. The Croydon Corporation Act
8928-412: Was effectively ignored. Croydon's growth in the 19th century brought the issue of incorporation back on to the political agenda, and in 1883 the ancient parish of Croydon, apart from its exclave of Croydon Crook or Selsdon , was created a municipal borough within Surrey. In 1889, because the population was high enough, it was made a county borough , exempt from county administration. In 1965 (under
9024-399: Was initially approved, the king authorising the drafting of a charter , but the process was then abruptly halted, apparently through the intervention of Archbishop John Tillotson , who probably feared a threat to his own authority over the town. The application was revived the following year, when Queen Mary again authorised a charter, but once again it was abandoned. A second petition in 1707
9120-440: Was passed in 1956. This, coupled with national government incentives for office relocation out of Central London, led to the building of new offices and accompanying road schemes through the late 1950s and 1960s, and the town boomed as a business centre in the 1960s, with many multi-storey office blocks, an underpass , a flyover and multi-storey car parks . The redeveloped town centre has since been identified as an " edge city " –
9216-518: Was submitted by the County Borough to the Home Office in 1951, a more formal petition in 1954, and two more applications in 1955 and 1958. When the London Borough was created in 1965, the Council endeavoured to have it styled a City, as was the City of Westminster . Further bids for city status were made in 1977, 1992, 2000, 2002, and 2012. All have failed. The borough's predominant argument has always been its size: in 2000 it pointed out that it
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