82-503: The Whitgift Foundation is a charity based in Croydon , South London , England. The purpose of the charity is to provide education for the young and care for the elderly. The main activities of the charity are the operation of three independent schools ; providing sheltered accommodation ; and nursing care through three care homes and running the Carer's Information Service. In addition,
164-416: 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
246-507: 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,
328-478: 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 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
410-519: A distinction all of its own. It is 600 yards (550 m) long and has on one side Lombardy poplars planted in local soil mixed with French earth specially shipped over to the UK. A plaque at one end of the road explains that the French ministry of the interior donated the soil from Armentières, as a memorial to the alliance of World War One and the soldiers who died. At the other end stands an obelisk carved from
492-618: 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
574-490: A halt for stage coaches on the road south of London. At the beginning of the 19th century, Croydon became 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
656-521: 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 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,
738-519: A nearby schoolhouse and schoolmaster's house. There was a Warden in charge of the well-being of 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
820-627: 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 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
902-599: 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
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#1732772715974984-565: 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
1066-816: A population of 192,064 as of 2011, whilst the wider borough had a population of 384,837. Historically an ancient parish in 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
1148-476: 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
1230-695: 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
1312-489: 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
1394-604: A single piece of stone with the inscription "Aux soldats de France morts glorieusement pendant la Grande Guerre". The 32nd Surrey Battalion of the Home Guard was known as the Factory Battalion, and had the specific task of guarding the Purley Way factories: its units were mainly based on staff from the individual firms. The factories adjoining Croydon Airport took the worst of the air raid of 15 August 1940:
1476-423: 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
1558-498: A voluntary aided state school), and Laleham Lea School a co-educational prep-school.[ citation needed ] Purley has one of the UK's longest-established language schools, Purley Language College, founded in 1928. The current schools in Purley are: Purley used to have many different kinds of shops such as greengrocers, butchers, toy shops, tobacconists, a restaurant and a cinema. There was an earlier Sainsbury's store that closed in
1640-496: 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 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
1722-516: 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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#17327727159741804-420: Is a gated community with around 220 homes. It began as 260 acres of farmland before being purchased in the 1880s and transformed into Edwardian homes and landscaped gardens by estate agent William Webb. Known for having a "garden village" feel with a high level of privacy, it also includes two private schools plus a restaurant and deli. The estate made headlines in a 2002 survey, which found that it had over
1886-469: Is a red brick building with stone dressings. Its three bays are divided by paired Doric pilasters supporting 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
1968-590: Is an area of the London Borough of Croydon in London , England, 11.7 miles (18.8 km) south of Charing Cross , with a history going back at least 800 years. It was originally granted as an estate from holdings at Sanderstead and until as a district of Surrey and then, with neighbouring Coulsdon , as an urban district that became an electoral ward of the London Borough of Croydon, becoming part of
2050-579: Is in the second 5-year term having successfully been voted in favour in 2015 and 2020. The island opposite Purley Baptist Church has been refurbished and the Church, under the banner of 58:12 (a company and charity set up by the Church) are planning to redevelop it. Other partners in the development of a strategy for the regeneration of central Purley include the Purely Business improvement district,
2132-571: Is named after John Whitgift, who was born in the town, but is not part of the Whitgift Foundation. Croydon 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
2214-552: 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
2296-437: 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
2378-529: The A23 Brighton Road near Reedham Station , became the property of the London Borough of Croydon and was sold to developers. It was left derelict for many years but was converted into flats in 2012. Plans to dig under the building and build additional flats were refused in 2015. Kenley Aerodrome , to the south of the town, is currently official property of the Ministry of Defence . It was one of
2460-543: 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 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
2542-622: 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
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2624-525: 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 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
2706-661: 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
2788-473: The 1980s, when a new Sainsbury's was opened at Purley Fountain. The new Sainsbury's closed in 2001. A Tesco superstore was opened in 1991, and there has been a shift in the town's retail offering towards charity shops, restaurants and non retail businesses. Purley retail and commerce interests are represented by the Purley Business improvement district. This Business Improvement District (BID)
2870-507: 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
2952-568: The Almshouses and unveiled a plaque celebrating the recently completed reconstruction of 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
3034-585: The British NSF factory was almost entirely destroyed, and the Bourjois factory gutted, with a total of over sixty civilian deaths. A comprehensive history of Purley and its growth around Caterham Junction (now Purley Station) with the coming of the railways some 150 years ago is found in the Bourne Society's 'Purley Village History' and in its Local History Records publications. The Webb Estate
3116-593: The Crystal Palace which had been rebuilt on Sydenham Hill in 1854, following its success at 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
3198-612: 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
3280-544: The London borough of Croydon in 1965 helped consolidate the middle class domination of that borough. The Purley electoral ward returned Conservative party councillors in Croydon London Borough Council elections from 1965 up until the reorganisation of 2018. In 2018, Purley was split into two wards; Purley and Woodcote , and Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown . There are a number of football clubs in
3362-587: 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
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3444-509: The Purley & Woodcote Residents' Association and Purley Rotary who actively participate in the Neighbourhood Partnership forums hosted by Croydon Council.[ citation needed ] As of 2022, the largest ethnic group in Purley & Woodcote was ‘White’ , constituting 56.97% of the total population. The ‘ Asian ’ ethnic group was second largest, making up 20.13%, while ‘ Black , Caribbean or African’ accounted for 11.73% of
3526-741: The West, includes the Peaks Hill area to the North, and borders Purley Oaks in South Croydon. To the East it includes Riddlesdown and to the South it borders Kenley and Coulsdon. The current electoral ward of Purley and Woodcote is largely co-extensive with the postal district, but Riddlesdown is now in the neighbouring Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown ward. Woodcote is contained within Purley. Developed in
3608-665: The area are Kenley, Purley, Purley Walcountians and Sanderstead. Purley Cross gyratory connects routes leading south-east to East Grinstead and Eastbourne (the A22 ), west to Epsom and Kingston (the A2022 ), south to Redhill and Brighton (the A23 ), and north to Croydon and Central London (the A23 and A235 ). The A23 north from Purley forms the Purley Way , which leads to Croydon's trading and industrial hinterland and also to
3690-596: The area. Purley John Fisher Rugby Football Club is based in Old Coulsdon. Purley Cricket Club is part of Purley Sports Club. Purley Sports Club also provides tennis , squash , padel and netball . There are a number of field hockey clubs based in and around Purley that are part of the South East Hockey and the London Hockey league structures. Current hockey clubs in and around
3772-476: The ceremonial county of London, in 1965. In 2018 the Purley ward was divided into two: Purley and Woodcote , and Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown . Purley is a suburban area of South London, and the quintessential suburban environment has been referenced in fictional and popular culture, most notably as the setting for the long running Terry and June sitcom. Purley had a population of 15,184 in 2022. The name derives from an estate, mentioned in about 1200 when it
3854-525: The charity provides bursaries and scholarships in excess of £5m a year. The foundation is governed by a Court of Governors, including the Bishop of Croydon ; the Vicar of Croydon; and nominees of the Archbishop of Canterbury and Croydon Council . The Whitgift Foundation was founded in 1596 by the Archbishop of Canterbury , John Whitgift . His aims were to provide care for the elderly and education for
3936-527: 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 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
4018-495: 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 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
4100-458: 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 ),
4182-479: 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 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
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#17327727159744264-575: The early 20th century, it is centred on Woodcote Village Green and is the location of Woodcote Model Village. Purley's Webb Estate lies on Woodcote road, close to Upper Woodcote Village. The Bourne river runs through Purley. The river is culverted but can flood in Purley valley. A local history society take their name from this river. Purley is home to a number of schools; including four Catholic schools. Two of which are in Peaks Hill neighbourhood of Purley, and these are The John Fisher School an all boys' state school (formerly an independent and then
4346-452: 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 a scandal about cash for peerages . Also abandoned were plans for an arena near
4428-520: The key fighter stations – together with Croydon Airport and Biggin Hill – during the World War II support of Dunkirk, Battle of Britain and for the defence of London. Purley grew rapidly in the 1920s and 1930s, providing spacious homes in a green environment. Northeast Purley stretches into the chalk hill spurs of the North Downs . One road, Promenade de Verdun , created by William Webb, has
4510-588: 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,
4592-453: 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 )
4674-416: 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
4756-510: 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
4838-516: 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,
4920-593: 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
5002-411: The neighbouring town of Coulsdon formed the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District which was based at the Purley Council Offices . The council was abolished in 1965, under the London Government Act 1963 , and its area transferred to Greater London and used to form part of the London Borough of Croydon. The urban district council was based in a colonial-style building opened in 1930. The building, on
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#17327727159745084-460: The population. Mixed/ multiple ethnicities made up 7.5%. ' Other ethnic groups' account for 3% of the population. The smallest ethnic group was ' Arab', making up only 0.6% of the wards population. 71.4% of the wards population were born in the UK. The remaining 28.6% were from overseas, with the largest amount being listed as from 'The Middle East & Asia'. The largest religion was listed as Christianity , at 51.3%. The second largest religion
5166-414: The races run under National Hunt rules. In that sphere its prestige was second only to Aintree , home of 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
5248-401: 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
5330-417: 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
5412-405: 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
5494-433: 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
5576-505: 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 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
5658-412: 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 " – 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
5740-411: 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 the go-ahead to property fund manager Legal and General Property's plans to convert
5822-434: 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 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
5904-409: 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
5986-508: The years attracted the highest-earning residents in the UK, having established itself as an attractive destination for wealthy city workers . Notable people to have lived on the Webb Estate include singer Francis Rossi , footballer Wilfried Zaha , television presenter Laura Hamilton , and former Downing Street Press Secretary Bernard Ingham . The Purley postal district encompasses Purley high street and extends through Woodcote to
6068-823: The young. Originally three separate buildings were built, The Hospital of Holy Trinity (now known as The Almshouses), The School House and Schoolmaster’s House. The latter two were demolished in 1897, leaving the Almshouses as the only remaining original building. The Whitgift Centre , a large shopping mall, now stands where the later Victorian school and surrounding buildings and sports fields were. These buildings were occupied in turn by Whitgift School , prior to its move to south Croydon in 1931, and then by Trinity School , prior to its move to Shirley Park . The Whitgift Foundation runs three independent day schools in Croydon : John Whitgift Academy in Grimsby in Lincolnshire
6150-520: Was Islam , at 9.5%. Third was Hinduism , at 8.2%. Following that were Sikhism at 1%, Buddhism at 0.9%, Judaism at 0.2% and ' Other Religion ' at 0.8%. As well as this, ' No Religion ' accounted for 28% of the population. Purley lies within the Croydon South parliamentary constituency , where voters have consistently returned Conservative Party MPs to the local seat since 1974. Purley has been staunchly conservative and its amalgamation into
6232-541: 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. Purley, London Purley
6314-400: 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
6396-602: Was deeded to one William de Pirelea, son of Osbert de Pirelea by the abbot of St. Peter's monastery near Winchester. The original meaning of Purley was probably a wood or clearing where pear trees grow, derived from "Pirlea", which is from Anglo Saxon pir , pear or pirige , pear tree and leá , a clearing or a place. Under the Local Government Act 1894 , Purley became part of the Croydon Rural District of Surrey . In 1915 Purley and
6478-414: 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
6560-399: 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
6642-478: 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 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
6724-631: 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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