87-513: Selhurst is an area in the London Borough of Croydon , England, 7.8 miles (12.6 km) south-south-east of Charing Cross . Historically , it lays in Surrey County. The area is bounded to the west and south by Thornton Heath and Croydon and to the east and south by South Norwood and Woodside respectively. Selhurst Park , the home stadium of Crystal Palace Football Club , is sited at
174-673: A Fairtrade borough by the Fairtrade Foundation . It was the first London borough to have Fairtrade status which is awarded on certain criteria . The area is one of the hearts of culture in London and the South East of England . Institutions such as the major arts and entertainment centre Fairfield Halls add to the vibrancy of the borough. However, its famous fringe theatre, the Warehouse Theatre , went into administration in 2012 when
261-630: A coat of arms on 16 October 1886 by the College of Arms , and this was inherited by the county borough. With its quartered shield and its complicated design, the coat of arms was in a style typical of grants to municipal corporations by Albert Woods , then Garter Principal King of Arms . Most of the emblems on the shield were related to the Archbishops of Canterbury , who had a palace in Croydon. The three choughs are associated with Thomas Becket and appear in
348-488: A London Borough. In 1954 Croydon Corporation unsuccessfully petitioned the Queen for the grant of city status . At the time, Croydon was the only county borough with a population in excess of 200,000 not to be a city. In 1965 the county borough was abolished and its former area transferred to Greater London to be combined with that of Coulsdon and Purley Urban District to form the London Borough of Croydon . On incorporation
435-422: A business centre. Once London's main airport for all international flights to and from the capital, it was closed on 30 September 1959 due to the lack of expansion space needed for an airport to serve the growing city. It is now a Grade II listed building and tourist attraction. Croydon Council and its predecessor Croydon Corporation unsuccessfully applied for city status in 1954, 2000, 2002 and 2012. The area
522-471: A few patchy bus services. Addiscombe is a district just northeast of the centre of Croydon, and is popular with commuters to central London as it is close to the busy East Croydon station . Ashburton , to the northeast of Croydon, is mostly home to residential houses and flats, being named after Ashburton House, one of the three big houses in the Addiscombe area. Broad Green is a small district, centred on
609-547: A formal device which has been compared to the famous Pirelli Tower in Milan. It was named after Ernest Taberner OBE, Town Clerk from 1937 to 1963. Until September 2013, Taberner House housed most of the council's central employees and was the main location for the public to access information and services, particularly with respect to housing. In September 2013, Council staff moved into Bernard Weatherill House in Fell Road, (named after
696-412: A junction and tram stop in the town centre, was destroyed by arson. Croydon is currently the subject of a series of £3.5bn of development projects, called Croydon Vision 2020 . This aims to change the urban planning of central Croydon . It aims to make Croydon London's Third City and the hub of retail, business, culture and living in south London and South East England. The plan was showcased in
783-482: A large green with many homes and local shops in West Croydon. Coombe is an area, just east of Croydon, which has barely been urbanised and has retained its collection of large houses fairly intact. Coulsdon , south west of Central Croydon, which has retained a good mix of traditional high street shops as well as a large number of restaurants for its size. Croydon is the principal area of the borough, Crystal Palace
870-621: A school. It served as the Manor House of the manor of Croydon since it had been held as a manor by the Archbishops since the Anglo-Saxon period. Its local successor is Addington Palace , an eighteenth-century mansion which became the official second residence of six Archbishops of Canterbury , Shirley Windmill , one of the few surviving large windmills in Greater London built in the 1850s, and
957-442: A series of events called Croydon Expo . The area of the modern borough broadly corresponds to the four ancient parishes of Croydon , Addington , Coulsdon and Sanderstead . The parish of Croydon was governed by improvement commissioners from 1829 until 1849 when it was made a local board district . Croydon was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1883. When elected county councils were established in 1889, Croydon
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#17328518433451044-411: A small market town has expanded into one of the most populous areas on the fringe of London. The borough is now one of London's leading business, financial and cultural centres, and its influence in entertainment and the arts contribute to its status as a major metropolitan centre. Its population is 390,719, making it the most populous London borough and sixteenth largest English district . The borough
1131-489: Is a London borough in south London , part of Outer London . It covers an area of 87 km (33.6 sq mi). It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name; while other urban centres include Coulsdon , Purley , South Norwood , Norbury , New Addington , Selsdon and Thornton Heath . Croydon is mentioned in Domesday Book , and from
1218-521: Is a place on the plateau of the North Downs , south of Croydon. Kenley , again south of the centre, lie within the London Green Belt and features a landscape dominated by green space. New Addington , to the east, is a large local council estate surrounded by open countryside and golf courses. Norbury , to the northwest, is a suburb with a large ethnic population. Norwood New Town is a part of
1305-502: Is a town, right to the edge of Croydon with some areas in the Surrey district of Tandridge. Croydon is a gateway to the south from central London, with some major roads running through it. Purley Way , part of the A23 , was built to by-pass Croydon town centre. It is one of the busiest roads in the borough, and is the site of several major retail developments including one of only 18 IKEA stores in
1392-482: Is a town, to the northwest of Croydon, which holds Croydon's principal hospital Mayday . Upper Norwood is north of Croydon, on a mainly elevated area of the borough. Waddon is a residential area, mainly based on the Purley Way retail area, to the west of the borough. Woodside is located to the northeast of the borough, with streets based on Woodside Green , a small sized area of green land. And finally Whyteleafe
1479-512: Is an area north of Croydon, which is shared with the London Boroughs of Lambeth , Southwark , Lewisham and Bromley . Fairfield , just northeast of Croydon, holds the Fairfield Halls and the village of Forestdale , to the east of Croydon's main area, commenced work in the late 1960s and completed in the mid-70s to create a larger town on what was previously open ground. Hamsey Green
1566-655: Is an area of common land partly shared with the boroughs of Sutton and Merton . Almost 500,000 years ago, Mitcham Common formed part of the river bed of the River Thames. The BRIT School is a performing Arts & Technology school, owned by the BRIT Trust (known for the BRIT Awards Music Ceremony ). Famous former students include Kellie Shirley , Amy Winehouse , Leona Lewis , Adele , Kate Nash , Dane Bowers , Katie Melua and Lyndon David-Hall . Grants
1653-526: Is an entertainment venue in the centre of Croydon which includes a Vue cinema . Surrey Street Market has roots in the 13th century, or earlier, and was chartered by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1276. The market is regularly used as a location for TV, film and advertising. Croydon Minster , formerly the parish church, was established in the Anglo-Saxon period, and parts of the surviving building (notably
1740-502: Is considerably below England's average (1971–2000) level of 838 mm, and every month is drier overall than the England average. The nearest weather station is at Gatwick Airport. The skyline of Croydon has significantly changed over the past 50 years. High rise buildings, mainly office blocks, now dominate the skyline. The most notable of these buildings include Croydon Council's headquarters Taberner House , which has been compared to
1827-466: Is currently going through a large regeneration project called Croydon Vision 2020 which is predicted to attract more businesses and tourists to the area as well as backing Croydon's bid to become "London's Third City" (after the City of London and Westminster ). Croydon is mostly urban, though there are large suburban and rural uplands towards the south of the borough. Since 2003, Croydon has been certified as
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#17328518433451914-579: Is due to get a face-lift on the Croydon Gateway site. The Nestlé Tower was the UK headquarters of Nestlé and is one of the tallest towers in England, which is due to be re-fitted during the Park Place development. The Fairfield Halls is a well known concert hall and exhibition centre, opened in 1962. It is frequently used for BBC recordings and was formerly the home of ITV 's World of Sport . It includes
2001-406: Is itself a co-operative with shareholders from organisations across the three movements. In the 19th century, Croydon was a bustling commercial centre of London. It was said that, at the turn of the 20th century, approximately £10,000 was spent in Croydon's taverns and inns every week. For the early labour movement, then, it was natural to meet in the town's public houses, in this environment. However,
2088-610: Is mainly used by the Southern train operating company, and lies on the site of the former Crystal Palace FC grounds. Selhurst is in Zone 4 of the London Transport Network. London Bus Route 75 and London Bus Route 157 both run the length of Selhurst Road, terminating at Croydon and Lewisham (75) and Morden and Crystal Palace (157). London Borough of Croydon The London Borough of Croydon ( pronunciation )
2175-497: Is to the east of Croydon, and holds Shirley Windmill . South Croydon , to the south of Croydon, is a locality which holds local landmarks such as The Swan and Sugarloaf public house and independent Whitgift School part of the Whitgift Foundation . South Norwood , to the north, is in common with West Norwood and Upper Norwood, named after a contraction of Great North Wood and has a population of around 14,590. Thornton Heath
2262-528: Is used for events and performances. The town hall was renovated in the mid-1990s and the imposing central staircase, long closed to the public and kept for councillors only, was re-opened in 1994. The civic complex, meanwhile, was substantially added to, with buildings across Mint Walk and the 19-floor Taberner House to house the rapidly expanding corporation's employees. Ruskin House is the headquarters of Croydon's Labour , Trade Union and Co-operative movements and
2349-556: The Ashcroft Theatre and the Arnhem Gallery . Croydon Palace was the summer residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury for over 500 years and included regular visitors such as Henry III and Queen Elizabeth I . It is thought to have been built around 960. Croydon Cemetery is a large cemetery and crematorium west of Croydon and is most famous for the gravestone of Derek Bentley , who was wrongly hanged in 1953. Mitcham Common
2436-569: The BRIT School , a creative arts institute run by the BRIT Trust which has produced artists such as Adele , Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis . The name Croydon comes from Crogdene or Croindone, named by the Saxons in the 8th century when they settled here, although the area had been inhabited since prehistoric times. It is thought to derive from the Anglo-Saxon croeas deanas , meaning "the valley of
2523-470: The Coulsdon and Purley Urban District was created covering the two parishes. Purley itself was not a civil parish, being in the parish of Coulsdon, but its name was included in the urban district's name on account of it being one of the main built-up settlements in the district. There were subsequent adjustments to the boundaries with neighbouring areas, notably including in 1933 when the urban district absorbed
2610-639: The London Assembly , the borough forms part of the Croydon and Sutton constituency. The borough is covered by three parliamentary constituencies: these are Croydon North , Croydon Central and Croydon South . Sarah Jones (politician) won the Croydon Central seat for Labour in 2017. Croydon North has a Labour MP, Steve Reed (politician) , and Croydon South has a Conservative MP, Chris Philp . Croydon Town Hall on Katharine Street in central Croydon houses
2697-503: The River Effra and its tributaries. The most notable tree, called Vicar's Oak, marked the boundary of four ancient parishes; Lambeth , Camberwell , Croydon and Bromley . John Aubrey referred to this "ancient remarkable tree" in the past tense as early as 1718, but according to JB Wilson, the Vicar's Oak survived until 1825. The River Wandle , a chalk stream , is also a major tributary of
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2784-642: The River Thames , where it stretches to Wandsworth and Putney for 9 miles (14 km) from its main source in Waddon . Croydon has a temperate climate in common with most areas of Great Britain: its Köppen climate classification is Cfb . Its mean annual temperature of 9.6 °C is similar to that experienced throughout the Weald, and slightly cooler than nearby areas such as the Sussex coast and central London. Rainfall
2871-715: The crocuses ", indicating that, like Saffron Walden in Essex, it was a centre for the collection of saffron . By the time of the Norman invasion Croydon had a church, a mill and around 365 inhabitants as recorded in the Domesday Book. The Archbishop of Canterbury , Archbishop Lanfranc lived at Croydon Palace which still stands. Visitors included Thomas Becket (another Archbishop), and royal figures such as Henry VIII of England and Elizabeth I . The royal charter for Surrey Street Market dates back to 1276, Croydon carried on through
2958-483: The 1850s-60s. Further housing development occurred following the opening of Selhurst train station in 1865. White British is the largest ethnic group as of the 2011 census, forming 26% of the population. The second and third largest were Black Caribbean and Black African, both 14% each. 65.5% of the population are of BAME minority background, higher than the Croydon average. The median house price in Selhurst ward in 2014
3045-679: The Addington and East wards by 1955. From its incorporation the council was controlled by parties allied to the Conservative Party , known as the Coalition Party or Ratepayers Association. The Ratepayers Association was more formally organised as an anti- Labour Party grouping after 1900, and was supported by both the Conservatives and the Liberals , who seldom fielded candidates. Croydon
3132-464: The London conurbation and almost indistinguishable from many of the other Greater London boroughs" and in 2000 as having "no particular identity of its own". The local authority is Croydon Council, which meets at Croydon Town Hall on Katherine Street in the centre of Croydon, and has its main offices at the adjoining Bernard Weatherill House . Since 2022 the council has been led by the directly elected Mayor of Croydon . Since 2000, for elections to
3219-479: The London-Portslade road, although conclusive evidence has not yet been found. The main town centre houses a great variety of well-known stores on North End and two shopping centres. It was pedestrianised in 1989 to attract people back to the town centre. Another shopping centre called Park Place was due to open in 2012 but has since been scrapped. The CR postcode area covers most of the south and centre of
3306-562: The NLA Tower, Britain's 88th tallest tower, close to East Croydon station , is an example of 1970s architecture. The tower was originally nicknamed the Threepenny bit building , as it resembles a stack of pre-decimalisation Threepence coins, which were 12-sided. It is now most commonly called The Octagon, being 8-sided. Lunar House is another high-rise building. Like other government office buildings on Wellesley Road, such as Apollo House ,
3393-455: The Norwood triangle, to the north of Croydon. Monks Orchard is a small district made up of large houses and open space in the northeast of the borough. Pollards Hill is a residential district with houses on roads, which are lined with pollarded lime trees, stretching to Norbury. Purley , to the south, is a main town whose name derives from "pirlea", which means 'Peartree lea'. Sanderstead , to
3480-696: The ages as a prosperous market town, they produced charcoal, tanned leather, and ventured into brewing. Croydon was served by the Surrey Iron Railway , the first public railway (horse drawn) in the world, in 1803, and by the London to Brighton rail link in the mid-19th century, helping it to become the largest town in what was then Surrey . In the 20th century Croydon became known for industries such as metal working, car manufacture and its aerodrome, Croydon Airport . Starting out during World War I as an airfield for protection against Zeppelins , an adjacent airfield
3567-620: The airport remain. It is a tourist attraction. The Croydon Clocktower arts venue was opened by Elizabeth II in 1994. It includes the Braithwaite Hall (the former reference library – named after the Rev. Braithwaite who donated it to the town) for live events, David Lean Cinema (built in memory of David Lean ), the Museum of Croydon and Croydon Central Library . The Museum of Croydon (formerly known as Croydon Lifetimes Museum) highlights Croydon in
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3654-495: The area's black and Indian cultural diversity, with audiences reaching over 50,000 people. Premier League football club Crystal Palace F.C. play at Selhurst Park in Selhurst , a stadium they have been based in since 1924. Other landmarks in the borough include what remains of Croydon Palace , an important residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury since around the ninth century CE, and known as 'The Old Palace' during its time as
3741-526: The arms of the city of Canterbury . The cross crosslets came from the arms of the Diocese of Canterbury . The flory cross bearing three gold discs was taken from the arms of Archbishop John Whitgift . The embattled fesse in the fourth quarter represented a town wall and thus municipal government. The crest on top of the helm featured a grassy mound and heraldic fountain , for the Croydon Bourne. On either side
3828-464: The borough and into the North Downs , Surrey and the rest of south London. Addington Hills is a major hilly area to the south of London and is recognised as a significant obstacle to the growth of London from its origins as a port on the north side of the river, to a large circular city. The Great North Wood is a former natural oak forest that covered the Sydenham Ridge and the southern reaches of
3915-474: The borough doesn't lose its title of having the "largest office space in the south east", excluding central London. Projects such as Wellesley Square , which will be a mix of residential and retail with an eye-catching colour design and 100 George Street a proposed modern office block are incorporated in this vision. Notable events that have happened to Croydon's skyline include the Millennium project to create
4002-474: The borough mainly borders the London Borough of Bromley , and in the north west the boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark . The boroughs of Sutton and Merton are located directly to the west. It is at the head of the River Wandle , just to the north of a significant gap in the North Downs . It lies 10 miles (16 km) south of Central London, and the earliest settlement may have been a Roman staging post on
4089-412: The borough was divided into six wards (Central, East, South, South Norwood, Upper Norwood and West) each returning six councillors. Together with 12 aldermen and a mayor , these formed the town council. In 1905 a new North ward was formed, and the council was enlarged to 14 aldermen and 42 councillors. By 1918 a new ward of Bensham Manor had been created and on further enlargement in 1925 Addington ward
4176-527: The borough while the SE and SW postcodes cover the northern parts, including Crystal Palace, Upper Norwood, South Norwood, Selhurst (part), Thornton Heath (part), Norbury and Pollards Hill (part). Districts in the London Borough of Croydon include Addington , a village to the east of Croydon which until 2000 was poorly linked to the rest of the borough as it was without any railway or light rail stations, with only
4263-510: The centre of the town, and makes it hard to walk between the town centre's two railway stations. Croydon Vision 2020 includes a plan for a more pedestrian-friendly replacement. It has also been named as one of the worst roads for cyclists in the area. Construction of the Croydon Underpass beneath the junction of George Street and Wellesley Road /Park Lane started in the early 1960s, mainly to alleviate traffic congestion on Park Lane, above
4350-449: The committee rooms, the mayor's and other councillors' offices, electoral services and the arts and heritage services. The present Town Hall is Croydon's third. The first town hall is thought to have been built in either 1566 or 1609. The second was built in 1808 to serve the growing town but was demolished after the present town hall was erected in 1895. The 1808 building cost £8,000, which was regarded as an enormous sum for those days and
4437-434: The council withdrew funding, and the building itself was demolished in 2013. The Croydon Clocktower was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994 as an arts venue featuring a library, the independent David Lean Cinema (closed by the council in 2011 after sixteen years of operating, but now partially reopened on a part-time and volunteer basis) and museum . From 2000 to 2010, Croydon staged an annual summer festival celebrating
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#17328518433454524-442: The country, built on the site of the former power station. The A23 continues southward as Brighton Road, which is the main route running towards the south from Croydon to Purley . The centre of Croydon is very congested, and the urban planning has since become out of date and quite inadequate, due to the expansion of Croydon's main shopping area and office blocks. Wellesley Road is a north–south dual carriageway that cuts through
4611-511: The famous Pirelli Tower of Milan , and the Nestlé Tower , the former UK headquarters of Nestlé . In recent years, the development of tall buildings , such as the approved Croydon Vocational Tower and Wellesley Square , has been encouraged in the London Plan , and will lead to the erection of new skyscrapers in the coming years as part of London's high-rise boom. No. 1 Croydon , formerly
4698-614: The fear of crime, it helped to promote the sustainable use of older buildings by displaying them in a more positive way. There are a large number of attractions and places of interest all across the borough of Croydon, ranging from historic sites in the north and south to modern towers in the centre. Croydon Airport was once London's main airport, but closed on 30 September 1959 due to the expansion of London and because it didn't have room to grow; so Heathrow International Airport took over as London's main airport. It has now been mostly converted to offices, although some important elements of
4785-507: The former Speaker of the House and Member of Parliament for Croydon North-East). Staff from the Met Police, NHS, Jobcentre Plus, Croydon Credit Union, Citizens Advice Bureau as well as 75 services from the council all moved to the new building. The borough is in the far south of London, with the M25 orbital motorway stretching to the south of it, between Croydon and Tandridge . To the north and east,
4872-732: The headquarters of the Trade Union, Labour and Co-operative movements in Croydon, hosting a range of meetings and being the base for several labour movement groups. Office tenants include the headquarters of the Communist Party of Britain and Croydon Labour Party. Geraint Davies , the MP for Croydon Central , had offices in the building, until he was defeated by Andrew Pelling and is now the Labour representative standing for Swansea West in Wales. Taberner House
4959-424: The largest single urban lighting project ever. It was created for the buildings of Croydon to illuminate them for the third millennium. The project provided new lighting for the buildings, and provided an opportunity to project images and words onto them, mixing art and poetry with coloured light, and also displaying public information after dark. Apart from increasing night time activity in Croydon and thereby reducing
5046-570: The name of the building was inspired by the US Moon landings (In the Croydon suburb of New Addington there is a public house , built during the same period, called The Man on the Moon ). Lunar House houses the Home Office building for Visas and Immigration. Apollo House houses The Border Patrol Agency. A new generation of buildings are being considered by the council as part of Croydon Vision 2020 , so that
5133-551: The northern end of the neighbourhood. Selhurst is named after the Old English for "dwelling in a wood", or possibly 'dwelling where willows grow'; the name is first recorded in 1225. Saxon coins were found here when the railway station was built. Housing began to be built in the area following the opening of the Croydon Canal in 1809, however the canal proved to be a failure and it closed in 1836. Races were held at Heaver's Farm in
5220-519: The parish of Farleigh , after which there were three urban parishes in the district, being Cousldon, Farleigh and Sanderstead. The London Borough of Croydon was created on 1 April 1965 under the London Government Act 1963 , covering the combined area of the former Coulsdon and Purley Urban District and the County Borough of Croydon , both of which were abolished at the same time. The area
5307-757: The past and the present and currently features high-profile exhibitions including the Riesco Collection, The Art of Dr Seuss and the Whatever the Weather gallery. Shirley Windmill is a working windmill and one of the few surviving large windmills in Surrey , built in 1854. It is Grade II listed and received a £218,100 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund . Addington Palace is an 18th-century mansion in Addington which
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#17328518433455394-401: The peace and a separate court of quarter sessions in 1885 and 1889 respectively. Under the Local Government Act 1888 it became an autonomous county borough in 1889. The area of the original borough included part of Norwood and Addiscombe , Bensham , Croham, Coombe , Haling, Norbury , Shirley , Waddon and Woodside . From 1894 to 1915 it was adjacent to Croydon Rural District to
5481-403: The re-opening of the poorly patronised railway station. The railway station re-opening had failed to be a success so freeing up the land for alternative use. Parts, including the former court rooms, have been converted into the Museum of Croydon and exhibition galleries. The original public library was converted into the David Lean Cinema , part of the Croydon Clocktower . The Braithwaite Hall
5568-403: The roof. It also housed the court and most central council employees. The Borough's incorporation in 1883 and a desire to improve central Croydon with improvements to traffic flows and the removal of social deprivation in Middle Row prompted the move to a new configuration of town hall provision. The second closure of the Central Railway Station provided the corporation with the opportunity to buy
5655-490: The south, east and west and the County of London to the north. The rural district was abolished in 1915, but the county borough was unsuccessful in its attempt to annex the area. The only significant extension of the borough boundaries was in 1925, when the parish of Addington was absorbed. The borough ran trams until they became the responsibility of the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933. The borough ran its own fire brigade and ambulance service until it became
5742-399: The south, is a village mainly on high ground at the edge of suburban development in Greater London . Selhurst is a town, to the north of Croydon, which holds the nationally known school, The BRIT School . Selsdon is a suburb which was developed during the inter-war period in the 1920s and 1930s, and is remarkable for its many Art Deco houses, to the southeast of Croydon Centre. Shirley ,
5829-408: The station land from the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company for £11,500 to provide the site for the new town hall. Indeed, the council hoped to be able to sell on some of the land purchased with enough for municipal needs and still "leave a considerable margin of land which might be disposed of". The purchase of the failed railway station came despite local leaders having successfully urged
5916-424: The temperance movement was equally strong, and Georgina King Lewis , a keen member of the Croydon United Temperance Council , took it upon herself to establish a dry centre for the labour movement. The first Ruskin House was highly successful, and there has been two more since. The current house was officially opened in 1967 by the then Labour Prime Minister, Harold Wilson . Today, Ruskin House continues to serve as
6003-424: The third local authority in Greater London to hold that status, along with the City of London and the City of Westminster . At present the London Borough of Croydon is the second most populous local government district of England without city status. Croydon's applications were refused as it was felt not to have an identity separate from the rest of Greater London. In 1965 it was described as "...now just part of
6090-421: The tower) date from the 14th and 15th centuries. However, the church was largely destroyed by fire in 1867, so the present structure is a rebuild of 1867–69 to the designs of George Gilbert Scott . It is the burial place of six archbishops, and contains monuments to Archbishops Sheldon and Whitgift . County Borough of Croydon The County Borough of Croydon was a local government district in and around
6177-402: The town of Croydon in north east Surrey , England from 1889 to 1965. Since 1965 the district has been part of the London Borough of Croydon within Greater London . A local board of health was formed for the parish of Croydon St John the Baptist in 1849. On 9 March 1883 the town received a charter of incorporation to become a municipal borough . The borough was granted a commission of
6264-552: The town's market. The building became inadequate for the growing local administrative responsibilities and stood at a narrow point of a High Street in need of widening. The present town hall was designed by local architect Charles Henman and was officially opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales on 19 May 1896. It was constructed in red brick, sourced from Wrotham in Kent, with Portland stone dressings and green Westmoreland slates for
6351-433: The underpass. The Croydon Flyover is also near the underpass, and next to Taberner House . It mainly leads traffic on to Duppas Hill , towards Purley Way with links to Sutton and Kingston upon Thames . The major junction on the flyover is for Old Town , which is also a large three-lane road. Croydon covers an area of 86.52 km . Croydon's physical features consist of many hills and rivers that are spread out across
6438-545: Was a sprig of rye-grass, for the irrigation meadows of Beddington Sewage Farm. The crest also contained a gold crozier, another reference to the archbishops, and a crossed sword and tilting spear for the East India Company Military Seminary at Addiscombe. The motto, which was in Latin , was Sanitate Crescamus ("May we grow in health"). Some charges from these arms were used, together with some charges from
6525-458: Was built between 1964 and 1967, designed by architect H. Thornley, with Allan Holt and Hugh Lea as borough engineers. Although the council had needed extra space since the 1920s, it was only with the imminent creation of the London Borough of Croydon that action was taken. The building, being demolished in 2014, was in classic 1960s style, praised at the time but subsequently much derided. It has its elegant upper slab block narrowing towards both ends,
6612-425: Was combined, and the new aerodrome opened on 29 March 1920. It became the largest in London, and was the main terminal for international air freight into the capital. It developed into one of the great airports of the world during the 1920s and 1930s, and welcomed the world's pioneer aviators in its heyday. British Airways Ltd used the airport for a short period after redirecting from Northolt Aerodrome , and Croydon
6699-498: Was considered large enough to provide its own county-level services. It was therefore made a county borough , independent from the new Surrey County Council , whilst remaining part of Surrey for judicial and lieutenancy purposes. The borough was enlarged in 1928 to absorb the neighbouring parish of Addington. Coulsdon and Sanderstead were governed as rural parishes within the Croydon Rural District until 1915 when
6786-410: Was constituted a parliamentary constituency in 1885, with the same boundaries as the borough. In 1918 the county borough was divided into North and South constituencies. For the general election of 1950 representation increased to three: Croydon North , East and West . In 1955 the boundaries were altered to create Croydon North East , North West and South . The municipal borough was granted
6873-427: Was formed in 1965 from the merger of the County Borough of Croydon with Coulsdon and Purley Urban District , both of which had been within Surrey . The local authority, Croydon London Borough Council , is now part of London Councils , the local government association for Greater London. The economic strength of Croydon dates back mainly to Croydon Airport which was a major factor in the development of Croydon as
6960-417: Was formed, with the numbers of aldermen and councillors being increased to 18 and 54 respectively. The wards were reorganised in 1930, with 15 wards each returning three councillors From then until the abolition of the county borough the council consisted of the mayor, 15 aldermen and 45 councillors. The 1930 wards were: The wards were slightly reorganised with the creation of Shirley ward from parts of
7047-705: Was officially opened in October 1970 by the Duchess of Kent . The original Whitgift School there had moved to Haling Park, South Croydon in the 1930s; the replacement school on the site, Whitgift Middle School, now the Trinity School of John Whitgift , moved to Shirley Park in the 1960s, when the buildings were demolished. Croydon, in common with many other areas , was hit by extensive rioting in August 2011. Reeves , an historic furniture store established in 1867, that gave its name to
7134-517: Was originally built as Addington Place in the 16th century. The palace became the official second residence of six archbishops, five of whom are buried in St Mary's Church and churchyard nearby. North End is the main pedestrianised shopping road in Croydon, having Centrale to one side and the Whitgift Centre to the other. The Warehouse Theatre is a popular theatre for mostly young performers and
7221-457: Was perhaps as controversial as the administrative building Bernard Weatherill House opened for occupation in 2013 and reputed to have cost £220,000,000. The early 19th century building was known initially as "Courthouse" as, like its predecessor and successor, the local court met there. The building stood on the western side of the High Street near to the junction with Surrey Street, the location of
7308-488: Was superseded as the main airport by both London Heathrow and London Gatwick Airport (see below). The air terminal, now known as Airport House, has been restored, and has a hotel and museum in it. In the late 1950s and through the 1960s the council commercialised the centre of Croydon with massive development of office blocks and the Whitgift Centre which was formerly the biggest in-town shopping centre in Europe. The centre
7395-408: Was the operating base for Imperial Airways . It was partly due to the airport that Croydon suffered heavy bomb damage during World War II. As aviation technology progressed, however, and aircraft became larger and more numerous, it was recognised in 1952 that the airport would be too small to cope with the ever-increasing volume of air traffic. The last scheduled flight departed on 30 September 1959. It
7482-410: Was transferred from Surrey to Greater London to become one of the 32 London boroughs. The Farleigh area was removed from the borough in 1969 and transferred back to Surrey, becoming part of the parish of Chelsham and Farleigh . The borough council has unsuccessfully applied for city status on several occasions: in 1965, 1977, 1992, 2000, 2002, and 2012. If it had been successful, it would have been
7569-496: Was £212,998, which is the 17th lowest out of the 628 wards of Greater London. The BRIT School , a performing arts school operated by The BRIT foundation, more commonly known for the BRIT Awards , is located in the area. Selhurst railway station has frequent trains north to London Victoria , and London Bridge at peak times, and south to Sutton , Caterham and Epsom Downs via East Croydon and West Croydon . Selhurst Depot
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