104-573: Waddon ( / ˈ w ɒ d ən / ) is a neighbourhood in the London Borough of Croydon , at the western end of the town of Croydon . The area borders the London Borough of Sutton . It is not known when the manor of Croydon was granted to the See of Canterbury , but it is thought of be before then end of the 9th century. The archbishop had lands in Croydon about 871. The Domesday Book of 1086 shows it as part of
208-673: 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
312-535: A 25-metre swimming pool, a learner pool, a sports hall, a cafe and 30 parking spaces. The new development was built on the site of the 1936-constructed public house "The Propeller Inn", a Barclay Perkins brewery interest. Demolished in 2006 the place had been a favourite with wartime RAF personnel at the airfield up the road. Waddon has had two other swimming facilities on the Purley Way in the past. The open-air Purley Way Swimming Pool opened on 27 July 1935 and except for
416-671: 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 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
520-581: A Hindu faith ethos. Politically, Waddon ward is a marginal ward on Croydon Council and has seen its representation swap between the Labour , Conservative and Ratepayers Parties since the late 1920s. With elections every year Labour took Waddon in 1929 and in 1937 and 1938 with RA candidates winning in the intervening years and also continuously from 1919 to 1928. The first elections to the new London Borough of Croydon council in 1964 saw all three seats go to Labour. The Conservatives secured all three Waddon seats in
624-567: A Labour member for being pro having a Croydon Mayor, for speaking to the local press and for voting against a cut to council tax benefit. His 705 votes made it hard for either party to get all three party candidates elected. In July 2017, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England altered, subject to the formality of Parliamentary approval, the boundaries of the ward as from May 2018 so as to exclude roads including and surrounding Pampisford Road and Haling Park Road to
728-422: 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
832-494: A certain height due to the proximity of the former airport, but those restrictions ought to be redundant by now, given that the airport has long since gone. The last commercial flight from the airport was in 1959. The imposing hotel which used to serve the airport remains to this day. The South London Pirates are one of the most successful teams in the British Baseball Federation , playing at Roundshaw , on part of
936-471: 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
1040-547: 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
1144-412: 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
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#17328557194101248-482: 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
1352-453: A long history of industrial trades. The Croydon gasworks were built on Waddon Marsh in 1867. An electricity generating station opened in 1896. The opening of the Purley Way in 1925 prompted the building of a number of factories including for Redwing Aircraft Ltd., Trojan Ltd. (car manufacturers), Tizer Ltd, Standard Steel Co., Croydon Foundry Ltd. (1920), Metal Propellers Ltd., (1925) and Southern Foundries Ltd. (1926). Croydon Corporation built
1456-525: A rural environment. In 1928 opposite the hotel the Stafford Parade was completed and boasted a dairy, a grocery, a chemist's, a butcher's, a café and two banks. Richardson's Joinery used to be by the pillars at the entry into The Waldrons. Victoria Place off Southbridge Place was replaced by Victoria House where Croydon's Educational Psychological Service and a Pupil Referral Unit was based. The site that became unused now has an Avanti primary school based on
1560-621: 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
1664-442: 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
1768-411: 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
1872-600: A swing from the Conservatives to Labour of 7.1%. 2018 saw Labour retaining the three seats with an increased majority on the altered boundaries as detailed below. In 2022 Labour held two of the three seats as it shed 2,035 votes. The other seat was taken by the Conservatives. The setback for Labour came after the financial collapse of the Labour council, none of the incumbent Labour councillors running again except that Andrew Pelling ran as an Independent. Pelling had been terminated as
1976-560: A year loss) and dismissing Conservative accusations of an anti-south of the borough outlook. The district auditor criticised the closure decision as "poor value for money." The Highways Agency opposition slowed the sale of the site to the private sector. The Water Palace site was replaced by the Colonnades shopping, food, sports club and bus terminal centre. Waddon railway station is on the line between West Croydon railway station and Epsom Downs and Sutton. Waddon railway station opened on
2080-489: 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
2184-521: 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
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#17328557194102288-502: 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
2392-482: 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
2496-512: 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
2600-655: 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
2704-474: 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
2808-502: 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
2912-466: 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
3016-579: 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
3120-491: Is grown'. Evidence of Bronze Age and Iron Age habitation have been found locally. Waddon has an older area with 19th-century properties, some even older, close to central Croydon. Further south is a large estate of Council-owned and former Council-owned homes and a small number of tower blocks. In the inter-war years Waddon had the most Croydon Corporation owned homes in Croydon with 1,125 council houses and 80 council flats. The geographical area of Waddon extends further north than
3224-406: 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,
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3328-497: 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
3432-528: 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
3536-556: 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
3640-569: 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
3744-470: 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
3848-639: 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
3952-455: 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
4056-642: 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
4160-715: 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
4264-406: The 1968 landslide for the Conservatives in London. 1971 saw Labour take all three seats back. 1974 saw Labour hold two of the three seats but there were Waddon by-election wins for the Conservatives both in 1976 and 1977 electing Councillors Jim Nea and Michael Wunn respectively. In 1986, the ward representation was shared between the Conservatives with two councillors and Labour one councillor after
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4368-653: 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
4472-579: The Conservatives had held all the seats both in 1978 and in the 1982 Conservative landslide when the only five seats held by Labour were in New Addington. In 1990 and 1994, Labour won all three seats with the Conservatives falling to third place in an August 1993 by-election. In 1998, the ward returned one Labour and two Conservative councillors, one of whom defected to the Liberal Democrats . In 2002, Labour recovered all three seats, albeit with one of
4576-496: The Epsom branch of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway in 1863. and was originally placed to the east of its current location. There are Tramlink stops at Waddon Marsh and Wandle Park. Opened in 2000 the tram greatly improved ease of access to Croydon compared to the poorly patronised Southern Railway line to Wimbledon. The Waddon Hotel was built next to the original Waddon rail station with both buildings at that time situated in
4680-451: The Labour candidates crossing the winning line with a majority of just eight votes. In the 2006 elections , Waddon returned three Conservative councillors. In 2010 the three Waddon council seats were retained by the Conservatives with Labour scoring its lowest vote share - 31.8% - during the existence of the post 1964 London Borough to Croydon. In 2014 the ward returned three Labour councillors, Robert Canning, Andrew Pelling & Joy Prince on
4784-464: 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
4888-479: 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
4992-562: 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 ,
5096-455: 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
5200-464: The Purley Way from Waddon Way to Broad Green, subject to investment at Fiveways and other local infrastructure. The Purley Way saw an Art Deco building in the late 1930s at 606, Purley Way for cardboard packager Acme Corrugated Paper & Box. Co. Ltd. Waddon's Purley Way also hosts the Waddon Leisure Centre at Fiveways junction with recently built facilities that include a 65 station gym,
5304-568: The Waddon pumping station in 1910–11 on the road now called Waddon Way. A second power station – Croydon B – opened in 1950 eliminating the first of the watercress beds. First commissioned in 1947 and built by Croydon Corporation the power station was nationalised by the then Labour government. Duppas Hill Terrace hosts the Elis David Almshouses, built in 1974 and officially opened on 25 March 1975 by Princess Alexandra. These almshouses replaced
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#17328557194105408-696: 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
5512-620: 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
5616-445: The archbishop's lands held in demesne (for his own use). After a royal grant in the 13th century, Croydon became a market town. In 1276 Archbishop Robert Kilwardby obtained a grant of market in 1276. It was to be held every Friday and a nine-day fair was to be held on the vigil of St. Botolph the abbot (17 June). Waddon's name was first recorded in the twelfth century and derives from Old English meaning 'the hill where woad grows, or
5720-495: 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
5824-464: 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
5928-474: 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
6032-474: 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
6136-527: 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
6240-510: 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
6344-452: 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, the charity provides bursaries and scholarships in excess of £5m a year. The foundation is governed by
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#17328557194106448-735: The clay and bricks for the Whitgift almshouses came from Duppas Hill after Park Hill, Croydon bricks proved to be inferior. The timber for the Whitfgift almshouses came from Waddon ward's Haling Manor. In 1931, Whitgift School moved to its current site in Haling Park, which was once home to Lord Howard of Effingham , the Lord High Admiral of the Fleet sent against the Spanish Armada. St George's Church
6552-449: 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
6656-434: 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
6760-442: 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
6864-554: The defence of London. Land to the east of Plough Lane was requisitioned for testing by the National Aircraft Factory No.1 and was known as Waddon Aerodrome. In 1920 the Beddington and Waddon aerodromes became the main customs airport for London. The international distress term " Mayday " was invented at Waddon's Croydon Airport. It was Croydon Airport senior radio officer Frederick Stanley Mockford (1897 – 1 March 1962) who
6968-511: 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
7072-614: 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
7176-507: 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,
7280-479: 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
7384-424: 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
7488-570: 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
7592-528: The old airport. Running through Waddon, from Purley to the western reaches of Thornton Heath, is the Purley Way , the A23 , home to many superstores and light industrial units. A bypass road was first muted in 1908 with the corporation's Roads Committee putting forward a full Thornton Heath to Purley relief road proposal in June 1911. Work commenced after the Great War in 1919 with the official opening in 1925. In 1932
7696-676: The original almshouses in Church Street and the Henry Smith 1896 almshouse in Scarbrook Road. The Elis David charity was founded in perpetuity by Elias Davy on 27 April 1447. The current site of the almshouses was previously that of Croydon's workhouse. Duppas Hill was Croydon's first recreation ground. Croydon Board of Health bought land from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for £2,000 in 1865. The Whitgift Foundation state that
7800-519: 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
7904-703: The park. The River Bourne once flowed above ground through the South Mead, now Southbridge Road, and along Old Town where it joined the River Wandle. From the Middle Ages the Waddon Court Estate covered much of the area. Mills operated on the River Wandle which was used later to irrigate watercress beds as well as feed the lakes of Waddon Court. The first incarnation of the Hare and Hounds public house opened in 1773, on what
8008-757: 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
8112-639: The political boundary of Waddon ward. Located in the Wandle river valley, one of the river's sources, Waddon Ponds , is a public open space. The Wandle has been deculverted in Wandle Park and in the New South Quarter development. Wandle Park, opened in 1890, has benefited from the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 's Section 106 monies paid by property developers of the New South Quarter which have been used to refurbish
8216-522: 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
8320-522: 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
8424-484: The south of Whitgift School and to include some additional parts of what is geographically Waddon including retail and industrial areas to the south of Beddington Park Road, Wandle Park tramstop, the gasometers at Factory Lane, New South Quarter, Waddon Marsh tramstop, Wandle Park and properties between Wandle Park and the Roman Way. London Borough of Croydon The London Borough of Croydon ( pronunciation )
8528-399: 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 ,
8632-481: The southern section of Purley Way was the first highway to benefit from sodium street lighting. The whole stretch benefitted from such lighting by 1936 with lights often strung over the centre of the highway. Transport for London (TfL) consulted on altering junctions at Fiveways and at Croydon Road to improve traffic flows but COVID impacts on budgets have delayed any improvement. Croydon council have undertaken consultations on allowing over 7,000 homes to be built along
8736-408: 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
8840-499: 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
8944-424: 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
9048-436: 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 . Whitgift Foundation The Whitgift Foundation is a charity based in Croydon , South London , England. The purpose of
9152-552: 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
9256-433: 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
9360-555: The war period was open until 1975. The diving platforms are retained within the site. In part replacement for these closed pools and those at Scarbrook Road in Old Town a "Water Palace" facility was built on Metropolitan Open Land opposite the old airport for the Conservative council and opened in 1990. Including wave machines the facility was closed by the first Labour-led council in 1996, citing dangerous and uneconomic conditions (a £500,000
9464-458: 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,
9568-530: Was built in the heart of the Waddon housing estate, being erected in 1932. The architects were W. Curtis Green, R.A. and Partners. With a capacity for 339 parishioners the structure cost £5,580 and the fittings, fees and other outgoings cost £1,307. Dressed in Portland stone and with a timber roof covered with tiles. The former Croydon Airport is in south-west Waddon. The aerodrome was established in December 1915 for
9672-425: 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
9776-498: 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
9880-427: 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
9984-496: Was later used as a barn within Coldharbour Farm. It was listed in 1990 and until 2007 was used by the now closed Grants Solicitors, the practice of the former Justice minister and MP for Maidstone & The Weald, Helen Grant. In August 2017 the local authority gave planning permission for the barn to be used for religious worship with the successful applicant being the O Farinloye Kingdom Heritage Christian Fellowship. Waddon has
10088-705: 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
10192-517: 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
10296-457: 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
10400-488: 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
10504-408: 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
10608-638: Was the originator of the uniform international distress signal. The local community consequently suffered badly in traffic from a different European location in the Blitz bombing raids in World War II . An attack on 15 August 1940 marked the first civilian bombing with 62 civilian fatalities and 185 injured outside the airport. In addition two civilian telephone operators were injured. Land and existing buildings in this area may be found to be subject to 20th century restrictive covenants preventing new construction above
10712-469: Was then Waddon Marsh Lane. In the latter years of the 18th century Waddon Court's owner, John Dewye Parker, raised a volunteer corps of yeomen here, at his own expense, and "military evolutions were performed with the utmost precision, upon the lawn surrounding his mansion." The Old Tithe Barn tithe barn was part of Waddon Court with the building opposite the Waddon Leisure Centre dating back to 1799. The building
10816-410: 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
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