Croydon

Sister cities

• Arnhem
• City of Maroondah

History

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 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 were situated in the area still known as "Old Town". The archbishops used the manor house as an occasional place of residence: as lords of 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. The earliest known mention of Croydon is in a Saxon chronicle of 809, where the name is spelt Crogeden (the modern spelling did not appear until the 13th century). 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 is witnessed by Elfsies, priest of Croydon; and the church is also mentioned in Domesday Book. In 1264, the only battle reputed to have been fought in Croydon is said to have occurred. Following the defeat of Henry III at the Battle of Lewes, a London contingent was reportedly intercepted at Norbury by Royalist troops from Tonbridge and killed. One account suggests that the king’s forces lay in ambush in Norwood Forest and that the clash took place near Hermitage Bridge, close to an enclosure long known…

Geography

Croydon town centre is near the centre of the borough of Croydon, to the north of the North Downs and the Pilgrims' Way path. To the north of Croydon are typical London districts, whereas a short distance southeast (such as Coombe and Selsdon) is green, hilly and rural land. To the west are industrial areas, part of which are in the London Borough of Sutton. The southern suburbs are mainly affluent and also hilly. The town centre is bordered by Waddon immediately southwest of central Croydon. To the west, inside the London Borough of Sutton lies Beddington. To the north are Broad Green, Thornton Heath and Selhurst. To the south lies South Croydon, and going further south are Purley and Sanderstead. To the east lie Addiscombe and Shirley. Croydon High Street runs from South Croydon up to the point where it meets the street called North End. North End is the main shopping street, while Croydon High Street is the main restaurant quarter. The High Street is also home to Wrencote House, a Grade II* listed building. Dating from the late 17th or early 18th centuries, and probably built as a merchant's house, it has a distinctive "H" plan form over its four floors (including basement and attic storey). External features include a rich red brick facade with black headers, and a heavily carved and enriched wooden eaves cornice. Wellesley Road on the A212 road forms a north–south axis through the town centre. In line with London Plan policy, there have been a number of proposals to create greater integration between East Croydon station, which lies on one side of the A212, and the town centre of Croydon, which lies on the other side of it. Croydon Vision 2020 aims to tackle this though such solutions as making the road easier for pedestrians to cross by creating a centre…

Most-observed species

• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  48,885
• Carrion Crow

  Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  46,520
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  44,922
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  42,845
• Rose-ringed Parakeet

  Psittacula krameri (Scopoli, 1769) · Aves
  41,726
• Rock Pigeon

  Columba livia J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  39,008
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  35,632
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  34,813

Most recent

• M 3.1 — 2020-09-22
  5 km N of Aylesbury, United Kingdom
• M 3.9 — 2020-09-08
  2 km WSW of Pitstone, United Kingdom
• M 3.3 — 2019-02-27
  3 km SE of Dorking, United Kingdom
• M 2.8 — 2018-07-05
  1 km S of Ewhurst, United Kingdom
• M 2.6 — 2018-06-27
  5 km W of Capel, United Kingdom
• M 2.7 — 2018-04-01
  4 km E of Holmwood, United Kingdom