Croydon is a large town and commercial centre in South London. The town expects to have dramatic changes to its urban planning as part of Croydon Vision 2020.
In the late Saxon period Croydon was the centre of an estate that belonged to the Archbishops of Canterbury. The church and manor house were in the area known as Old Town. The archbishops used the manor house occasionally and had important links as Lord of the manor and then local patrons up to the present day.
By the 16th century archbishops used the manor house as a summer residence and were often visited by monarchs and other important gentry.
The house was sold in 1781 but it had been allowed to become run down and was surrounded by slums. Many of the buildings of Croydon Palace remain and are used today as the Old Palace School.
Addington Place was bought by the Archbishops of Canterbury in 1807 and was to become the official summer home of six archbishops until sold in 1898.
The Royal School of Music rented the Palace from 1953 to 1996 after which it was leased to a company who has turned it into a banqueting and conference venue, they also have plans to include a health farm and country club.
‘The Hospital of Holy Trinity’ is the Elizabeth Whitgift Almshouses standing in the centre of Croydon since 1599. The premises include a hospital or almshouses for twenty-eight to forty people, a schoolhouse and schoolmasters house. These almshouses were due for demolition in 1923 but were saved by the House of Lords.
Queen Elizabeth II commemorated the reconstruction of the buildings in 1983 by the unveiling of a plaque.
During the 1780’s Brighton was fashionable and this gave Croydon the importance of being a stagecoach stop on the road South of London.
The horse drawn Surrey Iron Railway was opened in 1803 passing through Croydon. In 1809 the nine and a half mile Croydon Canal was opened, this closed in 1836 but the London and Croydon Railway used much of the canal route.
The town expanded greatly after the railways arrived and the town became crowded and damp causing health issues. In 1849 Croydon was to become one of the first towns in England to have a Local Board of Health. This Board was able to ensure a water supply, sewers, sewage disposal works and a reservoir.
The Victorians favoured Croydon because fast trains could get them into the City of London in fifteen minutes. Many slum areas were cleared in the late 1800’s and the rest cleared after World War II.
New shops began to open including Allders and Grants and Sainsbury’s opened their first self-service shop in the country. There was also a very busy market in town.
It was in the 1960’s that the town became an important business centre with blocks of offices, multi-storey car parks and an underpass and a flyover.
The Whitgift Centre opened in 1969 starting the shopping centre the town is now known for.
Fairfields Hall is a large venue for arts and events and this opened in 1962.
Tramlink opened in May 2000 and another large shopping centre opened in 2004, Centrale is opposite the Whitgift Centre. Plans are in place for another large shopping centre, Park Place and an extension to the tramlink.
Croydon is now the second largest shopping area that includes both small independent shops and High Street stores.
There is, in Croydon, several live music venues and has a thriving rock scene.
Property is for rent in Croydon at costs of around £575pcm for a l bed flat and £950pcm for a 3 bed house.
The A23 used to pass through the town but now it is to the west of the town.
Croydon Airport is on Purley Way and used to be the main airport for London until it was found to be too small for the ever-increasing number and size of aircraft. It was at this point London Heathrow Airport took over the role. The last scheduled flight took place on 30th September 1959.
The Air Terminal, now called Airport House, has been renovated and houses a museum.
Main Line trains run from Croydon to Gatwick Airport, the South Coast and Central London.
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