South Norwood Country Park
Encyclopedia
South Norwood
South Norwood is an urban town and in south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a suburban development 7.8 miles south-east of Charing Cross. South Norwood is an electoral with a resident population in 2001 of just over 14,000...
, close to Elmers End station
Elmers End station
Elmers End station is a railway station and tram terminus in Elmers End, South London, England. It is in the London Borough of Bromley, and Travelcard Zone 4 south of London Charing Cross....
, mainly in the London Borough of Croydon
London Borough of Croydon
The London Borough of Croydon is a London borough in South London, England and is part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the largest London borough by population. It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name...
. It is a 47 hectare (116 acre) green space which opened in 1989. The park occupies a mix of countryside and parkland, and land formerly used for sewage farms serving the growing London population.
It is very popular with cyclists and has several viewpoints where you can see the Docklands sky scrapers. Croydon Sports Arena, the home of Croydon F.C.
Croydon F.C.
Croydon F.C. is an English semi-professional football club based in Croydon, London, England. Until 2006, they played in the Isthmian League, but lost their place in that league as part of the 2006 re-structuring of non-league football, and now play in the Combined Counties League. They play at...
, is located on the south-eastern edge of the park. There is also a car park and visitor centre which holds annual open days which include face painting, pole lathe demonstration, guided walks, refreshments and a skittle alley to raise awareness for the park. There is also a duck pond similar to the one at South Norwood Lake.
History
The site that is now known as South Norwood Country Park has undergone many changes in its long and chequered history, from the days of the Great North WoodGreat North Wood
The Great North Wood was a natural oak forest that covered most of the area of raised ground starting some four miles south of central London, covering the Sydenham Ridge and the southern reaches of the River Effra and its tributaries...
to ancient moated house, sewage farm
Sewage farm
Sewage farms comprise agricultural land irrigated and fertilised with sewage.A precursor to modern sewage treatment systems, household sewage was collected from towns and cities and transported to nearby farm lands. During the middle ages this was accomplished with hand-carried buckets, but as...
, farming, the war years, civil defence, allotments, wasteland, highways, refuse dump and now the Country Park.
La Motes
A scientific dig was carried out in 1972 by Lillian Thornhill on behalf of the Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society in an attempt to ascertain the age of the double-sided moat shown on the Thomas Morley estate mapEstate map
Estate maps were maps commissioned by individual landowners or institutions showing their property, typically including fields and buildings.-Development:...
of 1736 under the name of La Motes. On an earlier estate map of Peter Burrell, the land is indicated as adjoining Sturts Land and is given the name Lame Oates which is obviously a phonetic corruption of La Motes.
Deeds of 1467 relate to a mortgage transaction at Leweland between Richard at Cherte and Stephan and John Fabian of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Going further back in time, there is a gap in the available records until one reaches the end of the 13th century when further evidence indicates the existence of a 13th - 14th century house of some importance having existed on the site, with the principal owner being Lord Robert de Retford.
He was one of the King's itinerant judges, known to be active as such between the years 1295-1318. The low lying position of the land with streams flowing through it leads one to consider whether a natural phenomena, like the floods of 1315 to 1317 had anything to do with the failure of the house to survive.
The Sewage Farm
From about 1862 the land was acquired by Croydon Corporation for use as a sewage farm. This was largely unsuccessful because of the heavy London ClayLondon Clay
The London Clay Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian age which crops out in the southeast of England. The London Clay is well known for the fossils it contains. The fossils from the Lower Eocene indicate a moderately warm climate, the flora being tropical or subtropical...
subsoil that makes up the majority of the site. A series of concrete channels (some of which are still visible today) were constructed to direct the sewage over the numerous lagoons but these were a failure as the lagoons would remain flooded for months without draining away.
Pitch and putt
Pitch and putt is an amateur sport, similar to golf. The maximum hole length for international competitions is with a maximum total course length of . Players may only use three clubs; one of which must be a putter...
course now stands. This was shut down in 1962 and the area was left mostly undisturbed until the creation of the Country Park in 1988/99. The manager of the farm was Albert David Prior.
The War Years
The years leading up to World War 2 brought about even more dramatic changes, with the armed forces using the area for training. During the course of the war, the site became an A.R.P. (Air Raid Precaution) centre and the civil defence unit was also based here until the 1950s; there was even a ruined house that was specially constructed for the rescue services to practice in.During the blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
when hundreds of buildings were destroyed in Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
(a heavily targeted town) and surrounding areas, much of the spoils were dumped on the land. This rubble eventually mounted up to form what is now the large hill behind the sports arena today. It is the principal viewpoint in the park and from the top of it you can see, amongst other things, Docklands, Shirley Hills, Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace, London
Crystal Palace is a residential area in south London, England named from the former local landmark, The Crystal Palace, which occupied the area from 1854 to 1936. The area is located approximately 8 miles south east of Charing Cross, and offers impressive views over the capital...
, Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, and as far east as Bromley
Bromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
.
Playground
The playground at South Norwood Country Park has been rebuilt since it was shut down due to health and safety issues in 2006.During 2008 Croydon Council constructed a lottery funded playground in a large space which was formerly part of the pitch and putt course. The equipment is intended for children from aged 4 to 14. The playground is not suitable for those over 14 years of age.
Wildlife
With a wide range of different habitats, the country park is a haven for wildlife and an important site for nature conservation. It has now been designated a Local Nature ReserveLocal Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
.
Many wetlands and ponds in Britain have become polluted or have disappeared, leaving the plants and animals that like wet conditions with fewer places to live. The Dragonfly Pond was built to encourage dragonflies and damselflies, and many other plants and animals such as frogs, toads and newts can be found there too. In the summer months the blue and green Emperor Dragonfly, the largest dragonfly in Britain can be found there.
South Norwood Country Park has an excellent bird record with over 100 different species being sighted each year. The large wetlands in particular attract a wide variety of birds.
See also
External links
- www.croydon.gov.uk - facilities and contact details
- www.croydon.gov.uk/..../smcphistory - history of the site