Description
This small recreation ground is on former farmland acquired by Croydon Board of Health in 1905 and laid out as a public park by 1911. It was once part of the Ashburton Estate owned by the Baring family. The estate mansion used to be situated at the corner of Addiscombe Road and Northampton Road. The estate farmhouse was also on Addiscombe Road with a farmtrack alongside it known as Love Lane.
Practical Information
| Site location | Northhampton Road/Bingham Road/Fryston Avenue, Addiscombe |
|---|---|
| Postcode | CR0 7HR |
| What3Words | ///enable.amused.cover |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Croydon |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am Mon-Fri/9am weekends - dusk |
| Facilities | Children's playground, toilets, football pitches, tennis courts, basketball court |
| Public Transport | Rail: East Croydon then bus/tram. Tram Route 2: Addiscombe. |
| Research Updated | 1 December 2008 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Addiscombe Recreation Ground is a small recreation ground dating from 1911 largely laid to grass and is now completely surrounded by houses. The land was acquired in 1905 by Croydon Board of Health under the 1875 Public Health Act and was previously farmland, like much of Croydon until development for housing changed the landscape dramatically from the early C20th. The site is shown on Thomas Bainbridge's Map of Croydon of 1800 as two fields belonging to A Adair Esq. It was at one time part of the Ashburton Estate, the country home of the Barings, who were heirs of the Barony of Ashburton. The estate mansion had been situated at the corner of Addiscombe Road and Northampton Road, and the estate farmhouse was also on Addiscombe Road with a farmtrack alongside it known as Love Lane.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ343660 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 3.24 |
| Site Ownership | LB Croydon |
| Site Management | Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | 1911 |
| Designers | Borough Engineer |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Croydon |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Local Open Land |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Ashburton Park is a municipal park created on the site of an C18th park; the original mansion was built in 1788 but was largely demolished in 1927. Croydon Corporation purchased the site in 1924 and it was first used as a putting green but this was abandoned after a decline in use and it was subsequently re-opened as a public park.
Woodside Green is a traditional village green, now divided into 3 parts by roads. References to the old hamlet date back to 1662 and the Green is shown on the Croydon Inclosure Map of 1800. In 1870 the north-east part was proposed as a site for a new church but local pressure opposed this and in 1871 the land was granted to Croydon Local Board of Health on condition it was 'forever kept as an open space'. In 1888 the adjacent Poplar Farm was acquired and its land later added to the Green. The Green retains a stone cattle and horse trough, and is bounded by post and rail fencing. The layout has only altered from the late C19th to accommodate road widths and the War Memorial now located at the apex of the Green.
Formerly part of the parkland belonging to the Coombe Estate, Lloyd Park was given to Croydon Corporation in memory of Frank Lloyd (d.1927). Lloyd, a newspaper proprietor, had lived at Coombe House and formed the idea of presenting some of his land to the borough for public playing fields. After his death the land passed to his daughter, who made the gift in accordance with her father’s wishes and to provide a memorial to him. Although damaged by the storms of 1987 and largely playing fields, much of the old parkland is still recognisable.
