Description
Grangewood Park is on the site of a late C18th/early C19th villa and gardens, itself carved out of pre-existing oak woodland of the Great North Wood. The estate was bought in 1806 by John Davidson Smith, who divided it for residential development. By 1868 the mansion had gardens to the south and a water garden and rockery to the south-west. In 1900 it was acquired by Croydon Corporation for a public park and the gardens and walks were augmented with a bowling green, tennis courts and bandstand, and a nursery was established in the walled kitchen garden. The nursery, water garden and bandstand have all gone and the park is largely oak woodland, with an ornamental garden laid out on the foundations of the mansion, which was demolished in 1960.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Benchesham Manor; Whitehorse Wood |
|---|---|
| Site location | Grange Road/ Wharncliff Road/ Ross Road, South Norwood |
| Postcode | SE25 6TG |
| What3Words | ///crown.tracks.pills |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Croydon |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am Mon-Fri/9am weekends - dusk |
| Facilities | Bowling green, tennis courts, children’s playground, football, basketball |
| Public Transport | Rail: Thornton Heath then bus. Rail/London Overground: Norwood Junction then bus. Bus: 468, 50 |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2018 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Grangewood Park is a public park made out of a late C18th/early C19th villa and gardens, itself carved out of pre-existing oak woodland, once part of the Great North Wood. Between 1299-1338 the woodland, then known as Benchesham Manor, belonged to two successive Bishops of London. The name changed to Whitehorse Wood after it was purchased by Walter Whitehors, shield-bearer to Edward III. In 1800 the wood was surrounded by fields, with a few cottages around the farmhouse. The estate was bought in 1806 by John Davidson Smith, who also owned Beulah Spa (see The Lawns q.v.), who divided it for residential development. By 1847 a track had been constructed across the wood connecting Beulah Spa with the road junction at White Horse Farm, which is now the route of Grange Road. The 1868 1st edition Ordnance Survey map shows the mansion with gardens to the south and a water and rockery garden to the south-west.
The site was acquired by Croydon Corporation in 1900 for a public park, and the existing gardens and walks were augmented with a bowling green, tennis courts and a bandstand where regular summer concerts were staged. During WWI the mansion was used for billeting Canadian troops and it was subsequently used as a museum until WWII when it was badly damaged by enemy action and subsequently demolished in 1960. A formal garden was laid out on the retained foundations of the house. The bandstand was also demolished, following a decline in the popularity of concerts. At about the same time c.1960, the water garden was filled in.
The walled kitchen garden with glasshouses was situated to the east of the mansion. The Corporation used this for plant production and it was famous for its chrysanthemums, but after WWII part of the nursery was demolished for the tennis courts. The nursery was closed in the mid-1960s and a paved herb garden and a cultural garden took the place of the Corporation's Nursery. Two of the three lodges survive, Wharncliffe Lodge (pre-1868) to the north and Heath Lodge (built in the late C19th) to the south. A third lodge, Ross Lodge (to the east of the walled garden) was demolished in 1987, due to subsidence. An ornamental garden was made within the foundations of the mansion, with the bay window laid out as flower beds. Oak woodland covers much of the park. A new area has been created with plants with exotic foliage.
The site was acquired by Croydon Corporation in 1900 for a public park, and the existing gardens and walks were augmented with a bowling green, tennis courts and a bandstand where regular summer concerts were staged. During WWI the mansion was used for billeting Canadian troops and it was subsequently used as a museum until WWII when it was badly damaged by enemy action and subsequently demolished in 1960. A formal garden was laid out on the retained foundations of the house. The bandstand was also demolished, following a decline in the popularity of concerts. At about the same time c.1960, the water garden was filled in.
The walled kitchen garden with glasshouses was situated to the east of the mansion. The Corporation used this for plant production and it was famous for its chrysanthemums, but after WWII part of the nursery was demolished for the tennis courts. The nursery was closed in the mid-1960s and a paved herb garden and a cultural garden took the place of the Corporation's Nursery. Two of the three lodges survive, Wharncliffe Lodge (pre-1868) to the north and Heath Lodge (built in the late C19th) to the south. A third lodge, Ross Lodge (to the east of the walled garden) was demolished in 1987, due to subsidence. An ornamental garden was made within the foundations of the mansion, with the bay window laid out as flower beds. Oak woodland covers much of the park. A new area has been created with plants with exotic foliage.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ329689 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 11.23 |
| Site Ownership | LB Croydon |
| Site Management | Parks and Open Spaces. Grangewood & Whitehorse Residents Association |
| Dates | Late C18th/early C19th; 1900 |
| Designers | Borough Engineer (1900) |
| 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 | Yes - Local Importance |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Croydon Panorama View |
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
The old hamlet of Thornton Heath was centred on the pond on London Road. The arrival of the railway and opening in 1862 of Colliers Water Lane Station (renamed Thornton Heath) led to new development around the High Street. St Paul's Road is recorded in the 1865 Croydon Street Directory and St Paul's Church originated as a temporary iron building in 1868. The east end of the church was built in 1871-2, with nave and baptistry added in 1901, and later rebuilding in the 1920s due to subsidence. St Paul's Square is a fenced area of green space with a few trees at the junction of St Paul's Road with Liverpool and Manchester Roads.
Beaulieu Heights is on woodland that was once part of the Great North Wood before it formed the grounds of two large houses, Hazelwood and Beaulieu Lodge. Much of the land in the area was owned by the Archbishops of Canterbury. A map of 1870 shows woodland at that time of a very similar extent to that in the area today. Croydon Council purchased Hazelwood and Beaulieu Lodge from the Church Commissioners in 1938 and the park was opened to the public after WWII.
All Saints church was built in 1827-9 as a Chapel of Ease to Croydon Parish Church of St John the Baptist, established when Upper Norwood was becoming fashionable; the parish of St Margaret was added in 2003. In the churchyard is a memorial to Robert FitzRoy (1805-1865), who entered the Royal Navy at the age of 13 and was later notable as Captain of HMS Beagle in 1831-36, inviting Charles Darwin to accompany the voyage. He was also a noted meteorologist and former Governor of New Zealand.