Description
The lake seen today was the largest of 3 ponds on the Spring Park Estate and is named after the Miller family, the last owners of Spring Park Farm. Sale particulars of Addington Park in 1802 state that the lessee of this farm was responsible for maintaining heads of water from springs and preserving the banks of two ponds, so it may once have provided water power to a mill. Millers Pond and its immediate environment was purchased by Croydon Council in 1934 for public open space. The 2 smaller ponds remained in private ownership as part of the grounds of Spring Park House, which was sold in 1957 and later demolished and the site built over.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Spring Park Estate |
|---|---|
| Site location | Farm Lane/Worcester Close/Shirley Way/The Lees, Shirley |
| Postcode | CR0 8PN |
| What3Words | ///statue.gasp.same |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Croydon |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Toilets |
| Public Transport | Rail: West Wickham then walk/bus. Bus: 119, 194, 198, 356, 494 |
| Research Updated | 1 December 2008 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Millers Pond was the largest of three ponds on the Spring Park Estate that were situated close to Spring Park House, a large house that was still in existence to the north-east of Millers Pond until the early 1960s although by then much of the extensive surrounding land had been built over. Spring Park Farm had been built over when Shirley Way was constructed in the early 1930s, the houses in Farm Lane being the site of the farm buildings. Sale particulars of Addington Park in 1802 had stated that the Lessee of Spring Park Farm was responsible for maintaining heads of water from springs and preserving the banks of two ponds, so it may once have provided water power to a mill. The first owner of the farm was a John Temple Leader but by the 1930s it was owned by Lord Overstrone. The pond was named after the last family working at Spring Park Farm and was probably a working pond created to serve the farm and the estate. From 1915-17 Thomas and Walter Miller were owners of the farm, followed by Edward Miller from 1920-27.
Millers Pond and its immediate environment was purchased by Croydon Council in 1934 as public open space, and although the farm itself disappeared, the street names Farm Lane and Farm Drive recall its existence. The two smaller ponds remained in private ownership as part of the grounds of Spring Park House. By July 1957, when Spring Park House and its 5 acres of grounds were offered for sale by auction, the house had been adapted as a 15-bedroom Night Nurses' Hostel for nearby Bethlem Royal Hospital. The grounds at that time were described as follows: 'The lawns slope gradually away from the House to the south, with rhododendron and azalea bushes, to the Ornamental Lakes, Tennis Lawn and small Meadow. The boundaries are all well screened by matured trees and amongst several fine specimens are various cypress, chestnut and elm, a mulberry, a quince and one of the largest girth oak trees in the country'.
The house was subsequently demolished and the site redeveloped by Charlton Estates as the Farm Drive Estate of 25 detached houses, which was completed by 1967. Part of the larger of the two lakes was filled in to provide back gardens. This resulted in changes to the water table causing damage to mature trees, which also suffered in the Great Storm of 1987. In the 1980s this lake was restored and is an important site for nature conservation. It is bounded by willows and shrubs with ornamental trees. Timber deck walkways were also built in 1980s. Recently the entrance to Farm Way has been replanted with perennials and shrubs.
Millers Pond and its immediate environment was purchased by Croydon Council in 1934 as public open space, and although the farm itself disappeared, the street names Farm Lane and Farm Drive recall its existence. The two smaller ponds remained in private ownership as part of the grounds of Spring Park House. By July 1957, when Spring Park House and its 5 acres of grounds were offered for sale by auction, the house had been adapted as a 15-bedroom Night Nurses' Hostel for nearby Bethlem Royal Hospital. The grounds at that time were described as follows: 'The lawns slope gradually away from the House to the south, with rhododendron and azalea bushes, to the Ornamental Lakes, Tennis Lawn and small Meadow. The boundaries are all well screened by matured trees and amongst several fine specimens are various cypress, chestnut and elm, a mulberry, a quince and one of the largest girth oak trees in the country'.
The house was subsequently demolished and the site redeveloped by Charlton Estates as the Farm Drive Estate of 25 detached houses, which was completed by 1967. Part of the larger of the two lakes was filled in to provide back gardens. This resulted in changes to the water table causing damage to mature trees, which also suffered in the Great Storm of 1987. In the 1980s this lake was restored and is an important site for nature conservation. It is bounded by willows and shrubs with ornamental trees. Timber deck walkways were also built in 1980s. Recently the entrance to Farm Way has been replanted with perennials and shrubs.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ369656 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.62 |
| Site Ownership | LB Croydon |
| Site Management | Parks and Open Spaces. Friends of Millers Pond |
| Dates | 1934 |
| 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 - Borough Importance II (with 2 ponds to N) |
| 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
Shirley was previously a hamlet of Croydon parish, but became a separate parish in 1846. The land for Shirley Church Recreation Ground was purchased in 1928 by the local Council in order to preserve an area of open space among the suburban housing estates that were rapidly developing in the area. The area was once wooded and some of the trees along Shirley Church Road are marked on a map of 1868. A bowling green and tennis courts were later provided and the park is opposite Shirley Parish Church of St John.
The 1800 enclosure map shows Pinewood as part of Shirley Heath, divided up as allotments for the inhabitants of Croydon. Shirley Heath at that time covered a much larger area and in 1762 had formed part of Shirley and Addington Commons.
Shirley Heath was part of a much larger area of woodland, Spring Park Wood, which was significantly lost to housing development in the early C20th and for a golf course in 1922. The area west of the Bridle Way that runs through the site became known as Kennel Wood because it was where the Old Surrey Foxhounds were kept and trained. The golf course was purchased in 1934 by the local council; pre-fabs and then the Shrublands Estate were built on the northern part, with the southern part provided as public open space. The only reminder of Spring Park Wood survives in a small area of woodland surrounded by housing north of Links View Road.