Description
Roundshaw Playing Fields are on a large area of flat downland fringed by tree planting along the south, east and west sides, with Roundshaw Down to the north. The 1st edition OS map of 1867 shows the site as open land (The Downs), set between Plough Lane to west and The Mere Bank to the east, close to New Barn Farm to the north of the Downs.
Practical Information
| Site location | Purley Way |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SM6 9GG |
| What3Words | ///master.beside.tight |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Sutton |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Rail: Waddon. Bus: 119, 289. |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2004 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Pending further research
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ307633 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 64.907 |
| Site Ownership | LB Sutton |
| Site Management | Parks Service |
| 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 | Sutton |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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
Purley Way West is on the edge of a large open area that was the site of Croydon Airport; some of the former taxiing area remains visible. The first Croydon Aerodrome was formed from two earlier airfields, and has now largely been built over. A second complex was built to the east in 1926 and Croydon Airport was opened on 2 May 1928. It served as London's main civic international airport but finally closed in 1959. A number of the airport buildings remain to the north of Purley Way West and the airport land is now parkland, playing fields and the Roundshaw Estate in Sutton. In 1991 a memorial to the Battle of Britain was erected next to Purley Way.
Roundshaw Down is a large area of gently sloping chalk downland with belts of wood and long walks, which have been cut under conservation guidelines. The open land extends to the east into Croydon, and was once part of the Croydon Airport site.
Roundshaw Park is open grassland with a large wooded area to the south. The 1st edition OS map of 1867 shows a large open space, The Downs, between Plough Lane and Sandy Lane. The original Roundshaw Park was a small area on the corner of Foresters Drive and Mollison Drive, purchased in 1928, and there are good railings and ornamental gates to Foresters Drive. Roundshaw Park is so-called from a round 'shaw' or grove of trees, which is still a feature here.