Description
The land for Sanderstead Recreation Ground was acquired in 1895 when the newly-formed Parish Council was looking for an area of flat ground near the village centre for a cricket pitch. A popular sport in the area for centuries, setting up a local club was first mooted in 1881 but attempts to establish Sanderstead Cricket Club formally date from 1895 and the Brand Memorial Hall was built adjacent to the pitch as a club room. After WWI the recreation ground was used for other sports, and there is now a bowling green, football pitches and playground.
Practical Information
| Site location | Limpsfield Road, Sanderstead |
|---|---|
| Postcode | CR2 9BZ |
| What3Words | ///tops.sector.lock |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Croydon |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Junior football pitches, senior cricket wickets, bowling green, netball court, multi-games court, sports pavilion, toilets, children’s playground and cycle area. Car park |
| Events | Annual Bonfire |
| Public Transport | Rail: Riddlesdown then bus. Bus: 403, 412 |
| Research Updated | 1 December 2008 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The rural village of Sanderstead began to develop from 1884 after the railway was established here. Sanderstead Recreation Ground is on land that was once fields belonging to White House Farm and later to Borough Farm. The northern part was glebe land belonging to the Rectory. A first parcel of land was acquired in 1895 by the new Sanderstead Parish Council, which had been elected in 1894 and was looking for a flat area near the village centre for a cricket pitch. The site was leased from the Trustees of the Arkwright Estate on a 21-year lease, and the parish council then paid for levelling the ground and sowing grass seed, together with purchase of a roller and mower, the total costing £35 1s 8d.
Adjacent to the pitch the Brand Memorial Hall was built at the behest of James Brand, a tenant of Sanderstead Court, and a formal cricket club appears to have been first mooted in 1895. However, there are records of cricket being played at Sanderstead from the C18th and the origins of the local cricket club probably date from c.1881 when the Cowdrey family, cricket lovers and from whom the famous cricketer Colin Cowdrey was descended, were living at White House Farm. An important member of the club from 1901 was Tom Sherlock who not only played for Sanderstead Cricket Club but was captain, benefactor and also formed the Trust that ensured its survival.
After WWI the recreation ground was also being used for other sports and the cricket pitches were suffering. Sherlock purchased The White House, saw mill and meadow, keeping the latter as a cricket field that is still used today. The recreation ground now has football pitches, a bowling green and playground and The park today is a level grassed area, part of which remains set aside for sports. An annual bonfire takes place in November, with events organised by Croydon Round Table to raise funds for local charities.
Adjacent to the pitch the Brand Memorial Hall was built at the behest of James Brand, a tenant of Sanderstead Court, and a formal cricket club appears to have been first mooted in 1895. However, there are records of cricket being played at Sanderstead from the C18th and the origins of the local cricket club probably date from c.1881 when the Cowdrey family, cricket lovers and from whom the famous cricketer Colin Cowdrey was descended, were living at White House Farm. An important member of the club from 1901 was Tom Sherlock who not only played for Sanderstead Cricket Club but was captain, benefactor and also formed the Trust that ensured its survival.
After WWI the recreation ground was also being used for other sports and the cricket pitches were suffering. Sherlock purchased The White House, saw mill and meadow, keeping the latter as a cricket field that is still used today. The recreation ground now has football pitches, a bowling green and playground and The park today is a level grassed area, part of which remains set aside for sports. An annual bonfire takes place in November, with events organised by Croydon Round Table to raise funds for local charities.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ339610 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 7.89 |
| Site Ownership | LB Croydon |
| Site Management | Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | 1895 |
| 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 | Yes - Archaeological Priority Zone (north part) |
| Other LA Designation | Local Open Land. Part of AP2 |
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
Sanderstead Pond is a small remnant of the old village green and is almost certainly fed by rain water rather than a spring, the water level fluctuating throughout the year. Sanderstead village was once surrounded by extensive woodland and downs. There is evidence that the area had seen the presence of man as long ago as the Mesolithic Period, nearly 12000 years ago. Early mention of 'Sonderstede' occurs in 871AD and in the Domesday Survey the manor was held by the Abbey of St Peter at Westminster. In 1799 the local Squire enclosed the village green into his parkland and its layout has little changed since the mid C19th.
All Saints Churchyard is the burial ground of the medieval parish church of Sanderstead, mentioned in the Domesday Book. The lych-gate is original but was moved to its current site in the 1920s/30s, and has since been restored. In the churchyard is the grave of Sir Francis Bond Head (d.1875), once Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada and author of 'Rides across the Pampas'. A separate graveyard is situated across the road from the church.
The origin of Sanderstead may derive from 'sandy place', which reflects the nature of the soil beneath Sanderstead Plantation. The woodland is predominantly beech but there are other species such as oak, horse chestnut, sweet chestnut and sycamore; it is noted for its bluebells in May. A depression in the middle of the wood marks the site of a brick reservoir demolished in 1969 as unsafe. Purchased in 1958 the reservoir had previously been rented from the owners of the Sanderstead and Warlingham Estate.