Description
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.
Practical Information
| Site location | Shirley Church Road, Shirley |
|---|---|
| Postcode | CR0 5EN |
| What3Words | ///hunter.leaps.also |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Croydon |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am Mon-Fri/9am weekends - dusk |
| Facilities | Bowling Green, netball and tennis courts, children’s playground, car park. |
| Public Transport | Tram and Bus c 300m to the west |
| Research Updated | 1 December 2008 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ360653 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 3.44 |
| Site Ownership | LB Croydon |
| Site Management | Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | 1928 |
| 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
Shirley was previously a hamlet of Croydon parish, but became a separate parish in 1846. Prior to the construction of St John's Church in 1854-6 there was a Mission chapel here with a school room, playground, cottages and burial ground, and garden for the poor. From 1879-1912 the vicar of St John's was Revd William Wilkes, an important figure in horticulture, Secretary of the RHS and responsible for developing the Shirley Poppy. The large churchyard has a number of fine mature trees and monuments, including that of John Ruskin's parents, the Preston family tomb in the form of a classical temple, and a memorial to Arthur Lloyd, brother of Frank Lloyd after whom Lloyd Park is named.
The gardens of Hall Grange and The Old Vicarage, now the site of a home for the elderly, the current vicarage and other houses, are important for their connection with Revd William Wilks. He was vicar of St John's Church Shirley, Secretary of the RHS and a well-respected horticulturalist, ahead of his time in his ecological approach to gardening. The habitats he developed here contained numerous plant experiments and introductions, such as his selective breeding of the Shirley Poppy. Wilks' house, The Wilderness, was renamed Hall Grange after 1958 when it became a home for the elderly; a bungalow, also called The Wilderness, was built in its grounds. The garden remained one unit, the part belonging to the bungalow occupants demarcated by a short row of azalea bushes.
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.