Description
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.
Practical Information
| Site location | Manchester Road/Luna Road/St Pauls Road/Liverpool Road, Thornton Heath |
|---|---|
| Postcode | CR7 8NB |
| What3Words | ///scales.assure.shaky |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Croydon |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | locked |
| Public Transport | Rail: Thornton Heath |
| Research Updated | 1 February 2006 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ324686 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Croydon |
| Site Management | Highways |
| Dates | 1860s/70s |
| Listed Structures | Local list: St Paul's Church and Church Hall |
| 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 | St Paul's Road Local Area of Special Character |
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
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.
One of Croydon's earliest recreation grounds, the first parcel of land for Thornton Heath Recreation Ground was acquired by Croydon Corporation in 1884. Trees were planted and facilities for cricket provided, and further improvements in 1891, including new gates. In 1894 additional land was purchased to enlarge the ground and the public footpath running across the park marks the boundary. The park became very popular and had a bandstand and drinking fountain, no longer present, and later a bowling green, and other sports facilities. A new ornamental garden was opened in 1987.
Trumble Gardens were laid out on the site of three houses in Brigstock Road that were destroyed by bombing in WWII. The site was purchased by Croydon Corporation in 1947/8 and cleared of rubble, the new gardens' boundary walls built from the bricks of the houses. A series of different character gardens were laid out including a rose garden and an Italian-style garden. As well as quiet seating areas and ornamental gardens, the public were provided with tennis courts and a children's playground. Originally called Brigstock Road Gardens, the garden was later renamed to commemorate the late Alderman Trumble.