Description
Stambourne Woodland Walk was created over the former gardens of large Victorian villas, which had became neglected and densely overgrown. The project to develop a link Westow Park and South Norwood Lake was conceived in 1962 when Croydon Council purchased land in part from the Church Commissioners along with other small packages. Some of the vegetation was left undisturbed and improvements included planting native trees, shrubs and wild flower seed, and providing paths and seating. The linear walk opened to the public in 1984.
Practical Information
| Site location | Church Road/Auckland Road, Upper Norwood |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SE19 2PY |
| What3Words | ///quick.lows.starts |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Croydon |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | London Overground: Crystal Palace then bus. Bus: 249 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The site was formerly the gardens of large Victorian villas that had been built on the hill overlooking Croydon. Located between later developments in Stambourne Way and Fox Hill, the properties became neglected and their gardens densely overgrown with trees and scrub. The project to develop a link between Westow Park (q.v.) and South Norwood Lake (q.v.) was conceived in 1962 when Croydon Council purchased land in part from the Church Commissioners with other small packages of land acquired to complete the link. Much of the vegetation was undisturbed and improvements included planting of native trees and shrubs, wild flower seed was distributed; paths and seating were provided through the woodland. It was opened to the public in 1984.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ336701 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.92 |
| Site Ownership | LB Croydon |
| Site Management | Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | 1962-84 |
| 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 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
Fox Hill Green is a small triangular public open space, crossed by paths, with a number of well-grown trees and planted with spring bulbs.
Westow Park was originally acquired by the local authority for a children's playground in the 1890s. It was augmented by the purchase in 1969/70 of the grounds of two demolished C19th villas, Windermere and Walmer, together with part of a pre-fab estate at College Green. Windermere had been converted and enlarged in 1873-6 for use as the Royal Normal College and Academy of Music for the Blind, which also used Walmer. The park includes the remains of garden terraces created for the blind and an ornamental archway, formerly leading to the front door from Church Road. Within the park are horse chestnuts planted in the original gardens. A pond that was once in the grounds has been filled in since the 1950s.
Beaulieu Heights is on woodland that was once part of the Great North Wood before it formed the grounds of two large houses, Hazelwood and Beaulieu Lodge. Much of the land in the area was owned by the Archbishops of Canterbury. A map of 1870 shows woodland at that time of a very similar extent to that in the area today. Croydon Council purchased Hazelwood and Beaulieu Lodge from the Church Commissioners in 1938 and the park was opened to the public after WWII.