Russell Hill, Croydon

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Russell Hill
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Russell Hill
Location within Greater London
OS grid reference TQ3042963303
•  Charing Cross 17.1 mi (27.5 km)  N
London borough
Ceremonial county Greater London
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town PURLEY
Postcode district CR8
Dialling code 020
Police Metropolitan
Fire London
Ambulance London
London Assembly
List of places
UK
England
London
51°21′12″N0°07′36″W / 51.353318°N 0.126708°W / 51.353318; -0.126708

Russell Hill is an area in the London Borough of Croydon, located to the north-west of Purley.

Contents

It is named after the former prime minister John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, who was President of the Warehousemen, Clerks and Drapers School which was built here in 1866. Prior to this the locality was known as Beggar's Thorn or Beggar's Bush, since at least the 10th century [1] and survived until the early 20th century. [2] The area is now home to Margaret Roper Catholic Primary School and Thomas More Catholic School. [1]

School

The school was designed by the Birmingham architect John George Bland in a Venetian gothic style of red brick and is a grade 2 listed building. [3] The foundation stone was laid by the Prince of Wales (future King Edward VII) on 11th July 1863, who subsequently opened it on 18th June 1866. [4] The event was attended by the school's president Prime Minister, Earl Russell, the mayor of London and the Bishop of Winchester, among others. [4] The grounds are said to have been laid out by Sir Joseph Paxton. [4] The boarding school was built on behalf of Warehousemen and Clerks [5] for the education of orphans and necessitous children, which had outgrown Hatcham Grove House at New Cross. Perhaps unusual for the time, it included both boys and girls, although they were segregated. [4] The Warehousemen and Clerks built a similar school at Cheadle Hume. In 1883 the Worshipful Company of Drapers, a London Livery company sought to establish an orphanage, which led to the school being renamed as the Warehousemen, Clerks and Drapers' school. [4]

After the first World War, the girls moved to a new site gifted by Charles Goschen known as Ballards, which became known as Russell School and Royal Russell School in 1853. [4] Perhaps fittingly the foundation stone for the chapel was laid in 1924 by the Prince of Wales, the grandson of Edward VII. [6] The boys moved to Ballards in 1961, and the school on Russell Hill was sold to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Southwark in 1962, which established Thomas More and Margaret Roper catholic schools on the site. [4]

Reservoir

On the northeast outskirts, at the south end of the Purley Way playing fields is Russell Hill reservoir. It was opened on 11th July 1923 by Croydon's mayor, Alderman T W Wood Roberts. [7] At that time Croydon Corporation was responsible for supplying the borough's sanitation. [8] Croydon's population growth and finite water sources meant there was a risk that peak demand could not be met, particularly during droughts. The corporation's engineer, George F Carter, had proposed a new reservoir at Russell Hill as early as 1911, [9] which was estimated to cost £91,000, [10] three times the cost of the newly opened Waddon pumping station. [9] The high cost caused delay while an independent report was commissioned by the consulting engineer Vaux Graham, an enquiry by the government's Local Government Board in 1913 [11] and World War 1 fought; the final cost was £900,000. [7] Despite holding 10M gallons, over 10 times the capacity of the Park Hill reservoir it replaced, this represented just two days supply. [7] The reservoir supplied premises lower than the reservoir (Croydon's low-level district) with water from Waddon and Surrey Street pumping stations. [11]

The 454’(138.4m) by 200’(61m) rectangular reservoir was mainly constructed out of concrete, with the reinforced concrete roof supported on 366 pillars, buried under 18”(0.5m) of soil. [7] The depth of water in the reservoir was up to 18’(5.6m) deep.

In 1939 the Metropolitan water board became responsible for Croydon's sanitation under a new corporation bill. [12] This became Thames Water Authority on 1st April 1974 and Thames Water following the 1989 privatisation, who now own the c.100 year old reservoir.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Croydon</span> London borough in United Kingdom

The London Borough of Croydon is a London borough in south London, part of Outer London. It covers an area of 87 km2 (33.6 sq mi). It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name; while other urban centres include Coulsdon, Purley, South Norwood, Norbury, New Addington, Selsdon and Thornton Heath. Croydon is mentioned in Domesday Book, and from a small market town has expanded into one of the most populous areas on the fringe of London. The borough is now one of London's leading business, financial and cultural centres, and its influence in entertainment and the arts contribute to its status as a major metropolitan centre. Its population is 390,719, making it the largest London borough and sixteenth largest English district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coulsdon</span> Town in south London, England

Coulsdon, is a town in south London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon. Coulsdon was an ancient parish in the county of Surrey that included the settlements of Purley and Kenley. It was merged with Sanderstead in 1915 to form the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District and has formed part of Greater London since 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purley, London</span> Human settlement in England

Purley is an area of the London Borough of Croydon in London, England, 11.7 miles (18.8 km) south of Charing Cross, with a history going back at least 800 years. It was originally granted as an estate from holdings at Sanderstead and until as a district of Surrey and then, with neighbouring Coulsdon, as an urban district that became an electoral ward of the London Borough of Croydon, becoming part of the ceremonial county of London, in 1965. In 2018 the Purley ward was divided into two: Purley and Woodcote, and Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waddon</span> Human settlement in England

Waddon is a neighbourhood in the London Borough of Croydon, at the western end of the town of Croydon. The area borders the London Borough of Sutton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croydon Airport</span> Airport in South London

Croydon Airport was the UK's only international airport during the interwar period. It opened in 1920, located in Croydon, then part of Surrey. Built in a Neoclassical style, it was developed as Britain's main airport, handling more cargo, mail, and passengers than any other UK airport at the time. Innovations at the site included the world's first air traffic control and the first airport terminal. During World War II the airport was named RAF Croydon as its role changed to that of a fighter airfield during the Battle of Britain; and in 1943 RAF Transport Command was founded at the site, which used the airport to transport thousands of troops into and out of Europe.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croydon Canal</span> Former canal in south London

The Croydon Canal ran 9+1⁄4 miles (15 km) from Croydon, via Forest Hill, to the Grand Surrey Canal at New Cross in south London, England. It opened in 1809 and closed in 1836, the first canal to be abandoned by an Act of Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Wandle</span> Tributary of the River Thames, England

The River Wandle is a right-bank tributary of the River Thames in south London, England. With a total length of about 9 miles (14 km), the river passes through the London boroughs of Croydon, Sutton, Merton and Wandsworth, where it reaches the Thames. A short headwater – the Caterham Bourne – is partially in Surrey, the historic county of the river's catchment. Tributaries of the Wandle include Carshalton Ponds and Norbury Brook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purley Way</span> Street in the London Borough of Croydon

Purley Way is a section of the A23 trunk road in the London Borough of Croydon, in the areas of Purley, Waddon and Broad Green, and has given its name to the out-of-town shopping area alongside it with a catchment area covering most of South London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenley</span> Human settlement in England

Kenley is a residential suburb within the London Borough of Croydon. It is located 13 miles (21 km) south of Charing Cross and within the southern boundary of London, England. Surrounded by the Metropolitan Green Belt on three sides, it includes the large open spaces of Kenley Common and Kenley Aerodrome. Kenley was part of the ancient parish of Coulsdon in the county of Surrey and was connected to central London by rail in 1856. As the population of the area was growing, it became part of Coulsdon and Purley Urban District in 1915 and has formed part of Greater London since 1965. At the 2011 Census, Kenley had a population of 14,966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coombe, Croydon</span> Human settlement in England

Coombe is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, situated south-east of central Croydon, between Addiscombe, Selsdon and Upper Shirley. Formerly a hamlet, since the growth of suburban development the area has become swallowed into the London conurbation and often does not appear on modern map.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Croydon</span> Area of London

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Royal Russell School is an independent school in the Shirley area of Croydon, South London. It is a co-educational day and boarding school. The motto of the school is Non sibi sed omnibus meaning "Not for one's self but for all". The school is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The patron of the school was Queen Elizabeth II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Croydon</span>

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References

  1. 1 2 Willey, Russ. Chambers London Gazetteer, p 421.
  2. ↑ "Surrey XX.1 (Beddington; Coulsdon) Scale 1:2500". National Library of Scotland: Map Images (maps.nls.uk). Ordnance Survey. 1913. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  3. ↑ "Russell Hill Schools (Thomas More School for Boys), main building". historicengland.org.uk. Historic England. 15 February 1983. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Warehousemen and Clerks' Schools, Purley, Surrey". www.childrenshomes.org.uk. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  5. ↑ Warehousemen and Clerks' Schools: Rules and regulations. London: Hancoock & Humphrey. 1858. p. 8.
  6. ↑ "Our Heritage and Royal Patronage - Royal Russell School". www.royalrussell.co.uk. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Croydon's new reservoir". Croydon Times. No. 5458. 14 July 1923. p. 7.
  8. ↑ "Croydon Corporation Act 1884 (47 & 48 Vict. c. 141)". legislation.gov.uk. 1884.
  9. 1 2 "Croydon's new waterworks". Croydon Express. 4 March 1911. p. 2.
  10. ↑ "Motor fire engines". Croydon Chronicle. No. 2976. 29 July 1911. p. 20.
  11. 1 2 "Russell Hill Reservoir". Croydon Express. 25 October 1913. p. 2.
  12. ↑ "Water Supply". The Croydon Advertiser. No. 3691. 11 August 1939. p. 1.
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