St George's Walk is a partially covered shopping parade in the centre of Croydon, London that houses many independent stores. It was completed in 1964 by Ronald Ward and Partners, the designers of St George's House, at one end of the walk, and Millbank Tower in Westminster.
St. George's Walk forms the central part of a complex bounded to the south by Katharine Street, to the north by Park Street, and to the east and west by Park Lane and High Street respectively. The complex is bisected by Fell Road. As of August 2015 [update] , only the eastern half was roofed. Nestlé's former UK headquarters, St George's House, forms part of the complex at the Park Lane end.
The area is substantially less busy than its competitors in Croydon, Centrale, the Whitgift Centre and Surrey Street Market. This is partly because the parade does not house any well-known chains.
In 2005, a compulsory purchase order was issued by Croydon Council [1] and it was planned to demolish St George's Walk by 2011 and replace it with the new Park Place shopping centre which would span from North End to Queen's Gardens. There had been little local opposition, but the owners of the shops facing eviction were not offered places in the new shopping centre proposed by Minerva plc. Croydon Council terminated the scheme in May 2009 due to planning permission having lapsed on the venture and concerns over funding, and a new redevelopment scheme to attract retailer John Lewis to the town was being investigated.
As a result of the uncertainty surrounding a possible redevelopment, some of the established businesses, both in the precinct and where the development formed part of neighbouring roads, either closed or re-located, and by 2010, the area had become run-down. [1] [2] This led to the council offering short-term leases to local traders, to try to keep the area viable. [1]
In April 2018, several units were converted to 1980s-style shops for filming of series five of Black Mirror . [3]
In November 2018, work began on the redevelopment, with offices and shops on the south side of the complex due to be demolished to make way for a new public square to be known as Queen's Square. Work was also underway on the conversion of St George's House into residential flats. [4]
St George's Walk has various transport links nearby. George Street is the closest Tramlink stop. From there services run to Wimbledon station with connections to the London Underground, or to Beckenham Junction station and Elmers End station (via West Croydon) with train connections to Sutton and to Central London as well as London Overground services. There are also tram services from East Croydon to New Addington, Elmers End and Beckenham. There is a bus station at West Croydon with buses on the northbound corridor and the rest of the borough and multiple bus routes serve both Park Street and Katharine Street. East Croydon station, the main Network Rail station in the borough, is close by and offers mainline services from Southern and Thameslink. These train operating companies provide fast services to Brighton and the South Coast and to London.
Tramlink, previously Croydon Tramlink, is a light rail tram system serving Croydon and surrounding areas in South London, England. It began operation in 2000, the first tram system in London since 1952. It is owned by London Trams, an arm of Transport for London (TfL), and operated by Tram Operations Ltd, a subsidiary of FirstGroup.
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, 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.
Beckenham is a town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It borders Beckenham Place Park and Bellingham in the London Borough of Lewisham and is centred 8.4 miles (13.5 km) south-east of Charing Cross. Its population at the 2011 census counted 46,844 inhabitants.
Crystal Palace is an area in South London, England, named after the Crystal Palace Exhibition building which stood in the area from 1854 until it was destroyed by fire in 1936. Approximately 7 miles (11 km) south-east of Charing Cross, it includes one of the highest points in London, at 367 feet (112 m), offering views over the capital. The area has no defined boundaries and straddles five London boroughs and three postal districts, although there is a Crystal Palace electoral ward and Crystal Palace Park in the London Borough of Bromley. It is contiguous with Anerley, Dulwich Wood, Gipsy Hill, Penge, South Norwood, Sydenham and Upper Norwood.
Penge is a district of south-east London, England, in the London Borough of Bromley.
Lewisham is an area of south east London, England, 5.9 miles (9.5 km) south of Charing Cross. It is the principal area of the London Borough of Lewisham, and is also within the historic county of Kent. It is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Lewisham had a population of 60,573 in 2011.
Croydon is a large town in south London, England, 9.4 miles (15.1 km) south of Charing Cross. The principal settlement in the London Borough of Croydon, it is one of the largest commercial districts outside Central London, with an extensive shopping district and night-time economy. The entire town had a population of 192,064 as of 2011, whilst the wider borough had a population of 384,837.
Elmers End is a railway station and tram terminus in Elmers End, south London, England. It is in the London Borough of Bromley and on the railway it is 11 miles 7 chains (17.8 km) down the line from London Charing Cross.
Croydon is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 28 km east of Melbourne's Central Business District. Its local government area is the City of Maroondah. At the 2016 Census, Croydon had a population of 26,946.
Anerley is an area of south east London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is located west of Bromley and is 7 miles (11 km) south south-east of Charing Cross. The district is the former site of The Crystal Palace.
Central Croydon railway station in Croydon, England, was a largely unsuccessful venture by the London Brighton and South Coast Railway to bring trains closer to the centre of Croydon, as East Croydon station was deemed too far from the busy town centre. It originally opened in 1868 and closed in 1871: it then reopened in 1886, before closing permanently in 1890. Its site was used for the building of Croydon Town Hall, erected in 1892–1896.
Park Place was a proposed shopping centre which had been expected to open in Croydon, London by 2011. The date was continuously pushed back due to a number of problems between different developers, financial backers and the local council. It was cancelled in 2009, as other schemes began progress, such as the extension to Centrale and the possible takeover of the Whitgift Centre by Westfield Group. Park Place was part of the Croydon Vision 2020 re-generation scheme.
Newport city centre is traditionally regarded as the area of Newport, Wales bounded by the west bank of the River Usk, the George Street Bridge, the eastern flank of Stow Hill and the South Wales Main Line. Most of the city centre is contained within two conservation areas: the central area and the area around Lower Dock Street. Most of the city centre is located in the Stow Hill district.
Southampton City Centre is the commercial and organisational centre of the City of Southampton, and the transport hub of the city. Because Southampton is on the South Coast of England, the city centre is not at the geometric centre of the city, but at the southern extremity.
North End is a pedestrianised road in Central Croydon, which includes entrances to the town's two main shopping centres, Centrale and the Whitgift Centre. The road has high street chains including Next, Zara, French Connection, Pret a Manger and large branches of department stores Debenhams and House of Fraser. North End was closed off to all forms of motor traffic in 1989, to entice shoppers to choose Croydon over its main south-east London rival Bromley.
Croydon, located in Greater London, England, has a diverse economy with the service and retail sectors now dominating over the town's historical market status. It is today served well by its extensive rail network centering on East and West Croydon stations, from where London Overground, First Capital Connect and Southern operate to most parts of Central and Greater London, as well as Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire and the East of England. With the A23, M23 and M25 orbital motorway intersecting Croydon to the South East, it is the principal gateway of the motorway network from the East Sussex area of the South Coast. London Gatwick Airport is located to the direct south of the town and has scheduled flights to destinations within Europe, North America and Asia, although has tough competition from the even bigger London Heathrow Airport to the west but has managed to stay the UK's second busiest airport. The town has since 2000 had a tram network which has been highly successful, carrying more than 24 million passengers a year. The network has four lines with destinations including New Addington to Wimbledon, Beckenham to West Croydon, Elmers End to Therapia Lane, and Elmers End to West Croydon. Croydon is one of only five London boroughs not to have any form of London Underground services.
St George's House is a 79-metre (259 ft) office tower located in Croydon, United Kingdom. It was occupied by the Swiss multinational food and consumer goods company Nestlé as the headquarters of Nestlé UK & Ireland until September 2012.
The London Borough of Croydon has a wide variety of buildings mainly from post-war through to modern. Much of the modern architecture in the borough is centred on the commercial centre of the town, with much of the Victorian designs spread out on both the northern and southern corridors of the borough. Many former warehouses and factories have been converted for other uses changing the external appearance of Croydon erratically.
Kingsway is a shopping, dining and entertainment precinct in the suburb of Glen Waverley, Melbourne, Australia, with strong Asian influences.
Elmers End is an area of south-east London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is located south of Beckenham.