Woodside, London

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Woodside
Woodside Green.jpg
Woodside War Memorial on Woodside Green
Greater London UK location map 2.svg
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Woodside
Location within Greater London
Population16,743 (2011 Census Ward) [1]
OS grid reference TQ344672
London borough
Ceremonial county Greater London
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town CROYDON
Postcode district CR0
Post town LONDON
Postcode district SE25
Dialling code 020
Police Metropolitan
Fire London
Ambulance London
UK Parliament
London Assembly
List of places
UK
England
London
51°23′16″N0°04′03″W / 51.387849°N 0.067509°W / 51.387849; -0.067509

Woodside is an area in south London, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is between Addiscombe and South Norwood. It is south of South Norwood, west of Shirley and Monks Orchard, north of Addiscombe, and east of Selhurst.

Contents

History

Woodside was first mentioned in 1332, and is thought to signify its location adjacent to the Great North Wood, a formerly extensive forest which gives its name to the various 'Norwoods' in the area. [2]

Woodside was historically largely agricultural land, but its heavy soil made farming difficult; local farmer William Marshall published details of his efforts in this regard in the 1780s. [2] However the clayey soil did enable a brick-making industry to form in the area by the 1850s. [2] A small settlement centred on Woodside Green had already sprouted up by the early 19th century. [2] Handley's brickworks' chimneys dominated the area, their hooter being heard all over the locality at lunchtime to signify the start and finish of the rest period.[ citation needed ] Handley's was later sold to Hall & Co, who were subsequently taken over by Ready Mixed Concrete, before the brick factories closed altogether in 1974.[ citation needed ] There were two other brickyards in the group - at Newdigate and Ashford - with the managing director Jack Milsted also being Founder Chairman of Croydon Amateurs FC from 1953 until 1990, when the club was renamed as Croydon FC.[ citation needed ] After the factories closed the site was turned into Brickfields Meadow, a park containing woods and a lake.

Croydon Racecourse opened in 1866 on nearby Stroud Green Farm abutting Monks Orchard (now the site of Ashburton Community School and Ashburton Playing Fields), prompting the opening of a railway station in 1871, though the racecourse closed in 1890. [2]

In 1871, the Ecclesiastical Commissioners granted 'copyhold' to the Croydon Local Board of Health for Woodside Green upon condition that it should be appropriated by the Board:

"to be forever kept as an open space and used as, and for, a place of recreation for the use of inhabitants of the parish of Croydon and of the neighbourhood and for no other purpose". [3]

Four months later, the Commissioners, passed the freehold of the land to the board "freed from all incidents whatsoever of copyhold or customary tenure to be held and used for the purpose of public walks, recreation or pleasure grounds only". The area has been used by the Local Board of Health and its successors ever since. [3]

In 1924 Croydon Council purchased a mansion in the area, tearing it down and replacing turning its grounds into a public park (Ashburton Park). [4] An extension of the house as kept and converted into a library, however the library moved to a new site in 2006 and the building has since been renovated and renamed as Ashburton Hall. [5]

In 2006 Ashburton Learning Village opened, containing a school and a new library. [6] [7]

Amenities

Woodside is a nowadays a suburban district of residential streets based around Woodside Green, a 4.75 acres (1.92 ha) triangular green. [8] [9] At one end of the green is a war memorial. [10] It is surrounded by residential properties, with the main shopping parade at one end. Portland Road, an important distributor road, leads away from the green towards South Norwood, and has many more shops, restaurants, pubs and a swimming pool. The green still has a somewhat villagey feel with, several old houses and cottages around it. Housing is largely Victorian terraces or more recent developments of small flats. There is one pub in the immediate area - the Joiner's Arms. [11] Another pub - The Beehive - closed in 2017. [12]

Woodside Green

Woodside Green is a green space and street located in Woodside. [8] The green is located near to Woodside tram stop in the London Borough of Croydon and is over 4.75 acres (1.92 ha). [9] An indenture of 1662 shows "land lying up on a green called Woodside Green". The Croydon Inclosure Map of 1800 shows an area "Woodside Green". [13]

In 1871, the Ecclesiastical Commissioners granted 'copyhold' to the Croydon Local Board of Health upon condition that it should be appropriated by the Board:

"to be forever kept as an open space and used as, and for, a place of recreation for the use of inhabitants of the parish of Croydon and of the neighbourhood and for no other purpose". [3]

Four months later, the Commissioners, passed the freehold of the land to the board "freed from all incidents whatsoever of copyhold or customary tenure to be held and used for the purpose of public walks, recreation or pleasure grounds only". The area has been used by the Local Board of Health and its successors ever since. [3]

In 1888, the Borough of Croydon acquired the neighbouring Poplar Farm and subsequently, part of the farm was included in the grounds of the green.

The green features mature plane trees with benches beneath them. Beside the roadway which bisects the green is a stone horse- and cattle-trough. Although no longer used in respect of livestock, it is still a feature of the green. [13]

A 1905 postcard of Woodside Green shows The Joiners Arms (Nalder & Collyer), Woodside News Agency, E Jupp Family Baker, and The Bee Hive Overton Brewery.

Politics

Woodside is part of the electoral ward of Woodside, one of 28 wards in the London Borough of Croydon. The ward covers a wider area than Woodside proper, reaching up to Norwood Junction railway station and including South Norwood Country Park. The area identifying primarily as 'Woodside' has gradually shrunk, with most living within the SE25 postcode now terming themselves 'South Norwood'.

Transport

The area is served by two Tramlink stops - Woodside and Blackhorse Lane.The nearest rail station is Norwood Junction, located to the north in South Norwood.

Woodside formerly had its own railway station, opened in 1871 and served by the Woodside and South Croydon Railway, however this closed in 1997 after a long period of decline. [14] The station stood where the tram stop now is, and part of the old disused track-bed was turned into Addiscombe Railway Park.

See also

Related Research Articles

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

Addiscombe is an area of south London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon. It is located 9.1 miles (15 km) south of Charing Cross, and is situated north of Coombe and Selsdon, east of Croydon town centre, south of Woodside, and west of Shirley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Norwood</span> District of south east London, England

South Norwood is a district of south-east London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon, Greater London and formerly in the historic county of Surrey. It is located 7.8 miles (12.5 km) south-east of Charing Cross, north of Woodside and Addiscombe, east of Selhurst and Thornton Heath, south of Crystal Palace/Upper Norwood and Anerley, and south-west of Penge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Borough of Croydon</span> Former local government district in Surrey, England

The County Borough of Croydon was a local government district in and around the town of Croydon in north east Surrey, England from 1889 to 1965. Since 1965 the district has been part of the London Borough of Croydon within Greater London.

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

The London Borough of Croydon has over 120 parks and open spaces within its boundaries, ranging from the 200 acre (80ha) Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve to many recreation grounds and sports fields scattered throughout the Borough. Croydon covers an area of 86.52 km2, the 256th largest district in England. Croydon's physical features consist of many hills and rivers that are spread out across the borough and into the North Downs, Surrey and the rest of South London. Some of the open spaces in Croydon form part of the well-known London LOOP walks where the first section was opened on 3 May 1996 with a ceremony on Farthing Downs in Coulsdon. As a borough in Outer London it also contains some open countryside in the form of country parks. Croydon Council is associated with several other boroughs who are taking part in the Downlands Countryside Management Project. These boroughs are Sutton; and by Surrey County Council; the City of London Corporation; the Surrey districts of Reigate and Banstead and Tandridge; and the Countryside Agency. An additional partner is Natural Britain.

Croydon North East was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1955 to 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodside tram stop</span> Tramlink tram stop in London, England

Woodside tram stop is a light rail stop situated between Woodside Green and Ashburton Park in the London Borough of Croydon in the southern suburbs of London. The stop is located on the site of the former Woodside railway station of the Woodside and South Croydon Railway; the old station buildings survive, though not used by Tramlink.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A215 road</span> Road in London, England

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South Norwood Recreation Ground is a park located in South Norwood in the London Borough of Croydon. In 1889, Croydon Corporation acquired the land and the borough surveyor estimated that it would cost just over £1,300 to lay out. Over a quarter of the projected cost was to install land drainage, which indicates that the site was quite wet. The recreation ground includes a sports area, football pitches, tennis court, floodlit courts, bowling green with pavilion and a children's playground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heavers Meadow</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brickfields Meadow</span> Meadow in Croydon, London

Brickfields Meadow is a meadow in Woodside in the London Borough of Croydon. It is located on the former site of a brickworks in Tennison Road and Dickensons Lane. The meadow covers an area of about 4.37 hectares. The meadow is not very well known to residents on Tennison Road, as the entrance is very secluded, beyond an EDF Energy transformer. The meadow includes: large pond where fishing is allowed, dipping platform, Buddleia Valley, grassland and woodland planting, small woodland area, and a children's play area which includes a mini maze and roundabout.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashburton Park</span>

Ashburton Park is a park located in Woodside, in the London Borough of Croydon, and takes its name from nearby Ashburton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Addington Park</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apsley Road Playground</span> Public playground in South Norwood, UK

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashburton Playing Fields</span>

Ashburton Playing Fields is a playing field located in Woodside, London. It is managed by the London Borough of Croydon. The fields are bordered by Bywood Avenue in the north, Chaucer Green in the west and Woodville Avenue in the east. Stroud Green Way backs onto the western boundary. Tramlink services for the park are Arena and Woodside. It covers an area of 49.5 acres (20 ha).

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Addiscombe (ward)</span>

Addiscombe was a ward in the London Borough of Croydon, covering much of the Addiscombe and East Croydon areas of London in the United Kingdom. It extended from East Croydon railway station towards Woodside Green but did not actually cover the retail centre of Addiscombe, which was in the neighbouring Ashburton ward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashburton (ward)</span>

Ashburton was a ward in the London Borough of Croydon, in London in the United Kingdom. The ward covered the Ashburton area, as well as covering the main retail area of Addiscombe, the Stroud Green, Tollgate and Longheath Garden estates, and large parts of northern Shirley. The population of the ward at the 2011 Census was 14,721.

References

  1. ↑ "Croydon Ward population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Willey, Russ. Chambers London Gazetteer, p 565-6
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Woodside Green: History" (PDF). www.croydon.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  4. ↑ Winterman, M.A. (1988). Croydon's Parks: An illustrated history. London Borough of Croydon, Parks and Recreation Department. pp. 9–10. ISBN   0951348108.
  5. ↑ "Friends of Ashburton Park" . Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  6. ↑ NLA – New London Architecture – Ashburton Learning Village Archived 7 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ Kelly visits Croydons 25 million flagship building Archived 29 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  8. 1 2 Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 176 West London (Rickmansworth & Staines) (Map). Ordnance Survey. 2012. ISBN   9780319232118.
  9. 1 2 "Woodside Green: Park". www.croydon.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  10. ↑ Historic England. "Woodside War Memorial (1442666)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  11. ↑ FancyaPint? review of The Joiner's Arms
  12. ↑ "Plans to reopen Croydon pub announced as developer wants to build flats on its car park". Croydon Advertiser. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  13. 1 2 Winterman, M.A. (1988). Croydon's Parks: An illustrated history. London Borough of Croydon, Parks and Recreation Department. pp. 116–117. ISBN   0951348108.
  14. ↑ "Station Name: Woodside". Disused Stations. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  15. ↑ Historic England. "St Luke's Church (1079281)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 15 August 2020.

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