Our “Local History” section of the website covers the HADRA area only (see HADRA Area map) and we are always keen to expand its content.
If you have any historical information, articles or photos relating specifically (and only) to the HADRA area that you would like to share here, we would welcome receiving them by email to our Secretary.
We also gratefully acknowledge the assistance provided by The Bourne Society, without whose invaluable information, the creation of a number of articles in this section would not have been possible.
Thank you.
The History of Coulsdon Manor
The Manor of Coulsdon, originally known as Curedesdone (c. 675) was bought in 1782 by Thomas Byron, a wealthy businessman, from the Earl of Radnor. The tithe map of Old Coulsdon dated 1837 shows that about half the parish belonged to Thomas Byron as Lord of the Manor. Manorial lands […]
Dedication Service for the 16 Missing Names
Dedication Service for the 16 Missing Names added to the WWI Memorial at Marlpit Lane Memorial Park
Friday 11th November 2022
Order of Service
10.45 Introduction Charles King MBE Chair: East Coulsdon RA
10.50 Service led by Pastor Malcolm Newman
10.55 Deputy Civic Mayor Cllr. Sue Bennett
11.00 2-minute silence
11.02 Cllr. Margaret Bird
11.04 Reading of the […]
Reedham Park School
The School at the End of the Lane was a hardback book published by the Reedham Park School Parents Association in 1992 to honour the Diamond Jubilee of the school and the head-mistress who established and led it for 60 years, Miss Inez Routledge OBE.
The school closed in 2020 – […]
Surrey Hills AONB Boundary Review
Nearby Surrey Hills is a nationally important landscape that has been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
There have been calls over many years for a review to decide whether additional areas adjacent to the existing AONB boundary should also be designated. You may have heard that a formal […]
Coulsdon Art Trail
Over the last few years, a number of attempts have been made by various residents and traders’ groups to put some local street art in Coulsdon town centre to make the town centre more interesting and attractive to local residents and visitors alike. Unfortunately, most of the initiatives were unsuccessful […]
History of the formation of Coulsdon Court Road CR5 2LL
Land and Building ownership
The land was purchased in 1783, which included Hartley Farm which was later demolished, and Hartley Old Road was closed, so that it would not go to Bradmore Green and St John’s Church, Old Coulsdon.
On April 28 1856 The Grange next to St Johns Church was let out […]
Compare old and new maps!
Want to know how your street used to look? You can compare old and new maps of the HADRA area HERE.
Stoats Nest Village
Summary
Current status – An area proposed for Local Heritage Area designation during the consultation of the Croydon Local Plan: Detailed Policies and Proposals, based on its heritage value.
Criteria conformity
The character of Stoats Nest Village meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area’s designation:
- Architectural quality: Stoats Nest Village, the first […]
Reedham Orphanage
“The Asylum for Fatherless Children” was founded in 1844 by Rev. Andrew Reed, an English Congregational minister and hymn writer, who became a prominent philanthropist and social reformer.
Rev Reed became a congregational minister in the East End and a hymn writer. He was, like many of the Victorian philanthropists, […]
The Farms of Yesteryear
The farms of the area, now no more, were situated either on the slopes of the dissecting valleys, or in the bottom of the valleys themselves avoiding the plateau. As there is no flowing water in the district (only under exceptional circumstances does The Bourne flow at the surface), each […]
The Origin of our Street Names
This article lists some of the streets in our area, together with a few notes on the origin of the names. The most common name source is a descriptive physical feature which was in evidence at the time the came came into being, or in memory of one that formerly […]
Blue Plaque marking the site of the train crash at Coulsdon North Station in 1910
On Thursday the 26th of July the Bourne Society unveiled a Blue Plaque on the wall of the flats at the top of Station Approach Road, to mark the site of the closed Coulsdon North Station and the train crash of 1910 in which local scouts assisted with the rescue.
There […]
Lamp Post Poppies
2018 is 100 years since the end of the First World War and the Royal British Legion are launching a ‘Thank You Movement’ from 8th August to run through 100 days until Armistice Day on Sunday 11 November. They are inviting members of the public to say ‘Thank You’ to […]
Grange Park Plaque
On the 15th of April 2017 the Grange Park Centenary Field Plaque was unveiled. This will mean that Grange Park will never be built on and will remain a space for the community.
A document about this with photos can be found in the article HERE. You can see […]