Park Hill Recreation Ground is a park near the centre of

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...

, Greater London, managed by the

London Borough of Croydon The London Borough of Croydon () is a London borough in south London, part of Outer London. It covers an area of . It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name; ...

. It runs from Barclay Road to Coombe Road beside the railway line, with the main entrances on Water Tower Hill and Barclay Road. The nearest stations (equidistant to the park) are

East Croydon East Croydon is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, Greater London, England, and is located in Travelcard Zone 5. At from , it is one of the busiest non-terminal stations in London, and in the United Kingdom as a whole. It is one of t ...

to the north for

Tramlink London Trams, previously Tramlink and 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 the London region since 1952. It is manage ...

and

National Rail National Rail (NR) is the trading name licensed for use by the Rail Delivery Group, an unincorporated association whose membership consists of the passenger train operating companies (TOCs) of England, Scotland, and Wales. The TOCs run the p ...

services and

South Croydon South Croydon in south London is the area surrounding the valley south of central Croydon and running as far south as the former Red Deer public house on the Brighton Road. It is bounded by Waddon to the West and Selsdon and Sanderstead to the ...

to the south for National Rail. The park was officially renamed as Park Hill in 1964. At the southern end, at the very top of the hill which forms the park, it joins the grounds of Coombe Cliff once the home of members of the Horniman Tea family. From there a steep drive winds down to Coombe Road where a footpath leads to South Croydon railway station for National Rail. The grounds now form part of the park and are open to the public, but the house itself, is not. , it is used for educational purposes. Where the drive meets Coombe Road there is a further entrance and a gatehouse, which is now privately owned for residential purposes. The house is

grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

. Previously the site of a reservoir, the land became a public park in the 1880s. The park contains standard amenities, including refreshments and sports facilities, as well as a walled

herb garden The traditional kitchen garden, vegetable garden, also known as a potager (from the French ) or in Scotland a kailyaird, is a space separate from the rest of the residential garden – the ornamental plants and lawn areas. It is used for grow ...

. In his memoirs, the ''Chronicles of Wasted Time'' (1973),

Malcolm Muggeridge Thomas Malcolm Muggeridge (24 March 1903 – 14 November 1990) was an English journalist and satirist. His father, H. T. Muggeridge, was a socialist politician and one of the early Labour Party (UK), Labour Party Members of Parliament (for Romfo ...

recalls the park as a childhood playground where he and his father often walked together and discussed socialism and world affairs.

Croydon Water Tower

The park is the site of the historic Croydon Water Tower. Built in 1867, it ceased to provide water to higher areas of the borough in 1923. , the building is grade II listed, but is disused and not open to the public. The park was the site of Croydon Reservoir, built in 1851.

Cotelands

Cotelands is a small park near Park Hill, also managed by the

. It covers an area of 0.20 hectares. It is really just a green on the corner of Cotelands and The Avenue, next to Park Hill Junior School and near

Archbishop Tenison's School Archbishop Tenison's School, commonly known as Tenison's, is a Church of England mixed secondary school located in the London Borough of Lambeth. Admissions Tenison's is an 11–16 boys and girls comprehensive school, part of the educationa ...

Gallery

Park Hill, Croydon- walled garden.jpg, Part of the walled garden; water tower in the background Coombe Cliff House, Park Hill, Croydon, UK.jpg, Coombe Cliff House Park Hill, Croydon; looking north from Coombe Cliff.jpg, The upper part of the main park looking north from Coombe Cliff

References

External links

Croydon Council Park Hill Recreation GroundCroydon Council - Cotelands
* {{Green Croydon, Cotelands Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Croydon Urban public parks in the United Kingdom

Croydon Water Tower

Cotelands

Gallery

See also

References

External links