The Unexpected Beauty of Croydon

There are easier places to go looking for wildlife, but I like seeing it in unexpected environments. All these photos were taken on the same hot day in July 2026.  Small white butterfly on buddleia outside St George's House The facade of the ends of St George's House will probably be familiar to people who frequent Croydon. The former home of Nestle UK, this 24-storey tower has sadly been empty since 2012. There have been plans to convert it to housing, most recently by using the existing structure as part of three towers of different heights. The interior was gutted and many windows removed, while a number of surrounding buildings were demolished, but the work stalled when the Chinese-owned development company went bust. It is unclear what the future is of this area. There's more detail and photos on this thread on the Skyscraper City forum .  SEGAS House Croydon Neighbouring SEGAS House was originally Croydon's gas showroom, a short distance from the former electricit...

A tram at Waddon Marsh on Purley Way It's not a bus, it's not a train... it's a tram! Since 2000, trams have been a key part of transport in Croydon and along the routes to Beckenham, Elmers End, New Addington and Wimbledon. You can read about the history of the Croydon tram system on Wikipedia . It opened in 2000 after literally decades of planning. Part of it runs on former railway lines, while other parts run on or parallel to roads.  I use trams often, as they're fast and direct. The "hopper" fare means you can combine trams and buses in the same journey. I'm going to write about what there is to see around some of the tram stops, beginning with Addington Village Interchange. Addington Village Interchange doesn't seem particularly remarkable at first glance. It's a tram stop and a small bus station with fields on one side and a busy dual carriageway on the other. Ideal if you want to switch between buses or between bus and tram.  Two male pheas...

Traditionally, municipal parks have featured neat, well-trimmed green lawns and carefully planned flowerbeds. Long grass and unplanned plants are considered by many to be signs of neglect. The photos above show a neat flowerbed at Waddon Ponds in March 2020 and wildflowers at South Norwood Lake in June 2026. I have recently seen posts in a group where people talk about memories of Croydon bemoaning the lack of flowers at Waddon Ponds, with the poster saying they won't go back there again. I was quite shocked as it's a peaceful oasis behind Purley Way and a great place to see waterbirds. I had barely noticed the loss of the ornamental flowers. A neat flowerbed in Park Hill Park, April 2020 In Croydon, the council has gone bust several times in the last six years, and spending on parks is minimal. Even before the pandemic, spending was being cut and much of the upkeep of parks was left to friends’ groups. Parks tend to get improvements where there is a specific grant, but otherw...