The Unexpected Beauty of Croydon

Today I found Croydon's highest point, in Sanderstead Plantation. It could be better signposted, but I appreciate the effort that somebody has gone to in marking it.  It's inspired me to look at a topographic map and find out how high the other high and low points of Croydon are. The topographic map reckons the top of Sanderstead Plantation is 181 metres above sea level, while the sign there says it's 175 metres, but it's not a big difference. IKEA car park, 37m above sea level. Sep 2011. Generally speaking, the lowest points of Croydon are to the west and north west, around Purley Way, Waddon, Mitcham Road and Norbury. There are some low lying areas in South Norwood Country Park too. I was surprised to learn that Beulah Hill, where the TV transmitter is, is around 50 metres lower than Sanderstead Plantation. On the photo above, taken from Sanderstead Plantation, the Beulah Hill transmitter is on the left, while the Crystal Palace transmitter is on the right. To right o...

If I was to compile a list of the most beautiful places in Croydon, Coombe Wood would undoubtedly be close to the top. It's an obvious choice to those who know it, but not everyone knows it's there - I lived nearby for a number of years before I first visited. Water flows gently down the rockery through a series of small pools, into the tranquil fish pond, where large carp and smaller fish swim among lily pads.  Formal flower beds display colourful flowers throughout the year, including a winter garden with heather.  In the woods, there are bright flowers on the rhododendrons and azaleas in spring and summer.  Bleeding-heart plant If you're a plant novice, I'd recommend installing an app such as Pl@ntnet on your phone which can help identify species using photos, as there are quite a lot of unusual and intriguing species to see. The bleeding-heart plant above is located near the end of the flowerbed to the left of the long lawn and is one of my favourites found there. Y...