The Unexpected Beauty of Croydon

Did you know that you can meet, feed, and pet capybaras in Croydon? These giant relatives of the guinea pig are well known for their relaxed and friendly temperament. They love a good scratch under the chin or around their armpits.  How about meeting a porcupine who likes to nose boop people's hands?  Corsac fox You could meet meerkats, corsac foxes, parrots, sugar gliders, tortoises, and more. Not forgetting domesticated favourites like cute pygmy goats, rabbits, normal sized guinea pigs, and Shetland ducks, which have lovely curled tail feathers.  Shetland ducks All of these animals live at the ARC Centre in Selsdon . It's based in the grounds of Greenvale Primary School, close to Selsdon Wood. This Community Interest Company is not a zoo, it's an educational organisation, so you can only visit for pre-booked sessions. There are sessions where children of all ages can learn about different aspects animal care and become rangers, after school, at weekends and in school h...

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...