Thames Tributary – Ravensbourne - Pool River - Anerley
Thames Tributary – Ravensbourne
A stream comes through the area flowing to the Pool River, a tributary of the Ravensbourne
This suburban area sits on the southern slopes behind Crystal Palace. It was once bisected by the Croydon Canal - a tiny section of which lies in a local park turned into an ornamental pond. The canal was replaced by a railway - for a while the innovative but unsuccessful atomospheric line.
Post to the west Beaulieu Heights
Post to the east Penge - Beckenham
Post to the north Crystal Palace
Post to the south South Norwood
Anerley Road,
Built as extension to Elmers End Road, then Clays Lane, by the turnpike trust 1827. This is in Bromley but the frontages are in Croydon because the Croydon vicar wouldn't walk down the hill
Croydon Canal. Crossing the road here was the sharpest curve on the route, and goes across the steepest hill. The bed of the canal loop was filled during the mid 1860s. At The point at which it crossed the road the canal was in a shallow cutting, it crossed by a bridge
Croydon Canal Bridge. Called ‘New Bridge' in 1837 - either the canal company in its later years, or the highway authority, renewed it. Railings from a 1830s reconstruction may remain on the south side. Until 1977 the arch underneath was used for storage, but has since been filled in.
173 Anerley Lodge. An extension built in 1985 on its south side is sited exactly in the canal bed, but the route of the canal beyond this is obscure. This was an Original house fronting onto the Canal. William Sanderson moved here and built the original Anerley Lodge. This was sited behind this more modern version and was slightly higher than the canal.
House nearest the bridge. The council used this house as a library. Its garden was much larger than the others in the road, and stretched over the full width of what is now the park area.
North Surrey District School. Built for pauper children. Later known as Anerley School. It opened in 1850. By the Boards of Guardians of several south London boroughs. It was closed just before the Second World War and was then used as a refugee centre. After the war it became an old people’s home and was called "Anerley House" and then called "Orchard Lodge.” The site now includes her James Dixon Primary School, Orchard Lodge, and a Secure Children's Home. Orchard Playing Fields and housing.
75 Thicket Tavern
Anerley Town Hall. This was originally Penge Vestry Hall. It was built in 1874, to the designs of George Elkington & Son of Penge, It was enlarged in 1911, and again in 1925 when a library and magistrates' court were added in a matching style
Anerley Station Road
Anerley Station. Between Norwood Junction and Penge West on Southern Rail. Anerley is on the line between London Bridge and West Croydon. It railway followed the line of the Croydon canal and the Subway between the two platforms runs where the canal bed would have been. It was built by the London and Croydon Railway, and to start with was only open to the public for a week, but reopened the following year for the fishing traffic. The early line was run on atmospheric principles. By the mid 1840s a full set of station offices were added to the house and neo-Tudor station house was built by the London & Croydon Railway. The platform side was remodeled later in the standard style, by the London Brighton and South Coast Railway
1 Railway Pub. Closed
Pleasure garden. This opened in 1841 following the launch of the London - Croydon Railway and the closure of the Croydon canal the closed sections of which it used for fishing and boating. A ‘Swiss style’ building was used as a hotel and tea rooms, and there was also a bandstand and a maze. It was badly affected by the opening of the Crystal Palace in 1854 and closed in the late 1860s
Croydon canal. The remains of it vanished within a few years of the pleasure garden closing in 1868.
The houses opposite the pub reflect the canal’s alignment.
Betts Park.
The park was formed from the gardens and back land of Anerley Road properties.
Croydon Canal. This is a stretch of recognisable canal, with water in it. Filling the canal has been proposed and there were objections in 1910 and 1934 after which it was concreted and fountains put in for King George V Jubilee celebrations of 1935. At the next Jubilee, in 1977, an explanatory plaque was put up.
Path leaving the western corner of the park. This path follows the line of the canal bed.
Croydon Road
164-166 The Mitre
Maple Road
Christ church, modern church
Minden Road
Croydon Canal, this was one of the most spectacular sections of the canal. It was cut across the side of the hill and would have been about half way between the corner of Minden Road and the church. Archway is still there
Seymour Villas
Sports Ground: The Croydon Canal went across it and can be seen in altered grass colours in summer. It exited between the railway lines.
Railline
The Croydon Canal came across the railway junction between the lines
Norwood viaduct made a flying leap over the Brighton line for the atmospheric railway. Built in 1844 it is said to be the world’s first railway flyover.
Ridsdale Road
2 Anerley Arms. Ornate glass and bar. Built for fishermen near the canal. The pub was there in the 1860s, rebuilt 1900s. It was established, along with an adjacent pleasure garden before the Crystal Palace opened on the hill above in 1854 and survived in business until about 1868. The later Anerley Arms had a copy of a poster relating to its predecessor. Features in Sherlock Holmes story 'The Butcher of Norwood'
Pool River
A stream flows out of South Norwood Lake at the south-east where it flows in a culvert under the playing fields and into a stream that runs along the northern edge of the Country Park. The canal feeder would have followed this line.
Selby Road
Norwood atmospheric flyover was at the borough boundary
Seymour Terrace
Built in the mid 1860s to take advantage of the waterside views over the canal.
Ellesmere Court Grade II listed red and white Victorian mansion block
Sports Ground
Canal route across playing fields west of the railway and of course untraceable, except perhaps in mid summer when grass colours may reveal the presence of below ground variations.
Thornsett Road
12 Home of T.Crapper
14 De la Mare
Sources
Bygone Kent
Goldsmiths. South East London Industrial Archaeology
Lucas. London
Pevsner and Cherry. South London
Retracing Canals Croydon to Camberwell
Thorne. Oldand New South London
Thames Basin Archaeology of Industry Group. Report
To Penge by canal
A stream comes through the area flowing to the Pool River, a tributary of the Ravensbourne
This suburban area sits on the southern slopes behind Crystal Palace. It was once bisected by the Croydon Canal - a tiny section of which lies in a local park turned into an ornamental pond. The canal was replaced by a railway - for a while the innovative but unsuccessful atomospheric line.
Post to the west Beaulieu Heights
Post to the east Penge - Beckenham
Post to the north Crystal Palace
Post to the south South Norwood
Anerley Road,
Built as extension to Elmers End Road, then Clays Lane, by the turnpike trust 1827. This is in Bromley but the frontages are in Croydon because the Croydon vicar wouldn't walk down the hill
Croydon Canal. Crossing the road here was the sharpest curve on the route, and goes across the steepest hill. The bed of the canal loop was filled during the mid 1860s. At The point at which it crossed the road the canal was in a shallow cutting, it crossed by a bridge
Croydon Canal Bridge. Called ‘New Bridge' in 1837 - either the canal company in its later years, or the highway authority, renewed it. Railings from a 1830s reconstruction may remain on the south side. Until 1977 the arch underneath was used for storage, but has since been filled in.
173 Anerley Lodge. An extension built in 1985 on its south side is sited exactly in the canal bed, but the route of the canal beyond this is obscure. This was an Original house fronting onto the Canal. William Sanderson moved here and built the original Anerley Lodge. This was sited behind this more modern version and was slightly higher than the canal.
House nearest the bridge. The council used this house as a library. Its garden was much larger than the others in the road, and stretched over the full width of what is now the park area.
North Surrey District School. Built for pauper children. Later known as Anerley School. It opened in 1850. By the Boards of Guardians of several south London boroughs. It was closed just before the Second World War and was then used as a refugee centre. After the war it became an old people’s home and was called "Anerley House" and then called "Orchard Lodge.” The site now includes her James Dixon Primary School, Orchard Lodge, and a Secure Children's Home. Orchard Playing Fields and housing.
75 Thicket Tavern
Anerley Town Hall. This was originally Penge Vestry Hall. It was built in 1874, to the designs of George Elkington & Son of Penge, It was enlarged in 1911, and again in 1925 when a library and magistrates' court were added in a matching style
Anerley Station Road
Anerley Station. Between Norwood Junction and Penge West on Southern Rail. Anerley is on the line between London Bridge and West Croydon. It railway followed the line of the Croydon canal and the Subway between the two platforms runs where the canal bed would have been. It was built by the London and Croydon Railway, and to start with was only open to the public for a week, but reopened the following year for the fishing traffic. The early line was run on atmospheric principles. By the mid 1840s a full set of station offices were added to the house and neo-Tudor station house was built by the London & Croydon Railway. The platform side was remodeled later in the standard style, by the London Brighton and South Coast Railway
1 Railway Pub. Closed
Pleasure garden. This opened in 1841 following the launch of the London - Croydon Railway and the closure of the Croydon canal the closed sections of which it used for fishing and boating. A ‘Swiss style’ building was used as a hotel and tea rooms, and there was also a bandstand and a maze. It was badly affected by the opening of the Crystal Palace in 1854 and closed in the late 1860s
Croydon canal. The remains of it vanished within a few years of the pleasure garden closing in 1868.
The houses opposite the pub reflect the canal’s alignment.
Betts Park.
The park was formed from the gardens and back land of Anerley Road properties.
Croydon Canal. This is a stretch of recognisable canal, with water in it. Filling the canal has been proposed and there were objections in 1910 and 1934 after which it was concreted and fountains put in for King George V Jubilee celebrations of 1935. At the next Jubilee, in 1977, an explanatory plaque was put up.
Path leaving the western corner of the park. This path follows the line of the canal bed.
Croydon Road
164-166 The Mitre
Maple Road
Christ church, modern church
Minden Road
Croydon Canal, this was one of the most spectacular sections of the canal. It was cut across the side of the hill and would have been about half way between the corner of Minden Road and the church. Archway is still there
Seymour Villas
Sports Ground: The Croydon Canal went across it and can be seen in altered grass colours in summer. It exited between the railway lines.
Railline
The Croydon Canal came across the railway junction between the lines
Norwood viaduct made a flying leap over the Brighton line for the atmospheric railway. Built in 1844 it is said to be the world’s first railway flyover.
Ridsdale Road
2 Anerley Arms. Ornate glass and bar. Built for fishermen near the canal. The pub was there in the 1860s, rebuilt 1900s. It was established, along with an adjacent pleasure garden before the Crystal Palace opened on the hill above in 1854 and survived in business until about 1868. The later Anerley Arms had a copy of a poster relating to its predecessor. Features in Sherlock Holmes story 'The Butcher of Norwood'
Pool River
A stream flows out of South Norwood Lake at the south-east where it flows in a culvert under the playing fields and into a stream that runs along the northern edge of the Country Park. The canal feeder would have followed this line.
Selby Road
Norwood atmospheric flyover was at the borough boundary
Seymour Terrace
Built in the mid 1860s to take advantage of the waterside views over the canal.
Ellesmere Court Grade II listed red and white Victorian mansion block
Sports Ground
Canal route across playing fields west of the railway and of course untraceable, except perhaps in mid summer when grass colours may reveal the presence of below ground variations.
Thornsett Road
12 Home of T.Crapper
14 De la Mare
Sources
Bygone Kent
Goldsmiths. South East London Industrial Archaeology
Lucas. London
Pevsner and Cherry. South London
Retracing Canals Croydon to Camberwell
Thorne. Oldand New South London
Thames Basin Archaeology of Industry Group. Report
To Penge by canal
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