Thames Tributaries – the River Wandle - The Bourne Tributary - Purley
Thames Tributaries – the River Wandle
The Bourne tributary continues to flow underground towards the Wandle. In this area the east and west branches of the tributary meet, roughly following the line of main roads.
Post to the north Purley
Post to the south Reedham School
Banstead Road
Built in 1890
Route of Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Tramway. The line crossed Banstead Road to the west of Brighton Road. The embankment was still visible in the 1890s as the railway curved round a southward slope.
Purley Library. This was actually on the course of the Croydon Merstham and Godstone Tramway with a siding just to the north.Outside the library is a fountain which stood at Purley Cross and was a local landmark..
Purley Baptist Church
Brighton Road
It was built as a turnpike road in 1807. Floods along Smitham Bottom and at Purley outside the water co. Works in 1904.
Route of Croydon Merstham and Godstone Tramway. The line ran from crossing Banstead Road down to the west of Brighton Road to cross Purley Knoll. The embankment could be seen before flats were built.
Foxley Hatch. The turnpike gate was here, opposite Kimberley Place. The road was turnpike from here to Reigate in 1807 and the contract for road building went to Joliffe and Banks. Turnpiking legislation was delayed because of opposition from the Reigate and Sutton Trust. The road followed the line of an old cart track to Merstham. The tollgate house was a small two roomed cottage since demolished.
Psalm’s Oak was an important point on the Croydon boundary. It was where the parishes of Croydon, Beddington and Coulsden met. The oak itself was in the garden of the Toll Bar,
Christ Church. Parish church designed by John Fowler and opened in 1877-8. The money for the church was raised through local subscriptions. There are many memorials to local people and some interesting stained glass.
856 Purley War Memorial Hospital
908-912 The Rectory. Smith and Jones Pub. Shop built for Croydon Gas Co, with lecture and demonstration room on the first floor
909-921 Tudor Parade by J.P.Oldaker. Clock on the end of the buildings.
Kimberley and Pretoria built by J. P.Oldaker and recall the Boer War. These shops were built for owner occupiers while later ones are lock ups. There are flats above and stabling in service road to the rear.
925-929 traditional timber shop fronts
936 projecting clock
914-958 Bank buildings –a long parade of distinctive shops. 956 with an iron sign outside
960 built for London and County Banking by Oldaker. Designed by Chessica and Perkin and opened in 1908. Very large flat upstairs for the manager. Closed in 1997.
960 United Reform church. Built as a congregational church in 1923 designed Hampden W. Pratt in Arts and Crafts Gothic. Includes a stained glass window by Christopher Whall, 1920. Locally listed
Rotary Club Field. Given to the people of Purley by the Rotary club in 1925. Plates from the Croydon, Merstham & Godstone Iron Tramway were on public display – it is on the line of the tramway.
Christchurch Way
The Bourne flooded in 1904. Water into the surface water drain and from there into the Wandle.
Dale Road
St.John the Baptist. 1939 R.C. Nave 1939 by E. J. Walters. Chapels 1958 by Walters & Kerr Bate.
Downscourt Road
7a Friends Meeting House. Built 1909 and designed by George Pepler. Arts and Crafts building with flint walling.
Glenn Avenue
John Glenn was a local landowner and one of the people who worked towards the building of Christ Church
Godstone Road
A22 this is the old Lewes Road the ancient road into Sussex.
Foxley Lane
Houses built on the site of the embankment of the Croydon, Merstham, and Godstone Tramway
Friends Lane
The street name pre-dates the Quaker meeting house behind and has no connection to it.
High Street
1-11 Purley Parade. Shops built by Oldaker in the 1930s.
5 Elliott’s Pub
9-13 Mafeking, Terrace built by J. P.Oldaker and recall the Boer War. These shops all for owner occupiers while later ones are lock ups. There are flats above
Astoria Court on the site of the Odeon Astoria Cinema. In 1934 a Crompton Organ was installed which is now in East Kilbride. There is a mosaic in the forecourt showing Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. The cinema was built in 1933 and designed by F.C.Mitchell and had theatre as well as cinema facilities. It passed through a number of owners, was tripled and then demolished in 2000. It included theBourne Tavern.
50 Swimming pool and leisure centre. Built 1982 as part of an agreement with Sainsbury’s
Downlands Shopping Centre on the site of Purley National Schools, opened 1889, closed 1967. In 1904 the school was flooded from the Bourne so badly and was so full of mud that it closed. A turret from the school is incorporated into the centre.
Pampisford Road.
Route of Croydon, Merstham, and Godstone Tramway ran into Pampisford Road and followed it to the crossroads to Russell Hill Road.
Purley
The name means ‘open space with pear trees’ - , Saxon. ‘Pirlee’. 1200
V1 on the 31st October 1944 VI a flying bomb hit the St Marie Hotel. Numerous guests were buried and Alsatian dogs from the Ministry of Aircraft Production were used to help. 19 people were killed and 30 injured.
Purley Knoll
Route of Croydon, Merstham, and Godstone Tramway - The line ran the west of Brighton Road and crossed Purley Knoll about half way down.
Purley Road
Bourne floods in 1904 made this impassable. At one time the Bourne ran along the line of the street and went underneath the road by a church. There was a bridge there to use when the water level rose.Water works. Built 1903 but looked 50 years older. Sober, round-arched design. Gone and now the site of Tesco
Tesco - the two branches of the Bourne met here –one from Wapses and Caterham and one from Merstham. The Bourne was open from the Royal Oak to the Windsor Castle. Tesco built 1991
1 Bank Building, Edwardian. This is right on the boundary of Purley and Croydon. Hence some disjuncture with next door.
1-5 The Exchange parade of shops built 1908. Iron gates at each end mark the site of defunct public toilets.
7 Jolly Farmers. 1870 for Croydon brewers Nader and Collier
Russell Hill Road
The road was built in 1804
Route of Croydon, Merstham, and Godstone Tramway ran from Pampisford Road and crossed Russell Hill Road going on to Foxley Lane.
Russell Hill is shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1876 and is probably named from the Russell family who lived locally in the 16th.
8-9 Foxley Hatch Russell Hill Parade, Wetherspoon’s pub in former 1990s shop premises.
Railway Lines
Purley East Junction. The line to Kingswood was opened from here in November 1897. The junction runs alongside the Brighton Line and then crosses it and runs on the other side of it.
Whytecliffe way
Purley Station. Opened 12th July 1841 it is now between Purley Oaks and Kenley Stations, and also Coulsdon South and also Reedham Stations. It was originally called Godstone Road and built by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. In 1847 it was closed but in 1856 reopened and called ‘Caterham Junction’, since it was then on the Caterham Railway line which was planned to develop mineral reserves to the south of Caterham. The railway was given the Royal Assent in June 1854 and meant to start here as a single track. The Caterham Railway Company failed partly because the rails were owned by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company and the South Eastern Railway Company which were in over the Caterham railway. In 1859, the South-Eastern bought the line and it prospered. In 1888 it was renamed as Purley. It was also opened on the Chipstead Valley line to Tattenham Corner in 1901. The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway's built a new red brick station in 1904 for suburban services plus Sidings with sheds. In 1928 the line was electrified. Loco shed were opened in 1898 and closed in 1928.
The Bourne tributary continues to flow underground towards the Wandle. In this area the east and west branches of the tributary meet, roughly following the line of main roads.
Post to the north Purley
Post to the south Reedham School
Banstead Road
Built in 1890
Route of Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Tramway. The line crossed Banstead Road to the west of Brighton Road. The embankment was still visible in the 1890s as the railway curved round a southward slope.
Purley Library. This was actually on the course of the Croydon Merstham and Godstone Tramway with a siding just to the north.Outside the library is a fountain which stood at Purley Cross and was a local landmark..
Purley Baptist Church
Brighton Road
It was built as a turnpike road in 1807. Floods along Smitham Bottom and at Purley outside the water co. Works in 1904.
Route of Croydon Merstham and Godstone Tramway. The line ran from crossing Banstead Road down to the west of Brighton Road to cross Purley Knoll. The embankment could be seen before flats were built.
Foxley Hatch. The turnpike gate was here, opposite Kimberley Place. The road was turnpike from here to Reigate in 1807 and the contract for road building went to Joliffe and Banks. Turnpiking legislation was delayed because of opposition from the Reigate and Sutton Trust. The road followed the line of an old cart track to Merstham. The tollgate house was a small two roomed cottage since demolished.
Psalm’s Oak was an important point on the Croydon boundary. It was where the parishes of Croydon, Beddington and Coulsden met. The oak itself was in the garden of the Toll Bar,
Christ Church. Parish church designed by John Fowler and opened in 1877-8. The money for the church was raised through local subscriptions. There are many memorials to local people and some interesting stained glass.
856 Purley War Memorial Hospital
908-912 The Rectory. Smith and Jones Pub. Shop built for Croydon Gas Co, with lecture and demonstration room on the first floor
909-921 Tudor Parade by J.P.Oldaker. Clock on the end of the buildings.
Kimberley and Pretoria built by J. P.Oldaker and recall the Boer War. These shops were built for owner occupiers while later ones are lock ups. There are flats above and stabling in service road to the rear.
925-929 traditional timber shop fronts
936 projecting clock
914-958 Bank buildings –a long parade of distinctive shops. 956 with an iron sign outside
960 built for London and County Banking by Oldaker. Designed by Chessica and Perkin and opened in 1908. Very large flat upstairs for the manager. Closed in 1997.
960 United Reform church. Built as a congregational church in 1923 designed Hampden W. Pratt in Arts and Crafts Gothic. Includes a stained glass window by Christopher Whall, 1920. Locally listed
Rotary Club Field. Given to the people of Purley by the Rotary club in 1925. Plates from the Croydon, Merstham & Godstone Iron Tramway were on public display – it is on the line of the tramway.
Christchurch Way
The Bourne flooded in 1904. Water into the surface water drain and from there into the Wandle.
Dale Road
St.John the Baptist. 1939 R.C. Nave 1939 by E. J. Walters. Chapels 1958 by Walters & Kerr Bate.
Downscourt Road
7a Friends Meeting House. Built 1909 and designed by George Pepler. Arts and Crafts building with flint walling.
Glenn Avenue
John Glenn was a local landowner and one of the people who worked towards the building of Christ Church
Godstone Road
A22 this is the old Lewes Road the ancient road into Sussex.
Foxley Lane
Houses built on the site of the embankment of the Croydon, Merstham, and Godstone Tramway
Friends Lane
The street name pre-dates the Quaker meeting house behind and has no connection to it.
High Street
1-11 Purley Parade. Shops built by Oldaker in the 1930s.
5 Elliott’s Pub
9-13 Mafeking, Terrace built by J. P.Oldaker and recall the Boer War. These shops all for owner occupiers while later ones are lock ups. There are flats above
Astoria Court on the site of the Odeon Astoria Cinema. In 1934 a Crompton Organ was installed which is now in East Kilbride. There is a mosaic in the forecourt showing Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. The cinema was built in 1933 and designed by F.C.Mitchell and had theatre as well as cinema facilities. It passed through a number of owners, was tripled and then demolished in 2000. It included theBourne Tavern.
50 Swimming pool and leisure centre. Built 1982 as part of an agreement with Sainsbury’s
Downlands Shopping Centre on the site of Purley National Schools, opened 1889, closed 1967. In 1904 the school was flooded from the Bourne so badly and was so full of mud that it closed. A turret from the school is incorporated into the centre.
Pampisford Road.
Route of Croydon, Merstham, and Godstone Tramway ran into Pampisford Road and followed it to the crossroads to Russell Hill Road.
Purley
The name means ‘open space with pear trees’ - , Saxon. ‘Pirlee’. 1200
V1 on the 31st October 1944 VI a flying bomb hit the St Marie Hotel. Numerous guests were buried and Alsatian dogs from the Ministry of Aircraft Production were used to help. 19 people were killed and 30 injured.
Purley Knoll
Route of Croydon, Merstham, and Godstone Tramway - The line ran the west of Brighton Road and crossed Purley Knoll about half way down.
Purley Road
Bourne floods in 1904 made this impassable. At one time the Bourne ran along the line of the street and went underneath the road by a church. There was a bridge there to use when the water level rose.Water works. Built 1903 but looked 50 years older. Sober, round-arched design. Gone and now the site of Tesco
Tesco - the two branches of the Bourne met here –one from Wapses and Caterham and one from Merstham. The Bourne was open from the Royal Oak to the Windsor Castle. Tesco built 1991
1 Bank Building, Edwardian. This is right on the boundary of Purley and Croydon. Hence some disjuncture with next door.
1-5 The Exchange parade of shops built 1908. Iron gates at each end mark the site of defunct public toilets.
7 Jolly Farmers. 1870 for Croydon brewers Nader and Collier
Russell Hill Road
The road was built in 1804
Route of Croydon, Merstham, and Godstone Tramway ran from Pampisford Road and crossed Russell Hill Road going on to Foxley Lane.
Russell Hill is shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1876 and is probably named from the Russell family who lived locally in the 16th.
8-9 Foxley Hatch Russell Hill Parade, Wetherspoon’s pub in former 1990s shop premises.
Railway Lines
Purley East Junction. The line to Kingswood was opened from here in November 1897. The junction runs alongside the Brighton Line and then crosses it and runs on the other side of it.
Whytecliffe way
Purley Station. Opened 12th July 1841 it is now between Purley Oaks and Kenley Stations, and also Coulsdon South and also Reedham Stations. It was originally called Godstone Road and built by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. In 1847 it was closed but in 1856 reopened and called ‘Caterham Junction’, since it was then on the Caterham Railway line which was planned to develop mineral reserves to the south of Caterham. The railway was given the Royal Assent in June 1854 and meant to start here as a single track. The Caterham Railway Company failed partly because the rails were owned by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company and the South Eastern Railway Company which were in over the Caterham railway. In 1859, the South-Eastern bought the line and it prospered. In 1888 it was renamed as Purley. It was also opened on the Chipstead Valley line to Tattenham Corner in 1901. The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway's built a new red brick station in 1904 for suburban services plus Sidings with sheds. In 1928 the line was electrified. Loco shed were opened in 1898 and closed in 1928.
Comments
School is now two schools - St Thomas Moore Secondary and Margaret Roper Primary.