Norwood
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Belgrave Road:
Stanley
works. 1867 The door lintel says ‘contractor to H.M. Government, Council of India,
Admiralty, Science & Art Department, &c." became JSM joinery. Bunt down. Three storey
block with 16 bay workshop. Mathematical and surveying instruments. William
Stanley 1829-1909 was the son of a mechanical engineer, inventor and builder.
Stanley was born in Buntingford, Hertfordshire, and although receiving a
limited education attended classes in technical drawing. In 1849 he worked with his father at an
engineering works. William made improvements to the design of the tricycle and
soon was in his own business at 3 Great Turnstile, Holborn, as a worker in
metal and ivory and a scientific instrument maker. His 'Pannntir Stereoscope'
introduced in 1855 proved profitable and he expanded with the addition of
another shop at Holborn Bars At The International Exhibition he was awarded a
medal for his straight line engine. This
award brought him considerable extra business and laid down his large-scale
business success. He published ‘ Descriptive Treatise of Mathematical Drawing’
which became the standard work on the subject. Further branches of the business
were opened at Lincoln’s Inn, London Bridge and Norwood and the firm became W.
P. Stanley and Co. with a capital of £120,000. Stanley made substantial
improvements to the theodolite and other instruments and his numerous
inventions included a micrometer in 1867, which recorded simultaneously wind
direction and pressure, humidity and rainfall. There was also an integrating
anemometer, a coin in the slot machine, one of the first of its kind for
automatically measuring people's height and a spirometer for determining lung
capacity. He had a considerable interest in photography and made improvements
to camera lenses. As well as his many scientific interests Mr. Stanley involved
himself in painting, wood carving, architecture, music and drama and lectured
widely. He composed part songs and had some of his oil paintings exhibited at
the Marlborough Gallery. As an author he was quite prolific and amongst his
works might be mentioned 'Photography Made Easy", 'Stanley's Pretty Figure
Book Arithmetic, 'Experimental Researches into the Properties and Motions of
Fluids', 'Surveying and Levelling Instruments, theoretically and practically
described' and 'Jae Smith and his Waxworks' In Croydon and Norwood he took a
prominent part in public life and many local hospitals, technical schools and
other charities benefited from his generous philanthropy.
Cargreen Road
Built at the same time as the station. And the row of nine and assorted houses backing onto the railway were quick to follow.
Chalfont Road
Cumberlow Lodge. Stanley designed it as his own house, to which he
retired in later life
Stanley. Moved there in 1878. A
large and elaborate detached house in 6 acres of grounds -shown as brickfields on maps of 1847 and
1868. The
house became a regional assessment centre for girl offenders Camberwell Assessment centre, can only be glimpsed
from the neighbouring roads.
102a lodge
Holmesdale Road
Duke of Cambridge
pub
Norwood
Means North wood and
relates to the Great North Wood which covered the area until the 17th.
Norwood Central London District School started off as the Norwood Infant
Poor House
Norwood High Street
Library pleasant
Selhurst Park
Crystal Palace Football Club
Selhurst Road
1 White Horse pub
Holy Innocents 1894/6 glass. By Bodley. Along the road, with nave and
chancel in one and no tower. Stone. Tall interior with slim Perpendicular piers
and no clerestory. Stained Glass window by Kempe.
Library 1900/8 ‘Library’ in aggressively
large letters. By Hugh Lea,
Borough Architect of Croydon, 1966-8. Boldly detailed; windows with thick
mullions above dark brick. The upper floor on one side is a windowless area of
ribbed concrete.
South Norwood Adult
Education Centre, with a tall
gabled wing of 1902 next to a plainer late c 19 building.
38 Selhurst Arms. An intruder 1974
Brickfields were to develop to the north of
Selhurst Road
221-223, large and stately villas of the later c 19
remain. With polychrome brick decoration.
196 noticeable intruder confronts the library next
door: by Edward Cullinan and Anthony Peake, 1974-6, a stock brick cube of four
maisonettes, relieved by stained timber balconies and top floor
South Norwood Hill
Was Beggars Hill; nineteenth century villas
25 early c19 rural villa. Three bays, stuccoed
30 with a nice tented porch.
Methodist Church.
Gothic with tower and
spire. By Lander.
Stanley Halls and Art
Gallery 1902. Stanley realized
£100,000 when his firm became a limited company in 1900. He used much of it as "Architect and
Donor" of these ugly but charming buildings best described as eclectic.
The foundation stone of the large hall 31 May 1902, completed February 1903,
smaller hall 1904, two smaller rooms and secretary's house 1909. Most memorable building in South
Norwood. Designed by local industrialist W. Stanley. Copper flowers in the
flowerbeds, eccentricities, statue, and clock tower. Stanley made £100,000 in
1900. Eclectic style, founded a small hall, 1902. Croydon Corporation art
gallery. Portrait of Stanley on the east wall - Button stolen in 1966. Excellent, designed and paid for by William
Stanley himself and first opened to the public on 2nd February 1903
at a cost of £13,000. February 2nd was Mr. Stanley's birthday. The Halls
continue in use for a variety of purposes, now administered by the local
authority, and a blue plaque on the facade records brief details of William
Ford Robinson Stanley. These interesting and singular Edwardian buildings
deserve to be better known. In recent years theft and vandalism have taken
their toll but there is still much to be seen. The busts of Shakespeare,
Faraday and Co. over the entrance to the main hall have been stolen and Mr. Stanley's
bust over the door to the former Art Gallery is no longer there. Beside the
door a plaque even now advertises that admission to the Art Gallery is free. No
doubt some of Mr. Stanley's paintings once hung there. Inside the main hall grills for the warm air
ventilating system devised by Mr. Stanley can still be seen and the heating
boilers are still in the basement. Throughout the buildings the interior
detailing and woodwork is excellent and there are some very nice tiles. Over
the proscenium arch in the main hall an inspiring slogan is emblazoned which in
several ways expresses ideals Mr. Stanley would, one feels sure, like to be
remembered by. Also on the facade,
note the statue "Labor omnia vincit" at the base of the other tower,
and the lady with torch, and copper floors in pots, on the roofline of the
gable of the large hall.
Stanley Technical
Industrial schools 1907 and still
an independent technical school. The tower used to house Stanley's
meteorological instruments - another of his interests. An experiment in education for 12-19 year olds
Trade school based on general system and workshops established. Still
independent Technical school. Stanley's instructions on it, statues. In
1907 Stanley Technical School became an immediate success. Stanley later
presented the buildings to the public with an endowment to the value of
£50,000. The trade school, was based on the German Gewerbe schule, an
experiment in technical education for 12-15-year olds.
Theological college 1923 Oaklands Park given to them by Major Waller.
South Norwood Recreation Ground
Acquired by the Croydon
Borough in 1889. It has a multi games area for
teenagers, younger children’s playground, bowling green and football pitches
Station Road
32 Cherry Trees pub
Clock tower, 1907, cast iron, Webber Bros., Does
it come from the 1851 exhibition? Cast iron clock to mark the golden wedding
anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley. The clock tower was -Financed by local
public subscription as a tribute to Mr. Stanley's generosity.
Webber Bros Ltd The sports goods firm uses an old school of
1887, with a facade of polychrome brick and decorative tiles.
Fire station of 1897
St.Dunstan’s Road
18-20
Henderson’s Film Laboratories. Demolished
Wharncliffe Road
To the East of the house there
was a nursery and Ross Lodge, there was a second lodge at the entrance (today
known as Wharncliffe Lodge ).
Ross Lodge was demolished in 1987
due to serious movement of the foundations caused by the underlying London Clay
and the site is to be redeveloped as a garden.
The nursery was used by the
Corporation for plant production and locally was famous for its hrysanthemums;
in the autumn the greenhouses were open to the public so that they could see
them. During the war, like other Corporation nurseries, it was given over to
food production. After the war part of the nursery was demolished to make room
for tennis courts and in the mid sixties it was closed when all nursery
production in the Borough was transferred to one central site.
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