Editing Croydon (section)

==History==
===Toponymy===
[[File:Say map.jpg|thumb|left|The earliest detailed map of Croydon, drawn by the 18-year-old [[Jean-Baptiste Say]] in 1785.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Brian |last=Lancaster |title=Jean-Baptiste Say's 1785 Croydon street plan |journal=Croydon Natural History & Scientific Society Bulletin |volume=144 |date=March 2012 |pages=2–5 }}</ref> The early settlement of [[Old Town, Croydon|Old Town]], including the [[Croydon Minster|parish church]] (marked B) lies to the west; while the triangular medieval marketplace, probably associated with [[Robert Kilwardby|Archbishop Kilwardby]]'s market charter of 1276, is clearly visible further east, although by this date it has been [[infill]]ed with buildings.]]

As the vast majority of place names in the area are of Anglo-Saxon origin, the theory accepted by most [[Philology|philologists]] is that the name Croydon derives originally from the [[Old English]] ''croh'', meaning "[[crocus]]", and ''denu'', "[[valley]]", indicating that, like [[Saffron Walden]] in Essex, it was a centre for the cultivation of [[saffron]].<ref name="Brewer">{{cite book |last1=Ayto |first1=John |first2=Ian |last2=Crofton |title=Brewer's Britain and Ireland |year=2005 |publisher=[[Weidenfeld & Nicolson]] |isbn= 0-304-35385-X}}<!--|access-date= 17 July 2008--></ref><ref>{{cite book |first1=J.E.B. |last1=Gover |first2=A. |last2=Mawer |first3=F.M. |last3=Stenton |title=The Place-Names of Surrey |series=English Place-Name Society |volume=11 |place=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1934 |pages=47–48 }}</ref> It has been argued that this cultivation is likely to have taken place in the [[Roman Britain|Roman]] period, when the saffron crocus would have been grown to supply the [[Roman London|London]] market, most probably for [[Phytotherapy|medicinal]] purposes, and particularly for the treatment of [[Blepharitis|granulation of the eyelids]].<ref name=Bird>{{cite journal |first=David |last=Bird |title=Croydon, Crocus and Collyrium |journal=London Archaeologist |volume=13 |issue=4 |year=2012 |pages=87–90 }}</ref>

One claim, originally made by [[Andrew Ducarel|Andrew Coltee Ducarel]], that John Corbet Anderson challenged, said that the name came from the Old French for "chalk hill", because it was in use at least a century before the [[French language]] would have been commonly used following the [[Norman Conquest]]. However, there was no long-term Danish occupation (see [[Danelaw]]) in Surrey, which was part of [[Wessex]], and Danish-derived nomenclature is also highly unlikely. More recently, David Bird has speculated that the name might derive from a personal name, ''Crocus'': he suggests a family connection with the documented [[Chrocus]], king of the [[Alemanni]], who allegedly played a part in the proclamation of [[Constantine the Great|Constantine]] as emperor at [[Eboracum|York]] in AD 306.<ref name="Bird" />

An alternative, although less probable, theories of the name's origin have been proposed. According to Anderson:<blockquote>The earliest mention of Croydon is in the joint will of Beorhtric and Aelfswth, dated about the year 962. In this Anglo-Saxon document the name is spelt [here he uses [[Old English Latin alphabet|Old English]] characters] ''Crogdaene''. Crog was, and still is, the Norse or Danish word for crooked, which is expressed in [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] by ''crumb'', a totally different word. From the [[Danish language|Danish]] came our ''crook'' and ''crooked''. This term accurately describes the locality; it is a ''crooked'' or ''winding valley'', in reference to the valley that runs in an oblique and serpentine course from [[Godstone]] to Croydon.<ref name="Anderson">{{cite book |last=Corbet Anderson |first= J. |title=A Short Chronicle Concerning the Parish of Croydon in the County of Surrey |year=1882 |publisher=Reeves and Turner |location=London |pages=[https://archive.org/details/shortchronicleco00andeuoft/page/19 19]–20 |url=https://archive.org/details/shortchronicleco00andeuoft }}</ref></blockquote>

===Early history===
The town lies on the line of the [[Roman roads|Roman road]] from [[London to Brighton Way|London to Portslade]], and there is some archaeological evidence for small-scale [[Roman Britain|Roman]] settlement in the area: there may have been a ''[[mansio]]'' (staging-post) here.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Muriel |last=Shaw |title=Roman Period Burials in Croydon |journal=CNHSS Archaeology Section Newsletter |date=September 1988 |pages=2–6 |issue=71 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |first1=Jim |last1=Davison |first2=Geoff |last2=Potter |title=Excavations at 14 Whitgift Street, Croydon, 1987–88 and 1995 |journal=London Archaeologist |volume=8 |year=1998 |pages=227–232 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first1=Ken |last1=Maggs |first2=Paul |last2=De'Athe |title=The Roman Roads of East Surrey and the Kent Border |publisher=North Downs Press |place=Westerham |year=1987 |pages=40–44 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |first=Christopher J. W. |last=Taylor |title=Roman Croydon: updated gazetteer and new maps |journal=CNHSS Bulletin |publisher=[[Croydon Natural History & Scientific Society]] |volume=173 |date=Spring 2022 |pages=56–75 }}</ref> Later, in the 5th to 7th centuries, a large [[Anglo-Saxon paganism|pagan]] [[Anglo-Saxons|Saxon]] cemetery was situated on what is now Park Lane, although the extent of any associated settlement is unknown.<ref>{{cite journal |last=McKinley |first=Jacqueline I. |year=2003 |title=The Early Saxon Cemetery at Park Lane, Croydon |journal=Surrey Archaeological Collections |volume=90 |pages=1–116 |doi=10.5284/1069312}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Hines |first=John |year=2004 |chapter=''Sūþre-gē'' – the Foundations of Surrey |editor1-first=Jonathan |editor1-last=Cotton |editor2-first=Glenys |editor2-last=Crocker |editor3-first=Audrey |editor3-last=Graham |title=Aspects of Archaeology and History in Surrey: towards a Research Framework for the County |place=Guildford |publisher=Surrey Archaeological Society |isbn=0954146034 |pages=92–98 }}</ref>

By the late Saxon period Croydon was the hub of an estate belonging to the [[Archbishop of Canterbury|Archbishops of Canterbury]]. The [[Croydon Minster|church]] and the archbishops' [[Croydon Palace|manor house]] were situated in the area still known as "[[Old Town, Croydon|Old Town]]". The archbishops used the manor house as an occasional place of residence: as [[lords of the manor]] they dominated the life of the town well into the [[early modern period]], and as local patrons they continue to have an influence.<ref>{{cite book |first=Oliver |last=Harris |title=The Archbishops' Town: the making of medieval Croydon |year=2005 |place=Croydon |publisher=[[Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society]] |isbn=0-906047-20-X }}</ref> Croydon appears in [[Domesday Book]] (1086) as ''Croindene'', held by [[Lanfranc|Archbishop Lanfranc]]. Its Domesday assets included 16 [[hide (unit)|hide]]s and 1 [[virgate]] of land; a church; a [[Mill (grinding)|mill]] worth 5s; 38 [[plough]]-teams; {{convert|8|acre|ha}} of [[meadow]]; and [[woodland]] for 200 [[hog (swine)|hog]]s. It had a recorded population of 73 households (representing roughly 365 individuals); and its value in terms of taxes rendered was £37 10s 0d.<ref name="phildb">{{cite book |editor-first=John |editor-last=Morris |editor-link=John Morris (historian) |title=Domesday Book: Surrey |volume=3 |publisher=Phillimore |location=Chichester |year=1975 |isbn=0-85033-132-3 |pages=2: 1}}</ref><ref name="opendb">{{cite web|url=http://opendomesday.org/place/TQ3265/croydon/|title=Croydon – Domesday Book|first=Anna|last=Powell-Smith|work=opendomesday.org}}</ref>

[[File:Surrey Street Market - geograph.org.uk - 1238516.jpg|thumb|[[Surrey Street Market]], the successor to the market first granted a charter in 1276<ref>{{cite web |title=Surrey Street Outdoor Market |url=https://www.nmtf.co.uk/market-near-me/surrey-street-outdoor-market |accessdate=27 June 2024 |publisher=National Market Traders Federation}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=30 May 2024 |title=The Rise of Croydon |url=https://www.premiumsigns.co.uk/the-rise-of-croydon/ |access-date=30 December 2024 |website=Premium Signs |language=en-US}}</ref>]]

The church had been established in the [[Anglo-Saxon England|middle Saxon]] period, and was probably a [[Minster (church)|minster church]], a base for a group of clergy living a communal life. A [[Anglo-Saxon charters|charter]] issued by King [[Coenwulf of Mercia]] refers to a council that had taken place close to the ''monasterium'' (meaning minster) of Croydon.<ref>Harris, ''Archbishops' Town'', p. 250</ref> An Anglo-Saxon will made in about 960 is witnessed by Elfsies, priest of Croydon; and the church is also mentioned in [[Domesday Book]].<ref name="opendb" /> The will of John de Croydon, fishmonger, dated 6 December 1347, includes a bequest to "the church of S John de Croydon", the earliest clear record of its [[Dedication (ritual)|dedication]].<ref name=":3" /> The church still bears the arms of [[William Courtenay (bishop)|Archbishop Courtenay]] and [[Henry Chichele|Archbishop Chichele]], believed to have been its benefactors.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 January 2022 |title=Travel Croydon Map things-to-do & travel guide |url=https://walkfo.com/travel-croydon-map/ |access-date=30 December 2024 |website=walkfo.com |language=en-GB}}</ref>

[[File:Croydon Palace c.1785.jpg|thumb|right|[[Croydon Palace]] in {{c.}}1785]]
In 1276 Archbishop [[Robert Kilwardby]] acquired a [[charter]] for a weekly [[Surrey Street Market|market]], and this probably marks the foundation of Croydon as an urban centre.<ref>Harris, ''Archbishops' Town'', pp. 253–6.</ref> Croydon developed into one of the main [[market town]]s of north-east Surrey. The [[Surrey Street Market|market place]] was laid out on the higher ground to the east of the manor house in the triangle now bounded by High Street, Surrey Street and Crown Hill.<ref>{{cite book |last=Cox |first=Ronald C. W. |title=Croydon: the story of a hundred years |publisher=Croydon Natural History & Scientific Society |year=1988 |isbn=0906047021 |editor-last=Gent |editor-first=John B. |edition=6th |place=Croydon |pages=38–42 |chapter=Middle Row: Victorian decay and renewal}}</ref> By the 16th century the manor house had become a substantial palace, used as the main summer home of the archbishops and visited by monarchs and other dignitaries. However, the palace gradually became dilapidated and surrounded by [[slum]]s and stagnant ponds, and in 1781 the archbishops sold it, and in its place purchased a [[Addington Palace|new residence]] at nearby [[Addington, London|Addington]]. Nevertheless, many of the buildings of the original [[Croydon Palace]] survive, and are in use today as [[Old Palace School]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Old Palace of John Whitgift School |url=http://www.oldpalace.croydon.sch.uk/history |access-date=21 February 2017 |publisher=Oldpalace.croydon.sch.uk}}</ref>

[[File:P1180529 Croydon Minster....07.05.14...jpg|thumb|left|upright|The Grade I listed [[Croydon Minster]] parish church<ref name="nhle">{{NHLE |num=1079319 |desc=Parish Church of St John the Baptist |grade=I |accessdate=8 April 2019 }}</ref>]]
[[File:Croydon church 1867 N aisle.jpg|thumb|right|upright|The ruins of the church, following its destruction in 1867: the north chancel aisle looking east]]
The Parish Church (now [[Croydon Minster]]) is a [[Gothic architecture|Perpendicular]]-style church, which was remodelled in 1849 but destroyed in a great fire in 1867, after which only the tower, south porch, and outer walls remained.<ref>{{cite book |first=Brian |last=Lancaster |title=Consumed by Fire: the destruction of Croydon Parish Church in 1867 and its rebuild |year=2016 |place=Croydon |publisher=[[Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society]] |isbn=978-0-906047-31-6 }}</ref> A new church was designed by Sir [[George Gilbert Scott]], one of the greatest architects of the [[Victorian era|Victorian age]], and opened in 1870. His design loosely followed the previous layout, with knapped [[flint]] facing and many of the original features, including several tombs. Croydon Parish Church is the burial place of six Archbishops of Canterbury: [[John Whitgift]], [[Edmund Grindal]], [[Gilbert Sheldon]], [[William Wake]], [[John Potter (Archbishop)|John Potter]] and [[Thomas Herring]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Croydon Parish Church |url=https://www.friendsofoldpalace.org/parishchurch.htm |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230304223010/http://friendsofoldpalace.org/parishchurch.htm |archive-date=4 March 2023 |access-date=22 December 2024 |website=www.friendsofoldpalace.org}}</ref> Historically part of the [[Diocese of Canterbury]], Croydon is now in the [[Anglican Diocese of Southwark|Diocese of Southwark]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Croydon Episcopal Area |url=https://southwark.anglican.org/about-us/who-we-are/croydon-episcopal-area/#:~:text=Croydon%20Episcopal%20Area%20-%20The%20Diocese%20of%20Southwark |access-date=22 December 2024 |website=The Diocese of Southwark |language=en-GB}}</ref> In addition to the [[Bishop#Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Lutheran and Anglican churches|suffragan]] [[Bishop of Croydon]], the Vicar of Croydon is a [[Preferment (Church)|preferment]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=insidecroydon |date=23 August 2024 |title=Canon Bishop to take on historic post as the Vicar of Croydon |url=https://insidecroydon.com/2024/08/23/canon-bishop-to-take-on-historic-post-as-the-vicar-of-croydon/ |access-date=22 December 2024 |website=Inside Croydon |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[File:Whitgift almshouses croydon.jpg|right|thumb|The Grade I listed "[[Whitgift Foundation|Whitgift Hospital]]" almshouses in the centre of Croydon]]
[[File:West Croydon Baptist Church - geograph.org.uk - 1205471.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The Grade II listed West Croydon Baptist Church]]
[[File:Croydon - St Michael and All Angels church - geograph.org.uk - 1973707.jpg|thumb|upright|The Grade I listed Parish Church of St Michael and All Angels, West Croydon]]
[[Addington Palace]] is a [[Palladian Architecture|Palladian-style]] mansion between [[Addington, London|Addington Village]] and [[Shirley, London|Shirley]], in the [[London Borough of Croydon]].<ref name=":4">{{cite web |title=Addington Palace |url=http://www.addington-palace.co.uk/ |access-date=8 December 2015 |publisher=Addington Palace}}</ref> Six archbishops lived there between 1807 and 1898, when it was sold.<ref name=":4" /> Between 1953 and 1996 it was the home of the [[Royal School of Church Music]]. It is now a conference and banqueting venue.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of the RSCM |url=https://www.rscm.org.uk/world-of-the-rscm/history/ |website=Royal School of Church Music}}</ref>

Croydon was home to the [[Addiscombe Military Seminary]] (1809–1861), at which young officers were trained for the army of the [[East India Company]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/90e15e9d-6c8c-4238-ada5-02cdc6c05010 |title=Addiscombe Military Seminary |date=1809–1862}}</ref>

Croydon was a leisure destination in the mid 19th century. In 1831, one of England's most prominent architects, [[Decimus Burton]], designed a spa and pleasure gardens below [[A215 road#Beulah Hill|Beulah Hill]] and off what is now Spa Hill in a bowl of land on the south-facing side of the hill around a spring of [[chalybeate]] water. Burton was responsible for the Beulah Spa Hotel (demolished around 1935) and the layout of the grounds.<ref>[http://www.norwoodsociety.co.uk/articles/82-the-changing-face-of-norwood.html The Changing Face Of Norwood] Norwood Society, 27 February 2008. Accessed April 2011</ref> Its official title was The Royal Beulah Spa and Gardens. It became a popular society venue attracting crowds to its ''fêtes''. One widely publicised event was a "Grand Scottish Fete" on 16 September 1834 "with a tightrope performance by [[Pablo Fanque]], the black circus performer who would later dominate the Victorian circus and achieve immortality in [[the Beatles]] song, ''Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!''"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.croydon.gov.uk/leisure/parksandopenspaces/parksatoz/lawns/tlhistory |title=London Borough of Croydon: The Lawns – The Lawns History |publisher=Croydon.gov.uk |access-date=17 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314165943/http://www.croydon.gov.uk/leisure/parksandopenspaces/parksatoz/lawns/tlhistory |archive-date=14 March 2012 }}</ref> The spa closed in 1856 soon after the opening nearby of [[the Crystal Palace]]<ref>{{cite book |first=Alan R. |last=Warwick |title=The Phoenix Suburb: A South London Social History |chapter=Chapter 5 |date=August 1982 |publisher=Crystal Palace Foundation |isbn=0-904034-01-1 }}</ref> which had been rebuilt on [[Sydenham Hill]] in 1854, following its success at the [[Great Exhibition]] in [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]].<ref name="dukemag">{{cite web |date=November 2006 |title=The Great Exhibition of 1851 |url=http://dukemagazine.duke.edu/article/the-great-exhibition-of-1851 |access-date=30 July 2007 |work=Duke Magazine}}</ref>

[[Horse racing]] in the area took place occasionally, notably during visits of Queen [[Elizabeth I]] to the archbishop. Regular meetings became established first on a course at [[Park Hill Recreation Ground|Park Hill]] in 1860 and from 1866 at [[Woodside, London|Woodside]], where particularly good prizes were offered for the races run under [[National Hunt]] rules. In that sphere its prestige was second only to [[Aintree]], home of the [[Grand National]]. Increasing local opposition to the presence of allegedly unruly racegoers coupled with the need to obtain a licence from the local authority led to it being closed down in 1890.<ref>Beavis, Jim: The Croydon Races</ref>
[[File:Whitgift Almshouses.JPG|left|thumb|A picture of the Almhouses]]

The Elizabethan [[Whitgift Foundation|Whitgift Almshouses]], the "Hospital of the Holy Trinity", in the centre of Croydon at the corner of North End and George Street, were erected by Archbishop John Whitgift. He petitioned for and received permission from Queen [[Elizabeth I]] to establish a hospital and school in Croydon for the "poor, needy and impotent people" from the parishes of Croydon and [[Lambeth]]. The foundation stone was laid in 1596 and the building was completed in 1599.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=The Whitgift Foundation – Governors |url=http://www.whitgiftfoundation.co.uk/about/governors.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20090324053200/http://www.whitgiftfoundation.co.uk:80/about/governors.html |archive-date=24 March 2009 |access-date=4 January 2025 |website=www.whitgiftfoundation.co.uk}}</ref>

The premises included the Hospital or Almshouses, providing accommodation for between 28 and 40 people, and a nearby schoolhouse and schoolmaster's house. There was a Warden in charge of the well-being of the almoners. The building takes the form of a courtyard surrounded by the chambers of the almoners and various offices.<ref name=":5" />

Threatened by various reconstruction plans and road-widening schemes, the Almshouses were saved in 1923 by intervention of the [[House of Lords]]. On 21 June 1983, [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] visited the Almshouses and unveiled a plaque celebrating the recently completed reconstruction of the building. On 22 March each year the laying of the foundation stone is commemorated as Founder's Day.<ref name=":5" />

In 1864, the Catholic St Mary's Church in Croydon was opened. It was designed by [[E. W. Pugin]] and [[Frederick Walters]] in the [[Gothic Revival style]]. The Grade II listed West Croydon Baptist Church was built in 1873 by J. Theodore Barker. It is a red brick building with stone dressings. Its three bays are divided by paired Doric pilasters supporting a [[triglyph]] [[frieze]] and panelled parapet.<ref name=":2">{{cite web|url=http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1358814&resourceID=5|title=Heritage Gateway – Results|work=heritagegateway.org.uk}}</ref> The Parish Church of St Michael and All Angels by [[John Loughborough Pearson]] in West Croydon was built between 1880 and 1885, and is Grade I listed.<ref name=":2" />

===Industrial Revolution and the railway===
[[File:Croydon water pumping house 21-12-14..jpg|thumb|upright|The Grade II listed Surrey Street Pumping Station, Croydon]]
The development of [[Brighton]] as a fashionable resort in the 1780s increased Croydon's importance as a halt for [[stage coach]]es on the road south of London. At the beginning of the 19th century, Croydon became the terminus of two pioneering commercial transport links with London. The first, opened in 1803, was the horse-drawn [[Surrey Iron Railway]] from [[Wandsworth]], which in 1805 was extended to [[Merstham]], as the Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Railway. The second, opened in 1809, was the [[Croydon Canal]], which branched off the [[Grand Surrey Canal]] at [[Deptford]]. The [[London and Croydon Railway]] (an [[Atmospheric railway|atmospheric]] and steam-powered railway) opened between [[London Bridge station|London Bridge]] and [[West Croydon station|West Croydon]] in 1839, using much of the route of the canal (which had closed in 1836). Other connections to London and the south followed.

The arrival of the railways and other communications advances in the 19th century led to a 23-fold increase in Croydon's population between 1801 and 1901.<ref name="Brewer" /> This rapid expansion of the town led to considerable health problems, especially in the damp and overcrowded working class district of Old Town. In response to this, in 1849 Croydon became one of the first towns in the country to acquire a [[local board of health]]. The Board constructed [[public health]] infrastructure including a [[lake|reservoir]], [[water supply network]], [[sanitary sewer|sewer]]s, a pumping station and [[sewage collection and disposal|sewage disposal]] works. The [[Surrey Street Pumping Station, Croydon|Surrey Street Pumping Station]] is Grade II listed; it was built in four phases. starting with the engine house in 1851, with a further engine house in 1862, a further extension in 1876–7 to house a compound horizontal engine and a further extension in 1912.<ref>{{NHLE |desc=Surrey Street Pumping Station |num=1079248 |grade=II |access-date=31 December 2024 }}</ref>

=== A growing town ===
[[File:North End, Croydon - geograph.org.uk - 625263.jpg|thumb|left|The Allders building in 1983]]
[[File:Kookai Clock Croydon.jpg|thumb|upright|Shopping parade in North End, Croydon]]

In 1883 Croydon was incorporated as a borough. In 1889 it became a county borough, with a greater degree of autonomy.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=Past civic mayors and freemen and freedoms granted by the borough |url=https://www.croydon.gov.uk/council-and-elections/mayor-croydon/history-mayor-croydon/past-mayors-and-freemen-and-freedoms-granted-borough/past-mayors-borough-croydon-county-borough-croydon |access-date=28 January 2023 |website=Croydon.gov.uk}}</ref> The new county borough council implemented the Croydon Improvement scheme in the early 1890s, which widened the High Street and cleared much of the "Middle Row" slum area. The remaining slums were [[gentrification|cleared]] shortly after [[Second World War]], with much of the population relocated to the isolated new settlement of [[New Addington]]. New stores opened and expanded in central Croydon, including [[Allders]], Kennards and Grade II listed [[Grants of Croydon|Grants]], as well as the first [[Sainsbury's]] self-service shop in the country.<ref name="Brewer" /> There was a market on [[Surrey Street Market|Surrey Street]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.surreystreetmarket.org.uk/|title=Surrey Street Market|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221114735/http://www.surreystreetmarket.org.uk/|archive-date=21 February 2014}}</ref>
[[File:ETH-BIB-Croydon Airport-Weitere-LBS MH05-40-14.tif|left|thumb|upright=1.4|A photo of Croydon Airport in the 1930s]]
Croydon was the location of London's main airport until the Second World War. During the war, much of central Croydon was devastated by German [[V-1 flying bomb]]s and [[V-2 rocket|V-2]] [[rocket]]s, and for many years the town bore the scars of the destruction. After the war, [[Heathrow Airport]] superseded [[Croydon Airport]] as London's main airport, and Croydon Airport quickly went into a decline, finally closing in 1959.

By the 1950s, with its continuing growth, the town was becoming [[traffic congestion|congested]], and the Council decided on another major redevelopment scheme. The Croydon Corporation Act was passed in 1956. This, coupled with national government incentives for office relocation out of Central London, led to the building of new offices and accompanying road schemes through the late 1950s and 1960s, and the town boomed as a business centre in the 1960s, with many multi-storey office blocks, an [[underpass]], a [[Overpass|flyover]] and [[multi-storey car park]]s. The redeveloped town centre has since been identified as an "[[edge city]]" – a significant urban and commercial centre in its own right, located on the outskirts of a larger metropolitan area (in this case, London).<ref>{{cite web |title=Edge City: Croydon |publisher=[[National Trust]] |url=https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/edge-city-croydon |access-date=22 February 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |first=Nicholas A. |last=Phelps |title=On the edge of something big: edge-city economic development in Croydon, South London |journal=Town Planning Review |volume=69 |issue=4 |year=1998 |pages=441–465 |doi=10.3828/tpr.69.4.dv1t387m20078jjp |jstor=40113515 }}</ref>

In 1960 Croydon celebrated its millennium with a pageant held at Lloyd Park and an exhibition held at the old Croydon Aerodrome.

===Modern Croydon===
{{See also|Economy of Croydon}}
[[File:Rainbow and office block, Croydon (geograph 3851950).jpg|thumb|upright|[[No. 1 Croydon]], formerly the NLA Tower.<ref name="Three">{{cite web| title = Croydon, Route & What to See| work= London Footprints| url=http://www.london-footprints.co.uk/wkcroydonroute.htm| access-date=20 March 2008}}</ref>]]

The growing town attracted many new buildings. The [[Fairfield Halls]] arts centre and event venue opened in 1962. Croydon developed as an important centre for shopping, with the construction of the [[Whitgift Centre]] in 1969. [[No. 1 Croydon]] (formerly the NLA Tower)<ref name="Three" /> designed by [[Richard Seifert|Richard Seifert & Partners]] was completed in 1970. The [[Warehouse Theatre]] opened in 1977.

The 1990s saw further changes intended to give the town a more attractive image. These included the closure of [[North End, Croydon|North End]] to vehicles in 1989 and the opening of the [[Croydon Clocktower]] arts centre in 1994. An early success of the centre was the "[[Picasso]]'s Croydon Period" exhibition of March–May 1995.

The Croydon [[Tramlink]] began operation in May 2000 (see Transport section below).

The Prospect West office development was built in 1991 to 1992, and its remodelling planned in 2012<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://planning.croydon.gov.uk/DocOnline/107782_4.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090739/http://planning.croydon.gov.uk/DocOnline/107782_4.pdf|url-status=dead|title=Planning Croydon|archive-date=4 March 2016|access-date=25 September 2020}}</ref> has now been completed. Renamed Interchange Croydon when it was reopened in 2014, the 180,000 square foot office development was the first new grade A office development of its size to open in Croydon for more than 20 years.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news/11048727.Rejuvenated_office_block_opens_in_Croydon_town_centre/|title=Rejuvenated office block opens in Croydon town centre|work=Croydon Guardian}}</ref>

Another large shopping centre, [[Centrale (shopping centre)|Centrale]], opened in 2004 opposite the Whitgift Centre, and adjoining the smaller [[Drummond Centre]]. [[House of Fraser]] and [[Debenhams]] are the anchor stores in the combined centre. In addition, there are plans for a large, new one billion pound shopping centre, in the form of a new [[Westfield Group|Westfield]] shopping mall to add to the two which the company currently has in Greater London; Westfield plans to work jointly with [[Hammerson]] and to incorporate the best aspects of the two companies' designs.<ref>{{cite news|title=Westfield and Hammerson form £1bn joint venture to redevelop Croydon town centre|url=http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Westfield-Hammerson-form-1bn-joint-venture/story-17880508-detail/story.html|access-date=21 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204062811/http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Westfield-Hammerson-form-1bn-joint-venture/story-17880508-detail/story.html|archive-date=4 December 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> In November 2017, Croydon Council gave permission for the new Westfield shopping centre to be built<ref>{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|title=Westfield shopping centre to be 'catalyst' for Croydon|date=15 November 2017|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-41988765|access-date=8 April 2018}}</ref> and in January 2018, the [[Mayor of London]], [[Sadiq Khan]], approved the regeneration scheme.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[Evening Standard]]|location=London|title=£1.4bn Croydon Westfield shopping centre given green light by Mayor|author=Alexandra Richards|date=9 January 2018|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/14bn-croydon-westfield-shopping-centre-given-green-light-by-mayor-a3736046.html|access-date=8 April 2018}}</ref> Work to demolish the existing Whitgift Centre was due to begin in 2018 and Westfield Croydon was initially to open by 2022. The Westfield plans were delayed and the planning permission elapsed: however, in 2021, Croydon Council confirmed they were committed to see the Westfield Centre proceed.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Larsson |first1=Naomi |title=Croydon returns to drawing board on regeneration plans |url=https://www.localgov.co.uk/Croydon-returns-to-drawing-board-on-regeneration-plans/52800 |website=Local Government News |date=17 August 2021 |access-date=18 August 2021}}</ref> There are several other major plans for the town including the redevelopment of the [[Croydon Gateway]] site; and extensions of Tramlink to Purley Way, [[Streatham]], [[Lewisham]] and [[Crystal Palace, London|Crystal Palace]].

[[File:Saffron Square, Croydon.JPG|thumb|left|Saffron Square<ref name="berkeleygroup1">{{cite web|url=http://www.berkeleygroup.co.uk/property-developers/berkeley/developments/saffron-square |title=New Builds – Saffron Square – Sold |work=Berkeley Group}}</ref> luxury apartment development]]
Croydon has many tall buildings such as the former [[Nestlé Tower]] (St George's House). The London Borough of Croydon's strategic planning committee in February 2013 gave the go-ahead to property fund manager Legal and General Property's plans to convert the empty 24-storey St George's House office building, occupied by Nestlé until September 2012, into 288 flats.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1170275/croydon-council-approves-nestle-tower-office-to-flats-plan |title=Croydon Council approves Nestlé tower office-to-flats plan | url-access = registration |first=Jamie |last=Carpenter |work=planningresource.co.uk |date=8 February 2013 |access-date=21 December 2024 }}</ref>

In 2007, events were held under the label of [[Croydon Exp07]] to promote billions of pounds of promised projects, including swimming pools and a library.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.croydonexpo.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080404154856/http://www.croydonexpo.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 April 2008 |title=Experience your amazing future in Croydon! |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2007 |website=EXP07 Croydon |publisher=London Borough of Croydon |access-date=2 February 2019}}</ref> However, plans for a new shopping centre, to be called [[Park Place (Croydon)|Park Place]], had already been abandoned amid a scandal about [[2006-2007 Life Peerages scandal|cash for peerages]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/717119.park_place_peerages_row/ |title=Park Place peerages row |last=Mokbel |first=Sami |date=29 March 2006 |website=The Croydon Guardian |access-date=2 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4846090.stm |title=Prescott denies Labour loans link  |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=26 March 2006 |publisher=BBC News |access-date=2 February 2019}}</ref> Also abandoned were plans for an arena near the East Croydon station, after a compulsory purchase order was rejected in 2008 at Cabinet level.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.persona.uk.com/croydongateway/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090322031746/http://www.persona.uk.com/croydongateway/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 March 2009 |title=Welcome to the London Borough of Croydon, Croydon Gateway Public Inquiry website |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=6 August 2008 |website=Croydon Gateway Public Inquiry |publisher=Persona Associates |access-date=2 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.persona.uk.com/croydongateway/DECISION/CPO_Letter.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219004345/http://www.persona.uk.com/croydongateway/DECISION/CPO_Letter.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 February 2009 |title=The London Borough of Croydon (Land west of East Croydon Station, The Gateway Site) Compulsory Purchase Order 2007 |last=McNally |first=Ian |date=6 August 2008 |publisher=Government Office for London |access-date=2 February 2019}}</ref>

On 22 November 2011, then Mayor of London [[Boris Johnson]] announced £23m of additional funding to help redevelop the town at the Develop Croydon Conference.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.developcroydon.com/news.html?id=2343/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119073104/http://www.developcroydon.com/news.html?id=2343%2F|url-status=dead|title=Boris set to unveil £23 million for Croydon regeneration<!-- Bot generated title -->|archive-date=19 January 2012|access-date=25 September 2020}}</ref>

Several apartment developments, for instance [[Altitude 25]] (completed 2010), have been built in recent years, and several more are being built or planned. The construction of [[Saffron Square]],<ref name="berkeleygroup1" /> which includes a 43-storey tower, began on Wellesley Road in 2011 and was completed in 2016. Other developments with towers over 50 floors high have been given planning approval. These include the 54-storey "Menta Tower" in Cherry Orchard Road near East Croydon station, and a 55-storey tower at One Lansdowne Road, on which construction was set to begin in early 2013. The latter is set to be Britain's tallest block of flats, including office space, a four-star hotel and a health club.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.czwg.com/works/one-lansdowne-road|title=One Lansdowne Road|work=czwg.com}}</ref>

In May 2012 it was announced that Croydon had been successful in its bid to become one of twelve "[[Portas Pilot Areas|Portas Pilot]]" towns and would receive a share of £1.2m funding to help rejuvenate its central shopping areas.<ref>{{cite news|title=High Streets to share £1.2m funding|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18212669|publisher=BBC News|date=26 May 2012}}</ref>

[[File:Boxpark Croydon.jpg|thumb|[[Boxpark]], Croydon]]
In November 2013, Central Croydon MP [[Gavin Barwell]] gave a presentation at a public meeting on the Croydon regeneration project, detailing various developments underway due to be completed in coming years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://prezi.com/hax6fsarkxr7/public-meeting-on-regeneration-in-croydon-2013/ |title=Public meeting on regeneration in Croydon 2013 |first=Gavin |last=Barwell |work=Prezi |date=25 January 2014 |access-date=31 August 2015 }}</ref>

On 26 November 2013, Croydon Council approved a redevelopment of the Town Centre by The Croydon Partnership, a joint venture by the [[Westfield Group]] and Hammerson.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thecroydonpartnership.com/whats-new |work=Croydon Partnership |title=What's New |access-date=31 August 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104223152/http://thecroydonpartnership.com/whats-new |archive-date=4 November 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |publisher=BBC News  |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25100374 |title= Croydon £1bn shopping centre plan approved |date=26 November 2013 |access-date=31 August 2015 }}</ref> London Mayor Boris Johnson approved the plan the following day.<ref>{{cite news |last=Davies |first=Gareth |newspaper=Croydon Advertiser |url=http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Boris-Johnson-approves-Croydon-s-1bn-Whitgift/story-20228476-detail/story.html |title=Boris Johnson approves Croydon's £1bn Whitgift redevelopment |date=27 November 2013 |access-date=31 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923211314/http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Boris-Johnson-approves-Croydon-s-1bn-Whitgift/story-20228476-detail/story.html |archive-date=23 September 2015 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> The ''[[Croydon Advertiser]]'' listed the approval as an "Historic Night for Croydon".<ref>{{cite news |last=Davies |first=Gareth |newspaper=Croydon Advertiser |url=http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Council-gives-green-light-Westfield-Hammerson/story-20219466-detail/story.html |title=Council gives green light to Westfield/Hammerson plan |date=26 November 2013 |access-date=31 August 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923211346/http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Council-gives-green-light-Westfield-Hammerson/story-20219466-detail/story.html |archive-date=23 September 2015 }}</ref>

At [[Ruskin Square]], a [[Boxpark]] made of sea containers opened in 2016 as a temporary measure until new buildings are constructed for shops, offices and housing.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/buildings/bdps-3m-croydon-boxpark-opens/10014375.article | url-access = registration |title=BDP's £3m Croydon Boxpark opens |last=Mark |first=Laura |date=3 November 2016 |website=The Architects' Journal |publisher=[[Metropolis International]] |access-date=31 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ruskinsquare.com/ |title=Welcome to Ruskin Square |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2019 |website=Ruskin Square |publisher=[[Schroders]]/[[Stanhope plc|Stanhope]]|access-date=2 February 2019}}</ref> The ''[[London Evening Standard]]'' said that this and other developments were reviving the town which was in the process of gentrification.<ref>{{cite web|last=Butter|first=Susannah|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/cool-croydon-how-bars-burgers-and-a-new-boxpark-are-making-kate-mosss-hometown-a-hipster-hotspot-a2922951.html|title=Cool Croydon: how bars, burgers and a new Boxpark are making Kate Moss's hometown a hipster hotspot|work=Evening Standard|location=London|date=28 August 2015|access-date=16 February 2016}}</ref>

===Future===
A Croydon Vision 2020 plan was drawn up by [[Croydon Council]] after a 1999 study by town planning consultants [[EDAW]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/home/edaw-masterplan-begins-the-transformation-of-croydon/777442.article |title=EDAW masterplan begins the transformation of Croydon |last=Slavid |first=Ruth |date=12 March 1998 |website=The Architects' Journal |publisher=EMAP Publishing Limited |access-date=2 February 2019}}</ref> The plan includes new office blocks, apartment buildings, shopping centres and other developments, some of which have already been built. More than 2,000 new homes are planned.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2008/09/22/bexley_woolwich_goodlife_feature.shtml |title=The future of the suburbs |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=22 September 2008 |publisher=BBC London: Community Life |access-date=2 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://bxbdevelopment.com/about-us/ |title=Brick by Brick: About|author=<!--Not stated-->  |website=Brick by Brick |access-date=2 February 2019}}</ref>

A redeveloped [[Fairfield Halls]] has been planned to be the linchpin of a cultural quarter encompassing nearby College Green.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.croydonobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/The-Croydon-Promise.pdf |title=The Croydon Promise: Growth for All |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2014 |website=Croydon Observatory |publisher=Croydon Council |access-date=2 February 2019 |page= 7 |quote=A new 'cultural quarter' around College Green will have emerged with the modernised Fairfield Halls one of the star attractions }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://eastcroydon.org.uk/2015/11/05/college-green-fairfield-halls-redevelopment-exhibition/ |title=College Green & Fairfield Halls redevelopment exhibition |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=5 November 2015 |website=ECCO |publisher=East Croydon Community Organisation |access-date=2 February 2019}}</ref> Plans include an art gallery, a [[Croydon College|new college]], shops and offices, with a multi-storey car park set for demolition to make space for 218 homes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://croydonbid.com/news/plans-fairfield-and-college-green-cultural-quarter-approved |title=Plans for Fairfield and College Green cultural quarter approved |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=27 February 2017 |website=Croydon Business Improvement District |access-date=2 February 2019}}</ref>