Kenley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kenley is a district in the south of the London Borough of Croydon. It borders Purley, Coulsdon, Riddlesdown, Caterham and Whyteleafe.
Significant portions of the district lie within the London Green Belt. In particular, the south of Kenley is dominated by the open green spaces of Kenley Common and Kenley Aerodrome.
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[edit] History
A comprehensive history of Kenley is found in the Bourne Society's 'Kenley Village History'.
[edit] Surburban development
For centuries, Kenley was part of Coulsdon Manor which covered the whole area now known as Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon, Purley and Kenley. As with most of this area, Kenley was primarily farm land, with a few big houses and their estates.
The official opening of the railway on 4th August 1856 transformed Kenley. The new railway prompted urban development. By the end of the Victorian era, Kenley had assumed its own identity.
Magnificent gentlemen's houses in substantial grounds were constructed during the 1860s. These houses gave Kenley its distinctive appearance on its western hillside. More modest housing and shops were built along the Godstone Road in the 1880s. Finally, the compact housing of the lower lying Roke area was constructed toward the end of the 19th century.
All Saints Church, now a grade II listed building, was built in 1870, and enlarged in 1897 and 1902. In 1888, Kenley was created as a parish in its own right.
[edit] World War II
RAF Kenley was a strategic location in the Battle of Britain. Given RAF Kenley's importance, the Luftwaffe attempted to destroy it by means of a massive bombing raid on 18th August 1940. The attacking Luftwaffe aircraft suffered heavy casualities during the raid. Despite some damage to the airfield and the surrounding buildings, this bombing raid proved unsuccessful. By the following day, RAF Kenley was operational again.
[edit] Post War Development
In the postwar period, many of the substantial Victorian properties with their extensive grounds were developed for executive housing.
From the early 1960s, RAF Kenley was gradually run down. Today, the aerodrome is used exclusively by the gliders of the Royal Air Training Corps and the Surrey Hills Gliding Club.
