Norbury

Norbury
St Oswald's Parish Church
Norbury  Norbury shown within Greater London
OS grid reference	TQ315695
London borough	Croydon
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	SW16
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Croydon North
London Assembly	Croydon and Sutton
List of places UK England London

Coordinates: 51°24′33″N 0°06′30″W / 51.4092°N 0.1083°W / 51.4092; -0.1083

Norbury is a district in the London Borough of Croydon, . It shares the postcode London SW16 with nearby Streatham. Norbury is 6.7 miles (10.8 km) south of Charing Cross.

History

The name Norbury derives from North Burh, (North Borough). Some local histories note that this was due to Norbury's position on the northern boundary of the former Manor of Croydon. In fact it takes its name from a split in the borough of Bensham, one of the former seven boroughs of Croydon. 'Northbenchesham' became the Northborough, then Norbury. 'Southbenchesham' later became Thornton Heath.

Norbury, like Streatham and Croydon, lies on the London to Brighton Way Roman road, the northern part of which has become the A23 road. At Hepworth Road the intact road, 32 feet wide, was excavated in 1961. Remnants of a metalled ford across the stream were found further south at Hermitage Bridge on the River Graveney which forms part of the boundary between Norbury and Streatham, before flowing on to the River Wandle, then the River Thames.^[1]

Norbury was a sub-manor of Croydon Manor and was held by the Carew family between 1385 and 1859. The Carews also held Beddington. Norbury Farm was the manor house - it was demolished in 1914.

Norbury Hall, Craignish Avenue, does remain - now as a retirement home and a Grade II listed building. It was built for William Coles in 1802. In the late 19th century, its owner was James Hobbs, local businessman and fifth Mayor of Croydon who bought the house in 1884. A few years later, he was implicated in the Liberator Building Society scandal with Jabez Balfour, convicted and imprisoned. The Hobbs family owned the Hall until 1958 when it was sold to the County Borough of Croydon (from 1965 the London Borough of Croydon), with its gardens open to the public. By then most of the farms and open land belonging to Norbury Manor and Hall had been built upon. The London County Council built an estate of almost 500 homes in Norbury, one of its first 'Out-County' estates between 1906 and 1910

Norbury railway station opened in 1878, although the railway line had opened in 1862. It was rebuilt in 1902 and connects Norbury with Croydon, London Bridge and London Victoria. Although Croydon's horse-tram network never reached Norbury, electric trams were introduced in 1901, connecting the town all the way through to Purley. However, Croydon trams and London trams used different systems and could not use the same tracks, leading through passengers to have to change in Norbury. This was finally rectified in 1925. The trams were removed after World War II but there are plans to extend Tramlink from Croydon to Streatham via Norbury.

Though considered to belong to the London Borough of Croydon about one third of the district (from Stanford way) crosses over to the London Borough of Merton. Moreover, another third of the district from Streatham High Road and Hermitage Lane crosses over to the London Borough of Lambeth (Norbury finishes at Kempshott Road).

The buses in Norbury = 109, 50, 250, 255, 450( goes past Green Lane to Spa Hill) and buses in Pollards Hill because Pollards Hill is techinically in Norbury as London Road in Norbury has two roads called Pollards Hill North and Pollards Hill South to the London Borough of Merton as Pollards Hill(a small district in Norbury) is in the London Borough of Croydon and the London Borough of Merton as well.

During the Second World War the Norbury 5th Battalion of the Home Guard patrolled the town, it was a hugely successful platoon with a high reputation for efficiency and bravery. On the evening of 5 September 1940, the Norbury police reported to 5th Norbury Battalion that residents had observed enemy parachutists dropping on Norbury golf-course. Company Commanders were notified, and the platoon parading for the night sent in pursuit. The town did not escape heavy bombings during the war.

Nearest places

• Brixton
• Streatham
• Streatham Common
• Crystal Palace / Upper Norwood
• Mitcham
• Pollards Hill
• Thornton Heath
• Croydon

Notable residents

• Musician Rox
• Actor Deryck Guyler
• Music group Libera - The boy vocalists of Libera, who are regular contributors to the BBC's Songs of Praise TV programme, and who have toured extensively throughout the world, and who have released several chart-topping albums, are based at St Phillip's Parish Church in Norbury
• Robert Prizeman - Classical crossover music composer and choirmaster of Libera and St Phillip's Parish Church, Norbury. He composed the BBC's Songs of Praise signature music
• Actor Will Hay
• Town Planner Sangeetha Banner
• Barloc of Norbury
• Writer Michael Moorcock
• Writer Kingsley Amis
• Novelist Edwy Searles Brooks

Nearest railway stations

• Streatham railway station
• Streatham Common railway station
• Norbury railway station
• Thornton Heath railway station

In fiction

Norbury is portrayed in a Sherlock Holmes short story, "The Adventure of the Yellow Face", as one of the few places in which the detective turned out to be wrong regarding his theories.

References

London Borough of Croydon Districts Addington Addiscombe Ashburton Beddington Broad Green Coombe Coulsdon Croydon Crystal Palace Forestdale Hamsey Green Kenley Monks Orchard New Addington Norbury Norwood New Town Old Coulsdon Pollards Hill Purley Roundshaw Russell Hill Sanderstead Selhurst Selsdon Shirley Shirley Oaks South Croydon South Norwood Spring Park Thornton Heath Upper Norwood Upper Shirley Waddon Woodcote Woodside Whyteleafe Attractions Addington Palace Croydon Airport Croydon Clocktower (David Lean Cinema Museum of Croydon Croydon Central Library) Croydon Palace Fairfield Halls (Ashcroft Theatre) RAF Kenley Selhurst Park (football stadium) Shirley Windmill Warehouse Theatre Street markets Croydon Farmers Market Surrey Street Market Parks and open spaces Addington Hills Addington Park Addington Vale Addiscombe Railway Park Addiscombe Recreation Ground Apsley Road Playground Ashburton Park Ashburton Playing Fields Beaulieu Heights Brickfields Meadow Coombe Wood Cotelands Duppas Hill Grangewood Park Great North Wood Heavers Meadow Kenley Common Mitcham Common Norbury Park Park Hill Pollards Hill Purley Downs Queen's Gardens Roundshaw Selsdon Wood South Norwood Country Park South Norwood Lake and Grounds South Norwood Recreation Ground Streatham Vale Park Woodside Green Constituencies Croydon South Croydon Central Croydon North Rail stations and tram stops Addington Village Addiscombe Ampere Way Arena Beddington Lane Blackhorse Lane Centrale Church Street Coombe Lane Coulsdon South Coulsdon Town East Croydon Fieldway George Street Gravel Hill Harrington Road Kenley King Henry's Drive Lebanon Road Lloyd Park New Addington Norbury Norwood Junction Purley Oaks Purley Reedham Reeves Corner Riddlesdown Sanderstead Sandilands Selhurst South Croydon Therapia Lane (in LB of Sutton) Thornton Heath Waddon Marsh Waddon Wandle Park Wellesley Road West Croydon Woodmansterne Woodside Art and architecture Croydon Vision 2020 Grade I and II* listed buildings Public art Tallest buildings and structures Other topics Coat of arms Council Economy People Railway stations Schools Category Commons

London Borough of Lambeth Districts Brixton Clapham Clapham Park Crystal Palace Gipsy Hill Grange Mills Herne Hill Kennington Knight's Hill Lambeth Loughborough Junction Norbury Oval South Bank South Lambeth Stockwell Streatham Streatham Vale Tulse Hill Upper Norwood Vauxhall Waterloo West Dulwich West Norwood Attractions Ashby's Mill BFI Southbank Chocolate Museum Garden Museum Florence Nightingale Museum Imperial War Museum Lambeth Archives Lambeth Palace London County Hall London Eye Lower Marsh Market The Old Vic Oval Cricket Ground Ovalhouse Sea Life London Aquarium South Bank Southbank Centre Royal National Theatre BFI Southbank Royal Festival Hall Queen Elizabeth Hall Purcell Room Hayward South London Theatre White Bear Theatre Young Vic Bridges Hungerford Lambeth Westminster Vauxhall Waterloo Parks and open spaces Archbishop's Park Brockwell Park Clapham Common Jubilee Gardens Kennington Park Larkhall Park Loughborough Junction Mostyn Gardens Myatt's Fields Park Norbury Park Norwood Park Pedlar's Park Ruskin Park Streatham Common Streatham Vale Park Vauxhall Park Vauxhall Spring Gardens Constituencies Streatham Vauxhall Dulwich and West Norwood Tube, rail and riverboat stations Brixton rail tube Clapham Common Clapham North Clapham High Street Gipsy Hill Herne Hill Lambeth North Loughborough Junction Norbury railway station Oval Stockwell Streatham Streatham Common Streatham Hill Tulse Hill Vauxhall Wandsworth Road Waterloo Waterloo East West Norwood Other topics Council Grade I and II* listed buildings People Public art Schools The Lambeth Walk

London Borough of Merton Districts Bushey Mead Cannon Hill Colliers Wood Copse Hill Cottenham Park Crooked Billet Lower Morden Merton Merton Abbey Merton Park Mitcham Morden Morden Park Motspur Park New Malden Norbury Pollards Hill Raynes Park St Helier South Wimbledon Streatham Vale Summerstown West Barnes Wimbledon Wimbledon Park Attractions All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club Merton Abbey Mills Merton Priory Museum of Wimbledon New Wimbledon Theatre Southside House Wandle Industrial Museum Wandle Trail Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum Wimbledon Stadium Wimbledon Theatre Wimbledon Windmill Parks and open spaces Cannizaro Park Cannon Hill Common Lavender Park Mitcham Common Morden Hall Park Ravensbury Park Wimbledon Common Wimbledon Park Constituencies Mitcham and Morden Wimbledon Tube, rail stations and tram stops Belgrave Walk Colliers Wood Dundonald Road Haydons Road Merton Park Mitcham Mitcham Eastfields Mitcham Junction Morden Morden South Morden Road Motspur Park Phipps Bridge Raynes Park St Helier South Merton South Wimbledon Tooting Wimbledon Wimbledon Chase Wimbledon Park Other topics Council Grade I and II* listed buildings Parks and open spaces People Public art Schools