Visit Norbury Places

Welcome to Visit Norbury Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Norbury

  

Norbury Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Norbury

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Norbury history

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For most of its history Norbury was rural countryside through which the London to Brighton Way Roman road passed. 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.

Norbury Manor

By the early thirteenth century Norbury was a sub-manor within the chief manor of Croydon . The first recorded mention of Norbury Manor was in 1229 when Peter de Bendings conveyed the Manor to John de Kemsing and his wife Idonea . In 1269 the Manor comprised 91 acres of arable land in Pollards Hill, 30 acres in Grandon, 55 acres of pasture, 36 acres of heathland, 2 acres of woodland and 17 acres of meadow land .

Victorian period

The Hermitage, Norbury Manor Farm House and Norbury Hall were three main dwellings at the start of the Victorian period . The last resident was Jenny Hill, a famous music hall performer in the 1890s . The North Surrey Golf Club built a 90-acre golf club on the grounds of Norbury Park in 1894 .

Urbanisation

By 1900, Norbury was an affluent semi-rural suburb boasting two golf courses and cricket, football, tennis and bowls clubs . The population of Norbury had risen from 475 people in 1901 to 15,538 by 1931 . Electric trams were introduced in 1901 connecting the town to Purley .

Modern Norbury

Norbury is a built-up residential area housing a diverse and multi-cultural community . Some locals consider the area to be in decline, with increased fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour . It is also very well connected to other areas, such as Crystal Palace, Croydon, Streatham and Central London .

Norbury etymology

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. Others state that it takes its name from a split in the borough of Bensham, one of the last seven boroughs of Croydon, which became Thornton Heath.

You can visit Norbury places with Walkfo Norbury to hear history at Norbury’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Norbury has 168 places to visit in our interactive Norbury map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Norbury, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Norbury places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Norbury & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 168 audio facts unique to Norbury places in an interactive Norbury map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Norbury Places Map
168 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Norbury historic spots	Norbury tourist destinations	Norbury plaques	Norbury geographic features
Walkfo Norbury tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Norbury

  

Best Norbury places to visit

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Norbury has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Norbury’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Norbury’s information audio spots:

Wandle Park, Croydon Wandle Park is an 8.5-hectare (21-acre) park located in the Broad Green Ward of Croydon, south London, England . It was opened in 1890 by the Mayor of the city . The site is protected by Fields in Trust through a legal “Deed of Dedication” safeguarding the future of the space .

Wettern House Wettern House was built in 1963, two years before the County Borough of Croydon disbanded . It was demolished in November 2005 to make way for Ruskin Square . The building had 12 floors and a structural height of 38 metres .

Ruskin Square Ruskin Square is a project to redevelop a parcel of land between East Croydon railway station and the existing town centre . It is part of the major regeneration scheme which has been subject to substantial public debate .

South Norwood Country Park South Norwood Country Park is a 47 hectare (116 acre) green space which opened in 1989 . The park is a mix of countryside and parkland, and land formerly used for sewage farms .

Mitcham Road Cemetery Mitcham Road Cemetery, previously called Croydon Cemetery, is a cemetery located next to Mitcham Common . It is part of the London Borough of Croyden, London, and is located in the centre of the city . There is also a chapel located inside the cemetery .

Norbury Estate The Norbury Estate originated as a London County Council cottage estate . It was built between 1901 and 1920 in what is now the north of the London Borough of Croydon . The estate was declared a conservation area in 2008 .

Norwood Ridge The Norwood Ridge is a 10-square-mile (26 km) rectangular upland which occupies the geographical centre of south London . Beneath its topsoil it is a ridge of London Clay that is capped on all sides (including as isolated knolls in the north)

Crystal Palace Bowl Crystal Palace Bowl has 60 years of live music heritage and a legacy as an outdoor performance venue stretching back over a century . It has a unique sculptural permanent stage designed by Ian Ritchie Architects, which won multiple awards .

Dulwich Upper Wood Dulwich Upper Wood is a 2.4 hectare local nature reserve and Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade 1, in Crystal Palace . It is owned by Southwark Council and managed by the Trust for Urban Ecology .

Pear Tree House Pear Tree House was the former Civil Defence control centre for South-East London . It is a block of council flats in the Central Hill Estate of Upper Norwood with eight two-bedroom flats .

Visit Norbury plaques