Inventory Site Record

Waddon Ponds, formerly part of an old estate of c.2000 acres, is now the only place where the River Wandle is visible in Croydon. There was a corn mill from medieval times, and the ponds were formerly millponds. The river was dammed to form a lake but in the late C19th diverted to the north and east, creating an area of watercress beds, later drained for allotments and finally used for industrial purposes. The public park was formed in 1928 when Croydon Corporation purchased parts of two estates, Waddon Court and Waddon Lodge, the remaining land built over for housing. A sundial commemorates Mr Pescott Row, who vigorously campaigned for the park.

Previous / Other name:

Waddon Court, Waddon Lodge

Site location:

Waddon Court Road/Mill Lane/The Ridgeway/New Road, Waddon

Postcode:

CR0 4AG

What 3 Words:

taken.audit.young

Type of site:

Public Park

Borough:

Croydon

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

8am Mon-Fri/9am weekends - dusk

Special conditions:

no cycling

Facilities:

Children's playground, toilets

Events:

Public transport:

Rail/London Overground: West Croydon Tramlink: Route 3 Wandle Park. Bus: 289, 455

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Research updated:

01/12/2008

Last minor changes:

19/07/2023

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.croydon.gov.uk

This is a relic industrial and ornamental landscape and now the only place where the River Wandle is visible in Croydon, although it once flowed from its source near the Swan and Sugarloaf pub on the Brighton Road, through the grounds of the Palace of the Archbishops of Canterbury, into Wandle Park (q.v.) and then into a large mill pond on the north side of Mill Lane. The name Waddon may derive from 'wad-dun' or 'woad hill' referring to woad that grew on the chalk hills, used as blue dye by ancient Britons; Bronze and Iron Age traces have been found in the area. Waddon Ponds was formerly part of an old estate of some 2000 acres, Waddon Court Farm, which in the C18th was owned by John Dewey Parker. Among the distinguished people he entertained on his estate were Gros the antiquary, Arthur Young whose 'Travels' was a classic of the time, and agriculturalist John Marshall; Lord Nelson may also have stayed at the mansion and fished in the lakes.

The ponds were formerly millponds and a manorial corn mill is referred to in the Domesday Book in 1086; the river had been dammed at the northern end to form a lake but the river was later diverted to the north and east in the late C19th, creating an area used for watercress beds, later drained for allotments and finally used for industrial purposes. The mill closed in 1928 after which there was industrial and residential development on most of the open land.

By 1910 the area that is now Waddon Ponds belonged to two estates, Waddon Court and Waddon Lodge. The public park was formed in 1928 by the purchase by Croydon Corporation of parts of the two estates on the deaths of their respective owners, Mr Crowley of Waddon Court and Miss Mary Waterall of Waddon Lodge. This was achieved through a vigorous campaign by Mr Pescott Row, author of books about the beauties of England. A sundial in the park commemorates him, donated by local author H M Tomlinson. The remainder of the two Waddon estates were sold for housing development, resulting in Waddon Court Road, Lodge Avenue, Limes Avenue and Wandle Side. Two cottages outside the gates of the ponds had been used by Mr Crowley's employees and a cottage inside had been used by Miss Waterall's gardener, next to which were stables, cow sheds and a coach house.

The park has a lakeside walk lined with plane trees, floral displays and lawns to the south and a few C19th trees including two good beeches and many alders, willows and poplars.

Sources consulted:

Gardeners' Chronicle ii 1891, 67; Gardening World v.2, 1886, 742; Winterman, M A, Croydon's parks: an illustrated history (LB Croydon, 1988); LB Croydon, 'Local List of Historic Parks & Gardens', December 2008

Grid ref:

TQ309650 (530931,165121)

Size in hectares:

3.44

Site ownership:

LB Croydon

Site management:

Parks and Open Spaces. Together in Waddon Project

Date(s):

1928

Designer(s):

Listed structures:

None

On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens:

No

Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965:

No

Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931:

No

Local Authority Data

The information below is taken from the relevant Local Authority's planning legislation, which was correct at the time of research but may have been amended in the interim. Please check with the Local Authority for latest planning information.

On Local List:

Yes

In Conservation Area:

No

Tree Preservation Order:

No

Nature Conservation Area:

Yes - Local Importance

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

No

Other LA designation:

Local Open Land. In AP2. Part of site is area at risk of flooding every 100 years.

Waddon Ponds - Photo: Colin Wing
Date taken: 30/10/21 17:08

Click a photo to enlarge.

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