Norbury Hall Park is one of Norbury’s quieter green spaces, tucked away from London Road and reached from Craignish Avenue, with an additional entrance from Ederline Avenue.

Croydon Council’s parks directory lists the site as 8 acres, or 3.24 hectares. It describes the park’s facilities as including specimen trees and more natural areas, while noting that the toilets are currently closed.

Where it is

The council lists the address as 52 Craignish Avenue, Norbury SW16 4RN. Its directory says the park fronts onto Craignish Avenue and also has an entrance in Ederline Avenue.

For council parks enquiries, the published contact is [email protected]. Croydon’s parks opening information says parks and open spaces are open all year round and that park gates and park car parks are not locked at night.

What to expect

The park is not a large recreation ground. Its value is more as a calm neighbourhood green space with mature planting and local history. Croydon Council highlights specimen trees, natural areas and planting that gives colour through the year, including rhododendrons, roses, heathers and conifers.

The historic mansion associated with the site is not a public attraction. Croydon Council’s directory says the Georgian mansion is a residential home for the elderly and is not open to the public.

A short history

Croydon Council’s history note says the building that became the principal mansion of the estate was built in 1802. It stood in ornamental gardens that once included a lake fed by the River Graveney, pasture and a drive through woodland from gates on London Road.

The council says the estate was acquired by the council in 1956 to accommodate older residents. Because the grounds were too extensive for the welfare department to maintain, the gardens were passed to the parks department and the mansion was fenced off from the public gardens.

The former lake no longer normally contains water, although the council notes that the basin can still be seen and may hold water during occasional wet winters. Another historic feature, a gazebo that had offered views over the garden, was destroyed by arson in 2002, according to the council’s park history.

Community involvement

The Friends of Norbury Hall Park describe themselves as local residents working to protect and improve the park, also known locally as Squirrel Park. Their website says the group was established in 2017 and has worked with the community, Croydon Council and local groups to improve the park.

The Friends group also says a gardening group meets monthly to tend plants and shrubs near Norbury Hall and the park’s feature cedar tree. Residents interested in volunteering should check the group’s current details directly before attending, as meeting dates can change.

Useful links

Residents planning a visit should check the council page for the latest facilities information, especially if toilets or access details matter to their journey.