Addington Hills facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Addington Hills |
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View from Addington Hills viewpoint
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| Type | Public park |
| Location | Addington |
| Area | 130 acres (53 ha) |
| Operated by | London Borough of Croydon |
| Open | All year |
| Public transit access | Tramlink to Coombe Lane tram stop |
Addington Hills is a lovely park in Upper Shirley, London. Some people also call it Shirley Hills. The local council, London Borough of Croydon, looks after it.
This park used to be part of Addington village. Shirley became a bigger area in the 1930s. Addington Hills has lots of trees and London's biggest area of heathland. Heathland is a special type of open land with small shrubs like heather. It's a really important place for nature in London. Long ago, in the 1700s, it was even a famous place for playing cricket!
Addington Hills and Croham Hurst are popular green spaces in Croydon. They are peaceful places with many paths. The park is close to central Croydon. There is a great viewpoint where you can see across Croydon. You can even see parts of north London, like Docklands and Parliament Hill.
You can get to the park using Tramlink. The Coombe Lane tram stop is right on the park's southern edge. The park covers about 130 acres, which is like 100 football fields! A walking path called the London Loop goes through the park. You can visit Addington Hills any time, all year round.
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Exploring Addington Hills
Addington Hills is about 460 feet (140 meters) above sea level. That's as tall as a 40-story building! The land drops steeply to the north. This shows the hills are made of small pebbles.
Addington Hills is next to Coombe Park and Lloyd Park on its west side. It also borders Coombe Wood to the south.
The area was once called the hill of Pripledeane. This old name meant "Gravel Valley." It came from old English words. The land for the park was bought in different parts over 45 years.
What Can You Do at Addington Hills?
Addington Hills has several things for visitors to enjoy:
- Car parking: You can park your car off Shirley Hills Road and Oaks Road.
- London Loop path: This long walking path goes right through the park.
- Chinese restaurant: There is a restaurant nearby if you get hungry.
- Horse rides: You can even go horse riding here!
- Viewpoint: Don't miss the amazing views from the viewpoint.
Cricket History at the Hills
Addington Hills was a famous place for cricket a long time ago. The first known match was in 1745. It was played on May 23rd between the Addington team and the London team. Addington won that game!
The park was used for cricket matches at least four times between 1745 and 1752. During this time, the Addington Cricket Club was one of the best teams in England. The last known match played here was in 1752. It was between Addington and Dartford.
Amazing Wildlife
Addington Hills is home to many different plants and animals.
Plants and Flowers
The open heathland areas have lots of heather and gorse. You might also spot some bilberry and goldenrod. Drier spots have a special type of heather called bell heather.
The grassy areas have fine-leaved fescues and wavy hair-grass. You can also find purple moor-grass. Other plants like wood sage and heath bedstraw grow here too. In damper areas, you might find marsh violet and hard fern. These plants are quite rare in London.
Insects and Other Creatures
You can find burrowing bees and wasps in the bare patches of soil. The bushy heathers and grasses are home to many insects. There are also spiders and other small creatures. They are all well-suited to the warm, dry conditions on the ground.
These small creatures are important because they provide food for birds and reptiles. All the different habitats, from open areas to scrubland, help support many animals.
Birds and Reptiles
In the open parts of the park, you can see common lizards and slowworms. Slowworms are legless lizards, not snakes!
You might spot green woodpeckers in the woods and on the heath. Look for goldcrests along the edges of the woodland and in the gorse bushes.
Habitats and Trees
The northern part of the woodland is the oldest. Look for very old oak trees called pollards near Oaks Road. Pollards are trees that have been cut back regularly to encourage new growth.
Other wooded areas are newer. The small pine tree groups near the southern edge were planted in the mid-1800s.
Before the 1920s, Addington Hills mostly had heather. There were only a few oak, pine, and birch trees scattered around. Now, there are many more trees. Heather mostly grows on the slopes and ridges. This is because it can handle the very dry and acidic soil there.
