Happy Valley Park facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 |
|
| Area of Search | Greater London |
|---|---|
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 67.2 hectares |
| Notification | 1987 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Happy Valley Park is a wonderful public park located in Coulsdon, which is part of the London Borough of Croydon. The local council, Croydon Council, owns and takes care of it. This park is special because most of it is part of the Green Belt, which is land kept open around cities. It also forms a big part of the Farthing Downs and Happy Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means it's a place with very important plants or animals that need to be protected.
The park is quite large, covering about 67 hectares. It's a valley with steep sides, featuring big open grassy areas and slopes covered in trees. The grasslands on the eastern and north-western sides are especially interesting. They are called chalk grasslands and are home to many types of herbs that are rare in London. You can even find some very rare plants here, like the man orchid and the round-headed rampion.
On the western side of the park, there's a wooded area called Devilsden Wood. Here, you'll find trees like ash, oak, and hazel. Some plants found here, such as midland hawthorn and sweet woodruff, are signs that this woodland has been around for a very long time.
History of Happy Valley Park
This special park was bought in 1937 by the old Coulsdon and Purley Council. They bought it to connect Farthing Downs and Coulsdon Common as part of the Green Belt plan. The name Happy Valley was officially given to the park in 1970.
How to Visit Happy Valley Park
You can get into Happy Valley Park from Fox Lane, which is off Coulsdon Road. You can also enter from Farthing Downs. A long walking path called the London Loop actually goes right through the park, making it easy to explore.
