Selsdon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Selsdon |
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 Shops on Selsdon High Street |
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 Selsdon
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| OS grid reference | TQ355625 |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SOUTH CROYDON |
| Postcode district | CR2 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament |
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| London Assembly |
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Selsdon is an area in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Croydon, in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Prior to 1965 it was in the historic county of Surrey. It now has the character of a suburb and sits at a high elevation, bordering downland.
Contents
History
One side of the residential area of Selsdon is bordered by Selsdon Wood, and the whole area used to be part of Selsdon Park Estate, once well known as hunting and shooting grounds in the area. In the early 1920s the estate was broken up and divided into smallholdings.
After concerns were raised about the rapid development of the village a committee was formed to ensure that an area of 200 acres (0.81 km2) would be set aside and saved for a nature reserve and bird sanctuary which was opened to the public in 1936 and given to the National Trust after Coulsdon and Purley Urban District Council and the Corporation of Croydon agreed to manage it jointly. Selsdon Wood now consists of five large meadows surrounded by extensive woodland and ancient hedges and it still retains the character of a historical woodland. In the second meadow of the Selsdon Wood area there is a bomb crater, and another in Selsdon recreation ground just inside the woods which are closed off. Much wildlife may be found in the wooded areas of Selsdon such as deer, and more recently parakeets.
Geography
Selsdon sits at an elevation of 150m above sea level. Nearby Sanderstead Plantation (between Selsdon and Sanderstead) has a height of 175m above sea level. The main shopping area of Selsdon is concentrated on Addington Road east of the junction with Farley Road/Old Farleigh Road. It contains a variety of shops, banks, cafes, the local Baptist Church and two pubs (the Sir Julian Huxley and a micro-pub).
In January 2007 the prominent Selsdon Clock, in rustic style with a brushwood motif round its face by Jon Mills, was installed on the Selsdon Triangle, on the plinth of a former public lavatory, in front of the library and Sainsbury's supermarket.
Selsdon Hall is based underneath Sainsbury's supermarket and the library. It is designed to be a hub for the local community. It comprises a hall that can be hired privately and a coffee shop, which is open to all members of the public.
Transport
Rail and tram
Selsdon was formerly served by Selsdon railway station. This station was actually two miles from Selsdon; it was closed in 1983.
East Croydon station is connected to Selsdon by bus. (This station providing access to Gatwick airport, Luton airport, London and the South Coast.) Two smaller stations, Sanderstead and South Croydon are two miles from Selsdon. There are Tramlink stops at Gravel Hill and Coombe Lane, about 1.5 and 2 miles from the town centre respectively.
Buses
Selsdon is served by London Buses routes 64, 359, 412 and 433 which provide connections to Croydon Town Centre, New Addington, Purley, Croydon University Hospital and Thornton Heath.
It is also served by Southdown PSV routes 409 and 411 which provide connections to Caterham, Redhill, Godstone, Lingfield and East Grinstead.
Demography
In the 2011 census, Selsdon and Ballards was White or White British (80.1%), Asian or Asian British (10.4%), Black or Black British (5.2%), Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (2.6%), and Other ethnic group (1%). The largest single ethnicity is White British (75.1%).
