Purley, London facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Purley |
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 Street scene in town centre with local Pizza Express branch, formerly the Westminster Bank in the foreground |
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 Purley
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| OS grid reference | TQ313615 |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PURLEY |
| Postcode district | CR8 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament |
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| London Assembly |
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Purley is an area of the London Borough of Croydon in London, England, 11.7 miles (18.8 km) south of Charing Cross, with a history going back at least 800 years. It was originally granted as an estate from holdings at Sanderstead and until as a district of Surrey and then, with neighbouring Coulsdon, as an urban district that became an electoral ward of the London Borough of Croydon, becoming part of the ceremonial county of London, in 1965. In 2018 the Purley ward was divided into two: Purley and Woodcote, and Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown.
Purley is a suburban area of South London, and the quintessential suburban environment has been referenced in fictional and popular culture, most notably as the setting for the long running Terry and June sitcom.
Purley had a population of about 14,000 in 2011.
Contents
History
Toponymy
The name derives from an estate, mentioned in about 1200 when it was deeded to one William de Pirelea, son of Osbert de Pirelea by the abbot of St. Peter’s monastery near Winchester. The original meaning of Purley was probably a wood or clearing where pear trees grow, derived from "Pirlea", which is from Anglo Saxon pir, pear or pirige, pear tree and leá, a clearing or a place.
Aviation
Kenley Aerodrome, to the east of the town, is currently official property of the Ministry of Defence. It was one of the key fighter stations – together with Croydon Airport and Biggin Hill – during the World War II support of Dunkirk, Battle of Britain and for the defence of London.
Suburban growth
Purley grew rapidly in the 1920s and 1930s, providing spacious homes in a green environment. Northeast Purley stretches into the chalk hill spurs of the North Downs.
One road, Promenade de Verdun, created by William Webb, has a distinction all of its own. It is 600 yards (550 m) long and has on one side Lombardy poplars planted in local soil mixed with French earth specially shipped over to the UK. A plaque at one end of the road explains that the French ministry of the interior donated the soil from Armentières, as a memorial to the alliance of World War One and the soldiers who died. At the other end stands an obelisk carved from a single piece of stone with the inscription "Aux soldats de France morts glorieusement pendant la Grande Guerre".
The 32nd Surrey Battalion of the Home Guard was known as the Factory Battalion, and had the specific task of guarding the Purley Way factories: its units were mainly based on staff from the individual firms. The factories adjoining Croydon Airport took the worst of the air raid of 15 August 1940: the British NSF factory was almost entirely destroyed, and the Bourjois factory gutted, with a total of over sixty civilian deaths.
A comprehensive history of Purley and its growth around Caterham Junction (now Purley Station) with the coming of the railways some 150 years ago is found in the Bourne Society's 'Purley Village History' and in its Local History Records publications.
Webb Estate
The Webb Estate is a gated community with around 220 homes. It began as 260 acres of farmland before being purchased in the 1880s and transformed into Edwardian homes and landscaped gardens by estate agent William Webb. Known for having a "garden village" feel with a high level of privacy, it also includes two private schools plus a restaurant and deli.
The estate made headlines in a 2002 survey, which found that it had over the years attracted the highest-earning residents in the UK, having established itself as an attractive destination for wealthy city workers.
Notable people to have lived on the Webb Estate include singer Francis Rossi, footballer Wilfried Zaha, television presenter Laura Hamilton, and former Downing Street Press Secretary Bernard Ingham.
Geography
The Purley postal district encompasses Purley high street and extends through Woodcote to the West, includes the Peaks Hill area to the North, and borders Purley Oaks in South Croydon. To the East it includes Riddlesdown and to the South it borders Kenley and Coulsdon. The current electoral ward of Purley and Woodcote is largely co-extensive with the postal district, but Riddlesdown is now in the neighbouring Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown ward.
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Woodcote is contained within Purley. Developed in the early 20th century, it is centred on Woodcote Village Green and is the location of Woodcote Model Village. Purley's Webb Estate lies on Woodcote road, close to Upper Woodcote Village.
The Bourne river runs through Purley. The river is culverted but can flood in Purley valley. A local history society take their name from this river.
Education
Purley is home to a number of schools; including four Catholic schools. Two of which are in Peaks Hill neighbourhood of Purley, and these are The John Fisher School an all boys' state school (formerly an independent and then a voluntary aided state school), and Laleham Lea School a co-educational prep-school.[citation needed]
Purley has one of the UK's longest-established language schools, Purley Language College, founded in 1928.
The current schools in Purley are:
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Current Purley Schools Name Type Mix Status Enrollment Beaumont Primary School Primary Mixed LEA 128 Christ Church Cofe Primary School Primary Mixed C of E 214 Cumnor House School for Girls Primary Girls Independent 118 Laleham Lea School Primary Mixed Catholic Independent 147 Margaret Roper Catholic Primary School Primary Mixed Catholic 219 Oakwood School Primary/Prep Mixed Catholic Independent 219 Reedham Park School Limited Primary Mixed Independent 113 Riddlesdown Collegiate Secondary Mixed LEA 1517 St David's School Primary/Prep Mixed Independent 167 St Nicholas School Primary Mixed LEA/Special 103 The John Fisher School Secondary Boys Catholic 1004 Thomas More Catholic School Secondary Mixed Catholic 717 Tudor Lodge School Mixed Mixed Independent 8 Wattenden Primary School Primary Mixed LEA 139 West Dene School Primary Mixed Independent 107
Retail and commerce
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Purley used to have many different kinds of shops such as greengrocers, butchers, toy shops, tobacconists, a restaurant and a cinema. There was an earlier Sainsbury's store that closed in the 1980s, when a new Sainsbury's was opened at Purley Fountain. The new Sainsbury's closed in 2001. A Tesco superstore was opened in 1991, and there has been a shift in the town's retail offering towards charity shops, restaurants and non retail businesses.
Purley retail and commerce interests are represented by the Purley Business improvement district. This Business Improvement District (BID) is in the second 5-year term having successfully been voted in favour in 2015 and 2020.
The island opposite Purley Baptist Church has been refurbished and the Church, under the banner of 58:12 (a company and charity set up by the Church) are planning to redevelop it. Other partners in the development of a strategy for the regeneration of central Purley include the Purely Business improvement district, the Purley & Woodcote Residents' Association and Purley Rotary who actively participate in the Neighbourhood Partnership forums hosted by Croydon Council.[citation needed]
Demography
In the 2011 census, Purley had a population of 14607 with a demography of: White or White British (68.2%), Asian or Asian British (15.5%), Black or Black British (8.2%), Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (5.8%), and Other ethnic group (1.7%). White British is the largest single ethnicity (60.7%).
Notable residents
- Michael Arthur, Vice-Chancellor of Leeds University, Provost of University College London from September 2013, was born in Purley.
- Jay Aston, singer with Bucks Fizz, was born in Purley.
- Ronald Binge and his wife Vera lived at 18, Smitham Bottom Lane in the 1950s. He composed the well-known Elizabethan Serenade there.
- Derren Brown, magician and mentalist, was born and grew up in Purley.
- Kit Connor, actor, was raised in Purley.
- Peter Cushing OBE, actor, was born in nearby Kenley, and went to school in Purley.
- Brian Fahey, composer of "At the Sign of the Swingin' Cymbal" (the signature tune to BBC Radio's Pick of the Pops).
- Andy Frampton, former professional footballer, grew up in Purley.
- Shelagh Fraser, actress, was born in Purley
- Laura Hamilton, TV presenter and Dancing on Ice Contestant, lives in Purley.
- Nigel Harman, actor, was born in Purley.
- Sir Bernard Ingham, Margaret Thatcher's former press secretary, lived in Purley.
- Sir David P. Lane, oncologist best known for identifying P53, went to John Fisher school in Purley.
- Martin Lee, singer with Brotherhood of Man, was born in Purley.
- Archibald Low, pioneer of radio guidance systems, was born in Purley.
- Ray Mears, TV survivalist, went to school in Purley.
- Ron Noades, former chairman of Wimbledon FC, Crystal Palace FC and Brentford FC and owner of the Altonwood Golf Group, lived in Rose Walk, Purley, from 1993 until 2013.
- Innes Hope Pearse, doctor and co-founder of the Peckham Experiment, grew up in Purley.
- Francis Rossi, lead singer of Status Quo, lives in the Webb Estate in Purley.
- John Horne Tooke, an English politician and philologist, lived in Purley at the end of the 18th century where he began writing Epea Pteroenta, Or, The Diversions of Purley.
- Wilfried Zaha, footballer, Crystal Palace FC, lives in the Webb Estate.
Transport
Purley Cross gyratory connects routes leading south-east to East Grinstead and Eastbourne (the A22), west to Epsom and Kingston (the A2022), south to Redhill and Brighton (the A23), and north to Croydon and Central London (the A23 and A235). The A23 north from Purley forms the Purley Way, which leads to Croydon's trading and industrial hinterland and also to the former Croydon Airport, the predecessor of the present London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport.
The town is on the main London-to-Brighton railway line and is served by Purley and Purley Oaks stations on that line, and Reedham station on the Tattenham Corner Line.
Nearest railway stations
- Purley railway station
- Purley Oaks railway station
- Riddlesdown railway station
- Reedham railway station
- Sanderstead railway station
Nearest places
- Banstead
- Coulsdon
- Croydon
- Kenley
- Riddlesdown
- Sanderstead
- Selsdon
- South Croydon
- Warlingham
- Woldingham
