Thames Tributary Wandle - the western arm of the Bourne.

Thames Tributaries – the River Wandle
A tributary apparently coming from Hooley flows through the area underground

TQ 29972 58238

Suburban area around the A23, Brighton Road, and including some of The City of London's Farthingdown open space. It also includes the remains of Cane Hill Hospital - an all including mental hospital built on the hillside outside Coulsdon.


Post to the west Portnalls
Post to the north Coulsdon
Post to the south Dutch Village

Ashbourne Close
This follows the line of the pre-18409 turnpike road. After the diversion for the railway it became the drive to Hooley House
Lodge of Hooley House on the Woodplace Lane corner. Locally listed. This marks the site of the turnpike gate.
The road was once lined with Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Railway sleepers
Hooley House. First mentioned in 1203 and then belonged to Chertsey Abbey. The house was built in 1749 but it was later bought up and much of the grounds taken up for railway building. In the 20th it became the Ashdown Park Hotel but was bought by the Department of Transport, neglected and demolished in 1971.

Brighton Road
The road was built in 1808 as a turnpike by Joliffe and Banks following the route of the Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Railway and was used by Royal Mail coaches from 1810. It goes through the Hooley Gap and was followed on this route by two railway lines.
The original route of the turnpike road was different from the line followed by the current road. Originally it curved to the east to avoid the slight hill ahead but had to change in the 1840s to accommodate the railway.
The track of the Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Railway can be seen to the west of the Brighton Road. Its’ course was the lower of two terraces on the field to the west. It curved across the field going towards
Hollymeoak Road.

Cane Hill
Cane Hill Hospital. An imposing building on a hilltop. It was built in 1882 as the third mental hospital in Surrey. It was designed by Charles Henry Howell who had also built Surrey’s Brookwood hospital, and was the leading architect in this field. It was designed to be as self sufficient as possible and patients were employed in farm and domestic work and was considered to be a showplace. It was eventually transferred to the London County Council. From 1980 it was run down and allowed to become derelict. Demolished.
Route of Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Railway ran from what was the hospital car park down to what was the main drive, crossed it and went down to the railway line. It continued parallel and west of the main road

Downs Road
Originally called Fanfare Road to mark the coronation of Edward VII, changed to Downs Road in1910.

Fairdene Road
Fairdene was an alternative name for Farthingdown

Farthingdown
This is also called Fairdean Downs.  It is owned by the City Corporation. The Lord of the Manor wanted to enclose it and the City Corporation bought the rights through Act of Parliament.
Car park, toilets, signs of the commons last 35 offences.
Droveway along the centre with Iron Age and early Roman enclosures. This includes Saxon levels and a British field system,
2 Saxon burial areas. 16 barrows in all.
Folly – clump of beech trees
Millennium Cairn with a time capsule.

Hollymeoak Road,
View of the track line of the Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Railway from gate below the telephone exchange roughly where it crossed.
Telephone Exchange

Reddown
This was named like this as farmland

Woodplace Lane

Sources
Bayliss. The Surrey Iron Railway
Bourne Society. Newsletter
Corporation of the City of London. Web site
Derelict London. Web site
Field. London Place Names
London Borough of Croydon. Web site
Lost Hospitals of London. Web site

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