Monks Orchard
Encyclopedia
Monks Orchard is a place on the edge of the London Borough of Croydon
, England
. It is a town situated about 10 miles (16.1 km) south south-east of Charing Cross
.
, who owned some of the land at one time. When Lewis Lloyd acquired the land and had a mansion built in 1854, he adopted the name of a local wood, "Monks Orchard", for the whole estate and this in turn became the name of the area when later developed in the 1920s and 1930s.
Lewis Lloyd's Monks Orchard House was one of the most substantial mansions in the Croydon area. It had 19 bedrooms, a billiard room, library, and numerous other rooms. The Dining Hall alone was over 36 ft (11 m) x 21 ft (6.4 m) The estate covered a huge area, 1540 acres (6.2 km²), stretching northwards from the Wickham Road almost to Elmers End, southwards nearly as far as Addington, and eastwards across the Borough boundary into West Wickham. It also included several other major residences, such as Spring Park, farms, including Eden Park, Ham Farm, Shirley Farm, Spring Park Farm and Oak Lodge Farm, two dozen or so cottages, The Rising Sun, The Cricketers and the White Hart, and Beckenham Golf Course.
As late as 1923, the area was described in the following way:
The Estate, which has an extensive frontage to the road between the villages of Shirley and West Wickham, is delightfully rural in character, typifying that which is best in the unspoiled English countryside.
The land seems adapted by nature for those who are seeking country houses not too far from London, being already park-like meadow land, well timbered, and dotted with coppices; thus affording almost unlimited scope for imagination, and taste, in laying out grounds, by utilising the natural advantages already there.
When the estate came up for sale in 1920, only parts of it found buyers, and the rest, including the part we now call Monks Orchard was offered again in 1924, and this was finally purchased by the Corporation of London for the relocation of the Bethlem Hospital which had long outgrown its Lambeth home. Building of the new hospital started in 1928, but, sadly, this involved pulling down the old mansion. The hospital development didn't need all the land and parts of it were therefore sold off for housing development.
By 1937-1939, most of the roads we know today had appeared and had been developed - Orchard Grove, Elstan Way, Greenview Avenue, and so on. A 1937 prospectus for the Tudor-style "Homes of Distinction" in Greenview Avenue extols the virtues of local building ("There are no mass production houses and no mass production methods") and after describing the houses in great detail, claim that the fitted kitchenette
s are "the Housewife's Dream virtually come true"
London Borough of Croydon
The London Borough of Croydon is a London borough in South London, England and is part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the largest London borough by population. It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is a town situated about 10 miles (16.1 km) south south-east of Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
.
History
Compared with today, Monks Orchard was sparsely populated when it was established in 1923. Monks Orchard is not named after a monastery in the area, but commemorates a family named Monk, from AddingtonAddington, London
Addington is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south south-east of Charing Cross.-History:...
, who owned some of the land at one time. When Lewis Lloyd acquired the land and had a mansion built in 1854, he adopted the name of a local wood, "Monks Orchard", for the whole estate and this in turn became the name of the area when later developed in the 1920s and 1930s.
Lewis Lloyd's Monks Orchard House was one of the most substantial mansions in the Croydon area. It had 19 bedrooms, a billiard room, library, and numerous other rooms. The Dining Hall alone was over 36 ft (11 m) x 21 ft (6.4 m) The estate covered a huge area, 1540 acres (6.2 km²), stretching northwards from the Wickham Road almost to Elmers End, southwards nearly as far as Addington, and eastwards across the Borough boundary into West Wickham. It also included several other major residences, such as Spring Park, farms, including Eden Park, Ham Farm, Shirley Farm, Spring Park Farm and Oak Lodge Farm, two dozen or so cottages, The Rising Sun, The Cricketers and the White Hart, and Beckenham Golf Course.
As late as 1923, the area was described in the following way:
The Estate, which has an extensive frontage to the road between the villages of Shirley and West Wickham, is delightfully rural in character, typifying that which is best in the unspoiled English countryside.
The land seems adapted by nature for those who are seeking country houses not too far from London, being already park-like meadow land, well timbered, and dotted with coppices; thus affording almost unlimited scope for imagination, and taste, in laying out grounds, by utilising the natural advantages already there.
When the estate came up for sale in 1920, only parts of it found buyers, and the rest, including the part we now call Monks Orchard was offered again in 1924, and this was finally purchased by the Corporation of London for the relocation of the Bethlem Hospital which had long outgrown its Lambeth home. Building of the new hospital started in 1928, but, sadly, this involved pulling down the old mansion. The hospital development didn't need all the land and parts of it were therefore sold off for housing development.
By 1937-1939, most of the roads we know today had appeared and had been developed - Orchard Grove, Elstan Way, Greenview Avenue, and so on. A 1937 prospectus for the Tudor-style "Homes of Distinction" in Greenview Avenue extols the virtues of local building ("There are no mass production houses and no mass production methods") and after describing the houses in great detail, claim that the fitted kitchenette
Kitchenette
A kitchenette is a small cooking area.In motel and hotel rooms, small apartments, college dormitories, or office buildings a kitchenette usually consists of a small refrigerator, a microwave oven or hotplate, and, less frequently, a sink...
s are "the Housewife's Dream virtually come true"
Nearest places
- ShirleyShirley, LondonShirley is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, England. It is a suburban development situated 10 miles south south-east of Charing Cross.-Description:...
- WoodsideWoodside, LondonWoodside is a neighbourhood in the London Borough of Croydon located between Addiscombe and South Norwood.-History:Woodside is a suburban district of residential streets based around Woodside Green, a small sized area of green land. At one end of the green is a war memorial. It is surrounded by...
- Elmers EndElmers EndElmers End is a place in London Borough of Bromley, England. It has a large green space which is the centre of a gyratory. Very close to the combined railway station and Tramlink terminus bearing its name is the old sewage farm. The remains of this industrial site can still be seen...
- AshburtonAshburton, LondonAshburton is a small neighbourhood in the London Borough of Croydon neighbouring South Norwood, Shirley, Addiscombe and Woodside. The area is mostly home to residential houses and flats. Most in the area would describe themselves as living in Shirley or Addiscombe.Ashburton was named after...
- AddingtonAddington, LondonAddington is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south south-east of Charing Cross.-History:...
- Eden ParkEden Park, LondonEden Park is a place in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is a suburban area between West Wickham, Elmers End and Shirley.The Bethlem Royal Hospital is found nearby.-Recent developments:...
- South NorwoodSouth NorwoodSouth Norwood is an urban town and in south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a suburban development 7.8 miles south-east of Charing Cross. South Norwood is an electoral with a resident population in 2001 of just over 14,000...
Nearest stations
- Elmers End railway station
- Woodside tram stopWoodside tram stopWoodside tram stop is a light rail stop situated between Woodside Green and Ashburton Park in the London Borough of Croydon in the southern suburbs of London...
- Eden Park railway stationEden Park railway stationEden Park railway station serves Eden Park in the London Borough of Bromley in south east London, in Travelcard Zone 5. The station and all trains serving it is operated by Southeastern on the Hayes line...
- West Wickham railway stationWest Wickham railway stationWest Wickham railway station serves West Wickham in the London Borough of Bromley. It is located in south east London and is in Travelcard Zone 5. The station is operated by Southeastern and is served by Southeastern Hayes line trains.- History :...
- Norwood Junction railway stationNorwood Junction railway stationNorwood Junction railway station is in South Norwood in the London Borough of Croydon in south London, in Travelcard Zone 4.The station is managed by London Overground and trains operated by Southern and London Overground .-History:...