This neighbourhood is in the northeast section of South Croydon, stretching from South Croydon railway station in the west, to Bramley Bank Nature Reserve in the east. The area is roughly divided into these two zones – the north and west, which is more attached to the suburbs of South Croydon, and the south and east, which is greener, with a golf course and Bramley Bank Nature Reserve, and is overall closer to Selsdon. Coombe Road bounds the area to the north, where the Croydon Tramlink runs – Lloyd Park tram station is at the edge of the neighbourhood. The south is roughly bounded by the busy Upper Selsdon Road, though with a golf course and Croham Hurst Wood - an important nature reserve - the area is characterised by its abundance of open space and attractive greenery. Croham Hurst Golf Club splits the postcode sector between the built-up west and green east. The club was founded in 1912, and was open to both men and women, a progressive outlook for the time. In 1913 today’s 18-hole course was opened and cost a total 13p to play, equivalent to about £15 today.

Croham Hurst has been inhabited since the Mesolithic period, around six to eight thousand years ago. A Bronze Age round barrow (a round stone raised over a burial place) is also present, indicated by an English Heritage plaque. The site itself is now under Croydon Corporation, after being in the hands of the Whitgift Foundation for many years.

To the south, Bramley Bank Nature Reserve is a slice of natural woodland in Croydon, with the largest woodland pond in the area and indications of its ancient foundations. Today the London Outer Orbital Path runs through the reserve.

John Whitgift founded Whitgift School in the 16th century. As the Archbishop of Canterbury, he often had controversial theological views, some of which led to his treating of Puritans with “exceptional intolerance”. He lived a long life, and served two monarchs – being at Elizabeth’s deathbed, and crowning James I. His legacy lives on today in the Whitgift Foundation, which runs three schools as well as homes for the elderly.

Rutherford School, a specialist independent school located in the northern section of the neighbourhood, is run by the Garwood Foundation, a foundation based on Melville Avenue set up in 1952. The foundation aims to help children with special needs obtain the necessary support and education to live a full life.

The area’s distance from central London can make it feel a touch isolated from the vibrancy of the inner city. This is compounded by a lack of a nearby railway station, with the closest being Sanderstead, which is a bus ride away from Croham Hurst, as well as the cost of travel, which can really add up, particularly if one commutes at peak times.

Coinciding with Croydon being crowned the 2023 London Borough of Culture, there’s been lots of movement to develop the area. As recently as 2020, planning consent was granted for a total 11,354 sq.m redevelopment of the nearby Purley town centre. The Proctor and Matthews-led masterplan will consist of a host of new community, civic and religious space, as well as cafes, retail and education facilities. There will also be a 500 seater auditorium and 220 new homes built, hoping to house 600 new residents. A number of new luxury apartments are in the process of being built around the golf course too on Croham Valley Road, as well as a proposed 79 brand new flats on Brighton Road.