A pleasant and spacious set of neighbourhoods, Shirley and Spring Park have been part of a historically serene locale. A large majority of the houses are semi-detached, having been primarily built up during the 1930s housing boom. A prime example of a homely suburbia, the area boasts two half-timbered pubs along Wickham Road and the rest of the high-street follows a similar façade all the way up to Spring Park. Here one may find one of the first post-war buildings in Croydon to be listed – All Saints Church, Spring Park is an impressive Grade II-listed structure. It is one of three Anglican churches in Shirley; the Shirley Methodist church is just opposite the independent Trinity School for boys and the Croydon Synagogue is also located in Shirley on Shirley Oaks Road.

Oasis Academy and Shirley High School (performing arts) are both rated ‘good’ and above by Ofsted. In the south-eastern part of the area, the Shrublands estate, built up during the 1950s in response to the Croydon housing shortage, consists of terraced housing and 770 council flats. Despite a historically bumpy reputation, thanks to significant investment by the council in the 90s as well as a spacious urban design, today the estate would be of interest for families and first-time buyers. A local estate agent also points out that due to the lack of a Shirley railway station, property prices are lower than in nearby villages.

On the turf currently occupied by the Bethlem Royal Hospital, stood the most prominent mansion of the land up until 1928, built in 1854 by Lewis Lloyd, the cousin of an already established property owner residing at Park Farm towards West Wickham. The elaborate residence featured a 36-foot dining room and 19 bedrooms. For those time-travellers willing to witness such a relic of Victorian luxury, head to Cheston Avenue to see an ornamental entrance left behind by the Monks Orchard mansion. Or as an exhibit of the simpler country life, the Shirley Windmill, the only remaining of four, has been battered by lightning on two occasions and has had one of its sails blown off in a storm. It has since undergone much restoration and can be viewed with a guided tour on the first Sunday of each month.

The comedy legend Ronnie Corbett, best known for his charming yet satirical sketches with his double act Ronnie Barker (The Two Ronnies, The Frost Report) spent the last years of his life at Shirley. Corbett would leave his audience in stitches with his winding tangents and his radiating warmth, as recalled by thousands of his admirers and his lifelong comedy companions.

In case you were wondering about the floral theme at Shirley Oaks, each road has been named after a certain flower thanks to a tradition set by a once self-contained children’s village belonging to Shirley School, which closed in 1983.

As mentioned previously, the public transport services in the area are limited to several bus routes. The 119, 194 and 198 buses take you to Croydon town centre, although a 10-minute car drive along the A232 will get you there equally as fast. Most residents choose Shirley for this proximity to Croydon town while at the same time being able to enjoy a quiet neighbourhood and a closeness to Shirley Heath and other woods and open spaces in the area.

Recently Bellway homes has developed a complex featuring up to three-bedroom flats and four-bedroom houses in Grant road in Addiscombe slightly west of Shirley. While there is not much new development activity in Shirley itself, the developers that are building in the area seem to be adhering the neighbourhood’s English village feel, developing predominantly detached and semi-detached houses with generous green space around the buildings and of traditional materials.