This predominantly residential area is a combination of the neighbourhoods of Norbury and Pollards Hill, split down the middle by the main local thoroughfare, London Road, and is located in the southern London borough of Croydon. Locals benefit from large interwar semis, regular trains into London from Norbury station, and from being surrounded by numerous open green spaces, such as Norbury Hall Park and nearby Mitcham Common. Restaurants abound on London Road and represent a wide-variety of cuisines, including Afghani, Turkish, Italian, American style burgers, Indian, as well as a South African steak restaurant. There is also Creams Café, a popular late-night spot for milkshakes, a few local bars and pubs, and plenty more night spots in nearby Streatham and Brixton. Residents of this area enjoy a quiet, community-centred atmosphere, but are not far removed from other livelier neighbourhoods.

The last manor house built in this neighbourhood was Norbury Hall, which was erected in 1802. The house’s garden contained a grand lake and was last owned by a Mr. Hobbs, who opened a private cricket field there. He later sold his field to Barclays Bank and it is now owned by the neighbouring private leisure club. Hobbs kept the lake well stocked with fish and entertained visitors from London at his famed fishing and shooting weekends. The Estate was acquired by the local council in 1956 who turned the hall into a residential home for the elderly, however the grounds were too extensive for the Welfare Department to maintain so they were handed over to the Parks Department, turning it into a public park, which can still be visited today.

Sir Norman Bishop Hartnell was born in this area in 1901. He became dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother and designed outfits for other socialites and royalty throughout his long career. Did you also know that Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, the famous composer, lived in this neighbourhood where he composed several pieces of music including ‘A tale of old Japan’ in 1911. Coleridge-Taylor was one of the few non-white composers of his era, his father being from Sierra Leone.

One of the downsides of this neighbourhood is that the transportation into central London can be a bit challenging. The Southern railway line is the only line that services the area, meaning your commute could take some time or involve lots of switching depending on where you need to go.

The local council has designated this neighbourhood as an area with the potential for significant growth and development. They have plans to develop the District Centre into home to a wide variety of businesses, including many independent shops, that reflect the diversity of the local population. There’s also plans to improve the tram system in Croydon by promoting a new line to Streatham, Brixton, and Tooting through Norbury, and improve links to the railway station and Norbury Park. Residents of this neighbourhood should expect to see meaningful development and improvements in the coming years. Development interest in the area has also increased, with developers like Regent Land and Development playing a part in the neighbourhood’s housing stock development.