Editing Coulsdon (section)

==Localities==
Coulsdon is a largely suburban district of London. The central area has substantial industrial, automotive and distribution services, convenience, standard socialising and niche retail as well as local professions of a typical town in the country, by its main road and main railway stations: Coulsdon South and Coulsdon Town. The alternate centre, Old Coulsdon, has a recreation ground/cricket pitch-focused village green, a much smaller parade of shops than Coulsdon's [[high street]] between Coulsdon South and Town stations and a medieval church. London's '[[A23 road (Great Britain)|Brighton Road]]', locally the official name, and the railways, served by both semi-fast and stopping services, give Smitham Bottom/Valley a bustling, busier setting for economic life.

===Old Coulsdon===
[[Old Coulsdon]] occupies the south-east of the district.<ref>[https://archive.today/20131020165641/http://getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getamap/frames.htm?mapAction=gaz&gazName=g&gazString=TQ3159 Grid square map] [[Ordnance survey]] website</ref>  Scattered, rather than clustered, are six buildings [[listed building|listed]] for their national heritage and architectural value, at Grade II. Two categories above this, in the highest class, Grade I, is the Church of St John the Evangelist. This is by the recreation ground, shortly after Marlpit Lane has been joined by Coulsdon Road, from the north. St John's is late thirteenth century with extensive later additions, made of flint and rubble with much brick patching. Its nave spans two (window) bays.  Older still is its "good" [[chancel]] of 1250 with stepped [[sedilia]] and [[piscina]]. The west tower above the entrance is of circa 1400 with corner buttresses and a tapering broach spire.  A nave at right angles, replacing the south aisle, in decorated style, was designed for its 1958 construction by J. B. S. Comper.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1188464|desc=Church of St John the Evangelist|grade=I|access-date=20 October 2013}}</ref>

===Smitham Bottom or Valley===
At the heart of the geographical feature '''Smitham Bottom''' (where three [[dry valley]]s merge into one)<ref name=malden/> is this downtown part of the district. Most commerce and industry is here, set beside the Brighton Road, which is since 2006 a town centre arc of the [[A23 road]] and on Chipstead Valley Road which terminates halfway along the arc, leading directly to [[Woodmansterne]].  The various local feeder roads reach this street, including the combined one from the south-east, Marlpit Lane, under the A23 without needing a junction with that trunk (long-distance) route (which later becomes the [[M23 motorway|M23]]).

The soil is dry, and water was obtained even in 1912 by deep wells here in the chalk. This dry valley in the chalk, Smitham Bottom, has a watercourse below, the water of which in until the 16th century occasionally in times of flood ran here but after this, inexplicably, waits to break out as far as at the foot of the chalk in Croydon and Beddington, running through it.<ref name=malden/>

===The Marlpit business and industrial estate===
Marlpit (a former chalk quarry) is the town's Marlpit Industrial / Business Park estate, which is strong in storage, distribution and technology.

===The Mount or Clockhouse===
''The Mount'' or ''Clockhouse'' is a square neighbourhood on a hill plateau with marked borders along three residential roads from Coulsdon, one of which continues from the town centre as the [[London Loop]] path, via the Banstead Downs and East Ewell to [[Nonsuch Palace]] {{convert|4|mi}} north-west. It shares its local authority with that place as it is part of the [[London Borough of Sutton]].<ref name=os>[https://archive.today/20131020165634/http://getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getamap/frames.htm?mapAction=gaz&gazName=g&gazString=TQ2960 Grid square map] [[Ordnance survey]] website</ref>

===Coulsdon Woods===
This neighbourhood is a loosely defined residential part of Coulsdon, equally on undulating ground.

=== Cane Hill ===
This area forms the area of the former buildings and grounds of [[Cane Hill Hospital]]; there had been proposals to expand this again in the late 1990s, but these were delayed and then cancelled.

An approved development of the former site of [[Cane Hill Hospital]] by [[Barratt Developments]] and [[David Wilson Homes]], an associated organisation, gained planning permission, and started in about 2015, with intent to create over six hundred new dwellings. In 2013, Barratt published a Public Consultation document<ref>http://www.canehillpark.co.uk/userfiles/canehill_boards/{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and report of feedback.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canehillpark.co.uk/userfiles/pdf/Cane%20Hill%20Feedback%20Report%20final.pdf |title=Archived copy |website=www.canehillpark.co.uk |access-date=30 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923200212/http://www.canehillpark.co.uk/userfiles/pdf/Cane%20Hill%20Feedback%20Report%20final.pdf |archive-date=23 September 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
Some residents protested concerns relating to the likely effect on local infrastructure, including access routes, the proposed mix of housing, transport, notably road traffic, and the provision of educational services.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/Fears-Chipstead-garrotted-traffic-650-home-Cane/story-18674878-detail/story.html#axzz2iBrY6c1K|title=Fears Chipstead will be 'garrotted' by traffic from 650-home Cane Hill development in Coulsdon|work=Surrey Mirror|access-date=19 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130429172541/http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/Fears-Chipstead-garrotted-traffic-650-home-Cane/story-18674878-detail/story.html#axzz2iBrY6c1K|archive-date=29 April 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/Protestors-warn-Cane-Hill-development-cause/story-19541999-detail/story.html#axzz2iBrP3UPh|archive-date=19 October 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131019181852/http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/Protestors-warn-Cane-Hill-development-cause/story-19541999-detail/story.html%23axzz2iBrP3UPh|url-status=dead|title=Protestors warn Cane Hill development in Coulsdon will cause traffic chaos - Croydon Advertiser|work=Croydon Advertiser}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/politics/10542007.Coulsdon_mini_town__could_leave_kids_without_a_local_school_/|title=Coulsdon mini-town 'could leave kids without a local school'|work=Your Local Guardian |last=Baynes |first=Chris |date=2013-07-11}}</ref>

In 2016 planning application approvals were finalised and the development of 677 homes on the 210-acre site was later completed in November, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cane Hill |url=https://hdawards.org/scheme/cane-hill/ |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=Housing Design Awards |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Inside Croydon |date=2021-10-01 |title=Barratts celebrate latest award for Cane Hill development |url=https://insidecroydon.com/2021/10/01/barratts-celebrate-latest-award-for-cane-hill-development/ |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=Inside Croydon |language=en-GB}}</ref>