Editing London Borough of Croydon (section)

==Geography and climate==
The borough is in the far south of London, with the [[M25 motorway|M25 orbital motorway]] stretching to the south of it, between Croydon and [[Tandridge (district)|Tandridge]]. To the north and east, the borough mainly borders the [[London Borough of Bromley]], and in the northwest the boroughs of [[London Borough of Lambeth|Lambeth]] and [[London Borough of Southwark|Southwark]]. The boroughs of [[London Borough of Sutton|Sutton]] and [[London Borough of Merton|Merton]] are located directly to the west. Croydon is at the head of the [[River Wandle]], just to the north of a significant gap in the [[North Downs]]. It lies {{convert|10|mi|km}} south of Central London, and the earliest settlement may have been a Roman staging post on the London-Portslade road, although conclusive evidence has not yet been found. The main town centre houses a great variety of well-known stores in [[North End, Croydon|North End]] and two shopping centres. It was pedestrianised in 1989 to attract people back to the town centre. Another shopping centre called [[Park Place (Croydon)|Park Place]] was due to open in 2012 but has since been scrapped.<ref>{{cite news |title=Croydon Council abandons agreement to build new shopping centre |first=Andrew |last=Worden |url=http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/news/Breaking-news-Croydon-Council-abandons-agreement-build-new-shopping-centre/article-985303-detail/article.html/ |newspaper=[[Croydon Advertiser]] |date=12 May 2009 |access-date=18 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822185205/http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/news/Breaking-news-Croydon-Council-abandons-agreement-build-new-shopping-centre/article-985303-detail/article.html |archive-date=22 August 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[File:London Borough of Croydon bedrock and superfical rock.jpg|thumb|Map of the bedrock and superficial rock at the surface of the borough.]]
===Geology===
The bedrock of the northern part of the borough is mostly London Clay Formation<ref name="BGS London Clay">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=LC|title=London Clay Formation|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (blue-grey and grey-brown calcareous clay formed between 56 and 47.8 million years ago (mya) during the [[Palaeogene]] period) with a Claygate member<ref name="BGS Claygate">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=CLGB|title=Claygate Member|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (dark grey clays with sand laminae and silt) of the same period making up the [[Norwood Ridge]]. A band of rocks of the Lambeth Group<ref name="BGS Lambeth">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=LMBE|title=Lambeth Group|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (clay with sand/gravel/limestone/lignite, laid between 59.2 and 47.8 mya), Harwich Formation<ref name="BGS Harwich">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=HWH|title=Harwich Formation|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (sand and gravel with [[glauconite]], laid between 56 and 47.8 mya) and Thanet Formation<ref name="BGS Thanet">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=TAB|title=Thanet Formation|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (silty, fine-grained sand with glauconite, laid between 59.2 and 56 mya) crosses the borough from east to west under Waddon, Addiscombe and Shirley into Spring Park. In the south, most of the bedrock is of the Lewes Nodular/Seahaven Chalk/Newhaven Chalk Formation<ref name="BGS Lewes">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=LSNCK|title=Lewes Nodular Chalk Formation, Seaford Chalk Formation And Newhaven Chalk Formation (Undifferentiated)|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (laid during the [[Cretaceous]] period, between 93.9 and 72.1 mya), from South Croydon and Addington down past Kenley and King's Wood with a small area of Holywell Nodular/New Pit Chalk Formation<ref name="BGS Holywell">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=HNCK|title=Holywell Nodular Chalk Formation and New Pit Chalk Formation (undifferentiated)|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (also Cretaceous, laid between 100.5 and 89.8 mya) in lower areas between hills, beginning just east of Kenley station and followed by the railway line curving southwards.<ref name="BGS viewer">{{cite web|url=https://geologyviewer.bgs.ac.uk/|title=Geology Viewer|website=British Geological Society|access-date=14 April 2025}}</ref>

There are five types of overlying superficial rock, all of the [[Quaternary]] period. In the very north, an unnamed sand-and-gravel member<ref name="BGS sand and gravel uncertain">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=SGAO|title=Sand and gravel of uncertain age and origin|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> of the [[Quaternary]] period overlies the Claygate member of the Norwood Ridge along Church Road and Crystal Palace Parade, with another area along Crown Lane to the east. An area of Lynch Hill Gravel<ref name="BGS Lynch Hill">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=LHGR|title=Lynch Hill Gravel Member|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (deposited between 362 and 126 thousand years ago (tya)) extends from Norbury down to under West Croydon and East Croydon stations. A narrow Hackney Gravel Member <ref name="BGS Hackney">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=HAGR|title=Hackney Gravel Member|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (laid between 362 and 126 tya) curves down through lower elevations from the west of Norbury and broadly followed by the railway line from South Croydon to south of Purley Station. Extending from this and other lower elevation areas are narrower deposits of Head<ref name="BGS Head">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=HEAD|title=Head|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (poorly sorted and stratified angular rock debris and slow glacial hillwash, deposited between 2.588 mya and the present), related to the downward movement of water, e.g. under Coulsdon Town, Coulsdon South and Kenley stations and by Riddlesdown and Whyteleafe stations. Higher chalk areas in the south are overlain with Clay-with-flints Formation<ref name="BGS Clay-with-flints">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=CWF|title=Clay-with-flints Formation|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (orange- or red-brown clay with nodules of flint, laid between 23.03 mya and 11.8 tya), e.g. at Netherne-on-the-Hill, Old Coulsdon and Kenley.

Elevations range from 32 metres in the north on London Clay (west of London Road ([[A23 road|A23]]} south-southeast of Norbury Station and west of Thornton Heath station) to 175 metres in the south on a small area of Lambeth Group rock (at [[Sanderstead]] Plantation on [[A2022 road#West Wickham to Purley|Addington Road]]).<ref name="BGS viewer"/>

===Townscape description===
{{See also|List of districts in Croydon}}
[[File:CroydonNorthEnd.jpg|thumb|300px|[[North End, Croydon|North End]] shopping street photographed in 2005, after pedestrianisation]][[File:DM2025 Panorama of Croydon from the Fairfields Hall.jpg|thumb|Panorama from the Fairfields Hall in 2025.]][[File:DM2025 Panorama of Croydon from Park Hill Park.jpg|thumb|Panorama from Park Hill Park in 2025.]]
The [[CR postcode area]] covers most of the south and centre of the borough while the [[SE postcode area|SE]] and [[SW postcode area|SW]] postcodes cover the northern parts, including Crystal Palace, Upper Norwood, South Norwood, Selhurst (part), Thornton Heath (part), Norbury and Pollards Hill (part).

Districts in the London Borough of Croydon include [[Addington, London|Addington]], a village to the east of Croydon which until 2000 was poorly linked to the rest of the borough as it was without any railway or light rail stations, with only a few patchy bus services.<ref name="addiscombe">{{cite web|year=2003|url=http://www.addiscombe.net/|title=Addiscome Community website|publisher=Addiscomme on the Net|access-date=2 November 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026024552/http://www.crystalpalacepark.net/|archive-date=26 October 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Addiscombe]] is a district just northeast of the centre of Croydon, and is popular with commuters to central London as it is close to the busy [[East Croydon station]].<ref name="ashburton">{{cite web|year=2001|url=http://www.uklocalarea.com/browse.php/q/Ashburton/wc/00AHGF|title=Quality of life in the Addiscombe ward|publisher=UK Local Area|access-date=2 November 2007}}</ref> [[Ashburton, London|Ashburton]], to the northeast of Croydon, is mostly home to residential houses and flats, being named after Ashburton House, one of the three big houses in the Addiscombe area.<ref name="broad green">{{cite web|year=2006|url=http://www.londontown.com/LondonStreets/broad_green_avenue_a4d.html|title=Avenue guide to Broad Green|publisher=London Town|access-date=2 November 2007}}</ref> [[Broad Green, Croydon|Broad Green]] is a small district, centred on a large green with many homes and local shops in West Croydon.<ref name="broad green" /> [[Coombe, Croydon|Coombe]] is an area, just east of Croydon, which has barely been urbanised and has retained its collection of large houses fairly intact. [[Coulsdon]], south-west of Central Croydon, has retained a good mix of traditional high street shops as well as a large number of restaurants for its size.<ref name="coulsdon">{{cite web|year=2006|url=http://www.coulsdon.net/|title=Coulsdon home page|publisher=Coulsdon.net|access-date=2 November 2007}}</ref> [[Croydon]] is the principal area of the borough, [[Crystal Palace, London|Crystal Palace]] is an area north of Croydon, which is shared with the [[London Borough of Lambeth|London Boroughs of Lambeth]], [[London Borough of Southwark|Southwark]], [[London Borough of Lewisham|Lewisham]] and [[London Borough of Bromley|Bromley]].<ref name="crystal palace">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.crystalpalacepark.net/|title=Parklife:Crystal Palace Park|publisher=CPP Parklife|access-date=2 November 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026024552/http://www.crystalpalacepark.net/|archive-date=26 October 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Fairfield, Croydon|Fairfield]], just northeast of Croydon, holds the [[Fairfield Halls]]<ref name="fairfield">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.fairfield.co.uk/|title=Fairfield Halls home page|publisher=Fairfield Halls|access-date=2 November 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221042411/http://www.fairfield.co.uk/|archive-date=21 February 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the village of [[Forestdale, London|Forestdale]], to the east of Croydon's main area, commenced work in the late 1960s and completed in the mid-70s to create a larger town on what was previously open ground.<ref name="forestdale">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.forestdale.info/indexone.htm|title=Forestdale community website|publisher=Forestdale.info|access-date=6 June 2008|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706094554/http://www.forestdale.info/indexone.htm|archive-date=6 July 2008}}</ref> [[Hamsey Green]] is a place on the plateau of the [[North Downs]], south of Croydon.<ref name="hamsey">{{cite web|year=2006|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/parks_and_open_spaces/hamseygreen.asp|title=History of Hamsey Green Pond|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> [[Kenley]], again south of the centre, lies within the London [[Green Belt]] and features a landscape dominated by green space.<ref name="kenley">{{cite web|year=2008|url=http://www.kenleyra.org.uk/|title=Kenley & District Residents Association|publisher=Kendra|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> [[New Addington]], to the east, is a large local council estate surrounded by open countryside and golf courses.<ref name="nadding">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/newaddington.asp|title=History of the New Addington estate|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> [[Norbury]], to the northwest, is a suburb with a large ethnic population.<ref name="norbury">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/norbury.asp|title=History of the Norbury area|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> [[Norwood New Town]] is a part of the Norwood triangle, to the north of Croydon. [[Monks Orchard]] is a small district made up of large houses and open space in the northeast of the borough.<ref name="monksorchard">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/monksorchard.asp|title=History of the Monks Orchard area|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> [[Pollards Hill]] is a residential district with houses on roads, which are lined with pollarded lime trees, stretching to Norbury. [[Purley, London|Purley]], to the south, is a main town whose name derives from "pirlea", which means 'Peartree lea'.<ref name="purleyoaks">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/purley.asp|title=History of the Purley area|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> [[Sanderstead]], to the south, is a village mainly on high ground at the edge of suburban development in [[Greater London]].<ref name="sanderstead">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/sanderstead.asp|title=History of the Sanderstead area|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> [[Selhurst]] is a town, to the north of Croydon, which holds the nationally known school, The [[BRIT School]]. [[Selsdon]] is a suburb that was developed during the inter-war period in the 1920s and 1930s. It is notable for its many Art Deco houses, which are located to the southeast of Croydon Centre. [[Shirley, London|Shirley]], is to the east of Croydon, and holds [[Shirley Windmill]]. [[South Croydon]], to the south of Croydon, is a locality which holds local landmarks such as The Swan and Sugarloaf public house and independent [[Whitgift School]], part of the [[Whitgift Foundation]].<ref name="scroydons">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/southcroydon.asp|title=History of the South Croydon area|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> [[South Norwood]], to the north, is in common with West Norwood and Upper Norwood, named after a contraction of Great North Wood and has a population of around 14,590. [[Thornton Heath]] is a town, to the northwest of Croydon, which holds Croydon's principal hospital [[Mayday University Hospital|Mayday]].<ref name="heathtpond">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/thorntonheath.asp|title=History of the Thornton Heath area|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> [[Upper Norwood]] is north of Croydon, on a mainly elevated area of the borough. [[Waddon]] is a residential area, mainly based on the [[Purley Way]] retail area, to the west of the borough. [[Woodside, London|Woodside]] is located to the northeast of the borough, with streets based on [[Woodside Green]], a small area of green land.<ref name="woodsidehistory">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/woodside.asp|title=History of the Woodside area|publisher= Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118142941/http://www.croydon.gov.uk/leisure/parksandopenspaces/pksandops/pos|archive-date=18 November 2007}}</ref> And finally [[Whyteleafe]] is a town, right to the edge of Croydon with some areas in the Surrey district of Tandridge.

Croydon is a gateway to the south from central London, with some major roads running through it. [[Purley Way]], part of the [[A23 road|A23]], was built to by-pass Croydon town centre. It is one of the busiest roads in the borough and is the site of several major retail developments, including one of only 18 [[IKEA]] stores in the country, built on the site of the former power station.<ref name="purleywayhistory">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/purleyway.asp|title=History of the Purley Way retail district|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> The A23 continues southward as Brighton Road, which is the main route running towards the south from [[South Croydon|Croydon]] to [[Purley, London|Purley]]. The centre of Croydon is very congested, and the urban planning has since become out of date and quite inadequate, due to the expansion of Croydon's main shopping area and office blocks. [[Wellesley Road]] is a north–south [[dual carriageway]] that cuts through the centre of the town, and makes it hard to walk between the town centre's two railway stations. [[Croydon Vision 2020]] includes a plan for a more pedestrian-friendly replacement. It has also been named as one of the worst roads for cyclists in the area.<ref name="cycle names">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://crapcyclelanesofcroydon.blogspot.com/2007/05/jug-handle-wellesley-road.html|title=The "jug handle" – Wellesley Road|publisher=Crap Cycle Lanes of Croydon|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> Construction of the [[Croydon Underpass]] beneath the junction of George Street and [[Wellesley Road]]/Park Lane started in the early 1960s, mainly to alleviate traffic congestion on Park Lane, above the underpass. The [[Croydon Flyover]] is also near the underpass, and next to [[Taberner House]]. It mainly leads traffic onto [[Duppas Hill]], towards Purley Way, with links to [[Sutton, London|Sutton]] and [[Kingston upon Thames]].

===Topography and climate===
{{climate chart
|Croydon
|2|8|52
|2|8|34
|4|11|42
|5|13|45
|8|17|47
|11|20|53
|14|23|38
|13|23|47
|11|19|57
|8|15|62
|5|11|52
|3|9|54
|source=Met Office<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/sites/greenwich.html |title=Greenwich 1971–2000 averages |work=Met Office |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140628141612/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/sites/greenwich.html |archive-date=28 June 2014 }}</ref>
|float=right
}}

Croydon covers an area of 86.52 km<sup>2</sup>. Croydon's physical features consist of many hills and rivers spread out across the borough and into the [[North Downs]], Surrey, and the rest of south London. [[Addington Hills]] is a major hilly area to the south of London and is recognised as a significant obstacle to the growth of London from its origins as a port on the north side of the river, to a large circular city. The [[Great North Wood]] is a former natural oak forest that covered the [[Sydenham, London|Sydenham Ridge]] and the southern reaches of the [[River Effra]] and its tributaries.

The most notable tree, called Vicar's Oak, marked the boundary of four ancient parishes: [[Lambeth]], [[Camberwell]], Croydon and [[Bromley]]. John Aubrey<ref>John Aubrey ''Natural History and Antiquities of the County of Surrey'', 1718, vol. 2, p. 33,</ref> referred to this "ancient remarkable tree" in the past tense as early as 1718, but according to J. B. Wilson,<ref>J. B. Wilson & H. A. Wilson ''The Story of Norwood'' {{ISBN|0-9515384-1-1}}</ref> the Vicar's Oak survived until 1825. The [[River Wandle]], a [[chalk stream]], is also a major tributary of the [[River Thames]], flowing to [[Wandsworth]] and [[Putney]] for {{convert|9|mi|km}} from its main source in [[Waddon]].

Croydon has a [[temperate]] climate, in common with most areas of Great Britain: its [[Humid temperate climate|Köppen climate classification]] is ''Cfb''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.worldclimate.com/ |title=WorldClimate |access-date=2 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208173133/http://www.worldclimate.com/ |archive-date=8 February 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>([http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/data.pl?ref=N51W000+1102+03776W Temperature data)]</ref> Its mean annual temperature of 9.6 °C is similar to that experienced throughout the Weald, and slightly cooler than nearby areas such as the Sussex coast and central London.<ref name="temperature">{{cite web|year=2001 |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/tmean/17.gif |title=Mean Temperature Annual Average |publisher=[[Met Office]] |access-date=22 August 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203143739/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/tmean/17.gif |archive-date=3 February 2012 }}</ref> Rainfall is considerably below England's average (1971–2000) level of 838 mm, and every month is drier overall than the England average.<ref name="rainmean">{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/areal/england.html |title=Met Office: averages 1971–2000 |access-date=22 August 2007 |publisher=Met Office |year=2007 |work=Met Office website |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605024000/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/areal/england.html |archive-date=5 June 2011 }}</ref>

===Architecture===
{{Further|Architecture of Croydon|List of tallest buildings and structures in Croydon}}
[[File:DM2025 Croydon from Wellesley Road.jpg|thumb|Croydon from Wellesley Road in 2025. The [[Saffron Square]] development is in the foreground and the recent modular residential towers central in the distance.]]
Croydon's skyline has significantly changed over the past 50 years. High-rise buildings, mainly office blocks, now dominate the skyline. The most notable of these buildings include Croydon Council's former headquarters [[Taberner House]], which has been compared to the famous [[Pirelli Tower]] of [[Milan]], and the [[Nestlé Tower]], the former UK headquarters of [[Nestlé]].

In recent years, the development of [[Tall buildings in London|tall buildings]], such as the approved Croydon Vocational Tower and [[Wellesley Square]], has been encouraged in the [[London Plan]], and will lead to the erection of new skyscrapers in the coming years as part of London's high-rise boom.<ref>{{cite web|title=London – Full Summary of Projects|publisher=Will Fox, SkyscraperCity.com|url=http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=46|access-date=15 December 2006|archive-date=30 December 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061230014300/http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=46|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[No. 1 Croydon]], formerly the NLA Tower, Britain's 88th tallest tower,<ref name="NLA Tower">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.skyscrapernews.com/snuk_list.htm|title=Britain's Tallest 100 Buildings by Height|publisher=Sky Scraper News|access-date=12 October 2007|archive-date=11 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611025038/http://www.skyscrapernews.com/snuk_list.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> close to [[East Croydon station]], is an example of 1970s architecture. The tower was originally nicknamed the ''Threepenny bit building'', as it resembles a stack of pre-decimalisation [[Threepence (British coin)|Threepence]] coins, which were 12-sided. It is now most commonly called The Octagon, being 8-sided.

[[Lunar House]] is another high-rise building. Like other government office buildings on Wellesley Road, such as [[Apollo House (Croydon)|Apollo House]], the name of the building was inspired by the [[Project Apollo|US Moon landings]] (In the Croydon suburb of New Addington there is a [[public house]], built during the same period, called ''The Man on the Moon''). Lunar House houses the Home Office building for Visas and Immigration. Apollo House is home to the Border Patrol Agency.

A new generation of buildings is being considered by the council as part of [[Croydon Vision 2020]], so that the borough does not lose its title of having the "largest office space in the south east", excluding central London.<ref>{{cite web|title=Croydon Gateway – Arrowcroft Scheme|publisher=Emporis|url=http://www.emporis.com/en/bu/nc/ne/?id=101018|access-date=12 October 2007|archive-date=23 October 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041023091740/http://www.emporis.com/en/bu/nc/ne/?id=101018|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Projects such as [[Wellesley Square]], which will be a mix of residential and retail with an eye-catching colour design, and [[100 George Street]] — a proposed modern office block — are included in this vision.

Notable events that have happened to Croydon's skyline include the Millennium project to create the largest single urban lighting project ever. It was created for the buildings of Croydon to illuminate them for the third millennium. The project provided new lighting for the buildings and offered an opportunity to project images and words onto them, mixing art and poetry with coloured light, and also displaying public information after dark. Apart from increasing night-time activity in Croydon and thereby reducing the fear of crime, it helped to promote the sustainable use of older buildings by displaying them in a more positive way.<ref name="skyline">{{cite web|url=http://www.millennium.gov.uk/cgi-site/awards.cgi?action=detail&id=38&t=2|title=Croydon Skyline|access-date=12 October 2007|publisher=Millennium Commission|year=2003|work=Croydon Skyline Millennium Trust|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031104234739/http://www.millennium.gov.uk/cgi-site/awards.cgi?action=detail&id=38&t=2|archive-date=4 November 2003}}</ref>

===Landmarks===
There are numerous attractions and places of interest across the borough of Croydon, ranging from historic sites in the north and south to modern towers in the centre.

[[File:Shirley Windmill.jpg|right|thumb|[[Shirley Windmill]]]]
[[Croydon Airport]] was once London's main airport, but closed on 30 September 1959 due to the expansion of London and because it did not have room to grow. [[Heathrow International Airport]] took over as London's main airport. It has now been mostly converted to offices, although some important elements of the airport remain. It is a tourist attraction.<ref name="Battle book"/>

The [[Croydon Clocktower]] arts venue was opened by [[Elizabeth II]] in 1994.<ref name="Croydon Town Hall"/> It includes the Braithwaite Hall (the former reference library – named after the Rev. Braithwaite who donated it to the town) for live events, the [[David Lean Cinema]] (built in memory of [[David Lean]]), the [[Museum of Croydon]] and [[Croydon Central Library]]. The Museum of Croydon (formerly known as Croydon Lifetimes Museum) highlights Croydon in the past and the present and currently features high-profile exhibitions including the Riesco Collection, The Art of Dr Seuss, and the Whatever the Weather gallery.<ref name="moc">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.museumofcroydon.com/themes?session=bKbl5UPphSh|title=Themes in the Museum of Croydon|publisher=[[Museum of Croydon]]|access-date=6 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213023143/http://www.museumofcroydon.com/themes?session=bKbl5UPphSh|archive-date=13 February 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Shirley Windmill]] is a working windmill and one of the few surviving large windmills in [[Surrey]], built in 1854. It is [[Listed building|Grade II listed]] and received a £218,100 grant from the [[Heritage Lottery Fund]].<ref>{{NHLE|num=1079277|desc=Shirley Windmill|grade=II}}</ref> [[Addington Palace]] is an 18th-century mansion in [[Addington, London|Addington]] that was originally built as Addington Place in the 16th century. The palace became the official second residence of six archbishops, five of whom are buried in St Mary's Church and churchyard nearby.<ref name="croydon palace addington"/>

[[North End, Croydon|North End]] is the main pedestrianised shopping road in Croydon, having [[Centrale (shopping centre)|Centrale]] to one side and the [[Whitgift Centre]] to the other. The [[Warehouse Theatre]] is a popular theatre for mostly young performers and was due to get a facelift on the [[Croydon Gateway]] site.

The [[Nestlé Tower]] was the UK headquarters of [[Nestlé]]<ref name="UK Nestlé Locations">{{cite web|year=2008 |url=http://www.nestle.co.uk/AboutNestle/NestleLocations/ |title=Location of Nestlé offices in the UK and EIRE |publisher=Nestlé |access-date=6 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221175607/http://www.nestle.co.uk/AboutNestle/NestleLocations/ |archive-date=21 February 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and is one of the tallest towers in England, which is due to be re-fitted during the Park Place development. The [[Fairfield Halls]] is a well-known concert hall and exhibition centre, opened in 1962. It is frequently used for [[BBC]] recordings and was formerly the home of [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]'s [[World of Sport (UK TV series)|World of Sport]].<ref name="fairfield"/> It includes the [[Ashcroft Theatre]] and the [[Arnhem|Arnhem Gallery]].

[[Croydon Palace]] was the summer residence of the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] for over 500 years and included regular visitors such as [[Henry III of England|Henry III]] and Queen [[Elizabeth I]]. It is thought to have been built around 960. [[Croydon Cemetery]] is a large cemetery and crematorium west of Croydon and is most famous for the gravestone of [[Derek Bentley]], who was wrongly hanged in 1953. [[Mitcham Common]] is an area of [[common land]] partly shared with the boroughs of [[London Borough of Sutton|Sutton]] and [[London Borough of Merton|Merton]]. Almost 500,000 years ago, Mitcham Common formed part of the river bed of the River Thames.<ref name="Mitcham Common friends">{{cite web|year=2008 |url=http://www.mitchamcommon.org/about.html |title=About Mitcham Common |publisher=Mitcham Common Conservators |access-date=6 June 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071119013713/http://mitchamcommon.org/about.html |archive-date=19 November 2007 }}</ref>

The [[BRIT School]] is a performing Arts & Technology school, owned by the BRIT Trust (known for the [[BRIT Awards|BRIT Awards Music Ceremony]]). Famous former students include [[Kellie Shirley]], [[Amy Winehouse]], [[Leona Lewis]], [[Adele]], [[Kate Nash]], [[Dane Bowers]], [[Katie Melua]] and [[Lyndon David-Hall]].<ref name="BRIT">{{cite news|year=2008 |url=http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2184707.ece/ |title=Croydon's little gem: The BRIT school |work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=6 June 2008 |location=London |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071220065545/http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2184707.ece |archive-date=20 December 2007 }}</ref> [[Croydon Grants|Grants]] is an entertainment venue in the centre of Croydon which includes a [[Vue (cinema)|Vue cinema]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grantscentrecroydon.co.uk/ |title=Croydon Grants website |publisher=Grants Centre Croydon |access-date=4 April 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511200118/http://www.grantscentrecroydon.co.uk/ |archive-date=11 May 2008 }}</ref>

[[Surrey Street Market]] has roots in the 13th century, or earlier, and was chartered by the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] in 1276. The market is regularly used as a location for TV, film, and advertising. [[Croydon Minster]], formerly the parish church, was established in the [[Anglo-Saxon England|Anglo-Saxon]] period, and parts of the surviving building (notably the tower) date from the 14th and 15th centuries. However, the church was largely destroyed by fire in 1867, so the present structure is a rebuild of 1867–69 to the designs of [[George Gilbert Scott]]. It still contains several important monuments and fittings saved from the old church.<ref name="Croydon Parish Church">{{cite web|year=2011|url=http://www.croydonminster.org/about-us/history|title=History of Croydon Minster|publisher=Croydon Minster|access-date=30 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324185511/http://www.croydonminster.org/about-us/history|archive-date=24 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>