| Thornton Heath | |
|---|---|
 High Street, Thornton Heath | |
  Thornton Heath Location withinGreater London | |
| Population | 65,812 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | TQ315685 |
| • Charing Cross | 7.2 mi (11.6 km) N |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CROYDON |
| Postcode district | CR0 |
| Post town | THORNTON HEATH |
| Postcode district | CR7 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| UK Parliament | |
| London Assembly | |
| 51°24′01″N0°06′31″W / 51.4002°N 0.1086°W /51.4002; -0.1086 | |
Thornton Heath is a district ofSouth London, England, within theLondon Borough of Croydon. It is around 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of the town ofCroydon, and 7.2 miles (11.6 km) south ofCharing Cross. Prior to the creation ofGreater London in 1965, Thornton Heath was in theCounty Borough of Croydon.
Until the arrival of the railway in 1862, Thornton Heath was focused on an area 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southwest of the Whitehorse manor house (now a school), at the locality on the main London–Sussex road known as Thornton Heath Pond in the parish ofCroydon St John the Baptist. Between the manor house and pond was an isolated farmhouse. Eventually, it became the site for the railway station and the main expansion hub.
In the 50-year period from 1861 to 1911, Thornton Heath saw a complete transformation from an isolated rural outpost to an integrated metropolitan suburb. In its infancy, a new railway station in the eastern farmlands enabled the immediate area to evolve around a central point. In the late 19th century, the western part of Thornton Heath, which lay directly on the main London–Sussex road, demonstrated a classic form of suburban ribbon development. In the process, it became the final piece in an urban chain linking two major centres, London and Croydon, completing the greatest metropolitan expansion in the world at that time which cost £112 million in today's money.[when?]
The nearest places areMitcham,Croydon,South Norwood,Norbury,Pollards Hill,Selhurst,Upper Norwood, andEastfields.
Geologically, some areas have clay-heavy soil, including Norbury and South Norwood. There is the gravelly, fertile soil in parts of the Thornton Heath area, which explains why market gardening and gravel extraction were major industries.[2]
Thornton Heath is served byLondon Buses routes50,60,64,109,130,198,250,289,450,468 andSL6, plus night routesN68,N109, andN250 and school route 663.Thornton Heath bus garage, owned byArriva London, is at the junction of London Road and Thornton Road, known as Thornton Heath Pond.
Thornton Heath railway station is on theLondon Victoria branch of theBrighton Main Line, and is operated bySouthern. Other stations nearby areSelhurst, the next station down, andNorwood Junction, on theEast London line of theLondon Overground.
Architecturally, Thornton Heath is predominantlyVictorian in both its residential and commercial sectors. There are a number of imposing, even grand, buildings surviving from this period.
Two examples are St Paul's Church and St Alban's Church. St Alban's is an Anglican church and is listed as Grade II. Built in 1889, it was the first church designed by the late Victorian architectSir Ninian Comper. It is situated on the busy junction of Grange Road and the High Street. It is described as being of a red-brick perpendicular style with stone dressing.
At the junction of the High Street and Parchmore Road, on a site previously called Walker's Green, stands the Clocktower, which was built in 1900, and financed partly by public subscription.
However, the Victorian baths did not survive,[3] and were replaced by a modern sports and leisure centre in 2004.[4] It cost £8 million with £2.8 million from the BritishNational LotteryGood Causes Fund throughSport England.[4][5]
Several small and large blocks of flats have been built in the area, in a similar style. A large one is Crystal Court, adjacent to the Leisure Centre. There was an intense fire there. Although the building had passed safety checks, residents were concerned about the role of the cladding. This is being replaced.[6]
Architects have posted about their project in the Library with a Council remit to refurbish and extend the Edwardian building, in particular, to improve access.[7] There was also work as part of the regeneration project of the High Street to the Library on Brigstock Road.[8]
In 2019, there was a contest organised by the Thornton Heath Community Action team for a planned redesign of the central area; it was won by architecture students.[9]
Thornton Heath has a high degree of ethnic diversity with a large proportion of people from aBAME background. In the 2011 census, Thornton Heath (comprising the wards ofBensham Manor,Thornton Heath, andWest Thornton) wasBlack orBlack British (36.4%),White orWhite British (27.4%),Asian orAsian British (25.9%),mixed/multiple ethnic groups (7.1%), and other ethnic groups (6.6%). The largest single ethnicity is White British (20.2%) followed byBritish African-Caribbean people (17.6%).[10][11][12] The average house price from sales in March 2023 was £421,433.[13]
| Property type | Number of sales last 12 months | Average price achieved last 12 months | Average price change per square foot last 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | 15 | £596,912 | 31.1% |
| Semi-detached | 83 | £487,110 | -1.4% |
| Terraced | 400 | £421,433 | 6.3% |
| Flat / Apartment | 343 | £247,225 | 3.1% |
Thornton Heath gained a new leisure centre in May 2004.[4] Its popularity was such thatturnstiles had to be fitted to improve security.[4][14] The centre is owned by Croydon Council, but was originally run by Parkwood Leisure,[4] and now run by Fusion Lifestyle in partnership with the council.[15]
Thornton Heath is one of the railway stations used by visitors toSelhurst Park stadium, home ofPremier League clubCrystal Palace.
Thornton Heath formerly had aNon-League football club,Croydon Athletic, which played at the Keith Tuckey Stadium; the club ceased to exist at the end of the 2010–11 season. In 2012, fans of the club formedAFC Croydon Athletic, which plays at the Mayfield Stadium. In 2015, the club competed in theSouthern Counties East League. The reformed 5-timeFA Cup winnersWanderers FC currently play at Thornton Heath.
Thornton Heath is also home to the historic rugby clubStreatham-Croydon RFC founded in 1871. Their grounds and clubhouse are located in Frant Road off Brigstock Road.
There are three parks in Thornton Heath: Grangewood Park,[16] Thornton Heath Recreation Ground,[17] and Trumble Gardens.[18]
The 2012 Olympic torch was taken along the High Street and Brigstock Road.
Thornton Heath healthcare is part ofCroydon Health Services NHS Trust.[19]GP practices are independent and receive NHS funding. The Council covers some health services such as public health. It has sole responsibility for social services.
The local hospital isCroydon University Hospital (formerly Mayday Hospital). It was assessed in 2021 by the Care Quality Commission as "requiring improvement" overall. However, some specific services were rated as "good".[20]
Thornton Heath Community Action Team[21] was formed in 2014 by a group of residents and businesses. Its aim is to deliver projects and to improve the area, such as organising litter picks, planting new plants, and a community Christmas tree. Members of the community have a garden in part of a local park and are maintain the planting area in the Ambassadors House forecourt. They also lobby and campaign on relevant local issues.
Sustainable Thornton Heath is a group of local people concerned about the environment.[22]
Friends of Grangewood Park organise events and projects to improve the park, and encourage people to use it.[23]
Facebook groups include Thornton Heath Community Action Team and Thornton Heath Local, a more general group. Both are private but easy for local people to join. In 2021, a Thornton Heath app, We are Thornton Heath, was created.[24][25]
There is local news in the 'Thornton Heath Chronicle'.[26]
There were Thornton Heath festivals for several years up to 2019.[27]
The council had a regeneration plan for Thornton Heath. "Since 2016 we have been involving local people in an improvement programme, making the High Street and Brigstock Road more attractive, with funding from the GLA. This included new pavements and road improvements, upgrades to shop fronts, wall art by local artists along the high street, and improvements to the forecourt of Ambassador House".[28]
In addition to the murals in the improvement programme, there are other artworks, such as a mosaic and mural at the station. An 'Art Trail' map was compiled as a guide.[29]
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