Parks and playgrounds directory

Location

Upper Norwood, entrances in Auckland Road and Church Road.

Area

4 3/4 acres 1.92 hectares.

Facilities

• Linear woodland walk

History

This pleasant walk provides a wooded link between Westow Park and South Norwood Lake; it was opened in 1984.  

Stambourne Woodland Walk covers an area of once neglected and overgrown land lying between developments in Stambourne Way and Fox Hill.  The land originally formed the gardens of large Victorian Villas built on the hill over looking Croydon, but as the buildings fell into disrepair the gardens disappeared amongst dense, impenetrable scrub and trees.  

The project to develop a link was conceived in 1962 when the Council approved terms for buying the Church Commissioners' freehold interest in the land.  Several smaller packages of land were also acquired to complete the link.  

Paths were constructed through the woodland and seats were placed along its length.  Much of the vegetation was left undisturbed and additional native trees and shrubs were planted, also wild flower seed was distributed.  The natural vegetation of the woodland is home to many birds, small animal and insects.