After a disappointing day exploring Norbury, I decided to give another part of Croydon a chance. Having already been pleasantly surprised by Sanderstead and Coulsdon, I set my sights on South Norwood. This time, however, the experience was different: for the first time, I found myself in a Croydon area that I genuinely wanted to return to.
The journey began, as most of my Croydon trips do, with a Southern train to Norwood Junction. Interestingly, South Norwood does not have its own station, but Norwood Junction serves the area well. Stepping out of the station, I immediately felt I had arrived somewhere distinct. The streets around it had a certain charm that reminded me of an Amsterdam-style village, though I couldn't pinpoint exactly why. It felt like one of those miniature maps from Wii Party or a Swiss countryside scene, with cafés, houses, and streets packed closely together, creating a surprisingly pleasant atmosphere.
Discovering South Norwood's History and Green Spaces
South Norwood also boasts a fascinating connection to William Ford Robinson Stanley, a British inventor, manufacturer, and philanthropist who moved his factory to the area in the 1870s, leaving a lasting mark on the community. As I walked, I noticed two people sitting outside a café reading books, while the attractive houses nearby gave the area a much more residential feel than I had expected.
My first proper stop was South Norwood Country Park, which turned out to be the perfect escape after a stressful weekend. This huge green space stretches between South Norwood and Woodside, featuring fields, trees, ponds, and plenty of wildlife, making it feel a world away from the surrounding streets. Even the Croydon tram makes an appearance, with tracks crossing through the park, a reminder that the city is never too far away. I was amused to discover that dogs have their own exercise area—a nice touch, even for someone like me who isn't a big animal enthusiast.
Community Spirit at the Portland Arms
After wandering through the park, I headed to the Portland Arms, run by Rob and Katie. This pub gave me the clearest sense yet of the community that exists around South Norwood. I stopped for fish and chips, and although a pub lunch on a Monday isn't typically my idea of an exciting day out, there was something rather nice about sitting down and watching the world go by.
Eventually, it was time to explore South Norwood's shops. This was where I encountered the biggest disappointment of the day. Walking along Portland Road towards the main high street, I counted almost 20 empty units. For an area that had already made such a positive impression, it was disheartening to see so many shutters down. As I continued, I came across South Norwood Clock Tower at the junction of High Street and Portland Road, one of the area's most recognisable landmarks.
A High Street of Contrasts
Thankfully, South Norwood was not short of independent cafés and businesses. There was still plenty going on, even if it was mixed among the empty units. And naturally, no Croydon high street would be complete without a Morley's, and South Norwood duly delivered. The contrast was quite interesting: the empty shops made parts of the high street feel like they had seen better days, while the cafés, pubs, and independent businesses still gave the area a sense of life.
It was certainly not perfect, but by that point, I had already decided that South Norwood was somewhere I had genuinely enjoyed exploring. By the time I was heading back towards Norwood Junction, I realised something unexpected had happened: despite the empty units and the parts of the high street that clearly need attention, I actually wanted to come back. Perhaps it was the country park, the cafés around the station, or the community feeling at the Portland Arms, but there was something about South Norwood that made me enjoy simply walking around and seeing what was around the next corner.
This feeling was quite different from how I felt leaving Norbury, where I had enjoyed parts of the neighbourhood but ultimately found much of the day rather boring. Sanderstead and Coulsdon had both surprised me in their own ways, but South Norwood was the first Croydon area I visited where I finished the day genuinely thinking I would happily return and spend more time there. It has its problems, particularly with the number of empty shops, but there is also a sense of community, plenty of green space, and enough independent businesses and cafés to give the area a character that I found surprisingly easy to enjoy. After spending so much time exploring parts of Croydon that left me wondering what I would find next, it was refreshing to come away from South Norwood feeling that I had actually discovered somewhere, and, like Sweet Surrey, South Norwood had me swayed.
