After spending considerable time in East Croydon, West Croydon, and the town centre, reporter Ezekiel Bertrand turned his attention to Norbury, a part of the borough that often escapes the spotlight. Having been pleasantly surprised by Sanderstead and Coulsdon last year, he wanted to see whether Norbury could offer something beyond the Croydon he already knew. His day-long exploration revealed a neighbourhood of contrasts: inviting green spaces and upscale homes, but a high street dominated by takeaways and a general sense of dullness.
A Quiet Arrival and a Themed Café
The journey began with a Southern train, as with almost every trip into Croydon, but stepping off at Norbury immediately felt different, with hardly anyone on the platform. Bertrand noted it reminded him more of Ewell West than one of Croydon’s main stations. The station itself is fairly typical of the Southern network, without the grander architecture of somewhere like Surbiton, but there was something nostalgic about the building and quiet platform.
His first stop was The Woodland, a café on London Road that brings its woodland theme indoors with plants, greenery, wooden features, and vines. He settled down for Eggs Royale and a mojito, both of which he described as “lush,” before heading onto the high street.
High Street Dominated by Takeaways and Bookies
Norbury’s high street is London Road, the main road running through the neighbourhood and its main shopping stretch. Every British high street seems destined to have a Wetherspoons somewhere, and Norbury is no exception, with The Moon Under Water sitting towards the top of London Road. It is not quite as glamorous as somewhere like the Assembly Rooms, but Bertrand could easily imagine it being packed on a Friday night, while the pub occupies roughly the former site of Sorrento Villa, one of the Victorian buildings that once stood along the road.
Beyond that, Bertrand had hoped for a more traditional high street where he could wander between independent shops, but London Road was instead dominated by takeaways, barbers, and bookies. Norbury certainly was not short of chicken shops either, with Abby’s Grill, Mr Peri, and what seemed like another fried chicken takeaway every few doors, while several shisha bars added to the mix. The amount of rubbish around did little to help its case, making Norbury seem much more like an extension of the Croydon he already knew.
Norbury Park and Norwood Grove Offer a Greener Side
After a while, Bertrand decided he had seen enough of London Road and headed towards Norbury Park, which covers around 28 acres and includes playing fields, a multi-games court, a children’s playground, and a BMX track. It was the sort of late September evening you would want for a walk, cool without being cold, not unbearably hot and, most importantly, not raining. The park was the first point of the day where Norbury genuinely started to win him over, with its open views and huge amount of space making a welcome change from the high street. The pavilion bearing the word “Norbury” in graffiti, with Croydon Boxing Club inside, gave it some character.
From there he headed further into the neighbourhood to see its more expensive side, eventually reaching Covington Way, where some of the larger detached houses have sold for more than £1 million. The houses were noticeably bigger than much of what he had seen around London Road, making Norbury feel quite different once he moved away from the high street. Further on was Norwood Grove, another large green space with a Grade II-listed mansion at its centre and long views across the trees towards south London. It was probably the most peaceful part of his day, and standing there made it difficult to believe the busy high street was only a short walk away.
A Mixed Verdict on Norbury
By then, though, Bertrand had to admit that Norbury had not completely changed his mind. He enjoyed The Woodland, Norbury Park was probably the highlight, and he found parts of the neighbourhood more attractive than expected, but Sanderstead and Coulsdon had left him wanting to go back, while Norbury did not quite have the same effect. If he is being completely honest, he found much of the day very boring. That does not make Norbury a bad place to live, and its parks showed him a much greener side to the neighbourhood than he had seen on London Road, but after several hours walking around, he left without feeling desperate to return. Norbury certainly has its nice parts, but in the end, he still cannot say that it managed to sway him.
