is a place in the
London Borough Of Croydon . It is 7.2 miles (11.6 km) south of
Charing Cross .
Thornton Heath High Street is the centre of a large area of north Croydon known as Thornton Heath between
West Croydon and
South Norwood .
Until the arrival of the railway in
1862 and the subsequent building of many houses around it, Thornton Heath was actually focused on an area a mile (1.6 km) to the west, at the area now known as Thornton Heath Pond on the
A23 . The
Heath itself was 36 acres (146,000 m²) stretching northwards from Thornton Heath pond towards
Norbury . This was the common grazing land for the manor of Norbury. There were also some farms and cottages. Colliers Water Lane, an ancient route, is thought to have been used by charcoal-burners for water from the pond.
The area was known for being desolate and prone to
Highwaymen (a theme which continues to this day), including the most famous highwayman of all,
Dick Turpin , who was said to have lived for a time nearby. A
Gallows was placed by the pond to execute criminals and serve as a warning to others. On
31 March 1722 six men were hanged there together, with a further four together the following year. The area was known as Gallows Green, with the gallows being a well-known sight along the increasingly important stagecoach route between
London and the south coast. In the
18th Century , a
Coaching Inn called the Wheatsheaf was established by the pond providing refreshment for travellers and their horses. In
1799 , the common was enclosed and some development began around the pond along London Road. By
1900 , most of the common had been built on. For a period after the arrival of the railway, the area around the station was known as 'New Thornton Heath'.
The pond had become a hazard by the late
19th Century , with a parcel mail coach driving into the pond in
1891 . To commemorate
Queen Victoria 's
Diamond Jubilee in
1897 , a large fountain was placed in the middle of the pond and new railings were erected around it. In
1953 , the pond was drained and is now a major roundabout on the London to
Brighton route (the
A23 Road ). At the junction of Thornton Heath High Street and Parchmore Road, on a site previously called Walker's Green, is a Clocktower, built in 1900, financed partly by public subscription.
Thornton Heath was the site of the Croydon Workhouse from
1865 , later to become Queen's Road Hospital with the neighbouring Queen's Road Cemetery, opened in
1861 .
Mayday University Hospital began as the Workhouse infirmary and is now one of the largest hospitals in south London.
Thornton Heath is one of the most multicultural areas in Croydon, home to large Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities, as well as a significant Afro-Caribbean population.
At Thornton Heath Pond is a
London Bus depot which was formerly a tram depot until the
1950s . Croydon's last tram until the
Tramlink scheme of the
1990s was driven to Thornton Heath by the Mayor of Croydon and
Fred Harris MP.
In January 2003, as reported by
The Croydon Guardian , Croydon Council placed a new water feature on the Pond roundabout.
Thornton Heath is also home to two notable sports teams,
Streatham-Croydon RFC, est. 1871 and
South London Storm Rugby League Club , both playing at Frant Road.
Thornton Heath now has a newly rebuilt sports and leisure centre, which has many health facilities to accommodate for most ages, and Thornton Heath now looks to a more modern and multicultural future.
