Coulsdon (, traditionally pronounced ) is a town in south London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon. Coulsdon was an ancient parish in the county of Surrey that included the settlements of Purley and Kenley. It was merged with Sanderstead in 1915 to form the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District and has formed part of Greater London since 1965.
History
The location forms part of the North Downs. The hills contain chalk and flint. A few dry valleys with natural underground drainage merge and connect to the main headwater of the River Wandle, as a winterbourne (stream), so commonly called "the Bourne". Although this breaks onto the level of a few streets when the water table is exceptionally high, the soil is generally dry. The depression and wind gap was a natural route across the Downs for early populations.
Fossil records exist from the Pleistocene period (about 4,000,000 years ago).
There is evidence of human occupation from the Neolithic period, Iron Age,Volume 9 of the Bourne Society's Local History Records (1970) Anglo-Saxon, Bronze Age,http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/surreyac/ Surrey Archeological Society. Volume 64. Article "hoard of late bronze age things at crooksbury hill, coulsdon."http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/surreyac/ Surrey Archeological Society. Volume 38 . Article "shunaway plantation" 1928. bronze found. Roman and Medieval.Croydon Council planning document In 675, Frithwald, an Ealdorman and viceroy of King Wulfhere of Mercia, gave land at Cuthraedesdune to Chertsey Abbey. It appears as Colesdone in the Domesday Book.Surrey Domesday Book In 1537, the dissolution of the monasteries passed ownership to the King.
In 1545, Henry VIII granted two homes with land in Whattingdon and Coulsdon, Welcombes and Lawrences, to Sir John Gresham, the manor having been owned by Chertsey Abbey in the 8th century, when it was recorded as Whatindone.
The Coulsdon Manor was granted or sold in 1553 to various families, including Sir Nicholas Carew (1553), Sir Francis Carew (1557), Jerome Weston, 2nd Earl of Portland, Sir Richard Mason, Sir Edward Darcy, Sir Robert Darcy and Sir Edward Bouverie (see Earl of Radnor).
From 1782 to 1921, it was owned by three generations of the Byron family, who had already purchased the sub-manor of Hooley.
In 1801, the Byron family moved to live at Hooley House. Then, having sold a large amount of land in 1838 to the 'London to Brighton railway company', they moved from Hooley House to Portnall's Farm.
In 1850, Hartley Farm was demolished and Coulsdon Court was built by Thomas Byron. It was said to have been constructed of the last bricks to be made locally at Crossways (at Coulsdon Road, Old Coulsdon). In 1854, to avoid the court, he adjusted the paths of some local roads, and created a gated drive from the public road.
In 1863, Edmund Byron inherited the title. After his use of the inclosure acts was curtailed when he lost a case in 1877 at the Court of Chancery, large areas were sold in 1883 to the Corporation of London.The Times (london, England), Monday, 21 May 1883; pg. 12; Issue 30825.The Corporation of London: Its origin, constitution, powers, and duties. City of London (England). Corporation Oxford University Press, 1950.http://hadra.org.uk/Conservation%20Report.pdf Conservation report The importance of this event was reported in The Times.Report on the Dedication Of Coulsdon Commons. The Times (london, England), Monday, 21 May 1883; pg. 12 He also sold and gave away various plots.
In 1921, Edmund Byron died. The remaining lands owned by the Byrons were sold. Land and manorial rights were passed to the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District Council.Croydon Council. Local List of Historic Parks and Gardens December 2008
For many centuries, the lands contained several farms and manors and only on the coming of the railway were a few wealthy people from outside the traditional borders attracted to build grand houses, by 19th century descriptions, such as:
Until 1921, the Byron family had largely maintained this tradition, despite sales of earlier land. The sales in the 1860s increased the number of landowners. Most housing in Smitham (Bottom/Valley) and the clustered settlement of Old Coulsdon, as well as the narrower valley between them, was built in the 80 years from 1890 to 1970. The area developed mixed suburban, and in its centre urban, housing:
The valley and routes in Smitham Bottom encouraged some early settlements. An inn, the Red Lion, appears on the Bainbridge map of 1783. The coming of the railway and improved road links encouraged buildings along the sides of the major roadways and close to the stations. Since 1921, the sales of the old estate lands have replaced a countryside of discrete farms with thousands of suburban dwellings.
Coulsdon segregated its long-haul from its local traffic with the construction of the Farthing Way A23 bypass, which opened in December 2006 as part of the Coulsdon Town Centre Improvement Scheme.
Quarrying The Hall family had been active in the Croydon area as coal and lime merchants since the 18th. In 1853 they leased an area of land in Coulsdon. In 1864 they closed their quarries at Merstham and increased their quarrying for chalk and flints and use of lime kilns in Coulsdon.Surrey Gazette, 19 April 1864
This quarry at Coulsdon (Marlpit Lane) was named the 'Stoats Nest Quarry'. The works had its own internal railway system which connected to nearby main lines.
In 1898, the Hall family were refused permission (by their landlord) to build cement works on the Coulsdon site.A century and a Quarter by C G Dobson. Published for private circulation by Hall and Co Ltd. 1951
The lime principally supplied for waterworks, gas works and tanneries. Demand reduced in 1902 when the Army changed from leather to webbing equipment. And in 1905 there was no longer demand from the gasworks.
Between 1905 and 1910 chalk was supplied for the Halls' cement works at Beddington.Effects of Mergers By Ruth Cohen, P. Lesley Cook. Page 127. References 'A Century and a Quarter' by C F Dobson, Hall and Co Ltd. 1951 In 1905, 13,000 tons of chalk were sent by rail from Coulsdon. By 1918, it was processing lime for use as fertilizer.The Times, London, England, Monday, 1 July 1918; pg. 12
In 1920, the Hall company purchased 102 acres from their landlord, Byron. This offered their full benefit of the railways and kilns on the land.The Times (london, England), Thursday, 1 July 1920; pg. 23
Halls maintained a trading depot in the Marlpit Lane quarry from 1923. It was named the "Ullswater trading estate". The limeworks closed in 1961, and a park now lies in its place.
Toponymy The town's spelling, pronunciation and location have changed. Coulsdon originally referred to the area now known as Old Coulsdon.
The name derives from Cuðrædsdun via Cullesdone pre-1130, Culesdone pre-1190, Cullisdon 1242, Culesdene 1255, Colendone c1270, Kulisdon 1279, Collesdon 1288, Cullesdon 1323, Colleston 1324, Coulesdon 1346, Cullysdon 1377, Colynsdon 1428, Colysdon 1439, Collysdon 1563, Cowlesdon 1557, Coulsdon 1597, Cowisden 1604, Couldisdon 1610, Couldesdon 1675, Culsdon 1678, Colsdon 1724.The Bourne Society. Booklet "Bourne Society Records Volume 1".
Additional variations include Curedesdone 675, Cudredesdone 675, Cudredesdune 967, Coulsdon 1083, Colesdone 1085, Culesdon 1234, Culisdon 1242, Cudredestreow 1251, Cullesdon 1266, Colesdene 1287, Colesdon 1290, Colesdun 1290, Culesdon 1291, Culesden 1292, Colieston 1324, Coulesden 1326, Coueleston 1332, Colisdon 1344, Culeston 1346, Cullysdon 1377, Cullisdoun 1403, Cullesdoun 1422, Culledon 1424, Colynsdon 1428, Collesdon 1439, Culsdon 1446, Cowlesdon 1539, Collesden 1544, Cowlesdowne 1553, Cullesdoy 1556, Colsdon 1558, Cowlesden 1558, Cullesden 1558, Cowllysdon 1567, Cowisden 1618, Coulsden 1619, Cowsdon 1620, Coolsden 1650, Coulesden 1650, Coilsoun 1655, Coulden 1655.1905 book. by S.J Madge - Index to the Source Book of Materials for Local History.
The widely accepted origin of the name is ‘hill of a man called Cūthrǣd’, (from OE pers. name + dūn, a hill).http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/surreyac/ Surrey Archeological Society. Volume 6. Article "Notices of an Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Farthing Down, Coulsdon, Surrey " Alternatively the name originates from the Celtic or primitive Welsh "cull", meaning a leather bag, scrotum, bosom, womb or belly.Worcestershire Place Names by W H Duignan. Oxford university press. 1905. Page 45, reference to Coulsdon.
The current town centre appears as Leydown Cross (1738) or Leaden Cross (1800) and Smitham Bottom. In 1905, the parish council, and then the Post Office renamed "Smitham bottom" as "Coulsdon". The name "Smitham Bottom" has also changed. Smetheden (1331), Smithdenbottom (1536), Smythedean(e)(1548), Smythden Bottom (1588), Smitham Bottom (1719)
Local government Coulsdon was an ancient parish in the county of Surrey that included the settlements of Purley and Kenley. In 1894 it became part of Croydon Rural District. The population of the parish had almost doubled between 1901 and 1911. In 1915 the rural district was split up and Coulsdon along with Sanderstead became part of the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District. On 1 April 1965 the civil parish was abolished and Coulsdon and Purley became part of the London Borough of Croydon in Greater London. At the 1951 census (one of the last before the abolition of the parish), Coulsdon had a population of 42,753.
Localities Coulsdon is a largely suburban district of London. The central area has substantial industrial, automotive and distribution services. It is served by standard retail and social facilities, as well as a library and local professions of a typical town in the country. The alternate centre, Old Coulsdon, has a recreation ground/cricket pitch-focused village green, a small parade of shops and a medieval church.
Old Coulsdon Old Coulsdon occupies the south-east of the district. Ordnance survey website Scattered, rather than clustered, are six buildings listed for their national heritage and architectural value, at Grade II. Two categories above this, in the highest class, Grade I, is the Church of St John the Evangelist. This is by the recreation ground, shortly after Marlpit Lane has been joined by Coulsdon Road, from the north. St John's is late thirteenth century with extensive later additions, made of flint and rubble with much brick patching. Its nave spans two (window) bays. Older still is its "good" chancel of 1250 with stepped sedilia and piscina. The west tower above the entrance is of circa 1400 with corner buttresses and a tapering broach spire. A nave at right angles, replacing the south aisle, in decorated style, was designed for its 1958 construction by J. B. S. Comper.
Coulsdon (Formerly Smitham Bottom or Smitham) In the early 19th century, the present-day location of Coulsdon was occupied by a coaching inn called the Red Lion and its associated green (Lion Green), but few other buildings. Smitham Bottom was a geographical feature in the form of a chalk valley running between the Red Lion and Purley. The coach route between London and Brighton ran through this depression and, in 1841, the London and Brighton Railway completed construction of a railway along it.
With the arrival of Coulsdon (now Coulsdon South) railway station in 1889 and the commencement of work on the Cane Hill asylum, accommodation near the site was required by workers and residential development started in the area. The village initially took the name of Smitham Bottom or Smitham. The population expanded and soon overtook that of the original settlement to the south-east. Despite strong opposition from local residents the village of Smitham Bottom was officially renamed Coulsdon by the GPO, while the older village became Old Coulsdon. The former site of the Red Lion inn is currently occupied by an Aldi store.