Waddon is a neighbourhood in the London Borough of Croydon and sits at the western end of the town and ten miles from central London. (Estate agents in Waddon)
Waddon’s name first appears in the 12th century and is taken from the Old English for the hill where ‘woad’ is grown. Woad is a plant from the cabbage family formerly grown in Britain as a source of blue dye.
Waddon is located in the river valley of the River Wandle, and during the Middle Ages, the Waddon Court Estate covered much of the area. Lord Nelson is reputed to have visited Waddon Court. There were mills situated on the River Wandle, which were used to irrigate watercress beds as well as to supply water to the lakes of Waddon Court.
Waddon has a long history of the industry. The Croydon gasworks was built on Waddon Marsh in 1867, and an electricity generating station opened in 1896. The creation of Purley Way in 1925 as Croydon’s relief road was the prompt for the construction of several factories, including Tizer Ltd, Trojan Ltd and Redwing Aircraft. During this time, Croydon corporation built the Mitcham Road and Waddon housing estates.
In 1915, Croydon airport was built in south-west Waddon for the defence of London, followed by Waddon Aerodrome to the east of Plough Lane, which was requisitioned for testing by the National Aircraft Factory.
The international distress term, ‘Mayday,’ was invented at Waddon’s Croydon Airport by senior radio officer Frederick Stanley Mockford. The airport was taken over for military use during the Second World War. Its presence plus the nearby aviation industries made this part of Croydon a target for German bombers. A serious raid in August 1940 left 62 civilian fatalities and 185 injured outside the airport. The last commercial flight from the airport was in 1959, after which it was closed.(Estate agents in Waddon)
Amy Johnson made her pioneering solo flight to Darwin in Australia, taking off from Croydon Airport in 1930. The southern section of Purley Way was the first highway in the UK to benefit from sodium street lighting in 1932, which was extended in 1936 with lights often strung over the centre of the road.(Estate agents in Waddon)
In more modern times, Waddon is home to the South London Pirates, one of the most successful teams in British Baseball who play at Roundshaw. The internet sensation Big Shaq, a comedian and presenter lives in Waddon. His fame increased when he released a single, Man’s Not Hot, in 2017, followed by another popular song, ‘Man Don’t Dance’.(Estate agents in Waddon)
Property Types in Waddon
Waddon has a good selection of 19th-century properties, which extend towards central Croydon. In the south of the district is a large estate of council-owned and non-council owned homes with a few small tower blocks.
The average price for property in Waddon currently stands at £373,231* Flats in Waddon sold for an average of £261,460 and terraced homes for £374,844. The average monthly rental price in Waddon is £1,568*.
Demographics in Waddon
In the 2011 Census, the population of Waddon was 17,077**, and the average age of the people in Waddon was 35.
Schools and Colleges in Waddon
There are many primary schools in and near Waddon, some of which have an Ofsted grading of ‘Outstanding’, including Chestnut Park Primary School and Harris Primary Academy. Also with this grading are Park Hill Infant School and St Elphege’s RC Infant School.(Estate agents in Waddon)
Secondary education is exceptionally well provided for, with Wilson’s School, and Wallington County Grammar School both awarded an ‘Outstanding’ rating from Ofsted. Wallington High School for Girls and the John Fisher school are both graded ‘Good’.(Estate agents in Waddon)
There are two independent schools near Waddon, the Whitgift School, a private school for boys aged 10-18 and the Old Palace of John Whitgift School, a girl’s school starting at nursery age and going all the way through to sixth form.
There are two schools for children with special needs, the Link Primary School and Carew Academy, which takes older children from 7-18.
Local Attractions Near Waddon
Wandle Park is an 8.5-hectare park that opened in 1890. This is a well-maintained park with the River Wandle running through it, a community garden and a traditional bandstand. There is also a children’s playground, sandpit and plenty of cycle paths.
Waddon Ponds, once mill ponds, are an oasis of peace and tranquillity with plenty of opportunities to sit and relax and enjoy spotting Little Grebes, swans and Coot.
For a great view, head to Addington Hills, where the viewing platform affords a spectacular view across Croydon towards London. On a clear day, you can see Epping Forest to the east of the city and even the turrets of Windsor Castle to the west.
For aviation history, visit Croydon Airport, Britain’s major international airport in 1920 and gateway to the world. The Grade II* listed Airport House is situated on Purley Way and shows the world’s first modern airport terminal and air traffic control tower. There is a small visitor centre and a museum.
Shopping Facilities and Leisure in Waddon
There are multiple shopping options in Waddon on Purley Way with big names like John Lewis, Sainsbury’s, Curry’s PC World and IKEA. Head into Croydon for the Whitgift and Centrale Centre, which was the largest covered shopping area in Greater London until Westfield opened at White City in 2008. This centre offers a mixture of high street favourites and independent retailers but is soon to be replaced with new development. The proposed billion pound Westfield and Hammerson shopping and leisure development is part of Croydon’s regeneration project and will replace the Whitgift and Centrale shopping centre with a retail complex, a bowling alley, cafes, restaurants and a cinema.
For movie buffs, there is a Vue Cinema in Hesterman Way, and theatre-goers are catered for by the famous Fairfield Halls, a long-standing arts and entertainment venue which first opened in 1962 and has recently undergone a £30 million makeover.
The Waddon Leisure Centre is situated at Fiveways Junction with a 65-station gym, 25-metre swimming pool, a learner pool, a sports hall and a cafe. For trampoline fun for all the family, Oxygen Freejumping runs a trampoline park in the Colonades, Purley Way, with over 100 trampolines. For something closer to the ground, visit Traq Motor Racing Circuit, the only karting track in Croydon for racing fun for all the family, including children as young as five.
Pubs and Restaurants in Waddon
For some of the best Indo-Chinese cuisine in London, visit the Imperial Lounge and Restaurant, which offers fusion dining at its very best. Try Little Bay restaurant with tasty French and modern European dishes in a bistro-style environment for something cosy and intimate. Little Bay have an eclectic music offering with live opera performed on Wednesday to Friday evenings and country music on Saturdays.
Pub goers will not be disappointed, try The Hope, a community-owned pub with seven real ale pumps and voted CAMRA Greater London Pub of the Year 2019. The Sun pub is located next to Carshalton Ponds with a lovely garden and a vegan menu that includes vegan roast on Sundays.
Upcoming Developments in Waddon
Plans for a 126-home development in Waddon were given approval by Croydon Council. This is to develop the unoccupied land block at Duppas Hill Road and will include 30% affordable housing plus a new secondary school.
The Ikon is a new development of homes in Purley Way with open plan 1, 2, 3 and 4-bedroom apartments in contemporary styling. Many of the flats have balconies, and there is a landscaped area for communal use for the residents. Indus Court in Epsom Road is a small development near Waddon station with a selection of 1-bedroom flats all finished to a high specification.
https://heavenestateagents.co.uk/area/
Travel Connections from Waddon
Waddon railway station is on the line between West Croydon station and Epsom Downs and Sutton, and the service is operated by Southern trains. It is located in Travelcard Zone 5 and is 11 miles from London Bridge which takes around 20 minutes and a similar length of time to reach Epsom Downs in the opposite direction.
There are regular bus services into Central Croydon from Purley Way, and Tramlink stops at Waddon Marsh and Wandle Park with connections to Beckenham and Wimbledon.
Heathrow Airport is accessible by train from Croydon with a journey time of just under 40 minutes, and Gatwick Airport takes less than half an hour.
http://waddon.localstats.co.uk/censusdemographics/england/london/croydon/waddon
