A look around Croydon before it gets the Westfield ‘makeover’ http://thecroydonpartnership.com/.
At the moment it makes Reading, by comparison, look good! Croydon certainly
needs an uplift although it does have plenty of busy shops it’s under pressure
from other shopping centres and the demise of Alders has not helped.
There are some quite interesting building facades above the
shop fronts, such as above W H Smith a good frontage probably dating from the
1920/30’s period when WHS architects were producing stylish buildings such as
in Winchester (see my previous blog). WHS shops are now sadly lacking.
The Whitgift Hospital (Built 1596-9, restored by Butterfield
in 1860)looks very out of place, other buildings of note being the church of St
John the Baptist (mainly 1870 by G G Scott) and the splendid Victorian church
of St Michael and all Angels (1885 by J L Pearson). I could not get into either of these on my
visit which was disappointing.
Probably the only other outstanding architecture in the town
centre are the Municipal Buildings (1892-96 by Charles Henman) with a prominent
clock tower and grade 11 listed War Memorial (James Burford Architect with Paul
Montford Sculptor, unveiled 22 Oct 1922).
