[Heavers Meadow (Fotopic).] <More photos>

Heavers Meadow lies in Selhurst / South Norwood and is actually very close to Addiscombe though you have to go over the borders to get to it. It falls very firmly into the 'open space' category as it is a flood meadow for the Norbury Brook with a footpath running through it. Rather infuriatingly the footpath is only well laid about two thirds of the way into the meadow from the Selhurst Road end and then is just a rough gravel path up to Tennison Road.

The Norbury Brook runs in a fenced off culvert on the south side of the site appearing from under the railway lines and then disappearing under Selhurst Road. The brook is part of the surface water drainage system and when there is heavy rain the water level can rise several feet in a matter of minutes. There are overflow channels feeding into ponds in the meadow. The meadow should be regarded as a risky place to be at these times.

It is only really the stretch alongside the Norbury Brook that is a flood meadow with a number of ponds and channels. You would probably describe the areas off the footpath as being marshy grassland and you get trees such as weeping willows and plants such as irises and rushes. The stretch up to Tennison Road is just really an open space with a few trees.

Location

Heavers Meadow runs in a crescent shape roughly south-easterly from Selhurst Road, a little to the north of Selhurst station, and then turns north-easterly towards Tennison Road where there is a gate onto an access road to Heavers Farm Primary School. One side of the site is bordered by Selhurst Depot, with a large part of the other side being allotments. Apparently only the Selhurst Road gate is locked at night.

History

Apparently Heavers Meadow and the adjacent allotments came into the possession of the then Croydon Corporation in 1935. They were previously owned by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and it is required that the land be kept in use as public open space or allotments.

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