Addiscombe is an area of south London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon. It is located south of Charing Cross, and is situated north of Coombe and Selsdon, east of Croydon town centre, south of Woodside, and west of Shirley.

Etymology

Addiscombe as a place name is thought to be Anglo-Saxon in origin, meaning "Eadda or Æddi's estate", from an Anglo-Saxon personal name, and the word camp, meaning an enclosed area in Old English. The same Anglo-Saxon land-owner may have given his name to Addington, around two miles to the south.

History

First mentioned in the 13th century, Addiscombe formed part of Croydon Manor, and was known as enclosed land belonging to Eadda. The area was a rural and heavily wooded area for much of its history. Its main industries were farming and brick-making, clay deposits at Woodside providing the raw materials for the latter.

During the Tudor period, Addiscombe was a large country estate and the seat of the Heron family. Sir Nicholas Heron died there in 1568 and was interred at his family's chapel at Croydon Minster.

The estate passed through several owners until 1650 when it was sold to Sir Purbeck Temple, a member of the Privy Council in the time of Charles II. After the death of Sir Purbeck in 1695 and his wife Dame Sarah Temple in 1700, the estate passed to Dame Sarah's nephew, William Draper, who was married to the daughter of the famous diarist, John Evelyn.

Addiscombe Place

In 1703, Addiscombe Place was built for William Draper to Sir John Vanbrugh's design.

John Evelyn recorded in his Diary, "I went to Adscomb on 11 July 1703 to see my son-in-law’s new house. It has excellent brickwork and Portland stone features, that I pronounced it good solid architecture, and one of the very best gentlemen's houses in Surrey." Distinguished guests who stayed at the mansion include George III, William Pitt the Elder and Peter the Great of Russia. Peter the Great was reputed to have planted a cedar tree in Mulberry Lane to record his visit.

During the 18th century Addiscombe Place was successively the home to The Lord Talbot, The Lord Grantham and lastly The Earl of Liverpool, who died there in 1808.

Addiscombe Military Seminary

thumb|right|[[Addiscombe Military Seminary, photographed c.1859, with cadets in the foreground]]

In 1809, Emelius Ratcliffe sold Addiscombe Place to the British East India Company for £15,500, whereupon it became a military academy known as the Addiscombe Military Seminary.

Modern Addiscombe

Much of the land remaining in the area after the initial Victorian-era had been infilled with smaller housing developments by the 1930s.

Rail

Addiscombe railway station, located around 500 metres west of Addiscombe's main shopping parade, closed in 1997 following the withdrawal of services from Elmers End.The station building was later demolished and replaced by housing (as East India Way). Part of the trackbed between Woodside and Addiscombe railway stations is now Addiscombe Railway Park. Bingham Road station also formerly served the area; it was located roughly where Addiscombe tram stop now is, before closing in 1983. The former rail station featured in the opening scenes of the 1961 Tony Hancock film The Rebel.

Notable people

  • Frederick George Creed (1871-1957), electrical engineer and an inventor of the teleprinter, who lived at 20 Outram Road where an English Heritage Blue Plaque commemorates him.
  • R. F. Delderfield (1912–1972), writer & dramatist lived at 22 Ashburton Avenue, Addiscombe from 1918 to 1923 (commemorated with a plaque). His "Avenue" series is based on his life in Addiscombe & Shirley Park, and many of his works were adapted for television.
  • Matthew Fisher, organist of Procol Harum, was born in Addiscombe.
  • D. H. Lawrence (1885–1930), author, lived at 12 Colworth Road, Addiscombe from 1908 to 1912 whilst teaching at Davidson Road School; the house commemorates him with a plaque.
  • Paul Nihill, Olympic medallist who won a silver medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics for the 50 km walk; Nihill Place is named for him.
  • Adam Pearson, British actor.
  • David Prowse (1 July 1935 – 28 November 2020) actor who played Darth Vader lived in Addiscombe.
  • William Harris Rule (1802–1890), British Methodist missionary and writer, died in Addiscombe.
  • Betty Westgate MBE (1919 – 2000), founder of Breast Cancer Care, lived at 1 Colworth Road (commemorated with a plaque).

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File:Our Lady of the Annunciation Church, Addiscombe - geograph.org.uk - 1192517.jpg|Our Lady of the Annunciation RC Church, Bingham Road, Addiscombe

File:Addiscombe_shops.jpg|Lower Addiscombe Road shopping parade, looking east from the tram stop

File:Sandilands_crash_memorial.jpg|Memorial to the victims of the Sandilands tram crash

File:Addiscombe_Farm_Cottage.jpg|A 17th-century farm cottage on Addiscombe Road, listed at grade II

File:Ashleigh Addiscombe Road.JPG|Ashleigh House, one of the few remnants of the formerly extensive Military Seminary

File:Oval Tavern, Croydon, CR0 (6924846420).jpg|The Oval Tavern pub, Oval Road

</gallery>

References

  • ASPRA: Addiscombe and Shirley Park Residents' Association
  • H.O.M.E. Residents' Association
  • Canning and Clyde Road Residents' Association