upright=1.3|right|thumb|Part of South Norwood Country Park. In the background can be seen the aerials of the [[Croydon transmitting station to the left and the Crystal Palace transmitting station to the right.]]upright=1.3|right|thumb|Looking WSW across the park from Elmers End Road.
South Norwood Country Park is a park in South Norwood, close to Elmers End and Birkbeck train stations. The historic Kent-Surrey border runs through the site, and since 1965 it has been located wholly in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a 47 hectare (116 acre) green space which opened in 1989. The park is a mix of countryside and parkland, and land formerly used for sewage farms serving the growing London population.
Croydon Sports Arena, the home of Croydon F.C., is on the south-eastern edge of the park. There is also a car park and visitor centre, and a duck pond similar to the one at South Norwood Lake.
History
The site that is now known as South Norwood Country Park has undergone many changes in its long and chequered history, from the days of the Great North Wood to ancient moated house, sewage farm, farming, the war years, civil defence, allotments, wasteland, highways, refuse dump and now the Country Park.
La Motes medieval moated site
thumb|right|The site of the moat, now heavily overgrown and hard to make out
The Park was the location of a medieval moated manor, the site of which is a scheduled monument. An archaeological excavation was carried out in 1972 by Lillian Thornhill on behalf of the Croydon Natural History & Scientific Society in an attempt to ascertain the age of the double-sided moat shown on the Thomas Morley estate map of 1736 with the name La Motes.
Playground
The playground at South Norwood Country Park has been rebuilt since it was shut down in 2006 due to health and safety issues.
During 2008 Croydon Council constructed a lottery-funded playground in a large space which was formerly part of the pitch and putt course. The equipment is intended for children aged 4 to 14.
Wildlife
With a wide range of different habitats, the country park is a haven for wildlife and an important site for nature conservation. It is a Local Nature Reserve.
Many wetlands and ponds in Britain have become polluted or have disappeared, leaving the plants and animals that like wet conditions with fewer places to live. The Dragonfly Pond was built to encourage dragonflies and damselflies, and many other plants and animals such as frogs, toads and newts can be found there too. In the summer months the blue and green Emperor Dragonfly, the largest dragonfly in Britain, can be found there.
South Norwood Country Park has an excellent bird record with over 100 different species being sighted each year. The large wetlands in particular attract a wide variety of birds.
See also
- List of parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Croydon