Duppas Hill

Centuries ago, this park was used for tournaments — until 1286 when Lord William de Warenne was, allegedly, killed treacherously in a joust. In later times, the park was a well-known cricket venue and also the site of the Croydon workhouse, until it moved to Thornton Heath in 1866.

Purchased by the Croydon Board of Health in 1865, Duppas Hill became Croydon’s first recreation ground, laid out with paths, a bandstand, pavilion and a drinking fountain, which survives to this day.

The park found another place in the history books on the eve of the 1926 General Strike, when a mass rally of trade unionists was held in the grounds. In the Second World War, it hosted a baseball match between Canadian and American troops.

Today, it is a well-used open space and cricket is still played here.