Ка́лсдон: история и названия

Town in south London, England

Coulsdon ('/k//uː//l//z//d//ən/, traditionally pronounced '/k//oʊ//l//z//d//ən/) is a town in south London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon. Coulsdon was an ancient parish in the county of Surrey that included the settlements of Purley and Kenley. It was merged with Sanderstead in 1915 to form the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District and has formed part of Greater London since 1965.

The Hall family had been active in the Croydon area as coal and lime merchants since the 18th. In 1853 they leased an area of land in Coulsdon. In 1864 they closed their quarries at Merstham and increased their quarrying for chalk and flints and use of lime kilns in Coulsdon. This quarry at Coulsdon (Marlpit Lane) was named the 'Stoats Nest Quarry'. The works had its own internal railway system which connected to nearby main lines. In 1898, the Hall family were refused permission (by their landlord) to build cement works on the Coulsdon site. The lime principally supplied for waterworks, gas works and tanneries. Demand reduced in 1902 when the Army changed from leather to webbing equipment. And in 1905 there was no longer demand from the gasworks. Between 1905 and 1910 chalk was supplied for the Halls' cement works at Beddington. In 1905, 13,000 tons of chalk were sent by rail from Coulsdon. In 1920, the Hall company purchased 102 acres from their landlord, Byron. This offered their full benefit of the railways and kilns on the land. Halls maintained a trading depot in the Marlpit Lane quarry from 1923. It was named the "Ullswater trading estate". The limeworks closed in 1961, and a park now lies in its place. Additional variations include Curedesdone 675, Cudredesdone 675, Cudredesdune 967, Coulsdon 1083, Colesdone 1085, Culesdon 1234, Culisdon 1242, Cudredestreow 1251, Cullesdon 1266, Colesdene 1287, Colesdon 1290, Colesdun 1290, Culesdon 1291, Culesden 1292, Colieston 1324, Coulesden 1326, Coueleston 1332, Colisdon 1344, Culeston 1346, Cullysdon 1377, Cullisdoun 1403, Cullesdoun 1422, Culledon 1424, Colynsdon 1428, Collesdon 1439, Culsdon 1446, Cowlesdon 1539, Collesden 1544, Cowlesdowne 1553, Cullesdoy 1556, Colsdon 1558, Cowlesden 1558, Cullesden 1558, Cowllysdon 1567, Cowisden 1618, Coulsden 1619, Cowsdon 1620, Coolsden 1650, Coulesden 1650, Coilsoun 1655, Coulden 1655. The widely accepted origin of the name is ‘hill of a man called Cūthrǣd’, (from OE pers. name + dūn, a hill). Alternatively the name originates from the Celtic or primitive Welsh "cull", meaning a leather bag, scrotum, bosom, womb or belly. The current town centre appears as Leydown Cross (1738) or Leaden Cross (1800) and Smitham Bottom. In 1905, the parish council, and then the Post Office renamed "Smitham bottom" as "Coulsdon". The name "Smitham Bottom" has also changed. Smetheden (1331), Smithdenbottom (1536), Smythedean(e)(1548), Smythden Bottom (1588), Smitham Bottom (1719)

Coulsdon was an ancient parish in the county of Surrey that included the settlements of Purley and Kenley. In 1894 it became part of Croydon Rural District. The population of the parish had almost doubled between 1901 and 1911. In 1915 the rural district was split up and Coulsdon was merged with Sanderstead to form the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District. In 1965 Coulsdon and Purley became part of the London Borough of Croydon in Greater London.

Coulsdon is a largely suburban district of London. The central area has substantial industrial, automotive and distribution services, convenience, standard socialising and niche retail as well as local professions of a typical town in the country, by its main road and main railway stations: Coulsdon South and Coulsdon Town. The alternate centre, Old Coulsdon, has a recreation ground/cricket pitch focused village green, a much smaller parade of shops than Coulsdon's high street between Coulsdon South and Town stations and a medieval church. London's 'Brighton Road', locally the official name, and the railways, served by both semi fast and stopping services, give Smitham Bottom/Valley a bustling, busier setting for economic life.

Old Coulsdon occupies the south east of the district. Scattered, rather than clustered, are six buildings listed for their national heritage and architectural value, at Grade II. Two categories above this, in the highest class, Grade I, is the Church of St John the Evangelist. This is by the recreation ground, shortly after Marlpit Lane has been joined by Coulsdon Road, from the north. St John's is late thirteenth century with extensive later additions, made of flint and rubble with much brick patching. Its nave spans two (window) bays. Older still is its "good" chancel of 1250 with stepped sedilia and piscina. The west tower above the entrance is of circa 1400 with corner buttresses and a tapering broach spire. A nave at right angles, replacing the south aisle, in decorated style, was designed for its 1958 construction by J. B. S. Comper.

This neighbourhood is a loosely defined residential part of Coulsdon, equally on undulating ground.

This area forms the area of the former buildings and grounds of Cane Hill Hospital; there had been proposals to expand this again in the late 1990s, but these were delayed and then cancelled. An approved development of the former site of Cane Hill Hospital by Barratt Developments and David Wilson Homes, an associated organisation, gained planning permission, and started in about 2015, with intent to create over six hundred new dwellings. In 2013, Barratt published a Public Consultation document and report of feedback. Some residents protested concerns relating to the likely effect on local infrastructure, including access routes, the proposed mix of housing, transport, notably road traffic, and the provision of educational services. In 2016 planning application approvals were finalised and the development of 677 homes on the 210 acre site was later completed in November, 2021.

In 1883, to prevent further loss of Common lands arising from the Inclosure Acts, the Corporation of London (under provisions of the Corporation of London (Open Spaces) Act, 1878), purchased from Squire Byron (Lord of the Manor of Coulsdon) Farthing Downs, Coulsdon Common and Kenley Common, to add to the earlier purchase of Riddlesdown Common. Rickman Hill Park is the highest public park in London, at 155 metres above sea level. A memorial park and recreation ground was purchased from the Byrons by Coulsdon and Purley Urban District Council and Hall & Co Ltd in 1920, it was opened in 1921. The London Loop footpath passes through Happy Valley and Farthing Downs between Hamsey Green and Banstead. The Coulsdon section was the first of the 24 to be opened. Grange Park was obtained partly by Public Subscription but mostly by Coulsdon and Purley Urban District Council in 1929 from the owners of the Coulsdon Court Golf Course. The land was sold for use as an open space or pleasure and recreation ground. Grange Park was formerly part of Squire Byrons Coulsdon Court Estate. Grange Park is situated in a designated conservation area in the heart of Old Coulsdon and incorporates a children's play area and recreational green space. In total, Grange Park represents local green space of around 8 acres.

Athletics: The Old Coulsdon Hash House Harriers (or "OCH3") is a local hashing group. Gordon Pirie (1931–1991), an English long distance runner lived in Coulsdon and was a member of South London Harriers, one of the oldest and most successful athletics club in Britain. The club has been based in Coulsdon since 1913, and remains there to this day. The club competes in cross country, road running and track and field events, and trains from its Coulsdon HQ three times a week. The club has been heavily involved in recent years in building an eight lane all weather running track at Woodcote School. It also has an active and successful triathlon section. Bare knuckle boxing fights were held at Smitham Bottom. Records exist of fights in 1788 and 1792. Bowls has been played at the Marlpit Lane Recreation Ground since the 1920s. A separate team played at the Ashdown Park Hotel. Chess has been played from 1949. Old Coulsdon had one of the first cricket clubs in the world, founded in 1762. It was one of the strongest teams in the country in the late 18th and early 19th century and once boasted eight England internationals, as well as a young Stuart Surridge. The club was possibly the first to use three stumps and two bails and frequently played matches on the most famous early cricket grounds such as Mitcham, and later in Grange Park in the village. In 1995 falling player numbers forced the club to merge with the nearby Redhill Cricket Club, playing at the Ring on Earlswood Common in the Earlswood neighbourhood of Redhill as Redhill & Old Coulsdon Cricket Club. Cricket was originally played at 'Smitham Bottom' opposite the Red Lion. The first archived results come from a games was played in 1731 (Surrey vs East Grinstead). A 'Cricket Shed' appears in Smitham Bottom as a fixed building in a map of 1785. In the 1880s, this area became was built over, and the club moved to Old Coulsdon. From the 1920s, cricket was played at The Memorial Gardens. A cycling group meets at the Temperance Hotel. Coulsdon United Football Club participated in the Combined Counties League. Golf is played at Woodcote Park Golf Club (since 1920) and at Coulsdon Manor. Green bowls is available next door. Ashdown Park Golf Club (now defunct) was founded in 1912. The club did not appear following WW1. Horse riding is available on the downs. Coulsdon has wide and long pavements and indoor cafés from which to watch any of the London Brighton rallies (vintage cars, minis, Land Rovers, vintage commercial vehicles, motorbikes, cycling etc.). Hunting meetings of the Old Surrey Foxhounds were held at the Red Lion from 1735 until 1908. In 1915, the hunt merged with Old Surrey Burstow and West Kent Hunt. Rugby Union: Purley John Fisher Rugby Football Club at Parsons Pightle, Old Coulsdon. Chipstead Rugby CLub play locally at The Meads, Chipstead, offering mini, youth, adult social and adult league rugby. The Coulsdon Martial Arts Club] (also known as Yoshin Ryu) is long established. Yoshin Ryu was originally started in the late seventies as a collection of clubs based in youth centres and sports halls around the Croydon area run by founder and senior coach Errol Field, 7th dan Judo, 5th dan Karate (Shotokan), 6th dan jujitsu. Coulsdon Martial Arts is on the site of what was originally a 'tin' church built by the Roman Catholic Church in 1916. The church building located on this site was purchased in the mid 1990s and converted into a full time dojo and club HQ. The club president is Mr Brian Jacks – 10th Dan Judo, Olympic Judo medallist, holder of several European and World Judo titles. His bronze medal from the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich was donated to the club and can be seen on display in the foyer. Theatre Workshop Coulsdon branched out of the Croydon Youth Theatre Organisation in 1970. It is based at the Coulsdon Community Centre on Chipstead Valley Road. The Memorial Gardens has an adventure park, crazy golf, basketball, tennis, cricket and, in the summer, 'beach games' and events organised by the café. Grange Park in Old Coulsdon has a playground, and football pitches. Rickman Hill Park hosts football, and has a children's playground, a zip wire, and tennis courts that were refurbished in 2009.