Croham Hurst Woods are an ancient woodland situated in the middle of suburbian South Croydon, Surrey. What’s interesting is that the entire woodland covers quite a steep hill which dwells Late Mesolithic Settlements. Neolithic flint tools have also been found and show that settlement continued into the later Stone Age. Bronze age Burials known as Barrows that date from around 2100 BC have been excavated right at the top of it and is considered a nationally important archaeological site. Stone plaques locate where the round barrows and settlements were discovered.
According to acheology it was common practice of ancient Brythonic tribes to consider hills as sacred for sun worshipping and funerary rituals so it makes sense that settlement ruins and barrows have been excavated here. This woodland hasn’t changed much for thousands of years, when you walk here it’s like stepping into a time warp imagining how the entire area of Croydon and London will have looked during the Mesolithic period, it’s quite breath-taking.
As well as being a site of archeological importance it is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The woods consist of hazel, beech, oak, wood anemones, wavy hair-grass, ferns, heather, wild strawberry, garlic and bilberry and covers 35 hectares. The hill is formed of Thanet Sand with chalk and black heath pebble beds. Parrokeets and crows populate these woods, alongside grey squirrels, wood pigeons, foxes and even Roe deer.
It’s quite an enchanting place with extremely old, beautifully crooked trees, beds of bluebell, lily of the valley, St John’s wort and even spikenard. Sitting on a bench at the very top, overlooking the city below during sunset is exceedingly peaceful.
This is quite the hidden gem within the London area as green spaces in a concrete metropolis are few and Croham Hurst woods is unusual, primordial and a wild haven to escape citylife for a spell.
