Addington, London

Addington
St Mary's Church
Addington  Addington shown within Greater London
OS grid reference	TQ375645
– Charing Cross	11.1 mi (17.9 km)  NNW
London borough	Croydon
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	CROYDON & SOUTH CROYDON
Postcode district	CR0 & CR2
Dialling code	01689
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Croydon Central
London Assembly	Croydon and Sutton
List of places UK England London

Addington is an area of South London, England, located in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated 11.1 miles (18 km) south south-east of Charing Cross.

History

Addington Palace

In ancient days named Edintona, then Eddintone. The village lay within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Wallington hundred. Addington is thought to be named after Edda, a Saxon. In the Domesday Book, two manors are mentioned, linked with the names Godric and Osward.

Addington Place, later known as Addington Farm and now called Addington Palace, dominates the village above the church of St Mary the Blessed Virgin Church and the 'Cricketers' pub. The manor house was situated behind the church and was the residence of the Leigh family. From this Leigh family, Pamela, Countess Mountbatten is descended. There is an oft repeated, but false account of a royal hunting lodge, "where King Henry VIII supposedly wooed Anne Boleyn, whose family owned nearby Wickham Court" by West Wickham Parish Church. However Anne Boleyn of Wickham Court was the aunt of Queen Anne.

The Palladian mansion was built in the mid-18th century by Barlow Trecothick, from Boston, Massachusetts in the United States, who returned to England and became an MP and Lord Mayor of the City of London. After his death without heirs, his nephew James Ivers (later Trecothick), also of Boston, continued his uncle's work and had the grounds laid out by Lancelot Brown. The estate was sold and eventually, as Croydon Palace became too inconvenient and unsanitary, the Addington house and part of the estate was bought for the Archbishops of Canterbury as a country residence. The last Archbishop to use it was Archbishop Benson.

In the 20th century, technological advances and population growth in the region led to many changes in the way of life for people in Addington. At the beginning of the century, Addington was in the county of Surrey, which had established urban and rural districts to provide services matched to the needs of the differing communities. The parish of Addington was transferred to Godstone Rural District on abolition of Croydon Rural District in 1915. Subsequently Addington parish was absorbed by the County Borough of Croydon in 1925. Since 1965 the county borough has been part of the London Borough of Croydon within highly urbanized Greater London, which ended over 900 years of administration by the county of Surrey.

There are still several old houses and buildings in Addington and, even though there has been some fairly modern building, the village atmosphere is intact in the 21st century, despite its being in Greater London. There is a blacksmith's forge, still mainly making ornamental ironwork. The hunt used to meet outside the pub, The Cricketers which has reverted to its former name once again after a temporary change of name. The village co-operative store and post office is now a private house.

The book, "Addington: A History" was written by Frank Warren, and published by Phillimore & Company in 1984.

St Mary the Blessed Virgin Church

The church of St Mary the Blessed Virgin Church, built in 1080, in Addington village was once the only church when it was the centre of a larger parish then incorporating Shirley. Now the church ministers to the people living in the more immediate vicinity that includes Addington village, the southern elevation of and escarpment running down from the Addington Hills, the residences along Fieldway on the northernmost part of the New Addington estate, Addington and Forestdale.

It has an 11th-century chancel and windows. The south aisle, built in the early 13th century, is narrow as it once had a thatched roof, hence its falling roofline. The belltower assumed its current form in 1876. The church tower has a belfry with 6 bells, the earliest probably dating from 1380 as well as two 17th Century bells. The bells were restored in 1957. The chancel was richly decorated in 1898 in memory of Archbishop Benson.

The crypt is now inaccessible, but the church is the burial place of a Lord Mayor of the City of London, the armigerous Leigh family who were Lords of the manor, and five of the six Archbishops of Canterbury who spent time at their residence nearby of Addington Palace. The Archbishops interred at St Mary's are:

• Archbishop Charles Manners-Sutton – Died 1828 (buried in a vault under the vestry).
• Archbishop William Howley – Died 1848 (buried in the chancel).
• Archbishop John Bird Sumner – Died 1862 (buried in the churchyard).
• Archbishop Charles Longley – Died 1868 (buried in the churchyard).
• Archbishop Archibald Campbell Tait – Died 1882 (buried in churchyard).

There is also a memorial to the Archbishops in the graveyard.

Addington Cricket Club

Further information: Addington Cricket Club

The cricket field is one of the oldest in England and still used. Its famous players at the time were Tom Faulkner, Joe Harris, John Harris, George Jackson and the enigmatic batsman Durling.

External links

• Addington in the Domesday Book