Parks and playgrounds directory

Location

Sanderstead, junction of Limpsfield Road and Onslow Road. 

Area

3 1/2 acres 1.42 hectares.

Facilities

• Small pond set in grass area

History

The area around the pond and church once constituted Sanderstead Village, until in 1799 the squire added the village green to his park, a process of enclosure that went on in Sanderstead during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.  

Sanderstead Pond is almost certainly fed by rain water and not a spring and was dug hundreds of years ago to serve passers‐by and livestock.  It must have been passed by many pilgrims on their way to Canterbury having stopped at Croydon Parish Church and travelled via Pilgrims Way, Croham Hurst.  

In 1958‐60 Sanderstead Archaeological Group excavated in the vicinity of the pond and found traces of a 17th century lodge‐house and further digging revealed the presence of man as far back as the Mesolithic Period, nearly 12000 years ago.  Pottery fragments dated between 100 AD ‐ 1300 AD, a bronze belt‐end of saxon era was also found.  

The water level in the pond is subject to fluctuation throughout the year and the gradual increase in both silt and vegetation also aggravates the problem.  Therefore, the pond is cleaned on a regular basis and rubbish, certain varieties of water plants and silt are removed.  

One old resident recalled a very cold winter in 1894/95 when the pond froze right over.  " The frost set in on Christmas 1894 and it went on until March the next year.  Altogether we had about ten weeks of frost and I used to spend most of my time sliding over Sanderstead pond....The farm boys of those days all wore hob nailed boots, and they were a wonderful sort of boots for making a good slide.  All the farm boys in the district used to come to the pond, when they were free, and we used to have these slides right across the pond".  

Behind the pond is an area of grass and mature trees known as the Gruffy.