Why visit Kenley
Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks, 36 parks and trails, 88 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 6 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Croydon Flyover, Fairfield Halls, Croydon War Memorial and Museum of Croydon.
Weather in Kenley
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About Kenley
Kenley is a residential suburb within the London Borough of Croydon. It is located 13 miles (21 km) south of Charing Cross and within the southern boundary of London, England. Surrounded by the Metropolitan Green Belt on three sides, it includes the large open spaces of Kenley Common and Kenley Aerodrome. Kenley was part of the ancient parish of Coulsdon in the county of Surrey and was connected to central London by rail in 1856.
From the Wikipedia article Kenley (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do6
Fairfield Halls
Cinema and theater · 3.2 mi
Arts, entertainment and conference centre in Croydon, London
The Spread Eagle Theatre
Cinema and theater · 3.2 mi
Pub theatre above the Spread Eagle pub in Croydon, London, England
Warehouse Theatre
Cinema and theater · 3.4 mi
Former theatre in Croydon, London, England
Ashcroft Theatre
Cinema and theater · 3.2 mi
Theatre within the Fairfield Halls, Croydon, London, England
Museums and landmarks9
Croydon War Memorial
Monument and historic site · 3.2 mi
War memorial in London
Museum of Croydon
Museum · 3.2 mi
Local and social history museum in Croydon, London
Promenade de Verdun War Memorial
Monument and historic site · 1.7 mi
War memorial in Croydon, London
Parks, trails and playgrounds36
Coombe Wood
Park · 2.9 mi
Woodland and garden area in the London Borough of Croydon
Cotelands
Park · 3.1 mi
Small park near Park Hill, managed by the London Borough of Croydon
Croham Hurst
Park · 2.0 mi
Woodland in Croydon, Greater London, England, United Kingdom
Duppas Hill
Park · 2.8 mi
Hill and park in the London Borough of Croydon, England, UK
24 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes88
The Med Kitchen
Restaurant · Mediterranean · 1.2 mi
39 Limpsfield Road, South Croydon
Mo-Sa 12:00-23:00; Su 12:00-22:00
Costa
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.2 mi
25 Limpsfield Road, South Croydon
Mo-Fr 06:30-18:00; Sa 07:00-18:00; Su 08:00-17:30
Maple Restaurant
Restaurant · 1.2 mi
29-31 Limpsfield Road, South Croydon
Mo off; Tu-Th 08:00-22:00; Fr 08:00-23:00; Sa 09:00-23:00; Su 09:00-18:00
Costa
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.0 mi
8 Purley Road, Purley
Mo-Fr 07:00-19:00; Sa 08:00-17:00; Su 10:00-16:00
76 more on the map.
History
Kenley was a hamlet in the ancient parish Coulsdon in the county of Surrey. In 1894 the Coulsdon parish became part of Croydon Rural District. Responding to the increase in population in the area, the rural district was broken up in 1915 and the parish of Coulsdon became part of Coulsdon and Purley Urban District. Coulsdon and Purley was incorporated into Greater London in 1965 and became part of the London Borough of Croydon.
For centuries, Kenley was part of Coulsdon Manor which covered the whole area now known as Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon, Purley and Kenley. As with most of this area, Kenley was primarily farm land, with a few big houses and their estates.
The official opening of the railway on 4 August 1856 transformed Kenley. The new railway prompted urban development. By the end of the Victorian era, Kenley had assumed its own identity. Magnificent gentlemen's houses in substantial grounds were constructed during the 1860s. These houses gave Kenley its distinctive appearance on its western hillside. More modest housing and shops were built along the Godstone Road in the 1880s. Finally, the compact housing of the lower lying Roke area was constructed toward the end of the 19th century.
All Saints' Church, now a Grade II listed building, was built in 1870, and enlarged in 1897 and 1902. In 1888, Kenley was created as a parish in its own right.
Read more of the history
One of Kenley's landmark buildings is the Memorial Hall. It was opened in 1922 to commemorate those who gave their lives in the First World War. It was subsequently extended and re-opened by Group Captain Douglas Bader in 1975.
RAF Kenley was a strategic airfield in the Battle of Britain. Given RAF Kenley's importance, the Luftwaffe attempted to destroy it by means of a massive bombing raid on 18 August 1940. The attacking Luftwaffe aircraft suffered heavy casualties during the raid. Despite some damage to the airfield and the surrounding buildings and homes, this bombing raid proved unsuccessful. By the following day, RAF Kenley was operational again.
Kenley airfield plays a unique and important role in Britain’s history. As the UK’s most complete surviving Battle of Britain fighter airfield, it gives us a direct and tangible link to our aviation past. As an active airfield today, it builds on that heritage, whilst the surrounding environs provide visitors with a site of nature conservation and a protected public open space. The National Lottery funded Kenley Revival Project enables people to connect with, and take ownership of, a vital part of British history.
Hammond Innes' book Attack Alarm was based on his experiences as a Royal Artillery anti-aircraft gunner at RAF Kenley during the Battle of Britain. It contains graphic descriptions of the station and attacks on it in 1940.
In the post-war period, many of the substantial Victorian properties with their extensive grounds were developed for executive housing. In 1959, Kenley was closed as an operational base of the RAF. Today, the aerodrome is used exclusively by the gliders of the Air Training Corps (615 Volunteer Gliding Squadron) and the Surrey Hills Gliding Club.
From the History section of Kenley on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Kenley
Geography
Kenley is located 13 miles (21 km) south of Charing Cross and adjacent to the Greater London boundary. It is situated south of Purley, east of Coulsdon and west of Sanderstead. It is almost completely surrounded by the Metropolitan Green Belt, forming part of a finger of urban development that extends into Surrey to include Caterham and Whyteleafe to the south. The south of the area is dominated by the open green spaces of Kenley Common and Kenley Aerodrome.
From the Wikipedia article Kenley, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Kenley
Peter CushingBritish actor (1913–1994)Photo: Hammer films, Public domain
Ray MearsBritish woodsman, author and television presenterPhoto: Bluet28, CC BY-SA 4.0- Dora Montefioresuffragette, socialist, writer (1851–1933)
- Gordon HurstEnglish cricketer (1920-1996)
- David BabouleneUK author
- Sonia BićanićAnglist (1920–2017)
- Arthur NorringtonBritish publisher and academic administrator
Born in Kenley, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship31
Shopping14
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries26
Healthcare9
Map of Kenley
228 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
London Biggin Hill Airport (BQH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Sanderstead 1 mi northeast, about 2 min by car
- Wallington 3 mi northwest, about 6 min by car
- Croydon 4 mi north, about 6 min by car
- Shirley 4 mi northeast, about 7 min by car
- Sutton 5 mi west, about 7 min by car
- West Wickham 5 mi northeast, about 7 min by car
- Thornton Heath 5 mi north, about 8 min by car
- Oxted 6 mi southeast, about 10 min by car
- Worcester Park 7 mi northwest, about 12 min by car
- Reigate 8 mi southwest, about 12 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Kenley
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Kenley Railway Station - Main Building, IronStroke169, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kenley Station House, Tag Scientist, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Croydon Flyover, Pafcool2, Public domain
- Fairfield Halls - London, Jim Linwood, CC BY 2.0
- Spreadeagle, Croydon, CR0 (2353133094), Ewan Munro from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Croydon War Memorial - West, hahnchen at Wikimedia Commons (must include link if medium allows), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Museum of Croydon, Pafcool2, Public domain
- Addington-hills-view, Harvest1, CC BY 3.0
- Bramley Bank 1, Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cotelands 284, Roger W. Haworth ( talk · contribs ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Croham Hurst path, Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Foxley Wood 3, Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Happy Valley Park, Dudley Miles, CC0
- St Peter's Church, Croydon - West, hahnchen at Wikimedia Commons (must include link if medium allows), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Croydon Parish Church - North East, hahnchen at Wikimedia Commons (must include link if medium allows), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Church Of The Sacred Heart Of Jesus, Tag Scientist, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St Andrew's, Croydon, hahnchen at Wikimedia Commons (must include link if medium allows), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Purley Library, Tag Scientist, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Purley War Memorial Hospital, Frombowen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Christ Church CofE Primary School (Purley), Frombowen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Foxley Hatch, Purley, CR8 (2770910584), Ewan Munro from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0
- St Swithun's Church, Grovelands Road, Reedham, Purley (April 2013) (3), User:Hassocks5489, CC0
- St John the Baptist's Church, Dale Road, Purley (April 2013) (4), User:Hassocks5489, CC0
- Warehouse Theatre Warehouse Cafe Bar, Croydon, CR0 (6109125574), Ewan Munro from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Peter Cushing - 32 St James' Road Purley London CR8 2DL, Spudgun67, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Plants and Paths at Coombe Wood Gardens, Ethan Doyle White, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, jethro10, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, jethro10, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, jethro10, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, laye, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, laye, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, jethro10, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, jethro10, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, jethro10, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, jethro10, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, jethro10, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, laye, CC BY-SA 4.0
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