IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Montana Close, SOUTH CROYDON, CR2 0AT

Having obtained special permission to photograph from the roof of the Royal Oak building, the Mamiyaflex TLR, fitted with 250mm lens and mounted on a heavy tripod, was focussed on St. Anne's College Image in the centre of the picture. The exposure was 1/30 at f22 on 6x6 FP4 rollfilm and developed in fine-grain developer yielded a negative capable of producing a 20 x 24 in print with no problem. The railway in the foreground is the London to Brighton main line.

As taken from Beech Avenue. This establishment closed in 1979 and has now been demolished.

St. Anne's College was a Roman Catholic selective school for girls. Although the school had excellent academic standards, Croydon Education Department decided that it was uneconomic, and it closed in 1978, its students being absorbed by Coloma Convent Girls' School in Shirley. The St. Anne's buildings were later demolished and the site used for housing. This photograph was taken with a long lens from the roof of Purley Oaks station.

The modern church of St Mary's is located on the corner of Beech Avenue and Purley Oaks Road. Here Beech Avenue is to the right and Purley Oaks Road is to the left. In 1801 the Parish of Sanderstead was centred on All Saints church at the top of Sanderstead Hill - see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2899488 . The coming of the railway to Sanderstead in 1884 and to Purley Oaks in 1889 led to new housing springing up round Purley Oaks and Sanderstead stations. It was realised that further provision would have to be made for those who wished to worship regularly and nearer to their homes. Land on which to erect a temporary church building was donated by Mr Arkwright from the Arkwright Estate. The original building is now the church hall and is still used today. It was opened in February 1908 by the Bishop of Southwark. An extension to the building was added in 1915 and at the same time plans were made, and fund-raising started, for the building of a permanent church. The original intention was for the church to be built in a 14th-century style with a seating capacity of 846, but after the First World War the plans were reduced to a building seating about 500. Work was started on July 21st, 1925 and it was completed in 1926 at a cost of £9,112.

This Anglican church on the junction of Beech Tree Avenue and Purley Oaks Road has just finished a Remembrance Day services, and the local scouts perform a honour guard for the parishioners.

In its autumn colouring. As seen from Purley Downs Road.

The modern church of St Mary's is located on the corner of Beech Avenue and Purley Oaks Road. This is the view from Beech Avenue. In 1801 the Parish of Sanderstead was centred on All Saints church at the top of Sanderstead Hill - see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2899488 . The coming of the railway to Sanderstead in 1884 and to Purley Oaks in 1889 led to new housing springing up round Purley Oaks and Sanderstead stations. It was realised that further provision would have to be made for those who wished to worship regularly and nearer to their homes. Land on which to erect a temporary church building was donated by Mr Arkwright from the Arkwright Estate. The original building is now the church hall and is still used today. It was opened in February 1908 by the Bishop of Southwark. An extension to the building was added in 1915 and at the same time plans were made, and fund-raising started, for the building of a permanent church. The original intention was for the church to be built in a 14th-century style with a seating capacity of 846, but after the First World War the plans were reduced to a building seating about 500. Work was started on July 21st, 1925 and it was completed in 1926 at a cost of £9,112.

Anglican church, built 1926. The black-and-white building behind is the original 'mission church' of 1908, now used as a parish hall.

The interior of Image, looking south-west towards the 1970 extension.

The western extension, including a baptistery, was built by architect Stephen Dykes Bower in the 1970s.