The Friends of Ashburton Park is the community body established to improve Ashburton Park along with the public facilities and public buildings within the park. This year the friends will be celebrating their 10 year anniversary and with the help of a successful grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund the celebration of the 100 years of Ashburton Park.
We are now looking to recruit up to five new members to our committee, who share our passion to create a long-term, sustainable future for this precious historic green space.
We need skills and experience in the following areas:
- Marketing / Communications and social media.
- Event management / Curation
- Landscape design / Horticulture / Gardening / Permaculture
- Nature Conservation / Biodiversity / Ecology.
- History / Heritage
Please email us with a short CV: info@thefoap.org.uk by the 1 March 2024
The renovated Library building has been renovated and renamed as Ashburton Hall. The building was known as the Stroud Green House. It was purchased by Father Tooth to set up a convent. After purchase by the Council, the old convent became the local Ashburton Library. The reading room was in the cloister. It was later demolished in 1975 after repeated vandalism.
Ashburton Hall
The renovated Library building has been renovated and renamed as Ashburton Hall. The building was known as the Stroud Green House. It was purchased by Father Tooth to set up a convent. After purchase by the Council, the old convent became the local Ashburton Library. The reading room was in the cloister. It was later demolished in 1975 after repeated vandalism.
The Park Grounds
The grounds have undergone numerous changes over the centuries. It has had vineyards, stables, an Italian garden, croquet lawn, fine timber and ornamental lake. Today it has a running and walking track that needs to be repaired. There are tennis courts, children's playground and a bowling green.
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Proposed Plans
The Pavilion
The Pavilion is in a sorry state after years of neglect. The original red tiled roof was replaced with felt tiles, a poor substitute. The roof has succumbed to the elements and a number of the timbers are rotten. Hoarding now surrounds the structure.
The walking and jogging track
Works to repair some of the paths across the park, including repairs to the car park were set to start in September 2015. More details on what exactly is going to be completed and the timeline for these works will be posted as we get them from the council.
The Sports Facilities
The FOAP is following up with the council to fix the tennis courts and other play areas used by the community.
Historical map and photos of the park
Photos courtesy Museum of Croydon Collections.
Ashburton Park Maps 1910
The map shows that there was a natural lake in the park on parallel to Spring Lane. The lake was filled in, then dug up and converted to a pond and filled in again.
Pond in place of the old lake -1938, Courtesy of Museum of Croydon Collections
The revived pond
Farmers market in Stroud Green House grounds-1897, Courtesy of Museum of Croydon Collections
The farmers market
Newly constructed convent linked to Stroud Green House by the cloister, Courtesy of Museum of Croydon Collections
The Convent/Library
Pavilion-1938, Courtesy of Museum of Croydon Collections
The pavillon
Entrance to the Ashburton Hall.
Historic former library
The hall has been used as an orphanage, housed the army, and as a library.
