Thicket Road

From Virtual Norwood

Thicket Road is best known for running along the bottom or south-eastern side of Crystal Palace Park. It runs between Anerley Road and the junction of Crystal Palace Park Road and High Street (Penge). Its located within the Crystal Palace Area of the Crystal Palace Ward of the London Borough of Bromley.

The road appears to pre-date the park and probably owes its existence to the land running at a constant level between two roads leading down from the Norwood Ridge. The land running down from Norwood Ridge before and after Thicket Road has many steep slopes. A map produced in 1862' shows the road was then known as Thick Wood Road and there were no buildings along the entire length.

The construction of The Crystal Palace, its gardens and related infrastructure made the road a desirable location. The northern half of the road runs along the park edge overlooking the Tidal and Dinosaur Lake. The road is also only a few minutes walk from Crystal Palace, Penge East, Penge West and Anerley railway stations. Large Victorian properties where soon built along this location giving the road it current form. The road remains a very a popular residential location, with one of the modern reasons being the Victorian architecture and proposals to bring a tram and underground service to the nearby stations. Nearly all of the large Victorian properties have now been divided up into large flats. The price of flats along Thicket Road is relatively high for the area.

Entering the from Anerley Road its not apparent there is a steep hill running across it, but the properties on the West side of the road are set a few meters above the road level and the properties on the East side are set a few meters below the road level.

Half way along the road it connects with Anerley Park Road, and from this point on it is a one-way road up to the Penge Entrance of Crystal Palace Park. Just after Anerley Park Road the road is crossed by the bridge carrying the railway between Crystal Palace and Sydenham. The bridge makes an (unusual) attractive feature and its design is said to be in some way important. The bridge marks the start of edge of Crystal Palace Park and the Anerley Entrance is located just after the bridge.

Its location next to Crystal Palace Park means wildlife attracted to the parks lakes are often seen. Ducks, Canada Geese, and Herons are seen flying above the road between Crystal Palace Park and South Norwood Lake. Many lake insects including dragonflies are regularly seen along the road. In the summer Swifts can constantly be heard above the road and after sunset Bats might be spotted heading to or from the parks lake.

[edit] Postcodes

SE20 8DB, SE20 8DD, SE20 8DP, SE20 8DR, SE20 8DS, SE20 8DY

[edit] Map