Lloyd Park map
Lloyd Park was originally part of the Coombe Estate. Before the newspaper magnate Frank Lloyd, who then owned the Coombe Estate, died in 1927 he had the idea of presenting some of the land to Croydon Corporation for use as playing fields. After his death, his daughter carried out her father’s wishes and the land was given to the Corporation and still bears his name. Some of the land was ploughed up in the Second World War as part of the war effort to grow crops.
Location
Lloyd Park lies alongside Coombe Road (where there is a small car park), with access points also from Lloyd Park Avenue, Deepdene Avenue and Mapledale Avenue.
Public transport
Tramlink: Lloyd Park stop
Habitat
Most of the site is intensively managed grassland, including playing fields and a children’s’ playground with some wooded areas and small groups of trees mainly on the higher ridge of land. There is also a series of springs, most of which simply form damper areas in the woodland. The largest spring is in an adjacent private garden where it forms a pond before becoming a very short stream which flows into the park.
Species
A mixture of the more common species may be found here, but before they spread throughout Croydon this was one of the first local sites where Ring-necked Parakeet could be seen regularly. Little Owl has been recorded near the tram stop. Ring Ouzels, Redstarts, Wheatears and Spotted Flycatchers are occasionally recorded on passage. Redpolls and Siskins are sometimes found in the winter and in recent winters a Water Rail has been reported occasionally from the pond.