You are here:
Pitlake
Pitlake maps
Historic maps of Pitlake and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Pitlake maps
Pitlake photos
We have no photos of Pitlake, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Croydon| Beddington| Addiscombe| Thornton Heath| Wallington| Hackbridge| South Norwood| Shirley| Carshalton| Mitcham| Purley| Selsdon| Upper Norwood| Sanderstead| Penge| Tooting| Riddlesdown| Beckenham| Sydenham| Streatham| West Norwood| Kenley| Crystal Palace| Sutton| Morden| West Wickham| Farleigh| Tulse Hill| New Addington| Belmont
Pitlake area books
Displaying 1 of 16 books about Pitlake and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Pitlake
No memories of Pitlake have been shared yet - be the first!
Add your memory of Pitlake
or of a photo of Pitlake.
Surrey memories
Birth Place
I have been told by my mother that I was born in St Mary's Hospital in South Croydon and I am not sure if it still exists or if there are any photos of it. Can anyone help?
Riddlesdown in The 1950's
We lived in Dale Road, right near the bottom of Downscourt Road and we spent a lot of time on Riddlesdown because it was near to where we lived. When we got a bit older, we used to walk along the downs towards Kenley or maybe even further along where there was a railway crossing. We used to get pennies and put them on the rails and wait for a train to come along and squash them. That was in the days were children could go anywhere they liked. We used to go up to the downs by ourselves and so long as we were back for tea or supper, it didn't matter what we did.
Riddlesdown Shops
It was so good to see the photos, the memories came flooding back. When I was a child I too used to go for walks on the downs and into Kenley. I lived in Derwent Drive near what was then called Riddlesdown Secondary Modern School. The shops we used to go to at Riddlesdown. My mother would send us there every Saturday to buy 2 loaves of bread. Then when I was older I worked in the hairdressers called "Hazels". Thankyou Liz for your memories, I wonder if we know each other? Yvonne Slater.
Riddlesdown Secondary School
I was a founder pupil at the then called Riddledown Secondary School. I lived in Sanderstead and we used to walk from there up over the downs to school which was situated at the top. We always felt safe, even when we were a little late from school after staying back for sports practice etc (or probably in my case detention). My mother was born in Kenley and my grandmother was a bar maid in the Rose and Crown way back in the 1900s, her name was Violet Ada Standing (maiden name West), an Irish lady who by all acounts made quite a name for herself. If anyone has any history on this family I would love to hear from them. Or any memories of school pupils from Riddlesdown or Selsdon School.
Rosemary Debbage (Edwards maiden name)
Growing up in Riddlesdown
It was such a surprise to see comments and pictures from Riddlesdown. I lived in Coombe Wood Hill, from 18mths old till I married in 1955. With my siblings I roamed on the Golf course and on the Downs for many a happy time. Went to Mr Halls, for Newspapers, sweets and ice cream, handing over our precious "coupons" during World War 11. Went sledding on the Downs in the winter. Rode our bikes all summer long, up to Sanderstead, on the Limpsfield Rd to Oxted Chalk Pits, down to Purley Fountain to meet with our friends. Attended Reedham Orphanage 1940-44, then St Annes College in Sanderstead. Loved taking the train to Croydon, London, or for a treat down to Eastbourne for the day. I loved growing up in Riddlesdown.
Walks on The Downs
We lived in Brancaster Lane - we often played and walked our dogs on the Downs. We lived in the area from the early 1960s to the early 1970s. We moved in the year of a really heavy snowfall - when the snowplough went through the piled snow was car roof high along the sides of the road. Not that there were nearly as many cars on the road then as now!
Village Life
As a child I lived in neighbouring Coulsdon, and Woodmansterne was a favourite cycle ride. Armed with jam sandwiches and bottle of pop, my sister and I would ride down Hatch Lane (even though you weren't supposed to), feeding the horses in the adjoining field. Then go on to Woodmansterne's park where there were playground equipment, and a huge fallen hollow tree. There was a shop in the village that opened on a Sunday (rare in those days) where you could buy ice creams.
Sometimes on summer evenings our dad would walk with us to the Woodman and we'd have lemonade and crisps in the beer garden. There was an annual fete held in the field behind the sports hut (near the pub) and I once won a tray of fruit. Despite promising to take it home to mum, I managed to eat it all on the way!
I live in Australia now, but it's still a pleasant walk around Woodmansterne on my rare visits back to Coulsdon.
