It’s not until 1869 that Kenley starts to be identified as a distinct area in the Croydon Directory, although it is still listed under the Coulson ward. There are a mere 11 entries in 1869, including Mr John Hough at Welcomes Farm and Mr Henry Laycock, at Eastcott, on Valley Road just at the bottom of Welcomes Road.
The advert (left) in the Caterham Directory of 1872/73 shows how development is being encouraged along the Caterham branch line. It is at this point that the early properties in the immediate area start to appear, including Elmwood (on Abbots Lane opposite the end of ZigZag Road), Hillside (building itself near Kenley Lane opposite the church, but with driveway down to Welcomes Road) and The Mount (Hermitage Road). No road names are included yet, building was sparse enough that the property name was sufficient to identify each property within Kenley. By 1876 the list has expanded to 54 entries, with properties being listed as Hayes Lane, Godstone Road and Valley Road. |
In 1882 the Waddenden Arms appears in the Directory (now, of course, the Wattenden Arms) although the Village History refers to the landlord there being Thomas Hill from 1876, followed by Sophia Hill from 1895. Within another couple of years Woodhurst, Elmhurst and Benthall appear, grouped around what is now ZigZag Road but just listed as property names.
1886 brings the arrival of a local school, with a Mr Walter Smith as the schoolmaster.
During the 1880’s, the number of entries for Kenley continues to increase, reaching 243 by 1890.
In the early 1900’s, properties begin to appear specifically listed as Welcomes Road, some with names still in use today:
- 1901
- Ravenscroft (listed as a school at this point)
- 1904
- The Copse (no 22 Welcomes Road)
- WyssWood (no 78 Welcomes Road)
- Woodend (no 80 Welcomes Road)
- Alwyne Cottage (no 163 Welcomes Road)
- Babbecombe (Uplands Road)
- The Nest
- The Cottage
- 1905
- Kenilworth (no 165 Welcomes Road)
- Ridgehurst (Uplands Road)
- The Hermitage (Uplands Road)
- Kings Close
- 1906
- Sherwood Mount (Uplands Road)
- 1907
- The Garth (no 12 Welcomes Road)
- Barrington (no 36 Welcomes Road)
- The Homestead (nos 151 & 153 Welcomes Road)
- The Glen (Now Uplands Road, with 102 Welcomes Road & others in front)
- Morven (Uplands Road)
- 1908
- The Chestnuts (nos 155 & 157 Welcomes Road)
- 1909
- The Old Place (Uplands Road)
- the Woodhurst and Elmhurst listings move to ZigZag Road
- Hillside Stables
The 1901 Census provides supporting information. It shows Mrs F Dyer as the head of the household at Hazelea. My Henry Laycock is still at Eastcott, Mr George Maw at Benthall, Mr Charles Thomes at Woodhurst and Harriet Wilson at Elmshurst. It logs a population for Kenley of 1299 people.
The WURA website is indebted to local history expert John Carr for making his research into the Croydon Register and 1901 Census information available and also acknowledges the Bourne Society Village Histories 6: Kenley (Ed Grahame Brooks).