Opposed to public opinion, Monks Orchard isn’t named after a monastery in the area, but probably memorialises a family named Monk, from Addington, who owned some of the land at one time. When Lewis Lloyd acquired the land and had a mansion assembled in 1854, he assumed the name of a localised wood, “Monks Orchard”, for the whole estate.

Lloyd’s Monks Orchard House was one of the most considerable mansions in the Croydon area. It had 19 bedrooms, a billiard parlor, library, and numerous other rooms. The Dining Hall alone was over 36 by 21 ft (11 by 4 m). The estate covered a vast area, 1,540 acres (6.2 km), stretching along northwards from the Wickham Road almost to Elmers End, southwards nearly as far as Addington, and eastwards intersecting the Borough edge into West Wickham. It also included several other outstanding residences, such as Spring Park; farms, including Eden Park, Ham Farm, Shirley Farm, Spring Park Farm and Oak Lodge Farm; two dozen or so cottages; The Rising Sun, The Cricketers and the White Hart; and Beckenham Golf Course.

Shirley has three Anglican churches. Shirley Parish Church – St John the Evangelist – was built in 1856 from Sir George Gilbert Scott’s design. All Saints’ Church, Bridle Road, was built in the 1950s and its conception is of a very high quality. It was among the first post-war constructions in Croydon to be listed. St George the Martyr on The Glade was also buit in the 1950s. There are also assorted evangelistic churches and Shirley Methodist and Baptist Churches. Croydon’s best known Synagogue is on Shirley Oaks Road.

Shrublands is a housing estate in the south-east corner of Shirley, adjoined by woodland on three sides. The area now covered by the Shrublands Estate was originally woodland, later occupied by the Addington New Golf Course. The roads are named after shrubs and bushes, such as broom, gorse and jasmine. After the World War 2, Croydon’s critical housing shortage propelled the Council to make a mandatory purchase order on the golf course. The area was soon enshrouded in prefabs, and by 1955 the County Borough of Croydon Council had phrased a plan for the exploitation of the area as a Modern estate.

To obtain a somewhat rural ambiance it was suggested that the spaces between the houses should as far as possible be common grass areas. Each house was to have an enclosed back garden. The estate was to be well furnished with youngsters play areas, and shops, doctors’ surgeries, community hall and other conveniences were all planned. A innovative feature was that the estate was to be a ’smokeless zone’ right from the commencement. By 1959 the estate was complete.

Shirley Windmill is in Postmill Close, off the Upper Shirley Road, Shirley, Croydon, Surrey, UK and Croydon’s only windmill. Built in the mid 1850’s to replace an earlier post mill which was destroyed by fire in 1854, it worked until 1892 when it was deserted. Bought by Croydon Council in 1951 and first opened to the public in May 1995, it’s future is now assured.