Coombe, Croydon

Coombe
Coombe Wood House
Coombe Location within Greater London
OS grid reference	TQ342647
London borough	Croydon
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	CROYDON
Postcode district	CR0
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
UK Parliament	Croydon Central Croydon South
London Assembly	Croydon and Sutton
List of places UK England London 51°21′48″N 0°04′11″W / 51.3633°N 0.0696°W / 51.3633; -0.0696

Coombe is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, situated south-east of central Croydon, between Addiscombe, Selsdon and Upper Shirley. Formerly a hamlet, since the growth of suburban development the area has become swallowed into the London conurbation and often does not appear on modern map.^[1]

Coombe is located between the green spaces of Addington Hills, Lloyd Park, Ballards and Coombe Wood. It is unusual in this part of South London as it has barely been urbanised and has retained its collection of large houses fairly intact. Its rural character is maintained by the woodland aspect of the road and an old cattle trough at the junction of Coombe Lane and Oaks Road. Tramlink, however, runs through Coombe. Coombe Lane, the continuation of Coombe Road, is the principal road. Conduit Lane is an ancient unpaved route that is now a woodland path.

There was an estate at Coombe as far back as 1221, recorded as being held by Richard of Coombe. The name comes from the Old English 'cumb', meaning a valley.^[1] In Elizabethan times, it was known as Broad Coombe.^[1] In the 17th century, it was owned by the brothers of William Harvey, who first described the circulation of blood.