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.

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.

In 1722, "Some Persons, digging at a Village call'd Coomb, near Croydon in Surry, found a great Number of Roman Urns, and other Antique Curiosities" (sic).

William Harvey stayed at the house frequently and had tunnels dug in the grounds in order to meditate in the dark.

Coombe Lodge is a Grade II Listed Georgian red brick mansion built by the 1760s.

[citation needed] After World War II the estate was bought by the County Borough of Croydon, which used the house as a home for the elderly.

The Council's Parks Department built the Central Nursery in the grounds, and continued to be used until recently for growing Croydon's plants and making Croypost, the municipal compost.

Coombe Lodge was sold in 1988 and is now a restaurant and bar, with a large garden and the conservatory for public seating.

Oaks Lane was the former main road, closed by John Maberly of Shirley House in 1803 to increase his privacy.

Croydon local studies library archives show that the oldest part of the standing Coombe Farm farmhouse first stood on the site in the late 16th century.

[citation needed] Coombe Cliff had an important example of a Victorian conservatory with fine ironwork, used for Horniman's plant collection.

[citation needed] In 1930 Croydon Corporation purchased the house and gardens for a convalescent home for children, and it had several other uses before finally being used as an adult education centre in 1960.

[citation needed] In 1966 it was bought by Croydon's labour, trade union and co-operative movement and developed into their headquarters, Ruskin House.

[citation needed] The new school, built to the side of the mansion, was designed by Sir Aston Webb, architect of Imperial College.

Heathfield House (18 acres (7.3 ha)) was also bought by Goschen in 1872, who rebuilt the former farmhouse and leased it to his brother Henry, one of the last serving members of the East India Company.

Riesco arranged for the house, gardens and farmland to be bought by Croydon Council upon his death and donated his collection of oriental ceramics.

The farm is still cultivated, with part used as horse pasture and the Monks Hill estate built on the eastern end.

Initially in a temporary structure, construction began on a permanent facility in 2019, expected to open in September 2020.