Some local histories note that this was due to Norbury's position on the northern boundary of the former Manor of Croydon.

The Carew family remained Lords of the Manor of Norbury until 1859 except for a brief interlude during the reign of Henry VIII.

Only Norbury Hall remains, now used as a retirement home and protected as a Grade II listed building.

In 1867, the Committee of Croydon Steeple Chase and Hurdle Races leased approximately 100 acres at Lonesome Farm.

The following year, the first Streatham Horse Race meeting was held and a temporary grandstand was built on Northborough Road.

The two day meets, held four or five times a year, proved successful and attracted large crowds from London.

[3] By 1900, Norbury was an affluent semi-rural suburb boasting two golf courses and cricket, football, tennis and bowls clubs.

[3] During the second half of the twentieth century, many of the large Victorian villas were demolished and office blocks were built on their sites.

It has a variety of local commerce, with most of Norbury High Street consisting of newsagents and various independent businesses, as well as one or two pubs.

Some locals consider the area to be in decline, with increased fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour, and a campaign has been started to reverse these changes.

[6] Of those living in Norbury, the most common place of birth is England (55%), followed by India (5%), Pakistan (4%), Jamaica (4%) and Kenya (2%).

[7] Norbury is part of the Croydon North constituency and the current MP is the Labour politician Steve Reed.