The Balham Hill and East Croydon line was constructed by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) as a short-cut on the Brighton Main Line to London Victoria, avoiding Crystal Palace and Norwood Junction.

[4] However, Norbury station was not opened until January 1878, for the surrounding area was very rural.

A nearby Victorian race track, dating from 1868, was situated in fields forming part of Lonesome Farm, which later became the sports ground of the National Westminster Bank (NatWest).

The course, which included a water jump across the River Graveney, hosted the 'Streatham Races'.

Race meetings attracted huge crowds of racegoers, bookies and other notorious characters, who flocked to the course by train.