Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Croydon

Croydon's physical features consist of many hills and rivers that are spread out across the borough and into the North Downs, Surrey and the rest of South London.

The Great North Wood was a natural oak forest that covered the Sydenham Ridge and the southern reaches of the River Effra and its tributaries.

The most notable tree, called Vicar's Oak, marked the boundary of four ancient parishes; Lambeth, Camberwell, Croydon and Bromley.

John Aubrey[2] referred to this "ancient remarkable tree" in the past tense as early as 1718, but according to JB Wilson,[3] the Vicar's Oak survived until 1825.

The earliest surviving mention of the wood dates from assize records in 1272, and it was known to be owned by the Whitehorse family during the reign of King Edward III.

Apart from smaller green areas such as sports grounds and smaller gardens, and Selsdon Wood, which is National Trust property, the following are the major open spaces in the Borough: The River Wandle is also a major tributary of the River Thames, where it stretches to Wandsworth and Putney for 9 miles (14 km) from its main source in Waddon.

[6][7] Its mean annual temperature of 9.6 °C is similar to that experienced throughout the Weald, and slightly cooler than nearby areas such as the Sussex coast and Central London.