[2] It was long a small hamlet, with a large mansion (Shirley House) being built here in 1721; this was purchased by the businessman and member of parliament, John Maberley, in the mid-1800s.

[2] St John's Church was built in 1856 to serve the needs of the growing community, replacing a smaller chapel dating from 1835.

To the south of Shirley are large areas of woodland, including Addington Hills and Threehalfpenny Wood.

[2] The area began to be developed in the early 20th century, with the opening of the Shirley Oaks Children's Home in 1903.

[2] The Shirley Oaks Children's Home opened in 1903 and was run by the London Borough of Lambeth until its closure in 1982.

"[6] The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse "heard that despite widespread mistreatment of children, the authority (Lambeth Council) failed to investigate any allegations at the time.

The scheme is assisted by child abuse lawyers Ann Olivarius and Jeff Anderson of AO Advocates.

The mill was threatened with demolition when the new John Ruskin School was built but it was protected by its Grade II listed status[13] and strong public interest.

[2] In August 1996, it was announced that the London Borough of Croydon was to receive a grant of £218,100 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the mill.