Extracted from an entry in Southern Homes published by The Southern Railway of England circa 1934. 

COULSDON, Surrey. 

Coulsdon North, 15 miles from Victoria.

Electric trains every 20 minutes. Train time:

36 minutes. 14 miles from London Bridge.

3 trains per hour from London Bridge via Norwood Junction during business rush hours only.

Train time: 28 minutes. Coulsdon South, 15 miles from London Bridge, 15 miles from Victoria. . Electric trains 3 per hour during business rush hours, 2 per hour at other times.

Train  times: London Bridge, 29 minutes ;

Victoria, 29 to 35 minutes. 

COULSDON stations are so named from the parish in which they are situate. The ancient village of that name lies a mile away on the chalk Downs, 500 feet high, and, until the last year or two, it has been as remote from the tide of modern life as though it were a score of miles from a railway or a hundred miles from London.

But there is a modern settlement of Coulsdon concentrated on the slopes of the North Downs and in the neighbourhood of the stations. East of the Brighton Road rises Farthing Downs; west are Smitham Downs. On these two slopes and along the line of the road cluster the modern houses of newer Coulsdon. Expansion on to the hilltops on the eastern side has been made possible by the coming into the market of Coulsdon Court and the adjacent lands, and Coulsdon old village is losing its long-preserved seclusion by the development now occurring in its immediate neighbourhood. 

Coulsdon with Purley forms part of the Urban District of Coulsdon and Purley. Its residential characteristics are in the main those of Purley, i.e., it is on the chalk, has the bracing climate of the Surrey uplands, with an elevation nowhere less than about 250 feet and rising to over 400 feet, and almost all its houses and building sites afford extensive views. It has, however, the advantage of being two miles farther out and that much nearer to the real country, and it is better suited to the needs of the man of moderate means in that its houses, though comfortable and of good elevation, are considerably less ambitious and costly than many of those in Purley. 

There is perhaps as much land available for building at Coulsdon as at any place dealt with in this book. The plans for the Coulsdon Court development provide for a settlement encircling an 18-hole golf course, and houses on the estate may be expected to cost from about, £1,100-£1,200 and upwards according to site. 

The Coulsdon Heights Estate, close to the old Coulsdon village, now being developed on " Tudor Village " lines, covers about 300 acres, bounded on the north by the links of the Coulsdon Golf Club, on the east by Kenley Common, on the south by Coulsdon Common, and on the west by Farthing Downs, the three latter boundaries being common land which cannot be built upon. 

A few charming detached and semi-detached houses have already been erected on that portion of the estate nearest to old Coulsdon village, the prices ranging from £1,000 upwards.  

There are, however, numerous plots of land for sale on which the building restrictions range from £500 to £1,000. 

The District Council is prepared to consider applications from persons working or residing in the Urban District, for cash advances up to 80 per cent. for the building of new houses of a market value not exceeding £1,200. 

The shops of Coulsdon are adequate for ordinary needs ;

there are all usual urban conveniences and a few preparatory schools, while the high-class private schools and ample educational facilities of Purley are within easy reach by train. A new Secondary School for Boys is in course of erection, and a site for a new Girls' School has been acquired. 

There is a War Memorial Recreation Ground with provision for games, but the real open spaces are the many wind-swept commons and down lands in the vicinity, such as Farthing Downs, Coulsdon Common, Kenley Common ;while innumerable footpaths and country lanes tempt the resident to the hills and valleys and the crests of the North Downs three miles south, with their wonderful views. Golf courses available are: Coulsdon Court Golf Club (18 holes), Woodcote Park Golf Club (18 holes), adjoining Smithamdowns;

Purley Downs Golf Club ( 18 holes) at Sanderstead ; and Croham Hurst Golf Club (18 holes) on the outskirts of Croydon. 

Coulsdon is exceptionally healthy and dry. 

Local Authority (to which enquiries; for information may be addressed) : Coulsdon and Purley Urban District Council, Purley.

 

 Rates.-9s.4d.

 

Water.-9 per cent. of rateable value.

 

Gas.-3s. 9d. per 1,000 cubic feet.

 

Railway Fares.-To London from Coulsdon North: Season tickets (3 months) : First, £7 2s. 9d. ; 3rd, £4 6s. 9d. Single fares to London Bridge or Victoria: First, 3s. 1d. ; 3rd, 1s. 10d. ;

Cheap day return tickets to London  daily: First, 3s. 6d. ;

3rd, 2S. od. For fares from Coulsdon South apply Traffic Manager (Commercial), Southern Railway, London Bridge Station,S.E.I.

 

 

Population.-About 12,000.

 

Early Closing Day.-Wednesday.

 

Subsoil.-Mainly chalk.

 

Electricity. -Electricity in this district is supplied by The County of London Electric Supply Co., Ltd.,