Look around London: Croydon

We look at the area in south London.

Transcript

00:00Croydon's story goes back over a thousand years. The name is thought to come from Old

00:04English meaning Crocus Valley, hinting that Saffron may have once grown here. In the Middle

00:11Ages, Croydon became an important stop on the route between London and the south coast,

00:16and for centuries it was closely linked to the Archbishop of Canterbury who had a place

00:22here. During the 19th century, Croydon transformed dramatically thanks to the arrival of the

00:28railway. Suddenly, it shifted from a rural market town to one of the earliest commuter

00:34suburbs in London. Industrialisation and new transport links rapidly led to population

00:41growth, new housing and emerging commercial areas. Today, Croydon is known for its diverse

00:47communities, major regeneration projects and a cultural scene that ranges from street art

00:53to music.