The Orginal Land Site Of Croydon Airport

New Barn Farm

The farm appears to be one of two eventually taken over for the development of the airport. The land used was listed under a number of titles unfortunately only as numbers shown on the ordnance survey maps, with only one section specifically named.

(above) 'New Barn Farm', c 1910. The picture shows the farm operating as a cereal producer shortly before being taken over. A horse drawn cutting and threshing machine is centre picture. It is believed that the trees to the left of the picture are the end of what was named 'Cross Shaws'. Lavender was grown on some farms nearby but the two do not mix, and contrary to some suggestions there is no evidence that 'New Barn' was involved in Lavender growing.

A Note Concerning 'New Barn Farm'

On earlier 18th Century maps the 'New Barn Farm' alongside 'Plough Lane' is not shown but another farm called 'New Barn Farm' is shown not far away on the Eastern side of 'Mitcham Common'. It is not known whether this was reality, or as often found on early maps a mistake by the cartographer.

Woodcote Farm

The picture (above) from about 1908, looks to be part of the Lavender growing 'Woodcote Farm'. The trees are possibly either 'Roundshaw' or 'Marsh Edge Shaw'.

The origins of the word 'Shaw' are old English of 'Norse' origin and were used to describe either a small wood or copse, or laterly sometimes a line of trees separating fields or lining a road. The land that was cleared for the area which was used to build the Croydon Airport on had three named shaws within it's boundaries before clearance, 'Cross Shaws', 'Marsh Edge Shaw', and 'Roundshaw'. The latter name is still in use to describe the approximate area where it was once believed to have been.

The comemorative sign near one of the original boundaries at  Roundshaw.