London/South

South London is generally defined as any part of London that is south of the river Thames. However, this guide only covers the outer South London boroughs, namely Bromley, Bexley, Croydon, Kingston-upon-Thames, Sutton, and parts of Merton. Though geographically within this region, the areas of Richmond & Kew and Wimbledon are covered by separate articles due to the number of attractions, as are the inner South London boroughs - see London.

Understand
Most areas of present South London were once towns and villages in the counties of Surrey, Kent and Middlesex outside London, which were assimilated by London as it expanded rapidly in the 19th and 20th centuries. Surrey and Kent are still used as part of the official postal addresses for some areas of south London.

Most of outer South London is residential suburbia, but this is punctuated by some sites of tourist interest. The main towns of outer south London are Kingston upon Thames, Wimbledon, Sutton, Croydon, Bromley & Bexleyheath. Each of these towns are major commercial centres with transport interchanges, entertainment, cultural and shopping centres.

Kingston upon Thames would have to be considered the most interesting of the aforementioned towns for visitors. It is a former market town within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. It is where many Saxon kings were crowned before the invasion of William the Conqueror in 1066. It has a pleasant riverside location with views across the river to nearby Hampton Court Palace & Park, which is a Tudor royal palace, built by Cardinal Wolesley for King Henry VIII. It has extensive viewing areas with rooms from various historical periods. There is also a large formal garden and maze, as well as substantial adjacent parkland and river walks along the Thames. The gardens are home to the annual Hampton Court Flower Show.

Boroughs
South London consists of the following London boroughs:


 * Bexley &mdash; (population around 224,000) the borough includes Bexleyheath, Crayford, Erith, Sidcup, Thamesmead, Welling and Belvedere
 * Bromley &mdash; (population around 303,000) the borough includes Beckenham, Bromley, Orpington, Chislehurst and Biggin Hill
 * Croydon &mdash; (population around 342,000) the borough includes Croydon, Coulsdon, Norbury, Purley, Thornton Heath, Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon, Norwood and Norbury
 * Kingston upon Thames &mdash; (population around 161,000) the borough includes Chessington, Kingston upon Thames, New Malden and Surbiton
 * Merton &mdash; (population around 202,000) the borough includes Morden, Mitcham and Wimbledon
 * Sutton &mdash; (population around 188,000) the borough includes Sutton, Carshalton, Wallington, Cheam and Worcester Park

Bromley
Bromley is in the southeast of Greater London. Much of the borough was historically in the county of Kent, as is reflected by the presence of Kent County Cricket Club's teams in Beckenham. Here one can find Biggin Hill Airport a small private airfield, used mainly for civil aviation, an International Air Fair in June and also featured in the 2006 movie adaptation of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code.

The borough is the largest in London by area and occupies 59 square miles (153 km²). The borough shares borders with Lewisham, Greenwich and Bexley to the north, Southwark and Lambeth to the northwest, Croydon to the west; and the counties of Surrey to the south and Kent to the south and east.

Croydon
Known for its density of shiny glass and steel high-rise office blocks, including the Home Office government department. Wellesley Road runs north/south through Croydon and is home to the luxury Saffron Square apartment development, including an iconic 45-storey tower. The pedestrianised shopping precinct west of here is an attractive retail area. Croydon Town hall and the Clock Tower art centre are housed in an imposing Victorian building just to the south of the retail centre.

Sutton
Sutton is a borough and the main town in that borough. The town is a vibrant place with a theatre, lots of public art ranging from murals to statues to an armillary (look it up!), a very large library and many restaurants and coffee houses. The centre has a lot of attractive period architecture, and there are four conservation areas to keep it that way. There is a lush little town centre park called Manor Park, complete with a fountain as its centrepiece. It is also the site of the town's war memorial. The town has a sizeable business sector and one of the biggest shopping areas in London, centred around Sutton High Street. It's not as big as Kingston or Croydon though, being a bit more compact. But you will find many well-known names, including a large Waterstones bookshop, complete with a nice coffee area upstairs.

Finally, being a pretty leafy sort of place, it may be reassuring to know that Sutton benefits from very low crime by London standards.

Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is a Royal Borough and includes the town of the same name, with some historic structures and an attractive retail area, centred on the Bentall Centre. The borough was historically in the county of Surrey, and not only is the postal county of Surrey sometimes still used for traditional reasons for the borough, but Surrey's administrative headquarters are actually located here.

The popular zoo and amusement park of Chessington are located at the southern, almost completely rural, end of the borough.

By London Underground (Tube)
Much of South London, including Croydon is not served by the London Underground network. The historical explanation for the lack of coverage is that at the time the London Underground was built, the area was well-served by private railways, most of London's urban expansion was north of the River Thames and the ground below was too marshy to be excavated in the traditional cut-and-cover method.

The District line (Green) terminates at Wimbledon, though you'll need to change at Earl's Court to reach much of central London.

The Northern line (Black) terminates at Morden. Funnily enough, this is the southernmost Tube station, so you will need to rely on trains, trams and other forms of transport to work your way around South London.

By London Overground
The London Overground links West Croydon and Crystal Palace stations to East London, primarily at Whitechapel station, and North London at Dalston Junction.

By train
South London is served by several train services from Central London stations. Check the London Transport maps for the correct station as the layout of the lines is rather confusing in places.

As a rough guide, services run:


 * From London Waterloo to Kingston.
 * From London Waterloo to Surbiton.
 * From London Victoria, London Blackfriars, London Bridge to Bromley, Croydon, Merton, and Sutton.
 * From London Charing Cross and London Cannon St to Bexley and Bromley.

By car
The M25 sits on the southern edge of the borough. Junction 4 (Bromley/Orpington) quickly connects with the A21, though for Chislehurst and areas it may be quicker to use Junction 3. The A21 is the main London to Hastings road and it runs through the borough before heading south to Sevenoaks and Tonbridge.

By train
The borough has 27 railway stations which cover much of the area and are served by three Central London stations; London Victoria, London Blackfriars and London Bridge (and, by extension, Cannon Street, Waterloo East and Charing Cross). The main transport hub in the borough is Bromley South, with regular fast trains to London Victoria and a network of buses that stop outside the station and go to all parts of the borough. Orpington is the major station for the east of the borough.

By London Overground
Transport for London (TfL) operates the London Overground Windrush line (formerly East London Line (ELL)) from Highbury & Islington to West Croydon. The line goes via Dalston Junction, New Cross, the Docklands (Shadwell and Canada Water) and Whitechapel.

This service, which started in June 2010, uses new rolling stock with longitudinal seating layouts (i.e. seating facing the windows leaving a wide aisleway) similar to those used on Underground trains, allowing for more standing room. It is operated by Transport for London as part of the London Overground scheme.

By tram
Tramlink opened in 2000 and is the first modern tram system to operate in London much of it utilising pre-existing track from previous railway companies.

Nowadays, London Trams is owned by Transport for London (TfL) and operated by FirstGroup using Bombardier trams with distinct green-coloured livery on 3 tram routes:


 * Wimbledon to Elmers End
 * Wimbledon to Beckenham Junction
 * New Addington to West Croydon

Trams have destinations at Beckenham, Wimbledon, Elmers End and New Addington with all lines travelling through Croydon, on the Croydon Loop. Also, they can be used to reach the London Underground's District line in Wimbledon, then the rest of London via Earl's Court.

By train
Croydon is well-connected by trains from two train stations:

Services are provided by Southern and First Capital Connect.

All services from London Victoria that head to the South Coast stop here. Journey times from East Croydon to Brighton range from 36 to 60 minutes, with an average of 9 services per hour during the day.


 * London Gatwick – The journey time from East Croydon ranges from 15 to 36 minutes, with an average of 13 services per hour during the day.
 * London Luton – The journey time from East Croydon is approximately 66 minutes, with an average of 4 services per hour during the day. The train service also stops at London St. Pancras International (average journey time approximately 40 minutes), providing interconnections for Eurostar services to Lille, Paris & Brussels; as well as national services to the north of England & Scotland.
 * London Heathrow Airport – There are no direct train services from East Croydon and a typical fastest journey time would be approximately 90 minutes with at least two changes: London Victoria and Earl's Court.

By bus
Croydon is well served by the London bus network, with a major bus station at West Croydon and a new one opening on the eastern side of Croydon next to the Croydon Clocktower and Park Place shopping centre soon. Bus services in the centre of Croydon include:


 * Towards central London: bus routes 50, 60, 109, 250, 468, X68 (a peak time express service).
 * Other routes: 75, 119 (Purley Way (Croydon Airport) - Bromley), 157, 197, 264, 289, 312 (South Croydon Bus Garage - Peckham, via Central Croydon, Addiscombe), 407, 410, 450, 455, 466, and X26 (West/East Croydon - Sutton - Kingston - Heathrow Central (Express)).

Bromley
Transport for London (TfL) manages bus services in Bromley and these are operated by Selkent and Metrobus.

Croydon
Croydon is mostly pedestrian friendly, North End the main shopping parade was closed for traffic over 10 years ago and most places can be easily reached on foot.

By taxi
There is a large taxi stand, served by black cabs outside the main entrance to East Croydon Station. The taxi stand is on the left hand side as soon as you exit the station. The taxi stand allows other local cab companies, etc to pick up the passengers from the same taxi stand.

By bus
Buses leave at West Croydon station, with most buses leaving Croydon stopping at the bus station next to West Croydon station. The other bus station is opposite East Croydon station on George street, although not all buses going past it stop.

Bromley

 * Elsewhere in Bromley, the exiled Emperor Napoleon III lived in a country house, which is now Chislehurst golf club. Derwent House is also notable for its exquisite style.
 * Petts Wood, cool place for a picnic, walk or camp.
 * Elsewhere in Bromley, the exiled Emperor Napoleon III lived in a country house, which is now Chislehurst golf club. Derwent House is also notable for its exquisite style.
 * Petts Wood, cool place for a picnic, walk or camp.
 * Elsewhere in Bromley, the exiled Emperor Napoleon III lived in a country house, which is now Chislehurst golf club. Derwent House is also notable for its exquisite style.
 * Petts Wood, cool place for a picnic, walk or camp.

Croydon
Because it was heavily bombed in WW2, Croydon features a patchwork of old and new architecture.







Bexley

 * Green Chain Walk, begins at the gardens by the Thames Barrier and is a leafy pedestrian and cycle path that continues deeper into the south-eastern suburbs. Can also check the pretty villages of Kent dotted around just outside London.
 * Walk or cycle the Thames Path which follows the south bank of the river from Greenwich to Erith. Most sections are paved although there are some gravel/rough sections.
 * Watch a football match at Welling United or Charlton Athletic.

Bromley

 * There is a large swimming pool in the Pavilion Leisure Centre, which has flume shoots and a wave-machine.
 * The area around Down House has a network of lovely footpaths through woods and pastures if you feel like a walk. They're shown on OpenStreetMap-based mapping apps such as OsmAnd or Mapy.cz.
 * There is a large swimming pool in the Pavilion Leisure Centre, which has flume shoots and a wave-machine.
 * The area around Down House has a network of lovely footpaths through woods and pastures if you feel like a walk. They're shown on OpenStreetMap-based mapping apps such as OsmAnd or Mapy.cz.

Sport

 * Bromley FC were promoted in 2024 and play play in League Two, the fourth tier. Their home ground is Hayes Lane, capacity 5000, a miles south of Bromley south railway station.
 * Semi-pro sides in lower divisions include Croydon FC, Welling United and Cray Wanderers, the oldest association football club still in existence in London.
 * Bromley FC were promoted in 2024 and play play in League Two, the fourth tier. Their home ground is Hayes Lane, capacity 5000, a miles south of Bromley south railway station.
 * Semi-pro sides in lower divisions include Croydon FC, Welling United and Cray Wanderers, the oldest association football club still in existence in London.

Kingston

 * Go to the races at Sandown Park, Portsmouth Rd, Esher KT10 9AJ. This has frequent flat-racing April-Oct and jumps races Nov-March. Nearby Esher station has frequent trains from Waterloo.
 * Five miles north, Kempton Park likewise has flat-racing and jumps. It's on Staines Rd East, Shepperton TW16 5AQ. Kempton Park station has frequent trains between Waterloo and Shepperton.
 * Go to the races at Sandown Park, Portsmouth Rd, Esher KT10 9AJ. This has frequent flat-racing April-Oct and jumps races Nov-March. Nearby Esher station has frequent trains from Waterloo.
 * Five miles north, Kempton Park likewise has flat-racing and jumps. It's on Staines Rd East, Shepperton TW16 5AQ. Kempton Park station has frequent trains between Waterloo and Shepperton.
 * Go to the races at Sandown Park, Portsmouth Rd, Esher KT10 9AJ. This has frequent flat-racing April-Oct and jumps races Nov-March. Nearby Esher station has frequent trains from Waterloo.
 * Five miles north, Kempton Park likewise has flat-racing and jumps. It's on Staines Rd East, Shepperton TW16 5AQ. Kempton Park station has frequent trains between Waterloo and Shepperton.
 * Five miles north, Kempton Park likewise has flat-racing and jumps. It's on Staines Rd East, Shepperton TW16 5AQ. Kempton Park station has frequent trains between Waterloo and Shepperton.

Sutton

 * Sutton United were relegated in 2024 and now play soccer in the National League, the fifth tier. Their home ground is Gander Green Lane (capacity 5000) just north of West Sutton railway station.

Bromley
Each of the towns and villages in the borough has its own distinct high street but Bromley High St remains the main shopping centre and runs the length of the town. The northern section is mainly comprised of a cinema, specialist shops and restaurants. As the high street gets to the Market Square, there are a number of pubs. The central section of the High Street, between Market Square and Elmfield Rd, is pedestrianised.



Croydon
Croydon is one of the top 20 retail destinations in the United Kingdom, it has two large and a smaller shopping centers. All the major chain stores can be found in Croydon, along with most department stores.



Kingston Upon Thames
Kingston has the most extensive range of shops in the southeast of England outside central London, and is very popular, especially at weekends. Virtually all major chains have branches, as well as several independent shops and boutiques.



Bromley

 * There is a large choice of typical restaurants you would see on most High Streets, such as Zizzi or Pizza Express, with some good curryhouses spread around like 'Tinga next to the Odeon Cinema. Opposite is Taste Buffet, which has standard Chinese dishes, but the friendly service lends a personal touch to your dining. £6.40 Lunchtimes.
 * There is a large choice of typical restaurants you would see on most High Streets, such as Zizzi or Pizza Express, with some good curryhouses spread around like 'Tinga next to the Odeon Cinema. Opposite is Taste Buffet, which has standard Chinese dishes, but the friendly service lends a personal touch to your dining. £6.40 Lunchtimes.

Croydon
Visitors are often surprised by the variety, quality and affordability of Croydon's restaurants. Whilst the pedestrianised centre is overflowing with chains, the High St and South End Rd (south of the flyover) has an excellent selection of independent places, which is (sadly) becoming a victim of its own success, and itself is beginning to be taken over by the chains.

Kingston
The area of Kingston of New Malden has a sizeable Korean population and there are a large number of restaurants along the High St. Korean barbecue, such as galbi or samgyeopsal is available in numerous places. Another option is bibimbap, a mixture of various vegetables, rice and chilli paste.

Sutton
Sutton town centre's range of restaurants has expanded greatly in the last ten to fifteen years, and there are now culinary offerings of French, Spanish, British, Mexican, Malaysian, Thai, Japanese, Pakistani, Portuguese and Turkish cuisine, as well as the more longstanding presence of Italian, Indian and Chinese eateries. You can't miss them, as they are mainly concentrated in the area to either side of the mainline station.

Bexley
There are micropubs in Eltham, Blackfen, Sidcup and Crayford, and there is a large Wetherspoons in Bexleyheath town centre.

Bromley
Borough-wide, Bromley's town centre drinking establishments are generally the sort of generic chain fayre you would find anywhere. However, away from the centres, there are good pubs, many in the traditional vein. Sundridge Park is a small neighbourhood just to the north of Bromley, has retained some well-liked, traditional pubs.



Kingston
There are a large variety of pubs and bars from cheaper chain pubs such as Wetherspoons to the trendy riverside bars. The main club is Oceana which is always very popular and attracts a great number of people from surrounding areas. Oceana's popularity of late however has taken a nosedive due to a widely publicised murder, their close neighbours 'The Hippodrome' is now considered the place to be.

Croydon
There is a wide range of accommodation for visitors to the London Borough of Croydon. The Tourist Information Centre promotes establishments which are members of the National Quality Assurance Standards Scheme. Each establishment is inspected annually by trained assessors from the AA, RAC or English Tourism Council (ETC). Members of the Quality Assurance Scheme are graded according to quality, facilities and level of service. The grading is denoted by stars (H) or diamonds. Any establishment which has no grading is not part of the Scheme, therefore quality cannot be assured. The AA, RAC and English Tourism Council (ETC) have joint grading schemes for hotels, guest accommodation and self-catering. Hotels are graded from one to five stars. These indicate the quality, facilities and level of service. The more stars the higher the quality, level of service and range of facilities offered. Guest accommodation includes guest houses, bed & breakfasts and some hotels. They are graded from one to five diamonds. All establishments must meet minimum standards for facilities and services. More diamonds are awarded for higher standards of quality and customer care.



Croydon

 * The Purley Way is a difficult place to get about by foot: some areas can be reached by tram but the park is designed for cars.
 * Avoid flashing valuable possessions in the town centre to avoid attracting unwanted attention.
 * Croydon town centre becomes very popular on Thursdays with TigerTiger open to under 21s, and its weekends with a multitude of popular bars in the town centre. Always prebook your taxi for safety on a night out because the local London Black cabs are very expensive. That said, the night bus network in Croydon is very good, and the vast majority of journeys will be completed without incident: as ever, common sense applies.
 * It is advised to be cautious in this area as it can include a rough element.

Go next

 * Chartwell, Westerham - during the summer months bus 246 runs from Bromley to Chartwell (Oyster cards accepted).
 * Kent - accessible from various railway stations in Bromley and Bexley.