A Late Celtic Burial and a Series of Early Iron Age Occupation Sites at Waddon, Croydon, Surrey

Extract

The old manor of Waddon is part of the Parish of Croydon and lies to the south west of the Parish Church of that town. Here at the head of the Wandle River there are many evidences of a wide spread population in prehistoric times and the fields on the lower slopes of the North Downs which steadily rise from Waddon Station towards Purley are littered with flakes and have yielded many implements.

The particular site to which I draw the attention of the Society, and indicate as the Cedars Estate, is easily reached by the bridle path running westward by Waddon Mill on the banks of the river, and the section under discussion, is the north east corner of the plot marked as Brandy Bottle Hill on the six inch Ordnance Survey. A hillock of Thanet sand here rises and extends eastward over the next field, the top of which is some 140 feet above sea level and makes a vantage spot with a good look out, over the wide stretches of the level plain running north from the present course of the Wandle river, in early times no doubt a stretch of marshland. It is still called Waddon Marsh.