Addington Hills

Addington Hills
View from Addington Hills viewpoint
Type	Public park
Location	Addington
Area	130 acres (53 ha)
Operated by	London Borough of Croydon
Open	All year

Addington Hills is a park in Upper Shirley, London, England. It is managed by the London Borough of Croydon. It was part of the old parish of Addington before the suburb of Shirley was developed in the 1930s. The site consists largely of woodland on a gravel bed, with London's largest area of heathland at its heart. It is a Site of Metropolitan Importance. In the mid-18th century, it was a noted cricket venue used by the then-prominent Addington Cricket Club.

It is a peaceful area with many pathways close to central Croydon. There is a viewpoint with fine views across Croydon and across to north London, including Docklands and Parliament Hill. It is served by Coombe Lane tram stop on Tramlink route 3. The park covers an area of 130 acres (53 ha). The London Loop path runs through the park. The park is fully accessible at all times.

Addington Hills and neighbouring Croham Hurst to the west and Shirley Hills to the east form part of a chain of popular open spaces in Croydon. The seasonal changes of the colourful heather, birch, oak and pine and the variety of birds and other wildlife and the bracing situation on top of the plateau attract visitors to the area at all times of the year.

The first definite mention of Addington Hills in a cricket connection is a 1745 match there on Thursday, 23 May between Addington and London. Little about the match is known except that Addington won. The venue was used for important matches on at least four occasions between 1745 and 1752, a period which coincided with Addington Cricket Club having one of the strongest teams in England during the careers of Tom Faulkner, Joe Harris, John Harris, George Jackson and Durling. The last important match known to have been played there was Addington v Dartford on 12 August 1752.