The bustling Croydon town centre is lined with buildings old and new. Right at its heart is the delightful 16th Century Grade I listed Whitgift Almshouses founded by Archbishop John Whitgift in 1596 and once described by the late HRH Queen Elizabeth II as ‘an oasis of peace and tranquility’. Not far away is the Victorian-style, Grade II listed Croydon Town Hall designed by local architect Charles Henman and opened in 1896. Also opening its doors is Croydon Quakers' Adult School Hall, built in an Arts & Crafts style in the 1900's as an educational community facility in the then rural borough centre. There are also a host of talks and walking tours. Will Noble’s Croydonopolis and John Grindrod’s Polaroids of Croydon talks change perceptions of Croydon, whilst the East Croydon History Walk Tour ends at the iconic One Croydon, the "Thru'penny Bit" office block designed by Seifert in the 1960s. There is also an opportunity to explore the future of the town centre through the Wiggle Winderland workshop at the Urban Room in the Whitgift Centre. Many more fascinating buildings and events are open to the public.
