Russell Hill, Croydon

The school was designed by the Birmingham architect John George Bland in a Venetian gothic style of red brick and is a Grade II listed building. The foundation stone was laid by the Prince of Wales (future King Edward VII) on 11th July 1863, who subsequently opened it on 18th June 1866. The event was attended by the school's president Prime Minister, Earl Russell, the mayor of London and the Bishop of Winchester, among others. for the education of orphans and necessitous children, which had outgrown Hatcham Grove House at New Cross. Perhaps unusual for the time, it included both boys and girls, although they were segregated. The boys moved to Ballards in 1961, and the school on Russell Hill was sold to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Southwark in 1962, which established Thomas More and Margaret Roper catholic schools on the site. == Reservoir ==

On the northeast outskirts, at the south end of the Purley Way playing fields is Russell Hill reservoir. It was opened on 11th July 1923 by Croydon's mayor, Alderman T W Wood Roberts. At that time Croydon Corporation was responsible for supplying the borough's sanitation. Croydon's population growth and finite water sources meant there was a risk that peak demand could not be met, particularly during droughts. The corporation's engineer, George F Carter, had proposed a new reservoir at Russell Hill as early as 1911, which was estimated to cost £91,000, three times the cost of the newly opened Waddon pumping station. and World War 1 fought; the final cost was £900,000. This became Thames Water Authority on 1st April 1974 and Thames Water following the 1989 privatisation, who now own the c.100 year old reservoir. ==References==