Coombe Wood - introducing Croydon's rather lovely natural, woody and flowery side.. And a great cafe too!

Coombe Wood was one of the first places my husband took me to when we moved to Croydon.  And it made me realise that, actually, there's a lot more to Croydon, and many more different sides to it, than you might at first think.  This rather lovely natural, woody and flowery side to Croydon was a wonderful surprise!

Coombe Wood is a mixture of well-tended gardens with colourful flower-beds, and natural woodland.  There are plenty of places for children to explore, trees and logs to climb on, and hills to clamber up.  There is also a lawn area which is great for picnics, and a small pond.

Cafes (and their associated toilets) are almost an essential feature of our family outings and, luckily, Coombe Wood doesn't disappoint.  The Coach House Cafe is lovely, good value and has both indoor and outdoor seating.  In winter, warming up with a hot chocolate in front of its open fire is just the thing.  In summer, the outside seating in its courtyard is cool and relaxing.  The cafe serves the usual hot drinks, cakes and ice creams and also serves a wonderful selection of hot food, as good as any gastro pub.  It can get very busy though, so it's worth calling to book a table to avoid disappointment.

Coombe Wood (or probably the flat above the aforementioned cafe) is also home to a few (I haven't managed to count them) friendly cats who like to lounge about on the benches in the sunshine.  My girls are always pleased to see them.

On a Monday morning, there is a free nature play group in Coombe Wood.  I haven't managed to make it to this group but it looks like lots of fun.

Getting there:  Coombe Wood is just off Coombe Lane and is a short walk from either Lloyd Park or Coombe Lane tram stops (both on line 3).  There is a car park next to the entrance to the wood.