This narrow gap between the shops of old Croydon town looks like an old alley, but in fact, most of it is brand new, including the name.
The older northern half of the alley is indeed quite old, as it once led to a coach yard and stables for The George Inn. The inn closed in 1871, and later the area was redeveloped with the late Victorian shops that survive today.
In 2001, the space behind the shops was redeveloped to create an entertainment venue, which has variously been a nightclub, a children’s play area and (at the time of writing), the Palm Beach Club.
That allowed for the old alley to be extended through the block and reach Park Street.
A new alley needed a name, and it was decided to name it after Thomas Turner, a 19th-century vet who had premises on George Street. Thomas Turner owned a Horse infirmary and campaigned to improve conditions for animal care. When the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons was created in 1844, he became its first President and held the role for 6 years.
He later moved his Horse Infirmery to 311 Regent Street (today part of the University of Westminster building)
Today though, the alley named after the vet is a modern convenient cut-through in this part of Croydon, and was being well used on my visit, even that early in the morning.
Approaching from the original old entrance, if you look carefully at the stone edging, you might notice that one side curves slightly at the top. That’s the remains of the arch that used to span the entrance to the George Inn stables and was retained when the shops were built on either side, as it supported housing above the arch.
Historically speaking, the removal of the arch is fairly recent, as it was still there in 1977, as it can be seen in this photo if you zoom in – next to the Phoenix store. I’ve not been able to pin down exactly when it was removed, but *shakes fist* at whoever did that.
Walking down the alley under the heavy beams that now prop the two shops on either side, now that the middle building has gone, you come into a much wider open space. I also noticed some old stones on the ground, which it’s tempting to suspect might be protection stones from when this passage was used by horse and carts. But that might be romantic imaginings, and knowing my luck, they’re probably just random lumps dumped there a decade ago.
Further on, a small back garden for the shops manages to survive and was refurbished by the local business improvement group.
After that, it then passes through the modern extension out onto Park Street.
The alley will undergo a significant change soon, as the 1996 building on the southern corner has been approved for replacement with housing, which will open up the modern extension a bit and improve its appearance.
So, a modern and ancient passage named after a vet and about to be revamped yet again.