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Croydon's Guided Tours Reveal Historic Sites and Outdoor Trails

Guided walks, windmill visits and trails through named local sites provide structured ways to explore the area.

By Croydon Things-to-do Desk · Published 19 July 2026

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Croydon offers guided Neighbourhood Wanderings tours that start at Queen’s Gardens and explore historic Surrey Street Market along with cultural landmarks.

These tours connect visitors directly to longstanding local features, allowing structured access to places that have operated for centuries in the borough. Residents and visitors can combine such walks with visits to other documented sites for a fuller picture of the area’s heritage and open spaces.

Neighbourhood Wanderings

The Neighbourhood Wanderings tours begin at Queen’s Gardens and take in Surrey Street Market, which has traded since 1276, plus nearby cultural landmarks. The route follows established paths through the Old Town area and provides a direct way to see market activity and surrounding streets.

Shirley Windmill Tours

Guided tours operate at Shirley Windmill, built in 1854 and one of only four large windmills open to the public in Greater London. The site welcomes visitors on the first Sundays of June through October.

Croydon Airport Visitor Centre

The Croydon Airport Visitor Centre sits inside the world’s oldest air traffic control tower and functions as a free micro-museum. It opens to the public on the first Sunday of every month.

Croydon Boxpark Events

Croydon Boxpark, formed from repurposed shipping containers, contains over 130 food and retail concepts and hosts more than 200 events each year that include live music and beatboxing performances.

Walking Trails and Art Spaces

Local experiences also include walking trails through Coombe Wood, Croham Hurst Woods and Shirley Hills. Visitors can add a stop at Turf, an artist-run contemporary art space that runs free exhibitions and workshops.

These options rely on the same set of named sites and scheduled openings listed across local tourism and heritage sources. Practical planning starts with checking the published opening dates for each location, such as the first Sunday of the month for the Airport Visitor Centre or the June-to-October window for Shirley Windmill. Links to booking or further details appear on the pages of Culture Croydon, Visit London and related local guides.