Selhurst

Selhurst is a suburb in the London Borough of Croydon, England, 7.8 miles (12.6 km) south-east of Charing Cross. Historically in Surrey, the suburb is bounded to the west and south by Thornton Heath and Croydon and to the east and south by South Norwood and Woodside. The stadium Selhurst Park, home of Crystal Palace Football Club, is located at the northern end of the neighbourhood. Selhurst is named after the Old English for "dwelling in a wood", or possibly 'dwelling where willows grow'; the name is first recorded in 1225. Saxon coins were found here when the railway station was built. Housing began to be built in the area following the opening of the Croydon Canal in 1809, however the canal proved to be a failure and it closed in 1836. Races were held at Heaver's Farm in the 1850s-60s. Further housing development occurred following the opening of Selhurst train station in 1865. White British is the largest ethnic group as of the 2011 census, forming 26% of the population. The second and third largest were Black Caribbean and Black African, both 14% each.