New Addington sits on top of the North Downs, at the very southern edge of London, and from parts of the estate you can see fields and woods in every direction. It was built from the 1930s onwards as a new town for families moving out of crowded inner London, and the tram that now runs to its centre is the only rail link. Minibus hire New Addington customers book is mostly school trips and day trips, youth and community outings, family celebrations and runs to Gatwick, because almost every destination is a long way by bus and tram.
New Addington sits in the south-east of Croydon borough, between Addington Village, Selsdon, Forestdale and the Kent border, with Biggin Hill about ten minutes south. From our base in SE1, it's about fifty minutes to an hour outside the rush hour, down the A23 and through Croydon.
Minibus hire New Addington for school trips
New Addington's primary schools and the secondary schools in Fieldway and Addington book us for museum visits, theatre trips, swimming galas, sports fixtures and residential trips. A trip into central London by tram and train takes a long time with a class of thirty, and a minibus from the school gate turns it into a manageable day.
The South Kensington museums are about an hour and ten minutes away outside the rush hour, the Horniman about thirty-five minutes and the Croydon Airport visitor centre about twenty. A school sends the head count, the adult ratio and the timetable, and we reply with a written booking the trip leader can file.
Closer to home, Addington Hills has one of the best views in south London, with a viewing platform looking across to the City and Canary Wharf, and Kings Wood and Selsdon Wood suit nature trips. Minibus hire New Addington schools book for a woodland day is a short run, with the pickup timed for the end of the afternoon.
Seaside and countryside days from the hilltop
New Addington is well placed for days out to the south. Brighton is about an hour, Eastbourne and Hastings about an hour and a quarter, Chessington World of Adventures about thirty-five minutes, Thorpe Park about fifty and Wildwood near Canterbury about an hour and a quarter. Chartwell, Hever Castle and the Ashdown Forest are all within forty-five minutes.
Youth clubs, community groups, senior clubs and families book us for days like these. At the destination the driver can stay with the vehicle or head off and come back for a pickup time the organiser picks. A summer coach-and-picnic day to Camber Sands, about an hour and three quarters away, needs an early start, and we'll suggest a departure that beats the queues at the beach car parks.
Clubs, churches and community centres
New Addington has youth clubs, boxing and football clubs, churches and community centres, and they book us for trips to adventure centres, sports tournaments, theme parks and the seaside. Let us know how many adults are coming alongside the children, so the seating plan keeps every leader with their group.
Senior groups and lunch clubs book shorter trips to gardens, garden centres and the coast, with lunch and an early return, and the driver will help with bags and walking aids. Residents' associations also book us for coach-style outings to places like Rochester or Hampton Court, which are a long way by public transport from the estate.
Family celebrations
Families book us for weddings, christenings, big birthdays and funerals, with guests collected from homes across New Addington, Fieldway and Addington and taken to churches, halls and venues across Croydon and Kent. Addington Palace, the former country residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury a short drive north, hosts weddings and receptions in its grounds. Guests travel from homes to the ceremony and the reception and are brought back at the end of the night.
Gatwick from the Downs
Gatwick is about thirty-five to forty-five minutes from New Addington outside the rush hour, via the A23 and the M23 or across to the M25. Heathrow is about an hour and a quarter, London City about an hour and Stansted about an hour and a quarter or more. For families with suitcases, the tram to East Croydon and the train to the airport is hard work, and a minibus from the door is easier.
Kent Gate Way and the estate roads
Kent Gate Way, the A2022, links New Addington to Selsdon and the Addington Hills, and it's quick outside the rush hour. Lodge Lane carries buses, and the tram runs on its own track beside it and into Central Parade, so vehicles can't stop near the tram stops. The estate's roads are wide but lined with parked cars, and some closes are tight. In winter, the hilltop can be colder and icier than central Croydon, so allow for a slower run on frosty mornings. We'll meet at the school, the community centre or a corner you name.
For minibus hire in New Addington, call 020 7183 0567.