Forestdale is in a great location. In the nearby Kent and Surrey countryside, the local Borough of Croydon and nearby London, there are limitless outstanding places of interest and opportunities for recreation, sport and leisure.

Listed below are just a few of the immediate places, very close to the estate, where families can walk, picnic or visit and children of all ages can play. All of them are either a walk, or short bus, car or tram ride away.

Forestdale Green

Location:- Forestdale, at the corner of Featherbed Lane and Courtwood Lane

Courtwood Children’s Playground

Selsdon Woods

Location:- Located in Selsdon with the main entrance off Old Farleigh Road.
Pedestrian entrances via gates from several points on the estate

Selsdon Wood is owned by The National Trust but it is managed by the London Borough of Croydon Parks Department.

Addington Park

Location:- The Park is situated at the junction of Kent Gate Way and Gravel Hill. Tram stop at Gravel Hill or Addington Village.

Addington Palace

Location:- Off Gravel Hill – can be viewed from Addington Park

Addington Palace has had various owners since it was originally built in the 16th century. On the death of Sir John Leigh in 1737, a forty year legal battle ensued before ownership was passed to his cousin, Ann Spencer, who in turn sold it to Barlow Trecothick, Alderman of the City of London and Lord Mayor in 1770-1771. While much refurbishment took place over the years, the building, a Palladian style mansion with two main stories, mansard roof and basement, and single story wings to the North and South, was completed in 1778.

An Act of parliament in 1807, and finance from the sale of Croydon Palace (it being "in so low and low and unwholesome a situation") enabled the mansion to be purchased for the Archbishops of Canterbury. The six Archbishops that lived in Addington Palace were; Charles Manners-Sutton (1805), William Howley (1828), John Bird Sumner (1848), Charles Thomas Longley (1862), Archibald Campbell-Tait (1868) and Edward White Benson (1883). Five of these are buried at nearby St. Mary's Church, the exception being Benson.

In 1898, the Archbishops sold the house and it's grounds and further restructuring and refurbishments, by various owners, followed, including the construction of a third story. In 1913, a local golf club bought a portion of the land and in 1914 the house was taken over by the Red Cross and became a hospital for enteric fever and malaria. Later, some land was sold for building, but in 1930, Croydon Corporation acquired a substantial part of the estate and converted it into a public park.
The Palace is currently being used as a Banqueting and Conference venue, which also houses a Country Club.

St. Mary’s Church, Addington

Location:- Centre of Addington Village

Dating back to around 1080, this lovely little church has strong connections with the Archbishops of Canterbury, who used the nearby Addington Palace as their country residence during the nineteenth century. Five of the six Archbishops who lived there are laid to rest within the walls and grounds of Saint Mary's Church, and there is a memorial to all five in the churchyard to the south-west of the church. Since its foundation, the church has seen many changes and additions.

The Archbishops interred at St.Mary's are:
Archbishop Charles Manners-Sutton - Died 1828 (buried in a vault under the vestry).
Archbishop William Howley - Died 1848 (buried in chancel).
Archbishop John Bird Sumner - Died 1862 (buried in churchyard).
Archbishop Charles Longley - Died 1868 (buried in churchyard).
Archbishop Archibald Campbell Tait - Died 1882 (buried in churchyard).

Once inside St. Mary's, you simply go back in time and your eyes immediately focus on the Chancel, the oldest part of the church. Here there are many memorials, including two Tudor brasses, and beautifully ornate windows. The largest memorial is that to members of the Leigh family, who were Lords of Addington Manor from the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries. The windows are of various dates.The painting of the chancel, originally completed in 1898 at a cost of £600, was restored in 1988 at a cost of £20,000. A marble reredos stretches right across the chancel, with statues of four famous Archbishops of Canterbury, namely, Cranmer, Theodore, Benson and Laud. Elsewhere around the church there are memorials to various benefactors and Archbishops, and windows commemorating notable people and events.

Visitors are welcome on the second and fourth Sundays of the month. A printed guide "A Walk Around The Church" is available and visitors can browse around the church at their own pace. Helpful members of the church will gladly provide information and answer any questions.

Addington Vale

Location:- Extends from King Henrys Drive in the north to Arnhem Drive in the south, Queen Elizabeths Drive runs along the western side, and Godric Crescent and Hares Bank to the east.

Spring Park

Location:- Adjacent to A2022, Addington Road

Shirley Heath

Location:- Shirley, bordered by Shirley Church Road and the Shrublands Estate. 

Shirley Church Recreation Ground

Location:- Shirley, Shirley Church Road.

Heathfield

Addington Hills

Location:- Bordered by Coombe Lane, Shirley Hills Road, and Oaks Road. The Tram service for the park stops at Coombe Road.

Coombe Wood

Location:- Junction of Coombe Lane and Conduit Lane. The Tram service for the park stops at Coombe Lane and Lloyd Park.

There is a small pond and waterfall along the Coombe Lane frontage. A Parks publication is available which provides a guided route around the site. The gardens and woods are closed at night. Cycling is not permitted within the grounds. There is a car parking bay available for the disabled.

Lloyd Park

Location:- Beside Coombe Road, Croydon. 
The Tram service for the park stops at Lloyd Park.

Littleheath Woods

Location:- Selsdon, surrounded by Croham Valley Road, Edgecoombe Road, Foxearth Road and Littleheath Road.

Selsdon Recreation Ground

Location:- Selsdon, Woodland Gardens, off Old Farleigh Road.

Sanderstead Recreation Ground