The High Street of Croydon really _is_ high, for it occupies a ridge and looks down on the right hand on the Old Town and the valley of the Wandle, or "Wandel." The centre of Croydon has, in fact, been removed from down below, where the church and palace first arose, on the line of the old Roman road, to this ridge, where within the historic period the High Street was only a bridle-path avoiding the little town in the valley. The High Street, incidentally the Brighton Road as well, is nowadays a very modern and commercial-looking thoroughfare, and owes that appearance, and its comparative width, to the works effected under the Croydon Improvement Act of 1890. Already Croydon, given a Mayor and Town Council in 1883, had grown so greatly that the narrow street was incapable of accommodating the traffic; while the low-lying, and in other senses low, quarter of Market Street and Middle Row offended the dignity and self-respect of the new-born Corporation. The Town Hall stood at that time in the High Street: a curious example of bastard classic architecture, built in 1808. Near by was the "Greyhound," an old coaching and posting inn, with one of those picturesque gallows signs straddling across the street, of which those of the "George" at Crawley and the "Greyhound" at Sutton are surviving examples. That of the "Cock" at Sutton disappeared in 1898, and the similar signs of the "Crown," opposite the Whitgift Hospital, and of the "King's Arms" vanished many years ago. The "Greyhound" was the principal inn of Croydon in the old times. The first mention of it is found in 1563, the parish register of that year containing the entry, "Nicholas Vode (Wood) the son of the good wyfe of the grewond was buryed the xxix day of January." The voluminous John Taylor mentions it in 1624 as one of the two Croydon inns, and it was the headquarters of General Fairfax in 1645, when Cromwell vehemently disputed with him under its roof on the conduct of the campaign, urging more severe measures. Following upon the alteration, the "Greyhound" was rebuilt. Its gallows sign disappeared at the same time, when a curious point arose respecting the post supporting it on the opposite pavement. Erected in the easy-going times when such a matter was nothing more than a little friendly and neighbourly concession, the square foot of ground it occupied had by lapse of time become freehold property, and as such it was duly scheduled and purchased by the Improvements Committee. A sum of £400 was claimed for freehold and loss of advertisement, and eventually £350 was paid. [Sidenote: RUSKIN]