Anerley Taxi for Anerley Road, the Hill and Birkbeck

Written by the Sydenham Mini Cabs team. Last updated 3 October 2026.

Anerley Road from top to bottom

Anerley Road is the A214. It begins at the foot of Anerley Hill, by Crystal Palace station, and runs south east for about a mile to the junction with Croydon Road and Elmers End Road.

Along it are Anerley station, Anerley Town Hall, parades of shops, churches and a great many flats. Buses run the whole length. Traffic is steady and stopping is restricted in places, especially near the railway bridge.

If you want collecting from Anerley Road itself, tell us the nearest side street. Ridsdale Road, Thicket Road, Maple Road and Seymour Villas are all easy places for a driver to pull in.

The climb up Anerley Hill

At its northern end the road tilts sharply upward. Anerley Hill rises from the station to Crystal Palace Parade, and it is one of the steepest main roads in south London.

Residents know the feeling. You get off the train with a suitcase, look up and wish for a lift. We provide that lift many times a day. A two minute ride from Crystal Palace station to the top of the hill, or to the flats on Belvedere Road and Palace Square, is a perfectly normal booking.

In icy weather the hill can be treacherous on foot. Call us and stay off it.

Anerley station and Birkbeck

Two stations serve the area, and they offer different things.

Anerley station

Anerley station is on Anerley Station Road, just off the main road. Overground and Southern trains run north through Penge West and Sydenham and south to Norwood Junction and West Croydon. The entrance is tucked away, so drivers wait at the junction with Anerley Road.

Birkbeck

Birkbeck is on Elmers End Road. It has a single rail platform for trains towards Crystal Palace and Beckenham Junction, and a tram stop beside it for Croydon and Beckenham. Services are infrequent on the rail side. If you have just missed one, a cab to your destination is often faster than waiting.

Parks, the old canal and green corners

Betts Park, off Anerley Road, holds one of the last surviving stretches of the old Croydon Canal. It is a small, quiet spot that surprises visitors.

The southern gates of Crystal Palace Park are on Thicket Road and Anerley Hill. South Norwood Lake and Grounds are a short drive west, and South Norwood Country Park lies beyond Elmers End.

For families visiting the park with a pushchair and a picnic, or for older relatives who cannot manage the slopes, we drop at the gate you choose and collect later.

Local journeys we do every day

Here is a snapshot of an ordinary day's bookings in Anerley.

• Home from the supermarkets at Elmers End and on Penge High Street
• To the surgeries on Anerley Road and Oakfield Road
• To Beckenham Beacon for clinic appointments
• To Norwood Junction for fast trains to London Bridge and East Croydon
• To the National Sports Centre for swimming and athletics

Short trips are welcome. If the walk is too far or the weather is foul, ring us.

Typical drive times from Anerley station

These are typical times in normal traffic. Croydon Road and the Elmers End junction slow down in the evening peak.

Hospital and clinic runs

Anerley is in the borough of Bromley, close to the borders with Croydon and Lambeth. That means residents may be sent to several different hospitals.

Croydon University Hospital is about 20 minutes away. King's College Hospital is 20 to 30 minutes. The Princess Royal University Hospital at Farnborough is around half an hour. Beckenham Beacon is the nearest for minor injuries and outpatient clinics.

Tell us which one and which department. We will plan the route and drop you at the correct entrance. Wheelchair accessible vehicles are available on request.

Flats, estates and finding the right entrance

Much of Anerley is made up of flats, from converted Victorian villas on Anerley Park to larger blocks off Anerley Road and Maple Road. Block names repeat, and entrances are sometimes round the back.

When you book, give us the block name, the flat number and the street the entrance is on. If there is a gate code or a car park barrier, tell us whether the driver should wait outside. A minute spent on the phone saves five at the kerb.

Football at Selhurst Park

Selhurst Park is roughly ten minutes from Anerley by road. On match days the streets around the ground are closed to traffic before and after the game.

We drop supporters within a short walk and arrange a pickup point for afterwards on a road that stays open. A group of fans can share a 7 seater taxi and split the fare.

Remembering loved ones

Beckenham Crematorium and Cemetery is on Elmers End Road, at the southern end of Anerley. We take families to funerals and to visit graves throughout the year.

It is a journey that calls for patience and care. Drivers will wait while you pay your respects if you ask for a wait and return. For a funeral party, tell us the numbers and we will send the right vehicles to keep the family together.

Going out and getting home

Anerley has a handful of pubs and cafes of its own, and it sits between two livelier spots. Crystal Palace Triangle is up the hill. Beckenham High Street is ten minutes east.

Late at night the trains stop, and the hill is a long walk. Book a car home on 020 8778 8888. Private hire cars cannot be hailed in the street, so a booking is the only way to ride with us.

School and family travel

Schools on Anerley Road, Stembridge Road and in neighbouring Penge and South Norwood bring morning traffic to the side streets. For a regular car, see our school run taxi page.

Families of five or six can book a 6 seater taxi for days out. Child seats are available if you ask when booking.

Longer journeys from Anerley

Anerley is on the southern side of our area, close to Croydon. That shortens the trip described on our minicab from Sydenham to Gatwick Airport page by several minutes.

For flights from west London, see the Sydenham to Heathrow Airport taxi page.

For trains from central London, the Sydenham to Victoria Station taxi and Sydenham to Waterloo Station taxi pages give routes and timings.

Neighbouring areas

Anerley merges with Penge to the east, covered on our Penge taxi page. At the top of the hill is Crystal Palace, on the Crystal Palace taxi page. Further east is Beckenham, on the Beckenham taxi page.

Our areas we cover page lists every district.

How to book

Phone 020 8778 8888 or use the form at the top of this page. Tell us the pickup, the destination and the time, and we will quote the fare.

Pay by card or cash. Saloons, estates, MPVs and an 8 seater minibus are all available.

Anerley taxi questions